Facilities and Activities:
| Day-Use | Fishing | yes | | | Hunting | yes | | | Hiking Trail, miles | yes |
National Park Location Maps:
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National Park Photo Gallery:
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National Park Event Calendar:
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Nearby Parks:
Crosley State Fish and Wildlife Area
Muscatatuck State Park
Selmier State Forest
Jackson-Washington State Forest
Brush Creek State Fish and Wildlife Area
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| National Park Overview: |
 | Muscatatuck National Wildlife Refuge is located in south central Indiana. The refuge takes its name from the Muscatatuck River, which forms the southern boundary. The "land of winding waters" is a pocket of wetland habitat where the river, flood-prone creeks, and small natural springs attracted wildlife and native Americans long before white settlers arrived. Most of the dense hardwood and bottomland forest that originally carpeted the land was cleared by settlers, who attempted to farm the wet ground. Fortunately for wildlife, most of the attempts to drain the area were not successful. In 1966, Muscatatuck Refuge was established using money obtained from the sale of Federal Miratory Waterfowl Stamps, commonly known as Duck Stamps.
The refuge is a very scenic and accessible mix of hardwood forest, wetlands, brush-land reverting to forest, cropland, and grassland habitat. Today, Muscatatuck includes 7,724 acres near Seymour and a 78-acre parcel, known as the Restle Unit, near Bloomington. Nine miles of refuge roads that are open sunrise to sunset seven days/week attract approximately 185,000 visitors to the refuge each year. Wildlife-viewing opportunities are excellent at Muscatatuck, and the refuge is known as an exceptionally fine bird watching site. |
| Reviews By Park Visitors: |
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Excellent Birding Paradise Kids Love It!
We love going here. The kids love it. There is a large visitors center with a nice short paved hiking trail that is great for kids and physically disabled people. There are tons of birds(great blue herons, green herons, egrets, wood ducks, mallards, coots, owls, hawks, teals, swallows, grebes, geese sparrows, warblers) and wildlife(deer, turtles, otters, muskrats, beavers). Picnic areas and hiking trails. There is a self guided auto tour and there are plenty of areas where cars are allowed unlike some NWR so you can view the birds easily from your car. The visitors center also has a movie and a place set up with bird feeders to view song birds etc. There is a migratory bird festival the second weekend in May that is also excellent with fun things to do for adults and kids!
Written by Bird Loving Family
21-Apr-2008
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a wildernes refuge
We like to visit a couple of times a year (have done so for over 20 years). We love to see the seasons of different wildlife and the bird migrations. It is fascinating to see what is just passing through on a flight path north or south. We have seen enjoyed all kinds of wildlife and find it a serene natural place.
Written by nature lovers from Ohio
21-Sep-2008
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...vacation cabin, weekend getaway, log cabin rental, romantic cottage, vacation home, resort, hotel, motel, bed and breakfast, country inn, campground, RV park, horseback riding stable, canoe livery, river rafting, outfitting, sporting goods store, guide service, RV rental, etc read more.... |
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| Related Links: |
| PRESOL | Y | Entrance Road Modification, U.S. Highway 50, Muscatatuck National Wildlife Re - FBO DAILY ISSUE OF MARCH 08, 2002 FBO #0096 SOLICITATION NOTICE. Y -- Entrance Road Modification, U.S. Highway 50, Muscatatuck National Wildlife Refuge, Seymour, Indiana. Notice Date. 3/6/2002 ... | | National Recreation - Wood Duck. Muscatatuck National Wildlife refuge. The Muscatatuck National Wildlife Refuge is 7,724 acres of protected habitat. The refuge was "established to provide resting and feeding areas... | | Why Wetlands ? - Before settlers came to the territory that we currently know as Indiana the natural landscape looked very different. Indiana was once covered by approximately 86 % forest. The natural forest... | | Trumpeter Swan -- RARE AVIAN VISITORS COMING BACK HOME TO INDIANA - In an experimental project reminiscent of the movie Fly Away Home, a group of young trumpeter swans departed Ontario, Canada, on December 4, following an ultra-light aircraft to Muscatatuck... |
| Directions: |
| The refuge is located in south-central Indiana on U.S. Highway 50, just three miles east of the I-65/U.S. 50 interchange at Seymour, IN. Muscatatuck is approximately an hour's drive from Louisville, Kentucky, and Indianapolis, Indiana, and is approximately 86 miles from Cincinnati, Ohio. The main entrance on U.S. Highway 50 is marked with large brown signs. |
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