About Us
The Karankawas fished and hunted here in 10-12,000 B.C. and the discovery of stone scraping tools, arrows and spear points, along with bones of bison, mastodons, wooly mammoth and saber-toothed tigers, suggest a bountiful hunting and gathering lifestyle. The arrival of the Spanish in the 18th century marked the beginning of the end of the cultures of the Atakapa and Karankawas. For centuries, these people piled discarded shells near bays that gradually became shell mounds where trees took root.
While the mounds memorialize the presence of the first peoples on the Texas Gulf Coast, today, the small woodlots found growing on the mounds serve as magnets to migrating songbirds looking for a resting perch after a long, exhausting flight over the Gulf of Mexico. The woodlots along with the refuge’s marshes, tidal flats and ponds provide important feeding, breeding and nesting habitat utilized by many resident and migratory wildlife species.
Established in 1979 under the authority of the Migratory Bird Conservation Commission, Texas Point National Wildlife Refuge protects 8,972 acres of coastal marsh habitat and is managed for its wildlife and habitat. Open to the public, visitors can enjoy wildlife-dependent recreation, including hunting, fishing, crabbing and wildlife watching and photography.
Texas Point is part of the National Wildlife Refuge System, a national network of lands and waters set aside for the benefit of wildlife, habitat and you.
Our Mission
The mission of the National Wildlife Refuge System is to administer a national network of lands and waters for the conservation, management and, where appropriate, restoration of the fish, wildlife and plant resources and their habitats within the United States for the benefit of present and future generations of Americans.
Our Purpose
Every national wildlife refuge national wildlife refuge
A national wildlife refuge is typically a contiguous area of land and water managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for the conservation and, where appropriate, restoration of fish, wildlife and plant resources and their habitats for the benefit of present and future generations of Americans.
Learn more about national wildlife refuge was created for a special purpose. Some were created to protect migratory birds, others to protect threatened or endangered species or unique habitats, while others fulfill another special purpose. Refuges are special places where wildlife comes first. All activities allowed on refuges must be evaluated to make sure each activity will not conflict with the reason the refuge was founded.
