Facility Construction - Intermittent Closures

During the construction process for our new Visitor Center, expect periodic inconveniences around headquarters, such as detours, reduced parking, noise, or even trail/road closures. Please plan accordingly.

5/11/2023 - A portion of the road entering the headquarters area has changed and parking is reduced. The visitor center, parking lot, and auto tour are still accessible. Please follow the directional signage and do not cross the orange traffic cones.

Attwater Prairie Chicken National Wildlife Refuge was established to protect the critically endangered Attwater’s Prairie-Chicken, a ground-dwelling grouse of the coastal prairie ecosystem. Located approximately 60 miles west of Houston, Texas, this refuge is home to one of the largest remnants of native coastal prairie remaining in southeast Texas. Drive the auto tour or enjoy a nature walk on one of the trails to experience the beauty and tranquility of the tall-grass prairie.
Annual Festival Cancelled for 2023

Due to construction of the new visitor center and parking, the refuge will not be able to host a festival in 2023. It was a hard decision for the refuge, as we know it is a wonderful opportunity for visitors to see booming prairie-chickens and we have not been able to host the event since the start of the pandemic. Thank you for understanding.

Latest News

orange and blue sky over water
Land Management
Great American Outdoors Act Makes Public Lands More Accessible
The nation’s public lands are for everyone, and we at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service are celebrating the two-year anniversary of the Great American Outdoors Act, which is helping make greater access possible.
A female Attwater's prairie chicken sits in a grassy area
Attwater Prairie Chicken National Wildlife Refuge proposes to undertake infrastructure improvements
We request public comment on a newly released draft Environmental Assessment (EA). The EA proposes to repair and replace multiple facilities to improve efficiency, modernize transportation infrastructure, and demolish unnecessary infrastructure at the Attwater Prairie Chicken National Wildlife...
A pair of dolphins (marine mammals with tails and flippers) cruise through blue waters.
Wildlife Wonders
Wildlife Videos
Wildlife videos can take you to wonderful outdoor spaces and show you amazing sights without your leaving home.
a sign with text "attwater prairie chicken national wildlife refuge"
Wildlife Management
Attwater’s: A little grouse on the prairie
Attwater’s prairie-chicken was one among the suite of organisms placed on the original endangered species list in 1967. Fifty years ago, Attwater’s name would grace a new wildlife refuge: Attwater Prairie Chicken National Wildlife Refuge.
Large numbers of snow geese fly out at sunrise into an orange sky reflected in the water below at Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge in New Mexico.
Wildlife Wonders
America's Birdiest Places
National wildlife refuges are some of the world's birdiest places. In fact, the National Wildlife Refuge System was largely built for birds.
A hummingbird sips nectar from a flowering plant at Seedskadee National Wildlife Refuge in Wyoming.
Wildlife Wonders
10 Birds to See
Here are some birds you might want to look for at national wildlife refuges and other bird-friendly places.
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Visit Us

Visiting national wildlife refuges is a great way to escape from everyday life and enjoy the serenity of nature.

Location and Contact Information

      Our Species

      Attwater Prairie Chicken National Wildlife Refuge was established to conserve the coastal prairie habitat and the critically endangered Attwater’s Prairie-Chicken. Although the refuge was established for the benefit of the prairie-chicken, the refuge is host or home to many other wildlife species found on this prairie.  

      A plump barred prairie-chicken raises his tail feathers and struts in the short grass.

      Just over 100 years ago, the sounds of male Attwater’s Prairie-Chickens could be heard throughout the gulf coast prairies of Texas and Louisiana, when they numbered up to about 1 million birds.  However, through the 1900s, the Attwater’s Prairie-Chicken’s numbers dwindled to the edge of...

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      Species
      Kingdom
      Animalia
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      Subspecies