mississippi sandhill crane national wildlife refuge

Great side trip and also very interesting for everyone. Great hiking facility and area. You can also pack a lunch and stay for a picnic. Also free

This is a definite stop for sure. Very eye opening and educational. The staff lady who was there when we were was extremely knowledgeable and pleasant.

Film was informative and the display was interesting. We took the trail but unfortunately didn't see any Sandhill Cranes.

Did not see any cranes but there is a nice educational walking trail which I enjoyed. There are labels for the various plants along the trail and i especially love the pitcher plants.

I loved seeing the Mississippi Sandhill Crane National Wildlife Refuge. We saw seven of these great birds while we were there. There is a visitor's center that's worth a visit as well.

This may be very interesting to eco tourist and wild life enthusiast. This species of Sandhill Crane can only be found here in Gautier. If you get of the Interstate 10, Travel north on Gautier Vancleave Road toward Vancleave jus a mile or so. This will lead to the road that will lead you to the Mississippi Sandhill Crane museum and information center. The Mississippi Sandhill Crane is on the endangered species list. I believe there is only bout 100 of them left in the world. They have been trying to help them and increase the population of cranes since they established the refuge in 1975

The Refuge is close to home. There is a small museum that will explain to you all about the Sandhill Crane its habits etc. We live with in 30 miles from the refuge. The volunteers and rangers are really nice. The place is usually quite and you can walk it at your own pace. No rush. If you enjoy the outdoors and plant live its a wonderful place for that. We saw several species of birds and small wildlife. However we have visited on 2 seperate occasions and have yet to see a Sandhill Crane on the refuge. If driving I-10 in the early morning hours just after sunrise you can usually spot a few off to the south of the interstate. Or after the grasses on the savannah have been freshly cut. Be sure to wear bug spray or protective clothing.

The little museum / display about the Mississippi Sandhill Crane are fascinating when yo consider that this species is non-migratory. Most of use have seen the sand hill crane that migrates in refuges along the south coast, or in places like Bosque del Apache in New Mexico. This version of sandhill crane was in danger of extinction so they got together and set aside a big chunk of land, made sure it had the food the birds like and got national status. Impressive. The birds could not read the signs or the maps, so there are no birds in the refuge. They seem to love the residential areas surrounding the refuge. Hilarious! The rangers / volunteers will be happy to circle the areas where the cranes can be seen. The refuge has some nice walks and is a great place for a picnic. Enjoy!

We arrived early on a chilly December morn looking for something cool to do. We were absolutely enchanted. We had the place to ourselves and had a beautiful walk on the 3/4 mile trail. THis place is a rare gem of quiet, bird song, endless variety of plant life and wonderful vistas. Several benches provided a meditative experience with my loved one. Maybe no biggie for the kiddies but if you're tired of all the artifice of highway traveling, stop over and regain a sense of joy in your world. Lucky and blessed to find this place.

Even though we didn't see any Cranes the last visit, it's still a beautiful place to visit. We sign up for a guided vehicle tour (only available certain days of the week - call for info) as my husband has bad knees and finds it difficult to walk. This year I will go on one of the trails! People who work there are very friendly and knowledgeable.

We did not get to actually see a crane but the very nice visitors center had a great movie on the sandhill cranes, and there was 3/4 mile easy trail just across the road which was a lot of fun. My biology major daughter saw pitcher plants which was kind of a treat! We enjoyed our visit and recommend it for nature lovers. You are more likely of seeing cranes in the autumn, the ranger said.

Don't miss this wonderful NWR if you are passing through or visiting the area. First the ranger could not have been nicer or more informative. It was obvious she loves her job and educating the public on this gem of a NWR and its plant, bird, and wildlife inhabitants.If you are a birder you may or may not know these aren't your average Sandhill Cranes that I watch migrate as a mid westerner. These are a sub species that do not migrate. They are endangered only 132 in the world are here and they have an extensive re flocking program similar to the Whooping Crane. Best time to see birds is nov -feb when they provide guided tours through the refuge, but you hear them and can incidentally see them other times. Better yet! The ranger taught me a birder,when you are not looking up look down they have the most extensive group of carnivorous plants in NA. 10 occur naturally here in this the last tall pine swamp in the world. I saw amazing plants even in July. The ranger was most helpful with questions on my return from a very easy and comfortable even at 90, 3/4 mile groomed and detailed walk.Kids would love these plants and they are plentiful for up close peaks at the flies and insects they devour.I will return here and will make sure I come back to do the guided tour in the future.

Nicely done exhibits and video presentation. Very informative volunteer staff. A nice walk around on the Dees Trail one can spot and identify many of the unique plants and birds of the area from the well-placed information kiosks Remember to ask for loaner binoculars if you didn't bring your own.

We saw the sign from the highway and decided to detour. So glad we did. Learned about the beautiful Mississippi Sandhill Crane and other nearby wildlife. And learned about "controlled burns." They start you out with a video about the crane. Definitely worth seeing. Enjoyed the displays and bird sounds. Didn't have time for a hike, but saw the marked trails. The wildlife center is free, but I recommend leaving a donation. Would return to this site. Didn't have children with us, but I think they would be interested. FYI, the gift shop is cash only.

We visited the refuge in late January. Extremely nice guides stayed open later for our small group to tour the educational center and walk the trail.