Overton Bottoms North Unit, Big Muddy National Wildlife Refuge

Of all the various units of Big Muddy National Wildlife Refuge, the Overton Bottoms North Unit is the most accessible to visitors. The area is comprised primarily of large open fields filled with native and exotic grasses. There are also some areas of dense young forests and a strip of more mature trees along the riverbank. The young trees planted are types that were historically found along the Missouri floodplain, such as cottonwood, willow, box elder, and silver maple, as well as some hardwood trees such as pin oak, bur oak, swamp white oak, pecan and shellbark hickory. This area of the Missouri River contains scour holes, which were formed during the floods of the 1990’s and which are now home to a variety of fish, such as carp, largemouth bass, catfish, gar and crappie, so it is a great place to fish. The area also provides spectacular views, beautiful changing foliage in the fall, and areas to hike, explore and hunt.