La Sal del Rey (The King's Salt) is a unique hidden gem in the Rio Grande Valley! It's a massive…read morehypersaline lake which Native Americans and Spanish settlers used to harvest salt from. Unfortunately when I visited there was very little water so I couldn't witness the famous reflexive water views. The salt lake has no outlet so the water levels are dependent on rain. But, I loved my visit regardless. I especially loved how quiet and untouched the area feels. I even saw several javelina along the tree lines! This is the perfect spot for nature lovers, birdwatching, or just getting away from the city for a while. Just make sure to bring water, sunscreen, and comfortable shoes because the South Texas heat can be intense!

Please come here if you not only want to feel like you're out of the valley, but out of the planet!…read more It's a short, flat walk to the salt lake from the parking lot. Do not come here during peak sunlight hours in the summer unless you want a heatstroke lol because you will not find shade anywhere. Once you get to the opening it's kind of muddy but fun to try identifying various animal footprints on it (might have seen some from big cats!). When you reach the salt lake itself it's so fascinating seeing the reflections on the water. Perfect for photos! You can walk far inside it since it's quite shallow but I'd still try to wear shoes that can withstand some water. While it's cool to see the reflections of fluffy clouds it's still gorgeous in a more gray and cloudy day too! Definitely recommend everyone to take the time to check out this salt flat!

Most reviews of the park are several years old but they were spot on…read more I enjoyed the park and due to its location and the fact they have primitive camp site there it would be a great place to camp overnight since there is no light pollution there. There is a camp ground next to the entrance for anyone with a camper. (Looked very nice and well kept) I rented a bike ($5.00 for 4 hours )

We visited the park yesterday to join a birding tour. John was fabulous and made everyone in the…read moregroup feel welcome. We saw and learned about many beautiful birds as well as plants. Plus our 2 hour tour ended up being nearly 4. The park was much prettier than I expected. The visitor center which had great items for sale was surrounded by beautiful foliage and benches. There were people hiking, camping, biking, and birding there. The energy in the park was so positive and friendly.

I have been wanting to check this nature center out for some time. Today I finally got to stop in!…read moreThe staff are very welcoming and friendly! The grounds are beautiful. There were wild Javelina roaming the grounds and burds of all sorts. The mansion was gorgeous. They had benches along the walking paths and lots of shade. They are working on an expansion that should open early next year I think. Definitely a beautiful part of McAllen heritage. Support a local nature center!

This used to be a Spanish home that is now used for celebrations and events. The original home is…read morewell maintained. There is a nice green garden and park surrounding this home. They have programs like Natural history tours,Native plant walks,. The Intro to Native Plant Gardening sounds cool . Many birding programs. I went there for a event in the evening and sitting in the beautiful courtyard for a formal dinner. The venue doesn't offer food any you need to be use a caterer. Most people visit to watch birds and pay the nominal admission fee.

This State park is located on South International Blvd. (S. Farm to Market 1015) in Weslaco and…read morenorth of Progreso, TX. It boasts some hiking trails, small lakes, and wetlands where many water birds come as well as the regular South Texas avian residents and migratory birds. Many bird watching enthusiasts love this park. From the parking lot, follow the signs and make your way to the Visitors Center where you can pay the modest entry fee. The Visitors Center has a small gift shop, and there is a large covered porch overlooking one of the wetland areas where you can watch for birds. There are also restrooms available. The park is well maintained, and looks like it recently went through some improvements with new boardwalks. I did not have time to walk all the trails, so I did not get to see the alligators at Alligator Lake. However, I did see ibis, whistling ducks, red winged blackbird, hummingbirds, and some others I could not identify. Some have reported sightings of cranes, herons, spoonbills, and much more. I'd like to return when I have opportunity to see what else I can see. There were family groups walking, enjoying the park, and quite a few Winter Texans equipped with binoculars. There is usually someone, a more experienced bird watcher willing to share their tips. Besides the fauna, I enjoyed seeing some of the native flora such as the Palo Verde which was in full bloom the day I went. Espero Llano Grande State Park is a great place for family outings, bird watchers, or hiking enthusiasts. I recommend it.

My girl and I attended the First Day Hike to start off our 2019 outdoors and boy did we have a…read moregreat time. Ranger Javier was in charge of our 2hour/2mile hike and he was a super friendly and easy person to like. He had tons of knowledge and allowed our group to enjoy our stops even though we kept a pretty good pace from location to location. The entire park is pretty darn awesome. The land it sits on has been painstakingly converted into the marshlands that originally encompassed this area before irrigation amd development changed how the Rio Grande flowed. Apparently, this area is a bird lovers dream and many hard to find species call this area home. We were lucky to spot some very cool and beautiful birdies as well as one very illusive crocodile that Javier quickly spotted in crocodile pond. The entry fee is only $5 and there is an information area at the ticket office. They are getting very good about having events such as the first day of the year hike and you can even sign up for a Texas Parks newsletter that tells you of upcoming events. You can bring leashed doggies as well as your bike to use on the bike trails! All in all, a great RGV Texas State Park to bring your whole family. Try a guided tour and you will see even more than you expect!

Absolutely a must see when you're in the RGV. This is one of the most beautiful parks I've ever…read morebeen in! I was initially drawn to check out the cool suspension bridge amongst the trees (costa rica vibes) and there was even more the park offered! We were greeted by two very friendly and knowledgeable workers at the visitors center, they were able to show us some recommended routes and things to look out for. The visitor center itself was so enjoyable to look around since it was like a mini museum with a bunch of history and information about the nature and wildlife. We took the Chachalaca Trail to the Tower Trail as recommended to get to the suspension bridge. Along the way you pass by a beautiful lake with many bird species and find a bunch of Spanish moss trees. When you get to the suspension bridge you take a tall spiral staircase and it's literally the coolest thing walking on the bridge. It was wobbly but very sturdy even when my friends were jumping on it! There was a lookout tower next to the bridge you take a separate staircase for and see a gorgeous overlook above all the trees. We later took the Pintail Lakes Trail to see the Rio Grande River outlook where you see the river and Mexico on the other side! After that we went up towards all the Pintail Lakes and took in all the gorgeous flora, birds, and scenery. The coolest thing we saw was a hawk carrying a snake!! We finished walking through it all in about 2ish hours. Can't recommend this place enough!

Beautiful hike and lots of cool wildlife and nature in the area. We saw a lot of very colorful…read morebirds also. The rope bridge was a fun addition as well

This was a great surprise, congrats to whoever put this fun system together. Every level rider can…read morehave fun here!

My go-to nature trail in Harlingen! Honestly such a hidden gem in the valley and it rivals so many…read moreparks I've been at in bigger cities. The trail goes on and on (I believe recently it was extended all the way to Dixieland Lake) so I've easily walked like 4-5 miles round trip without even going to the end! And the views in each part are beautiful with plenty of cool bridges, some off-beaten paths, and lots of plant life. There are parts with sunflowers too when they're in season and it's gorgeous! I especially find the giant red bridge to be a fun landmark since you can hike to it (there's a trail up the hill next to it, not very hard to climb) and take some cool photos on the abandoned rail road track. Rain or shine this is my favorite way to get a workout in!

Wonderful representation of the battle at Palo Alto. We went twice in two weeks because we loved…read morethe walk and lesson in history. Free, and very interesting and eye opening about our history. Highly recommended

What a great trail! If I lived in the area I would be here every single day! Super nice!…read more Great for biking, hiking and or walking. Great place to be if you want to get some fresh air outdoors! Absolutely amazing scenery at night. Took some great pictures at sunset. I really like the paved roads. I wish I had my toad bike. Would make for some great road biking. I also saw some signs that said watch out for alligators . I didn't bump into any. Really relaxing trail. If you are in town for business and want to get in some cardio before you head back to your hotel I suggest checking out Thai trail. Not sure how this only has six review. Maybe no one knows about it. Definitely a hidden gem in my opinion. I really enjoyed the trail and will be back for sure.

Lovely place to run with an abundance of wildlife (Cardinals, goldfinches, roadrunners, boars,…read morelizards, etc). Has off-road bike paths, running path and bathrooms. Plenty of parking but gets packed on Sundays. Extremely hot when the sun is at high rise due to lack of shade. Totally worth checking out if your up for a good sweat!