Buffalo Lake National Wildlife Refuge
“Buffalo Lake National Wildlife Refuge contains some of the best remaining short grass prairie in the United States.”
“Walking trails, blinds and an 11-mile auto tour route offer many opportunities to get outside and enjoy the refuge.”
Here is the Refuge website. Phone 806-499-3382 Trails
Prairie Dog Loop 0.25 miles ADA wheelchair accessible
Cottonwood Hiking Trail 1.25 mile ADA wheelchair accessible
Big Thicket National Preserve
Big Thicket Preserve protects the incredible diversity of life in nine different ecosystems, from longleaf pine forests to cypress-lined bayous.
Here is the Preserve website. Phone 409-951-6800 Accessibility Map Trails
Quite a few of the trails at Big Thicket look as they might be easy walking, but call first to be sure.
? Kirby Nature Trail map This self-guided trail is not described on the website as wheelchair accessible, but is labeled so on the general park map.
Pitcher Plant Trail map 3/4 mile “…boardwalk through the savannah provides easy access for viewing several types of carnivorous plants.” The first 1/4 mile is accessible.
Sundew Trail Map 1.0 mile loop “…a great place to see birds and wildflowers.” The inner loop is accessible.
Guadalupe Mountains National Park
“Guadalupe Mountains National Park protects the world’s most extensive Permian fossil reef, the four highest peaks in Texas, an environmentally diverse collection of flora and fauna, and the stories of lives shaped through conflict, cooperation and survival.”
Here is the Park website. Accessibility Phone 915-828-3251 Map Brochure on Day Hikes
Pinery trail 0.7mile “paved trail leads to the ruins of a mid-1800s Butterfield stagecoach station and features exhibits about the plants of the Chihuahuan Desert.”
Manzanita Spring Trail 0.5 mile trail “leads to Manzanita Spring and through the orchard once belonging to the Smith family.”
? Indian Meadow Nature Trail 0.6 mile round-trip. Rated “easy”, but call first to be sure.
Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge
Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge lies along a juncture of two major migratory routes for many species of birds. “It is also at the northern-most point for many species whose range extends south into Central and South America. ……Though small in size, Santa Ana offers visitors an opportunity to see birds, butterflies and many other species not found anywhere else in the United States beyond deep South Texas.”
Here is the Refuge website. Phone 956-784-7500 Map Trails Map Accessibility
? The longest of the 12 walking trails at this refuge is just 2 miles. Call to find out if some are easy enough for you.
Tour loop 7 miles ADA compliant. “Accommodations are possible for wheelchair users on the tram (inquire at the Visitor Center).”
Chachalaca Trail 0.5 miles
Balcones Canyonlands National Wildlife Refuge
“Within the refuge, old growth stands of mature Ashe juniper, low-growing shin oaks, grasslands and spring-fed creeks provide important habitat for many species unique to the Texas Hill Country. At least one-third of Texas’s threatened and endangered species live or move through this part of the Hill Country, the Edwards Plateau.”
Here is the Refuge website. Phone 512-339-9432 Map Trails
Warbler Vista Trail Map Doeskin Ranch Trail Map
The only mention of accessibility on the refuge website is an accessible photo blind on Post Oak Creek Trail and an accessible sunset deck at Warbler Vista reached via the Ridgeline Trail. Both these trails are described as having “moderate” grades (5% to 8%) and “native” surfaces. There are numerous trails described as “gentle”.
? Pond and Prairie Trail at Doeskin Ranch is 0.38 mile and “gentle” with a cross slope of only 1.5. The surface is “native/paved”. Better call to learn where it is safe for you to go.
Padre Island National Seashore
“Padre Island National Seashore separates the Gulf of Mexico from the Laguna Madre, one of a few hypersaline lagoons in the world. The park protects 70 miles of coastline, dunes, prairies, and wind tidal flats teeming with life. ”
Here is the Seashore website. Phone 361-949-8068 Accessibility
There are five beach wheelchairs available for free for accessing Malaquite Beach.
Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge
Just 75 miles north of Dallas, the Refuge provides a variety of habitats for birds and wildlife. Earthen dikes create shallow marshes for waterfowl and farm fields provide 300 acres of wheat for wintering geese. Colorful wildflowers and prairie grasses provide seasonal food and shelter for wildlife. Bottomland hardwoods along the creeks attract a variety of wildlife including white-tailed deer, bobcats, river otters, turtles, and fox squirrels.
Here is the Refuge website. Trails Phone 903-786-2826. Be sure to call to learn about trail conditions after rain.
Harris Creek Trails – Crawfish Pond Loop. 1/3 mile of this trail and a photo blind are ADA accessible.
? Meadow Pond Trail is 5.7 mile round trip – you may want to walk just a part of it. It crosses a variety of habitats including shallow ponds, farm fields, forests, and bottomland hardwoods. The surface is gravel. Call to be sure there are no steps or other obstacles.
Big Bend National Park
“Big Bend National Park is a geological marvel evidenced in sea fossils and dinosaur bones to volcanic dikes that mar the desert landscape. It’s a world of species diversity from the meandering river corridor that sidles across the desert floor to the sky island ridge tops that reach for the stars.” In addition to the accessible trails, there are about six day hikes described as “easy”. Check with the Park to be sure.
Here is the Park website. Phone 432-477-2251 Maps Maps of Chisos Basin and Rio Grande Village with trails. Accessibility
Panther Path 50 yard loop “self-guiding nature trail at Panther Junction, is rough, but level and useable by people in wheelchairs. An accompanying brochure explains Chihuahuan Desert plants.
Window View Trail 0.3 mile in the Chisos Basin “provides outstanding views of the window formation and the Chisos Mountains.”
Rio Grande Village Nature Trail Boardwalk. 0.75 mile loop. “The first 100 yards is wheelchair accessible and crosses a boardwalk through a spring-fed wetland”. The trail is an “excellent place for observing birds and aquatic plants and animals.” There is a self-guiding booklet.
Chihuahuan Desert Nature Trail 0.5 mile round trip “On this easy desert stroll you will see remnants of human settlement and typical Chihuahuan Desert habitat. A shady oasis with cottonwood trees and tables at Dugout Wells provides a good area for picnicking and bird watching.”