The Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge is a 14,000 acre (57 km²) National Wildlife Refuge in central Minnesota. There are eight refuge units strung along 34 miles (55 km) of the Minnesota River. Located just south of the city of Minneapolis, this is one of only four American national wildlife refuges in an urban area, and the largest. The visitor center is located just blocks from the Mall of America. The parklands stretch southwest through Minneapolis’ outer-ring suburbs to Jordan, Minnesota. The various refuge units are interspersed with units of the Minnesota Valley State Recreation Area. Although the national wildlife refuge is managed by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service and the state recreation area by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, both agencies share a consistent signage to simplify visitation.