19 people paddled the Wapanocca National Wildlife Refuge.
The headquarters is located 1 ½ miles east of Interstate 55 along state highway 42, ½ mile south of Turrell, AR.
This waterway was formed 5000 years ago when the Mississippi River changed its course. The lake is surrounded by an old growth bald cypress forest which remains flooded year-round.
It was established as a Wildlife Refuge in 1961 providing habitat for migrating and wintering waterfowl. It is the former site of one of the most prestigious hunting clubs in the country (Wapanocca Outing Club) which sold the land to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
We met at the Visitor Center headquarters. Kelly Sziraky welcomed everybody and gave brief information about safety and some lake history. Ben Quaintance agreed to be our skilled point person and led the way through the old cypress forests. The weather was cool and sunny and absolutely perfect. We made our way out to the larger, open lake and paddled the perimeter. There is an Observation Pier at the east edge of the lake that is a nice viewing spot for visitors especially when there is an abundance of water fowl using the refuge.
Total time on the water was 3 hours and 15 minutes.
Afterwards, some of us met down the road in Marion, AR and had lunch at the internationally known “Tackers Shake Shack”.