De Soto National Wildlife Refuge

We went fishing at De Soto in early October. It's a really beautiful setting, shortly after we pulled into the park we saw 2 eagles.But, the fishing was a disappointment...we tried 4 locations, variable baits, depths, etc and not a single bite. Are there zero fish?We really enjoyed the day, such a wonderful setting just outside the city is a major draw but will probably fish elsewhere in the future.

Just 30 minutes North of the metro, De Soto Bend is an incredible wildlife refuge. With many trails running parrallel to the Missouri River, it is an enchanting sight. There are a dozen trails on the grounds, with plenty of bird viewing sights. There is even a Bald Eagle viewing area and it's my husbands favorite spot.There are several picnic areas and grills to make a whole day of it.Because this is a National Park, there is a very small fee to get into the park, but it's on the honesty policy.After you walk your heart out, head over to the visitors center for even more viewing areas and a fun historical tour of the giant ship that sank right there when the Missouri River was wider. The Bertrand museum is incredible, every item pull from the ship was perfectly presevered from the silt in the ground, that in itself is worth the drive.If you're looking for a family fun day with a little history lesson for just a few dollars, De Soto Bend is the place to go.

Fabulous place to take in the beauty of nature. So peaceful and relaxing. So many places to sit and soak up nature and clear your mind.

Great photography and wildlife viewing. Lots of trails to walk on, and a nice visitor center. Admission is $3 per vehicle, but there are annual passes available.

Visited end of March on a snowy weekend. Wasn't idealist conditions but still a lot of birds in the park. A lot of roads were blocked off, I assume due to flooding two years ago or for migrating birds but where we could travel we were able to see a lot of birds, especially eagles. I'm used to national parks out west where people are always pulling over to shoot pictures of elk or bison. So it was amusing to see people pulling over in groups to take bird pictures, but I was doing it too. Touring the visitor center is a must! Great observation room in the back, wall to wall windows complete with telescopes and those binocular deals. There's also a steamboat that was found there but it was currently off exhibition due to flooding a couple years ago. The ranger at the front desk told me the water got as high as the windows in the observation area. That said there were some artifacts still on display. I'll definitely return in the fall for fall migration. Great rare Midwestern find. Only $3 per car to travel through.