Facility Construction

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.
Reminder: Sign up for Saturday Van Tours!

Van tours are typically the first Saturday of each month. This is your chance to see other parts of the refuge, learn from staff, and maybe have a better chance to see a prairie-chicken. See the Tour tab under "Visit Us" for more details. Call the office at 979-234-3021 to sign up. 

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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      Animalia
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