Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge — Attraction in Los Fresnos

I'm so glad that we made a detour to go to Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge.

I am from Colorado so I have never seen an alligator and that was a hope for my trip. But I also love birds and there are millions of birds in the area and it is quite the sight.

It's funny because my daughter was disappointed at first she said, "I thought we were going to a zoo!" So we had to explain to her what a wildlife refuge lol.

At the first stop, called Osprey Overlook, there were a ton of ospreys just like the sign promised haha. And then we went to another overlook where we saw seagulls dive bombing for fish which was really cool because I have only seen that on TV. And we were pretty sure we saw some alligators but at that distance it was hard to confirm. It was almost a magical moment though for me. I love connecting with nature and I felt so connected in that moment and that place. I would love to frequent it if I lived closer.

Then we moved on to an area called Alligator Pond. I love getting short nature videos so I was trying to get a nice 30 second clip of the area. Unfortunately it took a long time because some people came and they were chit-chatting so all of the birds were quieter and obviously I don't want people talking in my video so we had to wait patiently for them to move along. Thankfully we did though because after they left and I managed to get my 30 second video I was ready to leave content with what I had got and my daughter was like what about the alligators? And I looked to my left and there was one right there! It was fun getting to see it so up close. Beforehand I thought that it was going to be scary because that is an apex predator, however the park is designed in such a way that you can have a safe overlook on a boardwalk so if you want to escape you have plenty of time before the alligator is able to get to where you are at. So it was a lot safer than I imagined before I came.

It was really spectacular to experience that though and I definitely recommend a trip to Laguna Atascosa Wildlife Refuge if you are in the area.

And my daughter ended up loving the experience and she didn't want to leave even though it wasn't a zoo and she was initially...

The Last Refuge for the endangered ocelot. Laguna Atascosa is the largest protected area of natural habitat in the Lower Rio Grande Valley. It is a large refuge of 98,000 acres out in the countryside right by the bay!. It is well known for having a small family of ocelots living near the park as well as the rare Jagurundis. Its a rare find simply because of their keen senses, plus they are nocturnal. Best chances of spotting them is early in the morning or during sun-setting hours. Also very well known for their bird varieties; from the colorful Green Jays, the elegant Great Egret, to the stunning Raptor birds of prey such as the Caracara Falcons! To get the best sightings we recommended to get there early in the morning! You'll catch an eye full of white tailed deer, havalinas, rabbits, bobcats, roadrunners, coyotes, rattlers, alligators, and if your sightseeing party is quiet enough, you may even catch a glimpse of the mystical Nilgai. Remember, the key to seeing all this rich wildlife in its natural habitat is being as stealthy as possible... Whisper and be vewy quiet! And most...

Laguna Atascosa is a unique and amazing place, home to many threatened and endangered species. This is a great place to bird, hike, and see alligators.

But the visitors center is closed due to covid, which is understandable. However, the current management has ended Lagunas tour programs. The buses and trams were sold without the public being made aware of anything. And they have no intention of bringing the tours back.

This is a great disservice to the community and visitors that want to experience, Laguna from trained rangers and volunteers. Without that human connection it's difficult to understand how important laguna is for the endangered ocelot and other animals that call it home.

Let the management know that taking aware visitors service programs is not good for...