Cycling in parks, wildlife refuges and other mostly off-road areas with birds and wildlife viewing.
Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge is a great place to ride a bike. Dozens of miles of caliche, dirt, or paved trails traverse the Refuge. Almost all are open to bicycles. Trails range from easy to challenging, but most are good, compacted caliche with some potholes, ruts and vegetation. I sampled several trails on this 32.5-mile ride.
A Great Location for Off-Road Cycling Read More »
The well-maintained Santa Ana NWR walking trails cover about 12 miles throughout the Refuge. All trails are short, none over 1 ½ miles. There is also the paved, one-way, Wildlife Drive, a loop that twists almost 7 miles through the Refuge. The last mile runs along the top of a levee and is not paved. I walked 7.5 miles on this day.
A Pleasant Walking Tour of Santa Ana NWR’s Well-Maintained Trails Read More »
A walk along some of the trails at Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge, Alamo, TX.
A Stimulating Trail Walk at Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge Read More »
Resaca de la Palma State Park off New Carmen Avenue, Brownsville, Texas, consists of about 1,200 acres of native habitat. This includes thornscrub and woodland shaded by mesquite, Texas ebony and anacua, and others. The park counts among the nine World Birding Center locations in the Lower Rio Grande Valley.
A Calming Excursion at Resaca de la Palma State Park Read More »
I am riding my Surly bicycle counterclockwise on Steve Thompson Wildlife Drive, a 14.5-mile loop, a mostly paved road open to foot and bicycle traffic at Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge (LANWR), which covers an area of more than 110,000 acres in Cameron County, Texas.
A Short Ride at Laguna Atascosa National wildlife Refuge Read More »
On this chilly, overcast morning with little wind, I rode out of the Santa Ana NWR parking lot and pedaled south over the levee and into the heart of the refuge. At about a half mile an observation tower rises above the canopy of trees. Beside it is suspended a rope suspension foot bridge between two towers accessible by spiral staircases.
A Cycling Excursion at Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge Read More »
This is about a bicycle ride around Laguna Atascosa, a shallow, freshwater lake that covers about 3,500 acres in the southwest side of Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge in Cameron County, Texas. This is not a difficult ride, but it is not for road bikes.
A Bicycle Ride and Wildlife Viewing at Laguna Atascosa Read More »
Bentsen State Park, part of the World Birding Center, spreads over almost 800 acres in Mission, Texas. About seven miles of trails wind through the park, three and a half of which are paved. One trail leads to a Hawk Observation Tower. The paved area is open for cycling. A tram runs along the paved road every hour during the day, November through April.
Great Cycling and Wildlife Viewing at Bentsen State Park, Mission Read More »
Friends of Laguna Atascosa NWR organized a bicycle ride from a gate on Highway 48 to the gate at Highway 100 and back, about a 14.5-mile round-trip.
Bike the Bahia Grande, a Fantastic Reclamation Project Read More »
One of the best parks in the Lower Rio Grande Valley for a casual walk is Hugh Ramsey Nature Park in Harlingen. It is an oasis beside the busy Ed Carey Drive, on the bank of the murky Arroyo Colorado, and adjacent to a major subdivision.
One of the Best Parks for a Walk in the Lower Rio Grande Valley Read More »