Welcome to Tensas River NWR
The Tensas River National Wildlife Refuge was established through Public Law 96-285 on June 28, 1980 to preserve one of the largest privately owned tracts of bottomland hardwoods remaining in the Mississippi Delta. The bottomland hardwood forest contains a diversity of plant and animal species. Over 400 species of mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fish can be found on the refuge. The refuge consists of nearly 80,000 acres of bottomland hardwoods and oxbow lakes. This type of habitat once covered 25 million acres of the Mississippi Alluvial Valley.
Resting and feeding habitat
for thousands of migrating
and wintering waterfowl are
provided by the refuge. The
state's largest population
of the federally-listed threatened
Louisiana black bear is found
on the refuge. The last citing
of the ivory-billed woodpecker,
which is thought to be extinct
by most scientists, occurred
in the 1940's adjacent to
what is now the Tensas River
National Wildlife Refuge. See a map
of the Refuge.
Visitor Center / Office Hours:
8:00 am to 4:00pm Monday – Friday, with the exception of all Federal Holidays.
The Tensas River visitor center. Photo: USFWS.
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An inviting view down one of our boardwalks at Tensas River. Photo: Garry Tucker, USFWS. |
Ducks enjoying a restful bath at Tensas River. Photo: USFWS. |
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