Aransas National Wildlife Refuge is best known as the wintering home of the last wild flock of endangered whooping cranes. Visitors can enjoy stunning scenery, a diversity of wildlife, and a variety of recreational opportunities.

Established in 1937 for migratory waterfowl and other wildlife, Aransas National Wildlife Refuge now encompasses more than 115,000 acres of diverse habitat along the Texas Gulf Coast. Perhaps best known as the wintering home of the last wild flock of endangered Whooping Cranes, the refuge is also home to a diversity of migratory birds and other resident wildlife.

Aransas National Wildlife Refuge is a bit "off the beaten path," but it's well worth the visit. Drive the 16-mile auto tour, fish from a pier, walk up the observation towers, and relax and enjoy a picnic overlooking San Antonio Bay. Take time to stretch your legs along several miles of walking trails. You will find observation platforms, spotting scopes, diverse plants and wildlife, and stunning views of the bay and wildlife habitat.  

Rail Trail
Length: 0.5 miles
Waterbirds, from rails to bitterns, lurk in the reeds lining Tomas Slough. This grassy trail parallels the long, narrow wetland that is home to alligators as well.

Alligator Viewing Area
Length: <0.1 mile
Take a short walk up the ramp and look for alligators in Tomas Slough, one of the few freshwater resources on the refuge. On sunny days, you may see an alligator basking on the bank. Listen for frogs and birds calling and look for fish swimming in the water.

Heron Flats Trail
Length: 1.4 miles
Freshwater sloughs, shell ridges, oak forests, and tidal flats make this trail quite diverse. You’ll find two observation platforms equipped with spotting scopes. If you’re lucky, you might see a whooping crane family feeding in the marshy salt flats. Watch, too, for herons, egrets, roseate spoonbills, pelicans, and other wildlife.
* Please note that this trail will not make a loop.

Songbird Loop 
Length: 0.1 mile
Listen to a spring songbird serenade as you wander this short woodland loop.

Oak Sanctuary
Length: 0.1 mile
Walk this short trail towards San Antonio Bay and experience the mystery of a 500- year old oak tree. What might you find hiding in its branches, or seeking its shade? The oak is covered in mustang grapevine.

Dagger Point Trail
Length: 1 mile
Hike a winding trail through an oak/ red bay forest. One of the few hills on the refuge offers an excellent vista.

Jones Lake
Length: <0.1 mile
A very short, paved walkway leads to a platform overlooking the lake, another potential alligator hangout. The water in this lake comes entirely from rainfall.

Big Tree Trail
Length: 0.7 mile
Encounter some of the refuge’s largest live oak trees along this woodland loop.

Observation Towers and Boardwalk
In addition to crane watching, the two observation towers (20’ and 40’) offer a panoramic view of San Antonio Bay and Mustang Lake. Both towers are fully accessible with gently sloping ramps. Follow the boardwalk across the tidal flat to the Big Tree Observation Deck. Look for animal tracks in the mud.

Fishing Pier  
Open Season:  Year-round 
Length:  100 feet 
Open all year, the fishing pier offers excellent opportunities to catch red fish and sea trout. It is also a fun place to watch for dolphins in the bay and sting rays swimming below. Here is where you might also see brown pelicans, terns, and water birds that change with the tide. 

Auto Tour Loop 
Length: 16 miles 
The paved tour loop provides a leisurely ride through Texas savannah, what Texas must have looked like a hundred years ago. The scenic ride becomes a one-way at the Observation Tower. Along the way you might get to see deer, hawks, javelina, bobcat, and an occasional rattlesnake crossing the road.