Balcones Canyonlands National Wildlife Refuge

Posted by Jennie Temple on Aug 11, 2014 in Blog | 0 comments

The Balcones Canyonlands are very much a Lago Vista/North Lake Travis attraction.  This area of land was created to protect and conserve the specialized nesting habitat of the black-capped vireo and golden-cheeked warbler, two highly endangered migratory songbirds

Here is an excerpt from the article written by Elizabeth Hunter.

Currently about 24,000 acres in size, the refuge is managed by the federal government under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and is the only national wildlife refuge in Central Texas.

“Our reason for being here is to protect the nesting habitat, but our refuge is much, much more,” Holle said.

Recreational opportunities are wildlife–oriented and include hunting and fishing as well as wildlife photography and observation including birding and environmental education.

“We get more than 25,000 visitors a year,” Holle said, adding that hiking is also a popular activity and is available on a variety of trails that total almost 8 miles in length. Visitors are not permitted to bring dogs or ride bicycles or horses on the property.

In addition to the visitors center located about 5 miles west of Lago Vista on the north side of FM 1431, three other public use areas are accessible to visitors free of charge: Warbler Vista and Sunset Deck, Doeskin Ranch and the Shin Oak Deck. Other areas of the property are closed to the public because of the rough terrain, the expense of keeping those areas open and to maintain visitor safety, Holle said.

Check out the rest of this great article here: Balcones Canyonlands National Wildlife Refuge – Community Impact Newspaper.