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U.S. Fish & Wildlife
Service
John Wallace, Manager
P.O. Box 450
Rio Hondo, Texas 78583
Phone: 956/748-3607
Fax: 956/748-3609
FW2 RW Laguna Atascosa
How to Get There: From Harlingen, go east on Highway 106 14 miles past Rio Hondo. Take a left at the T and drive 3 miles to the visitor center. From South Padre Island, take Highway 100 out of Port Isabel and exit right on Farm Road 510 at Laguna Vista. Continue 5.4 miles to the Cameron County Airport road. Take a right and continue approximately 7 miles to the visitor center. From Brownsville, go north on Paredes Line Road (1847) through Los Fresnos to Highway 106. Take a right and go approximately 10 miles to the T. Take a left and drive 3 miles to the visitor center.
Index: Management Techniques, Species List, Things to do at the Refuge, Entry Permits, Hunting, Safety, A Few Simple Rules, Volunteering at the Refuge, Adopt an Ocelot
The south Texas landscape is a unique blending of
temperate, subtropical, coastal, and desert habitats. Mexican plants and wildlife are at
the northernmost edge of their range, while migrating waterfowl and sandhill cranes fly
down for the mild winters. This combination makes Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge
world famous for its birds, and home to a mix of wildlife found nowhere else.
Laguna Atascosa NWR is the largest protected area of natural habitat left in the Lower Rio Grande Valley, an oasis for wildlife with few alternatives. The refuge's 45,000 acres become more valuable with each acre lost to development--valuable to wildlife and valuable to those who enjoy wildlife in wildlands.
When the Spanish explorer Alonzo Alvarez de Pineda arrived in the Rio Grande Valley in 1519 he found a landscape very different from what we see today. The area was abundant with wildlife, and 3 million acres of coastal prairies and brushlands covered the landscape. Doves darkened the sky, deer grew fat on grasslands, and ducks filled the bays near the coast.
Cattle ranching in the 1800s and agriculture in the 1900s dramatically changed the landscape. Today, less than 5 percent of the original vegetation remains. The refuge uses various management techniques to lend a hand and help make up for these changes.
Watering Wildlands: Irrigation and drainage have reduced the amount of water flowing into the refuge. Water is trapped in ponds, resacas (old oxbows of the Rio Grande), and the refuge's namesake lake, Laguna Atascosa, to hold freshwater between rains. Many birds are particular about the depths they feed in, so levels are adjusted throughout the year to benefit both ducks and wading birds.
Farming for Wildlife: The refuge farms approximately 400 acres of milo, wheat, and peas, leaving the entire crop for wintering geese and sandhill cranes. Annual grasses between plantings provide food and shelter for small birds and mammals, which are food for larger mammals and hawks. The refuge farms without pesticides or herbicides.
Growing Tomorrow's Thorn Forest: The refuge has planted several old farm fields in native brush for ocelot and other brushland wildlife. It may take 20 to 40 years to grow dense brush similar to untouched stands.
Firing Up: While working to re-establish brushland where it belongs, the refuge also maintains grasslands for those species that depend on them. Occasional prescribed burns increases the nutritional content of the grass and reduces invading brush.
Find out more about the refuge and its wildlife through the exhibits and videos at the visitor center. Some of the best birding can be found in the area surrounding the visitor center. The center is open from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm daily, October through April; 10:00 am to 4:00 pm, weekends in May; and closed June through September.
Volunteers and rangers lead programs and birding tours on weekend November through April. Schedules are available at the Visitor Center. Schools and other groups may call to arrange for programs.
Early morning and late afternoon or cool overcast days are usually the best times to see larger wildlife. Be sure to record your sightings at the Visitor Center or office.
Ocelot, Texas tortoise, green jays, chachalaca, and javelina prefer the dense thorny brushland areas of the refuge, while alligator, least grebe, and black-bellied whistling ducks choose the ponds and resacas. Desert dwellers like roadrunner, verdin, and cactus wren inhabit the scrub areas, while species like roseate spoonbill, egrets, and herons join black-necked stilt, American avocet, and piping plover at the shore of the Laguna Madre. Check the map to find tour routes and trails for wildlife watching.
Open sunrise to sunset, daily.
Bayside Drive: This semi-paved, 15-mile, one-way loop passes through thorn forest and coastal prairies before reaching the Laguna Madre. The shelter at Redhead Ridge Overlook and numerous pullouts allow for nature photography and viewing. Note: Restrooms and drinking water are not available along the route.
Lakeside Drive: It's only a short 1 and a half miles out to the lake that gives the refuge its name. Atascosa means "muddy" in Spanish, which describes the shallow lake on windy days. The lake is an important resting and feeding area for the more than 20 species of waterfowl that winter here. Osprey Overlook features two permanently mounted telescopes for a closer look.
Kiskadee Trail (1/8 mile) starts between the Visitor Center and the refuge office building. This short, shaded loop surrounds a shallow pond that holds water in wet years. Featuring an observation deck and small bridge, Kiskadee Trail offers even the casual hiker an opportunity for a close-up view of several native shrubs and trees and possibly a variety of birds.
Mesquite
Trail (1½ mile) starts at the Visitor Center parking lot. Trees shade portions of
the trail as it winds through grassy savannas. Two small ponds located along the trail
hold water in wet years. Signs of deer and coyote are evident along the trail.
Paisano Trail (1 mile) is a remnant of the gunnery range located here during World War II. Verdin, roadrunner, long-billed thrasher, and plain chachalaca await the watchful birder. Our only paved trail, it is good in wet weather.
Lakeside Trail (1½ miles) starts at Osprey Overlook on the Laguna Atascosa. Views of the lake and thorn forest provide the possibility of good birding. Wildflowers are plentiful, especially during March and April.
Moranco Blanco (3 1/10 miles) starts a short distance past Redhead Ridge on Bayside Drive. Moranco Blanco is a primitive route with good views of the bay and yucca in bloom (spring).
Alligator Pond: Alligator watching has become very popular at the refuge. During wet years they seem to inhabit every pond. Alligator Pond, .25 miles south of Osprey Overlook, usually has a gator or two. Alligators can also sometimes be seen on the resaca on Lakeside Drive. Alligators can be dangerous; stay on the road and do not feed or disturb them. Keep a close eye on small children and pets.
Bicycles are permitted on tour roads and some service roads. Service roads are primitive routes where riders should be prepared for emergencies. Check with refuge staff for approved routes. Bring plenty of water, know how to repair a flat, and be able to walk several miles if your bike breaks down. Off-road riding is prohibited.
The Cameron County Park System leases refuge property along the Arroyo Colorado. Adolph Thomae Jr. County Park provides RV and tent campsites, fishing piers, and a boat launch. Call 956/748-2044 for more information.
Daily: Vehicle permit unless you have a valid Federal Duck Stamp, Golden Eagle, Golden Age, or Golden Access Passport. Education groups may qualify for free entry.
Annual Permits: $10 Annual Refuge Pass, $15 Federal Duck Stamp, $65 Golden Eagle Passport
Lifetime Permits: $10 Golden Age Passport (ages 62 and older) or free Golden Access Passport (if permanently disabled)
Commercial Group Fee: $15 group size 20 and under; $25 group size over 20.
White-tailed deer hunts may be held in late fall or winter. Please contact the refuge at 956/748-3607 or r2rw_la@fws.gov in early summer for application dates and procedures.
Volunteering at the RefugeThe refuge has three RV trailer pads, reservations required. To use the trailer pads, volunteers must work 30 hours per week (single) or 40 hours per week (couple). Please contact the refuge at 956/748-3607 or r2rw_la@fws.gov for more information.
A major problem facing the endangered ocelot in South Texas is loss of habitat. You can help support habitat protection and continuing research for ocelots at the Laguna Atascosa NWR and in South Texas. An Adopt-an-Ocelot program is sponsored by the Friends of Laguna Atascosa NWR, a non-profit group. Tax-deductible contributions may be sent to:
Friends of Laguna Atascosa NWR
22817 Ocelot Road
Los fresnos, TX 78566
Sponsoring an individual ocelot is $20 and a family may be sponsored for $30. Checks should be made out to: Friends of Laguna Atascosa NWR. An ocelot sponsorship is a wonderful gift for friends or family.
Your Adopt-an-Ocelot packet will be mailed to you or to the person you specify and will contain photos of ocelots available for adoption, plus life histories and information about each ocelot and a synopsis of ongoing ocelot research as well as habitat protection information. After choosing the ocelot or ocelot family you would like to adopt and supplying the information with the postcard enclosed in the packet, a certificate of adoption suitable for framing will be mailed to you or to the person of your choice.
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http://sturgeon.irm.r2.fws.gov/u2/refuges/texas/laguna.html - revised April 15, 2002.
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