Places to Go: Donaldson Point CA

Donaldson Point Conservation Area

A geographic anomaly — with birds

Like the rural general store in the movie O Brother, Where Art Thou?, Donaldson Point Conservation Area (CA) is something of a “geographic anomaly.” But instead of being “two weeks from everywhere,” visitors to Donaldson Point CA can watch the sun both rise and set over Kentucky while remaining firmly in Missouri’s Bootheel.

Nestled on 5,945 acres in a Mississippi River bend southeast of New Madrid, Donaldson Point CA is bounded by the river — and Kentucky — to both the east and west. Across the river to the south is Tennessee.

Geographic trivia aside, Donaldson Point CA’s composition and location within the Mississippi Flyway makes it a destination for birds and birders, said Donaldson Point CA Manager Tim Kavan.

“It’s a host for all the Neotropical migratory birds that come through because it’s a 5,000–5,600-acre patch of oaks and hickories in that floodplain,” Kavan said. “It’s a great stopping ground. You’re liable to find anything — Mississippi Kites, blackburnian and bay-breasted warblers, Swainson’s warblers, and swamp rabbits — making homes because of the giant cane stands that are down there.”

Because it’s located in a river bend, the area is also prone to flooding, so check the conditions before visiting, Kavan suggested.