Terrific place for nature lovers
Written: Jun 12 '03
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Pros: Great birding, abundant and varied wildlife, rugged beauty
Cons: There always seems to be road construction detours on the road out there.
The Bottom Line: It's the gem of the Rio Grande Valley.
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| badgerdutchman's Full Review: Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge |
Every time I travel to the Rio Grande Valley of Texas I spend a day at the Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge. For me, it is one of the top attractions in the Valley. Start your exploration of this fine refuge at the Visitor Center. There is a small but nice exhibit that is worth checking out. There are several very short hiking trails that start at the Visitor Center. One leads to a blind for bird watching. After you've walked the trails you should take the drive to the lake. Bring binoculars so you can study the different birds and animals you are certain to encounter. You must take the fifteen mile round trip to the Laguna Madre. The plant life is magnificent. The cactus, thorny chaparral, and yuccas are especially beautiful. If possible, visit in March to see the springtime blooms. Informative signs along the way help you understand the ecosystem. There are places along the road where you can pull over and park if you want. I'd recommend taking your time and getting out of the car and walking around and looking carefully. There is so much wildlife and subtle beauty to be seen here. Be patient, go slowly, and keep your eyes open. Maybe pull over when you get to the Laguna and have a picnic lunch. There are hiking and biking trails that lead through the chaparral and near the Laguna. It's very good hiking, and you never know what kind of animals you'll see. The stretch of road along the Laguna offers scenic vistas. On a clear day you can see in the distance the causeway from Port Isabel to South Padre Island and the high rise condominiums on the island. Call the Visitor Center a few days before you go and reserve a seat on the free guided tour of the refuge. A volunteer or two will drive you in a comfortable van to the remote corners of the refuge. Only the staff are allowed to drive these roads so if you want to truly explore this refuge and see everything it has to offer you need to take the tour. You'll arrive at the Visitor Center shortly before 8:00 AM for a wonderful two hours. The main purpose of the tour is birding. If you like birding, the Laguna Atascosa is the place for you. They give you binoculars and they bring along a telescope. When a particularly interesting bird is spotted, they stop the van and set up the telescope outside and focus it on the bird so everyone can get a good chance to take a close look. One of the volunteers on my trip is a retired biology professor. He was very friendly and knowledgeable. He kept track of all the bird species we identified. On our two hour trip he counted about 70 different species. We saw raptors, shore birds, song birds, and many others. The Laguna Atascosa is filled with an incredibly large number and variety of birds from all over the Americas. I thought the falcons, owls, the roadrunner, and the sandhill cranes were the most appealing. We also saw a coyote, a white tailed deer, and three alligators. One was sunning itself on the shore of a pond. It must have been at least six feet long. The scenic beauty and ruggedness of this refuge is unique and not to be missed when you find yourself in the Rio Grande Valley. Up the Valley near Alamo is the Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge. It's different than the Laguna Atascosa, but also a fantastic place for nature lovers. I saw a five foot Texas Indigo Snake there, but that's a whole other story!
Recommended:
Yes
Best time to go: March-May
Recommended for: Anybody
Review Topic: Wildlife
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Epinions.com ID:
badgerdutchman
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Reviews written: 3
Trusted by: 0 members
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