Trails

Cypress Trail 

Open Season:  Year Round; Sunrise to Sunset 

Length:  0.25 miles one-way 

Location of trail: Behind the Main Visitor Center on FM 563 

Surface  Paved, Boardwalk, ADA compliant 

Difficulty:  Easy 

The Cypress Trail meanders through bottomland hardwood forest full of oaks, hackberry, sweetgum, and pine. It leads visitors to a long boardwalk towards the peaceful Lake Anahuac.  Wading birds, terns, gulls, raptors, woodpeckers, wood ducks, warblers, turtles, otters, and mink can be seen here.

A separate 0.1-mile (0.16 km) paved path branches off this trail and leads to a wildlife photography blind.  This is a great place to see finches, sparrows, woodpeckers, vireos, tanagers, and fly-catchers.

Honeysuckle Trail 

Open Season: Year Round 

Length:  0.10 miles  

Location of trail: Skillern Tract 

Surface : Grass 

Difficulty: Easy 

The Honeysuckle Trail offers a very short 0.1-mile (0.16 km) grass path through shrubs to a scenic knoll and large fishing deck. The trail starts at a parking lot on the corner of the main road. Wading birds, gulls, terns, raptors, woodpeckers, wood ducks, mottled ducks, warblers, finches, sparrows, vireos, tanagers, and fly-catchers can be seen in this area.

This is also a good place to catch catfish and gar.

Hackberry Trail 

Open Season: Year Round 

Length:  0.67 miles  

Location of trail: Main refuge off of FM 1985 

Surface: Gravel 

Difficulty: Moderate 

The Hackberry Trail is a 0.67-mile (1.08 km) trail that borders a moist-soil unit. The straight gravel path offers two accessible observation platforms. Wading birds, plovers, sandpipers, rails, and a large species of waterfowl (during the fall and winter) can be seen from the observation platforms. 

Sparrows, finches, vireos, warblers, rails, kingfishers, and raptors.

Live Oak Trail 

Open Season: Year Round; subject to closures during flooding 

Length: 1.00 mile  

Location of trail: Skillern Tract 

Surface: Grass 

Difficulty: Moderate 

The Live Oak Trail offers a 1-mile (1.6 km) vegetated path following East Bay Bayou. The south end of the trail has a paved parking lot, bathrooms, and a separate sidewalk leading to an accessible wildlife observation deck. On the north end of the trail a grassy levee provides access to a more primitive parking area and a rustic fishing deck along the trail. 

Wading birds, gulls, terns, raptors, woodpeckers, wood ducks, mottled ducks, warblers, finches, sparrows, vireos, tanagers, and fly-catchers can be seen in this area.

Rookery Trail 

Open Season: Year Round 

Length: 0.24 miles  

Location of trail: Skillern Tract 

Surface: Paved, Accessible 

Difficulty: Easy 

The Rookery Trail offers an accessible 0.24-mile (0.39 km) paved path to a wooded observation deck. Take a stroll through some of our thickest woods and come out overlooking the beginnings of a rookery project. 

Wading birds, gulls, terns, raptors, woodpeckers, wood ducks, mottled ducks, warblers, finches, sparrows, vireos, tanagers, and fly-catchers can be seen in this area.

Shoveler Pond Auto Tour Loop and Boardwalk Trail 

Open Season: Year Round 

Length: 2.64 mile tour loop and 0.14 mile boardwalk 

Location of trail: Main refuge off of FM 1985 

Surface: Paved, Boardwalk, Accessible 

Difficulty: Easy 

Wildlife enthusiasts in search of a lot of alligators will most definitely enjoy the 2.64 mile (4.25 km) Shoveler Pond auto tour loop. A boardwalk and overlook along this route provide excellent opportunities to enjoy the sites and appreciate the sounds. This is a must experience for anyone visiting the refuge!

Gallinules, roseate spoonbills, ibis, herons, egrets, wrens, warblers, buntings, rails, and blackbirds are seen in this area.

During the fall and winter there are large and diverse populations of waterfowl.  

Willows Trail and Butterfly Garden 

Open Season: Year Round 

Length: 0.71 miles  

Location of trail: Main refuge off of FM 1985 

Surface: Grass, Paved, Boardwalk, Accessible 

Accessible and family-friendly, the Butterfly Garden provides a colorful space for everyone to appreciate the joys of nature. Monarchs, fritillaries, and swallowtails dance among the flowers and lay their eggs on the native host plants. The paved path of the Butterfly Garden also connects you to the Willows Trail. Search for small birds as you stroll the boardwalk one way, and then continue as you take the grassy path back. Enjoy this world-renown birding hotspot and take note of the changing plants and habitats around you. Bring plenty of water and bug spray! 

Grosbeaks, tanagers, buntings, catbirds, sparrows, and warblers can be seen at the butterfly garden

Along with those species you'll also see thrushes, thrashers, along the willows trail.

Woodlot Trail 

Open Season: Year Round 

Length: 0.12 miles  

Location of trail: Main refuge off of FM 1985 

Surface: Paved 

Difficulty: Easy 

Hands down, this trail offers the best birding for warblers, buntings, and vireos. This solitary clump of giant trees provides crucial habitat for many of the migratory birds that have just flown 600 miles across the Gulf of Mexico and are exhausted. For many of these small birds, the Woodlot is their first opportunity to find food and shelter. Sit quietly at the Toni Marchetti bird blind and watch the amazing activity of birds as they hydrate at our newly designed water feature and work to regain their strength for the rest of their migration. 

Fly-catchers, sparrows, blackbirds, cuckoos, nighthawks, swifts, hummingbirds, rails, owls, raptors, wading birds, and much more.  244 species of birds have been identified at this trail.

Cypress Trail

The Cypress Trail meanders through bottomland hardwood forest full of oaks, hackberry, sweetgum, and pine. It leads visitors to a long boardwalk towards the peaceful Lake Anahuac. Wading birds, terns, gulls, raptors, woodpeckers, wood ducks, warblers, turtles, otters, and mink can be seen here.

A separate 0.1-mile (0.16 km) paved path branches off this trail and leads to a wildlife photography blind. This is a great place to see finches, sparrows, woodpeckers, vireos, tanagers, and fly-catchers.

You can find the trail behind the main visitor center on FM 563
Trail Length (mi)
0.14
Trail Difficulty
Difficulty Meter / introductory
Easy
Estimated Time
10 minutes
Trail Activities
View Trail

Honeysuckle Trail

The Honeysuckle Trail offers a very short 0.1-mile (0.16 km) grass path through shrubs to a scenic knoll and large fishing deck. The trail starts at a parking lot on the corner of the main road. Wading birds, gulls, terns, raptors, woodpeckers, wood ducks, mottled ducks, warblers, finches, sparrows, vireos, tanagers, and fly-catchers can be seen in this area.

This is also a good place to catch catfish and gar.
Trail Length (mi)
0.09
Trail Difficulty
Difficulty Meter / introductory
Easy
Estimated Time
5 minutes
View Trail

Hackberry Trail

Hackberry Trail borders a moist-soil unit on the main refuge off of FM 1985 and is open year-round. The straight gravel path offers two accessible observation platforms. Wading birds, plovers, sandpipers, rails, and a large species of waterfowl (during the fall and winter) can be seen from the observation platforms. You might also see sparrows, finches, vireos, warblers, rails, kingfishers, and raptors.
Trail Length (mi)
0.70
Trail Difficulty
Difficulty Meter / intermediate
Moderate
Estimated Time
25 minutes
Trail Activities
View Trail

Live Oak Trail

The Live Oak Trail offers a 1-mile (1.6 km) vegetated path following East Bay Bayou. The south end of the trail has a paved parking lot, bathrooms, and a separate sidewalk leading to an accessible wildlife observation deck. On the north end of the trail a grassy levee provides access to a more primitive parking area and a rustic fishing deck along the trail.

Wading birds, gulls, terns, raptors, woodpeckers, wood ducks, mottled ducks, warblers, finches, sparrows, vireos, tanagers, and fly-catchers can be seen in this area.

The trail is open year-round; subject to closures during flooding.
Trail Length (mi)
1.09
Trail Difficulty
Difficulty Meter / intermediate
Moderate
Estimated Time
30 minutes
Trail Activities
View Trail

Rookery Trail

The Rookery Trail offers an accessible 0.24-mile (0.39 km) paved path to a wooded observation deck. Take a stroll through some of our thickest woods and come out overlooking the beginnings of a rookery project.

Wading birds, gulls, terns, raptors, woodpeckers, wood ducks, mottled ducks, warblers, finches, sparrows, vireos, tanagers, and fly-catchers can be seen in this area.
Trail Length (mi)
0.22
Trail Difficulty
Difficulty Meter / introductory
Easy
Estimated Time
10 minutes
Trail Activities
View Trail

Boardwalk Trail

A boardwalk and overlook along the Shoveler Pond Auto Tour Loop provide excellent opportunities to enjoy the sites and appreciate the sounds, year-round. This is a must experience for anyone visiting the refuge! Gallinules, roseate spoonbills, ibis, herons, egrets, wrens, warblers, buntings, rails, and blackbirds are seen in this area.

During the fall and winter there are large and diverse populations of waterfowl.
Trail Length (mi)
0.13
Route Type
Point to point
Trail Activities
View Trail

Willows Trail

Accessible and family-friendly, the Butterfly Garden provides a colorful space for everyone to appreciate the joys of nature. Monarchs, fritillaries, and swallowtails dance among the flowers and lay their eggs on the native host plants. The paved path of the Butterfly Garden also connects you to the Willows Trail. Search for small birds as you stroll the boardwalk one way, and then continue as you take the grassy path back. Enjoy this world-renown birding hotspot and take note of the changing plants and habitats around you. Bring plenty of water and bug spray!

Grosbeaks, tanagers, buntings, catbirds, sparrows, and warblers can be seen at the butterfly garden

Along with those species you'll also see thrushes, thrashers, along the willows trail.

This accessible trail is composed of grass, paved sections and a boardwalk and is open year-round.
Trail Length (mi)
0.58
Trail Difficulty
Difficulty Meter / introductory
Easy
Estimated Time
30 minutes
View Trail

Butterfly Garden Trail

Accessible and family-friendly, the Butterfly Garden provides a colorful space for everyone to appreciate the joys of nature. Monarchs, fritillaries, and swallowtails dance among the flowers and lay their eggs on the native host plants. The paved path of the Butterfly Garden also connects you to the Willows Trail.
Trail Length (mi)
0.14
Trail Difficulty
Difficulty Meter / introductory
Easy
Estimated Time
10 minutes
Route Type
Lollipop
Trail Activities
View Trail

Woodlot Trail

Hands down, this paved trail offers the best birding for warblers, buntings, and vireos. This solitary clump of giant trees provides crucial habitat for many of the migratory birds that have just flown 600 miles across the Gulf of Mexico and are exhausted. For many of these small birds, the Woodlot is their first opportunity to find food and shelter. Sit quietly at the Toni Marchetti bird blind and watch the amazing activity of birds as they hydrate at our newly designed water feature and work to regain their strength for the rest of their migration.

Fly-catchers, sparrows, blackbirds, cuckoos, nighthawks, swifts, hummingbirds, rails, owls, raptors, wading birds, and much more. 244 species of birds have been identified at this trail
Trail Length (mi)
0.09
Trail Difficulty
Difficulty Meter / introductory
Easy
Estimated Time
10 minutes
Trail Activities
View Trail