Iowa's Wildlife Refuge Near Omaha Straddles The State Border With Birdwatching And A Sunken Steamboat

Steamboats were a revolutionary mode of transportation back in the day. Invented in the late 1700s, they transformed trade and travel, dominating America's waterways for a good chunk of the 1800s. But river chuggers gradually lost steam once trains started rolling in and rail lines expanded across the country. Although they've faded in popularity, you can still explore some fascinating steamboat relics with a trip to the DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge, a sprawling patch of wilds that straddles the Iowa-Nebraska border roughly 30 miles north of Omaha.

Containing more than 8,300 acres of Missouri River floodplain habitat and countless critters, including a haven for birds, the nature preserve does seem like a rather unexpected place to find maritime history. But the grounds are actually home to the remnants of a steamer that sank in the river over a century ago. Called Bertrand, the sternwheeler was a beast, fitted with powerful engines and a flat-bottom hull so it could haul hundreds of tons of cargo. 

Unfortunately, Bertrand's voyage was cut short in 1865 after the vessel clipped a log while carrying supplies upriver from St. Louis, Missouri, to the Montana Territory's mining frontier. However, in true Indiana Jones fashion, the wreckage – or what was left of it — was uncovered in the late 1960s by a couple of fortune seekers. They didn't find any buried treasure, but there was a bevy of well-preserved workmen's tools, clothing, and other items on board, which were handed over for display at the refuge.

The wooden hull is all that's left of the sunken steamboat Bertrand. The vessel was reburied where it was discovered, covered in sand and protective plastic, as removing the wreckage proved too costly, and could have potentially damaged the fragile remains. You can walk beside the spot where the Bertrand was laid to rest. It's now a scenic pond along a former bend of the nearby Missouri River — the longest river in America. You can access the Bertrand Excavation Site Trail from a parking area right off Desoto Avenue on Nebraska's side of the border. The short, looped path spans just over a quarter mile and has an observation deck, where you can take in views of the surrounding wetlands and bottomland forests, too.

Venture across state lines into Iowa to the DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge's Visitor Center. The facility houses the Bertrand Museum, which is available to tour Tuesdays through Saturdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. There, you'll find an incredibly detailed little replica of the steamboat on display, not to mention nearly 250,000 artifacts that were salvaged from the ill-fated sternwheeler. See various tools of the trade – among them: axe heads, chisels, and a wood-handled monkey wrench. A neat assortment of kitchenware is also on exhibit, complete with an old-fashioned waffle iron, griddle, and utensils, as well as a plethora of well-preserved food items, including glass bottles of brandied fruit and even catsup, better known as ketchup today. 

Of course, DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge has far more to see than just cool steamboat artifacts. The ponds and wetlands are a boon for all kinds of birds, especially the 7-mile-long DeSoto Lake – the former bend of the Missouri River that was left behind when the sweeping waterway was straightened in the mid-1900s. Like many of the best birdwatching destinations in America, the refuge's watering holes serve as a lush stopover for a bevy of migrating birds in the fall and spring, from boisterous snow geese to the diving lesser scaups. 

A variety of other waterfowl and ducks, as well as songbirds, raptors, woodpeckers, and the like, reside in the refuge throughout the year. The waters are also home to a plethora of fish, including eels, paddlefish, and blue suckers. You may even be able to spot an endangered pallid sturgeon, which could easily rank among the most elusive creatures in the world. Keep an eye out for a bevy of other critters, such as foxes, coyotes, raccoons, gophers, and turtles.

If you want to explore more of the wildlife refuge, plan to visit between April 15 and October 14, when the preserve expands access to a few of its day-use areas, including the South Gate Recreation Area on the southern end of DeSoto Lake, which has a picnic area and a boat ramp.