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Top Wildlife refuges in Lake Jackson, United States

Top Rated Wildlife refuges in Lake Jackson

Top Reviewed Wildlife refuges in Lake Jackson

Reviews

Wow, the mosquitoes! Jumbo mosquitoes surrounded us anywhere outdoors. The nature center was really cool, they had a small five-year-old American Alligator that we could touch, and the fine gentleman holding it had tons of great information about gators. After the visit inside, we did venture out to the boardwalk and saw a live alligator in the water, as well as some raccoons and several types of birds. We ended with the car path driving tour of the wetlands, which resulted in no additional wildlife sightings. Bring bug spray, cool place, recommended.
We found the Refuge by passing the sign on 523, and u-turned. Glad we did.
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This was their Open House that occurs annually between Christmas and New Year's. As a result, there were many really interesting exhibits open. I particularly found the butterfly guide informative, because we are trying to encourage pollinators. All the guides were friendly, informative, and committed.
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Afterwards, we took the auto tour: you drive through the park to observe wildlife. That was great because, as a marshland, there were plenty of mosquitoes. My wife spied an alligator enjoying the sunny day.
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Overall, this was an excellent find that I recommend as a half day trip.
Nice place. Due to the extreme drought, all the water spaces were dried up and dusty. This kind of made it less than exciting to visit. But they are very dedicated to birds and the protection of birds. We respect that.
I love going to the BNWR. Whenever I want to see wildlife, this is where I go. There are a couple of trails that can be explored on foot. Personally, I enjoy the auto tour, which can be done from the comfort of your vehicle. There are picnic areas and restroom facilities near the visitor center and couple of port-a-potties during the auto tour. I would recommend bringing water, snacks, and bug spray!
Enter off the 227 (hoskins mound). Or Google big slough trail and auto tour.

We loved coming here. There are a lot of birds and different species of birds. Even saw some baby birds and some crazy insects. We are from out of town visiting and we will be honest. We went to see some gators. And it didn't disappoint. We saw one gator at the front boardwalk and pavilion but there was one pond on the auto tour where we counted over 25 at one time. Most maybe 5-7 ft but did see a solid 10 footer. It was really awesome. I would highly recommend, and you can be in and out in 15-20 minutes if you want to be. The auto tour has many exits to make it short and sweet if you like.¹
Interesting drive through wildlife refuge/park. No entry fee and quiet and remote. Can spend as much time as you like there. Wouldn't recommend getting out of the vehicle though. Alligators (and warning signs) are all over. Lots of bugs too. Quite a few species of birds also.
My family has been going here since I was a kid. Now I take my kids here. It's one of our go-to fishing spots. Tons of wildlife. Our last trip we saw a massive flock of gulls pass over, red tailed hawk and caught some black drum sand trout red drum and of course a few hardheads. The redfish was soo spotted it was great.
We came here and off loaded bicycles and rode the tour. Maybe 5 miles total. It was pretty nice. But we didn't venture off road to the alligator habitat out of fear of snakebites. At the office at the beginning there's cds to talk you through The tour if by car. The fresh water pond area was bone dry so there was no beautiful herons there. Great potential when it receives some rain. Up front there's bathrooms which were clean. Also was a wooden walkway out over a swampy area where we enjoyed watching numerous baby alligators, and a couple of birds looking for a bite to eat. Also an elevated deck with picnic tables and a telescope for viewing wildlife. Nice experience.