Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife Refuge – Aghaming Unit and Mertes Slough

Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife Refuge – Aghaming Unit and Mertes Slough

Upper Mississippi River NWR--Aghaming Unit/Aghaming Park, Buffalo County, WI, US - eBird Hotspot

Upper Mississippi River NWR--Mertes Slough (WI), Buffalo County, WI, US - eBird Hotspot

Habitat: Bottomland Hardwoods, Open Water, Marsh.

Best Birds: Breeding birds found here include Black Tern, Great Egret, Red-shouldered Hawk, Osprey, Barred Owl, Pileated Woodpecker, and Cerulean and Prothonotary Warbler. Spring and fall migration of waterfowl and songbirds can be very strong here.

Directions: 31 miles northwest of La Crosse and directly across the Mississippi River from Winona MN.  Access to the Aghaming Unit is on a dike trail and boardwalk starting at a parking lot along Hwy 35/54 (44.071575, -91.62713), about 0.25 mi. east of the intersection of Hwy 35 and 54. It is about a 0.75 mile walk on easy trails past sloughs and through forest to the Mississippi River. This is a patchwork of lands owned by the FWS and the City Of Winona. Aghaming Park at the south end of the dike trail is an 1,134-acre floodplain forest that was donated to the city of Winona but lies within Wisconsin.

Mertes Slough on the opposite side of Hwy 54 is more accessible for those less mobile. The is a paved path starting at the boat landing that follows the shoreline. The interior of the slough can be explored by boat, putting in at the boat landing west of Hwy 54, (44.06539, -91.63698). This area is restricted to electric motor and paddle only.

Site Address & Additional Information:

Aghaming Park Rd, Fountain City, WI, 44.071575, -91.62713

Mertes Slough Landing, S3629 Highway 54, Buffalo WI, 44.06539, -91.63698

Home - Upper Mississippi River - U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (fws.gov)

Mertes’ Landing | Friends of the Refuge Headwaters

Carl Schroeder