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Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge

Type: Trail

Length: 4.10 Miles

Elevation Gain: N/A

Cost: N/A

Rating:

(2.33)3

Difficulty: halfstar

(0.67)

Solitude:

(1.50)

ADA Accessible: Yes

Bikes Allowed: N/A

Dogs Allowed: Yes

Interpretive Guide: No

City: Anahuac

County: Galveston

More Information: More Info

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Photos

This gator was sunning out on the marsh. (Photo by Blaze)

These clever birds made some mud homes underneath the roof of a pavilion. (Photo by Blaze)

A long section of the trail is a boardwalk. (Photo by Blaze)

The Butterfly Garden is located in the area between the forked trail. (Photo by Blaze)

One of the last things I expected to see here was a cattle drive! (Photo by Blaze)

This is the entrance sign to the refuge. (Photo by Blaze)

There are a couple of fishing spots like this one along the bayou. (Photo by Blaze)

This short, paved concrete trail takes you out to a wooden observation deck. (Photo by Blaze)

This deck provides a nice lookout over the marsh and is a great place to watch birds. (Photo by Blaze)

The trail is a lane of mowed grass along East Bay Bayou. (Photo by Blaze)

This is the sign to the Skillern Tract. (Photo by Blaze)

Log Entries

By eyeshigh on 4/16/2016
Rating:

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Distance: 4.00 Miles Duration: N/A

There were a lot of birdwatchers out and about, so we ran into groups more often than not, but the scenery was beautiful and serene, even with strong gusts of wind blowing us about.

The Willows
By Blaze on 4/11/2014
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Distance: 0.70 Mile Duration: 15 minutes

The Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge are large tracts of land set aside for the wildlife. There is a large variety of birds in the wetlands, so it is a popular birdwatching spot. Be careful, though, as there are snakes and alligators, too. It is seen best by car tour, but there are some places to hike, too.

I walked the Willows Trail. It's a short looping trail that is part boardwalk, part grass. You walk through a nice butterfly garden and along some wetlands. The mosquitos are really bad here, so use DEET! I did not and I found myself being bitten left and right.

One interesting and unexpected attraction was a cattle drive that came through the area. If you've ever seen one before, it's an memorable experience. :)

Skillern Tract
By Blaze on 4/11/2014
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Difficulty:

Solitude:

Distance: 3.00 Miles Duration: 1 hour, 4 minutes

The Skillern Tract is a part of the Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge, but separate from the "main" refuge where Shoveler Pond is (a little over 7 miles to the East). There is a nice walking path, however, that takes you along the East Bay Bayou. Be careful, though, as a saw a snake in the grass. On my walk back to my car, I took the road as shown by my track file.