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Free Traveling Guides » States » Texas » Greater TexasAransas National Wildlife Refuge
Aransas National Wildlife Refuge, located on the Gulf Coast of Texas, along the San Antonio Bay, is one of the prime birding locales in the state. This wildlife refuge was originally named as the Aransas Migratory Waterfowl Refuge. It encompasses an area of nearly 70,504 acres (285.5 sq. km.), featuring vast grasslands, freshwater ponds, marshland, and thickets of oak. Aransas NWR is managed by the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service and aims at conserving the wildlife heritage for today and for generations to come. It was founded in 1937 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
The main recreational activities in the area include birding, fishing, picnicking, and hiking. As many as 6 hiking trails, totaling 4.3 miles (6.9 km), are made available to the visitors. Camping is prohibited in the refuge. The Wildlife Refuge is home to an exotic array of wildlife, including bobcats, snakes, Javelina, whooping cranes, ducks, herons, ibises, spoonbills, egrets, and alligators. Whooping cranes, the rarest animal species in North America, can be spotted in the Refuge each year, from late-October to mid-April.
The 16-mile (26-km) one-way driving tour, offered by the Refuge, provides excellent opportunities of wildlife viewing. The 40 feet (12 m) observation tower, situated nearby, is equipped with 2 high-power spotting scopes to facilitate birders. The Whooping Crane Boat Tours and the Rockport Birding & Kayak Adventures offer excellent opportunities to view whooping cranes and other bird species.
- Mailing Address: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,
Aransas National Wildlife Refuge Complex,
1 Wildlife Circle,
Austwell, TX 77950
- Telephone: (361) 286-3559
- Fax: (361) 286-3722
- Hours: 8:30 - 4:30 PM daily
- Website: http://www.fws.gov/southwest/refuges/texas/aransas/
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