Nice state park! Loved seeing all the green jays and chácalas! It's also cool to get the birding app and see what bird it identified from the sounds. We liked renting the bikes to ride around the park. But you can't go off on the trails and the bikes are in need of some tlc but still worth it! My kids loved the coloring tables inside the visitor center. read more

Resaca De La Palma State Park - We heard this - Parks Near Me - Brownsville, Texas

Rio Grande Valley State Park! This place is in sort of these marshes, low lying fields in the RGV outside of Brownsville. We came in for a hike along their shortest trail, which wound through scrub brush, mesquite trees and the overwhelming sound of cicadas. We saw lots of armadillos on our hike, and several strange, menacing looking birds. The park has a nice ranger station with a gift shop where you can rent binoculars and get patches and other gear that you'll need to camp and hike along the park's many trails. Be sure to reserve ahead of time on the website. The park is quiet, other than the insects. When we went, it has hot as heck, and nobody else was on the trails. They do offer a few bird blinds, or places to relax in some shade and observe the birds. There seemed to be a planetarium or telescope or something, but the armadillos were preventing us from investigating this. read more

Loved the park, but want to warn about mosquitoes after rain. Intense. Just be prepared but DO visit! Park employees were amazing...kind and knowledgeable! Visitor center is nice. Saw green jays in the parking lot. read more

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Love the park do not like the service here very rude workers. Didn't even have a chance to get off the car and the state police was already demanding we check in read more

Resaca de la Palma State Park was closed over the weekend (which they gave notice about) but they were also closed on Monday which they did not state on their website. I rearranged my schedule to visit this park all for it to be closed. The pond behind the visitor center was swarming with wasps, maybe that's why the park was closed. Not safe at all! The parking lot was recently paved but not a whole lot more I can say. I even tried calling and no one answered. I'm so disappointed with Resaca de la Palma that I'm not even posting a picture. read more

It was nice and fun. I didnt get to see it all but would love to go back again. You can rent bikes and binoculars there. read more

Resaca De La Palma State Park - Parks Near Me - Brownsville, Texas

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Quite the hidden gem!! First of all the staff is outstanding. Kelly is their leader and she is so nice and helpful. Margarette and Jacob, who let the hikes we took, were so knowledgeable and open to questions. We also encountered several volunteers who were all enthusiastic and helpful. The park itself is massive with miles of hiking available. The tram will drop you off and pick you up throughout the park. We recommend the monthly night hike. It was great but what really made it stand out was the visit to the observatory afterward. The astronomy grad students who work there are passionate and their presentation was fascinating. read more

This is a terrific place to visit to see nature. I would suggest going anytime but the middle of summer like we did. The heat at times is unbearable. There is much to see here and a lot of diversity. I'm sure it will be so much better in cooler weather so we will be sure to come back. If you like birds there should be many here during migration and when the Resacas are full of water. When we were there they were all dry or almost dry. In spite of the weather we did see quite a few birds and some of the rarer ones that come up from Mexico. There are also hundreds of Butterflies that you see everywhere you look. They have some great trails to walk and you can also rent bikes to ride on them. There is a tram that takes you around the park. It's about a 3 mile loop and costs $4. The driver is very knowledgeable about the area and will give you details about the flora and fauna all around. There is a very well stocked and nice gift shop inside and very clean restrooms. read more

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My husband and I took a week off and came down to the Rio Grande Valley for some bird photography. This park was on our list of places to visit. We visited today and had a great time. Like several other birding parks in the Valley, this one was closed to vehicles. There were lots of nicely manicured trails that gave us some great photo opportunities though. The unexpected pleasure we had was meeting a nice couple who volunteer there at the park. They shared lots of their birding knowledge with us and enabled us to get some great photos of some birds we had never seen. The park itself is very well-laid out, with some nice amenities. There's also more to the wildlife there than just birds. We came across several 7-foot indigo snakes that ran across our path. We also learned from our hosts that bobcats have been seen in the park too. Be sure to bring your camera if you visit, you never know what you'll see! read more

This place is an amazing addition to Brownsville, and one most local residents don't know about. I grew up near the area and planned a visit (with my aunt) when I went to visit my family and hometown in early February. She had never heard about it. The weather was perfect and I wanted to do one of the hiking trails, but since my aunt cannot walk for long distances we opted for the tram ride that loops around the park. The park itself is a mix of resaca (man made lakes), scrubland and even ebony forest - rare for the area. I was able to take the quick Ebony trail hike before the tram left (on the half hour every hour until like 4pm) and it was beautiful and surprisingly green, much greener than Houston with the drought (and saw many beautiful butterflies). You can also rent bikes to use on the paved loop and park at the trailheads to then hike. The thing that surprised me - the amount of wildlife we were able to see. While this park is part of the world birding center of the rio grande valley, you won't see as much birds as say the Weslaco location (although for birders I guess the birds you do see here may be unique or interesting, but there's not a lot of them compared to other valley sites and state parks like Brazos Bend in Houston). But we saw five armadillos, beetles consuming a tree branch, and the highlight for me - a huge over five foot indigo snake. And this was just on the tram loop, not hiking. I know they have plenty of bobcats and coyotes, javalina, possibly ocelot and jaguarandi, and a lot of visible damage from roaming feral hogs. Interesting plants, too - like in other parts of the valley yucca, different trees and flowers. And while this may not be exactly beautiful like hill country or pine forest state parks in Texas, it is interesting, and even creepy at times (seeing the snake and knowing the animals there made my skin crawl a bit, and I'm not new to hiking). It has a rugged, hard and very south Texas feel. I want to return for a real hike on my next visit to the area, but definitely with the right preparation and snake safe footwear. Bring OFF or something for the insects! If you're a winter Texan visitor or local in Brownsville, there's no reason to not check this place out, unless it's too hot. In the summer, you can opt for a tram ride, wear a hat and bring plenty of water. A tram ride may be best for children as well. As of now, there is only group camping. read more

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