Of the three national wildlife refuges along the Gulf Coast from Galveston to Louisiana, the 34,000-acre Anahuac has the best access – 50 miles northwest of Galveston and 80 miles southeast of Houston – and is therefore the most popular. The main entrance is the gateway to the majority of the facility's trails and an excellent hiking/driving loop around Shoveler Pond.
Gravel and dirt roads traverse deep marsh, ponds, prairie and bayous. During the winter, up to 80,000 Canadian snow geese can gather at one time – a truly spectacular sight. Year-round you will see a variety of water fowl and some shore birds. Other wildlife includes alligators and what just may be the largest mosquitoes you ever encounter. In spring, Friends of Anahuac (www.friendsofanahuacnwr.org) organize walks in search of the illusive yellow rail ground bird.
A second, smaller section of the park, the Skillern Tract, lies 7 miles east of the main park entrance on FM 1985. The pond boardwalk is nice and you can follow a 2-mile round-trip trail through the grasses, which is popular with locals for fishing and birdwatching. As intimated above, always bring mosquito spray to either.
