muscatatuck national wildlife refuge

You won't find peace and quiet in this natural settings. Lots of birds talking and squawking, frogs ribbetting, cardinals chirping and owls hooting. You will enjoy the trails, enjoy the lovely gazebos to watch water fowl and just delight in being able to walk through old growth forest and it's all FREE. We were delighted to watch several flocks of Sandhill cranes on our walk. This is a truly nice wildlife area.

Great for hiking or just an interesting drive. Hiking trails or gravel roads to drive on to see the wild life. When our children were younger, it was a nice afternoon or evening drive to see the wild life. Closes at dusk.

I've visited the refuge several times throughout the years, by myself, with school, with friends, and as a couple. If you love nature or just need some fresh air this is the place for you. There is a nature center you can visit, which is great and everyone is so friendly, or some easy to follow trails. I have never failed to see some wildlife. Springtime and fall are particularly spectacular sights.

Be sure to visit Muscatatuck. Your first stop should be the visitor center. It's the first building on your right after you enter. They're open daily 12:30 to 4pm. The people are friendly and informative. Make sure you see the film! It's very good. After that you have a variety of activities from which to chose including hiking, hunting, fishing, wildlife viewing or photography. The best idea is to check their website or call them and ask about upcoming events and programs. Visit your National Wildlife Refuge. You're gonna love it!

we did the auto trail, we had a mishap and started it backward but figured it out. we did see some heron, deer, squirrels and birds. looked for otters but did not see any on our visit. walked a few trails, very peaceful, trails were easy to navigate. loved the trail by the lake. nature center staff was helpful. worth a stop if you love nature.

I grew up in this area and if you love the outdoors and nature, you'll love this place. I have seen otters, deer, turkey squirrels, birds and other animals. You can hike, fish, walk and explore. There's an old time log cabin that you can visit. There's the visitor's center at the beginning of the refuge. Please stop in and see what all you can do in the refuge. The employees are very friendly and helpful. My husband and I always visit the refuge when we are back in the area visiting family.

My family visits Muscstatuck often. We like to go out there to fish, walk, visit the Meyer's cabin, or berry pick. It's always pleasant and has abundant wildlife. Since I am a teacher, I take my class to the annual excursion they graciously host in October. Several environmental businesses visit and teach kids how to take care of our natural resources. They LOVE it. Excellent job! We'll love you and what you stand for.

Stop by the visitor’s center first, the volunteers are very knowledgeable and you can borrow a pair of binoculars at the front desk (they hold your credit card as security). There is also an inside bird viewing area where you can watch birds come to feed and listen to their songs. The center has a great store with a very wide selection of bird and naturalist books – the kids’ section is amazing. The refuge has many nature trails that take you to the lakes and the birds. Trails’ length ranges from very short up to one mile. Or you can just drive very slowly down the roads and pull over to view the birds. I visited in winter when everything was brown and grey and it was still a beautiful, serene place to visit. It was thrilling to see an otter swimming by at Hunt Lake. As you can tell, I Loved the Muscatatuck Refuge and am so grateful there are still places where birds and animals can live peacefully (and where we can so easily visit!).

It's free and the bird watching area is wonderful. The trails are nice and they even have a wheelchair trail. Very clean and nice for groups.

My boyfriend and I go to the refuge several times a year. He is a photographer. The caretakers of the refuge take really good care of it. It is amazing to see all the wonderful creatures God has brought into the refuge. You always see something new. We sat for a long time a couple of weeks ago and watched 6 Otters. He obtained some wonderful pictures of them eating turtles! This a great place for any age. You can take a slow drive, hike, or just sit. Either way, it is an amazing place to go. Very quiet and peeaceful

I have been numerous times. I just enjoy driving slow and looking at the birds. I did see an Eagle the last time I was there which was cool. Check out the welcome center as you enter the property.

We've enjoyed many events over the past 20 years solo, as a couple, as a family with young children, as a family with teens, and with friends. There are many things to do all year long such as the Log Cabin Days event, the Nature Center video and shop (where the bathrooms are located), the many varied walking trails, the children's duck stamp contest, birdwatching, volunteer opportunities, bike riding, raptor shows, educational talks and bird watching and identification. The whole refuge is well maintained and peaceful. One can enjoy and hour there or lose oneself for a day.

We really enjoyed the drive and plan to return early in the morning to see more birds! One word of warning...avoid tall grass. We found a tick in the car and then later found one on our clothing. We enjoyed seeing many varieties of birds and butterflies as well as turtles and toads. Be sure to bring bug spray and a camera!

We spent the day hiking Versailles State Park and decided to stop here on our way home. SO glad we did! Great car tour gives you facts about the preserve as well as sights of most of it. Many places to get out and walk, great old homestead with barn, ponds, lakes, and wildlife.

This was a great stop off the interstate to take a quick hike. The visitors center has a nice educational exhibit perfect for all ages with interactive exhibits and a bird viewing area with one-way windows. We saw several varieties of birds at the feeders. We followed this by two short hikes on different trails which were well marked and dry. It was a great place to stretch our legs and there were clean restrooms. And, it was all free.