Cat Island National Wildlife Refuge

About Cat Island National Wildlife Refuge

Cat Island is located near the town of St. Francisville, Louisiana, 30 miles north of Baton Rouge. The refuge was established to conserve, restore, and manage native forested wetland habitats for migratory birds, aquatic resources and endangered and threatened plants and animals. The refuge lies at the southern end of Cat Island, which is not actually an island but rather a strip of low-lying land between the Mississippi River's current channel and the escarpment the river cut along the Tunica Hills as it meandered over time. Cat Island National Wildlife Refuge was established in 2000 as the 526th refuge in the National Wildlife Refuge System.The refuge is periodically flooded by the Mississippi, and may remain flooded for several months of the year, with flooding typically starting in December and ending by June. The refuge’s sloughs and ponds, bottomland hardwood forests, and cypress-tupelo swamps offer abundant food resources for wading birds, a stopover for migratory waterfowl, and habitat for deer and many other native species. The Tunica and Choctaw people have historic connections with the landscape and still live in Louisiana today.

How to Get There

Cat Island National Wildlife Refuge is located in St. Francisville, Louisiana, approximately 30 miles north of Baton Rouge. This refuge is administered from St. Catherine Creek National Wildlife Refuge in Sibley, Mississippi. In general, we strongly recommend you do not rely on an electronic navigation device to find your way around the refuge. Inaccurate maps and limited reception can lead you astray. For visitor information, please stop at the St. Francisville Historical Society at 11757 Ferdinand Street in St. Francisville, Louisiana 70775. Visitor maps are also located at the entrance to the refuge. From Natchez, MS: From U.S. Highway 61S, turn right onto Highway 66 and turn left (west toward Angola). Continue 1.5 miles, and then turn left on Solitude Road. Continue approximately 3.5 miles, and then turn right at the refuge sign. Continue another 1.5 miles to the refuge entrance. From St. Francisville, LA: From Commerce St. take Ferdinand St. one mile and take a right on Mahoney Rd. Go three miles, cross the low-water crossing bridge and take a left on Creek Rd. Take a slight left to stay on Creek Rd. Creek Rd continues to the Cat Island NWR Entrance. Be aware that this route may not be accessible when river levels are high.

Plan Your Visit to Cat Island National Wildlife Refuge

Heading to Cat Island National Wildlife Refuge? A few things to know before you go:

• Reservations: popular sites fill up fast — check Recreation.gov 6 months in advance
• Fees: day-use and camping fees vary; check current rates on the official park page
• Trash & pack-out: follow Leave No Trace principles
• Wildlife: store food in bear boxes where provided; never feed wildlife
• Weather: the 5-day forecast above is updated every 6 hours; verify just before you go

References & Official Resources

• Official Recreation.gov page
• View on OpenStreetMap
• Driving directions (Google Maps)