Cycling in parks, wildlife refuges and other mostly off-road areas with birds and wildlife viewing.
We wondered if there is any other location in the nation that Space X could close a State Highway, frequently, and thereby block access to a public beach and to public land.
When State Highway 4 is Closed, Make a New Plan Read More »
At Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge, a half mile from the Visitor’s Center, a gate blocks access to a trail that is closed to the public. The trail passes through dense thornscrub and traverses beige bluffs above a broad silty tidal flat, Stover Cove, and ends at the old Paisano Trail. I hiked the trail Monday, February 5, 2024, to scout for a proposed group hike.
Hiking Near the old Paisano Trail at Laguna Atascosa NWR Read More »
The Bahia Grande Unit of Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge (LANWR) near Port Isabel, Texas, covers about 25,000 acres, approximately 40 percent of which consists of wetlands. The area is closed to the public except for hunts and during special events. Friends of Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge (FLANWR) sponsor a bike ride, Bike the Bahia, each month. Another event, Walk the Bahia, is scheduled to begin in March 2024. Yesterday, January 28, I scouted the proposed route.
a Six mile amble at the exclusive Bahia Grande unit of Laguna Atascosa NWR Read More »
The benefits of off-road cycling are great, especially in wildlife refuges, state parks, or other natural settings. Simply to be away from traffic, electronics and propaganda frees us to experience life out of doors. The benefits of off-road cycling are physical, emotional, and spiritual. On a bicycle, one covers more ground than walking, which allows for added opportunities to notice what we often do not see. I am not a birder, per se, but I always carry binoculars and a camera on my rides. I take my bike out as often as possible.
Three benefits of off-road cycling Read More »
I took a tranquil bike ride on Steve Thompson Wildlife Drive at Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge. The Refuge spreads across more than 110,000 acres in Cameron County, Deep South Texas. It borders the Laguna Madre. Yesterday, January 18, 2024, most of the Refuge was closed to all but licensed hunters. Wildlife Drive is always open.
One Tranquil Bike Ride on Wildlife Drive at Laguna Atascosa Read More »
I walked the nearly two miles of trails at the 54-acre Hugh Ramsey Nature Park, a World Birding Center site, in Harlingen, Texas on a clear, cool Sunday morning in January 2024. The nature park is maintained by volunteers from Arroyo Colorado Audubon Society and the Rio Grande Valley Chapter of Texas Master Naturalists. The City of Harlingen removes trash, keeps trails clear, and provides effluent to the four ponds in the park.
A Walk in the Splendid Hugh Ramsey Nature Park Read More »
As I pedaled into Estero Llano Grande State Park, a World Birding Center site with over 300 species of birds observed, the dry ponds and absence of birds floating, wading, feeding and calling punctuated the drought conditions in Deep South Texas.
A Great Place for Cycling Even During Drought Conditions Read More »
I logged 9.5 miles walking the four great trails and the roads at Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park, a World Birding Center site of almost 800 acres contiguous with 1,200 acres of Fish and Wildlife Refuge. I set off from the Visitor’s Center on this chilly, calm, partly cloudy January 6, 2024, morning.
Four Great Trails and Roads at Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley Read More »
Friends of Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge sponsor bicycle tours (Bike the Bahia) of the Bahia Grande Unit of the Refuge each month. They begin at an entrance on State Highway 48 near Port Isabel, Texas, and run northward on a caliche road to State Highway 100 near Laguna Vista, about 15 miles round-trip.
Bahia Grande is the largest wetlands restoration project in Texas. Construction of the Brownsville Ship Channel cut off tidal flow to the area a century ago. Over the past two decades, flow has been restored allowing the estuary to thrive. The Bahia Grande Unit encompasses about 25,000 acres. The Unit is generally closed to the public.
At State Highway 100, the group of cyclists stops briefly and then rides back southward to the starting point at State Highway 48. There are no facilities along the way. Near the turn-around point is the South Texas Ecotourism Center (STEC), which would be a better turn-around point as it offers a shaded area and restrooms.
Finding a New Route for Bike the Bahia Read More »
The beautiful ride to North Point at Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge follows good caliche road for the first seven miles. The last three and a half miles become somewhat challenging. On December 29, 2023, in the early afternoon, I pedaled from the Visitor’s Center toward North Point.
The Beautiful Ride to North Point at Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge Read More »