Two Rivers National Wildlife Refuge

Park Information

The 8,501-acre Two Rivers National Wildlife Refuge is one of five refuges in the Mark Twain National Wildlife Refuge Complex.

Formerly known as the Brussels District of Mark Twain Refuge, most of Two Rivers Refuge is located near the confluence of the Illinois and Mississippi rivers.

The refuge is comprised of five divisions: Apple Creek, Batchtown, Calhoun, Gilbert Lake, and Portage Island. The refuge is managed for migratory birds, endangered species, and migratory fish. Management techniques mimic the historic flood cycle of the rivers to support native plant and animal communities characteristic of large river ecosystems.

The refuge provides an important link in the chain of resting, feeding, and wintering areas for migratory species using the Mississippi Flyway, as well as important habitat for many resident wildlife species.

Two Rivers National Wildlife Refuge

The Mark Twain Refuge Complex was established in 1958. General Plan lands were purchased by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers as part of their project to maintain a nine-foot-deep navigation channel in the Mississippi River.

Lands excess to the project came under U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service management through a cooperative agreement in 1963. Since then, the Service has purchased additional acreage.

Agency Name:

Fish and Wildlife Service

Directions

The refuge headquarters, including the visitor center, is located at the Calhoun Division, four miles east of Brussels, Illinois. It can be reached in either of the following ways:

FROM ILLINOIS: Travel 14 miles west of Alton, Illinois, on the Great River Road (Hwy 100) to the Brussels Ferry. Cross the Illinois River and proceed another 4.5 miles to the refuge entrance.

FROM MISSOURI: The refuge is located north of St. Charles County, Missouri. From Highway 370, take the Elm Street exit north 0.5 mile. Turn left onto Fountain Lakes Boulevard and go 0.65 miles to Huster Road. Turn right onto Huster Road and go two miles to Highway B. After turning left onto Highway B, drive two miles and turn right onto Golden Eagle Ferry Road. Drive one mile and use the Golden Eagle Ferry to cross the Mississippi River into Illinois. The Golden Eagle Ferry charges $5.00 per car each way.

After leaving the ferry, travel two miles on Ferry Road to the intersection with Mississippi River Road, then turn right. This road meanders through rolling hills for 3.4 miles to the intersection with Illinois River Road. Turn right onto Illinois River Road, travel two miles, and turn left onto Hagen Road. Travel one mile on Hagen Road to the refuge entrance.