Wheelchair-accessible car park
Yes
Sabal Palm Sanctuary in Brownsville
Categories
Location on the map
Brownsville, Cameron County, Texas, US
Accessibility
Wheelchair-accessible entrance
Yes
Amenities
Good for kids
Yes
Phone: +1 956-541-8034
Site: http://www.sabalpalmsanctuary.org/
Site: http://www.sabalpalmsanctuary.org/
Opening hours
- Monday:7AM–5PM
- Tuesday:7AM–5PM
- Wednesday:Closed
- Thursday:7AM–5PM
- Friday:7AM–5PM
- Saturday:7AM–5PM
- Sunday:7AM–5PM
Comments (183)
The gardens can use some work. It was nice to hike around the trails. We went when it was too windy so didnt see many butterflies. Going to try again on a calmer day
Enjoyable stroll through the grounds. Saw many varieties of birds. Ranger said to see the various wildlife it is best to go in the early morning.
Of the four or five nature centers we visited this was our favorite. The Sabal Palm is the only palm tree native to south Texas. It has drooping fan shaped fronds. It doesnt grow as tall as the Washingtonian Robustus which is cultivated and common in the area as well. The sanctuary was once a plantation and the still-standing plantation house is beautiful. We saw so many birds we had never seen before. I was especially impressed by the Green Jay, a native of south Texas and points south. The history of US colonization of Mexico and the removal of Tejas as a Mexican state by by armed colonial militias is never mentioned. These historical omissions bother me.
Beautiful place to bird watch and spend it with somebody that likes walking in the wild. Their trails are long and very enjoyable. It provides shade and good opportunity to socialize with friends. It is also located right next to the river you can capture some amazing scenes.
Dont go in the heat of the day...ughTook my guests from FT WORTH but they werent all impressed... Guess its a Brownsville/history thing! Go in early hours to be able to visit all areas - didnt get to the feeding section because of the heat. Didnt really see any wildlife either :(
It was beautiful! Saw some amazing birds and the staff was friendly and helpful. Grounds were like a rainforest, definitely worth the trip!
It is pretty wild-and-woolly. And like everybody else says make sure bring your bugspray ... the history on it is very interesting.
Our favorite place to visit in the Valley. Nice house, very interesting and unusual Sabal palm forest, excellent hiking trails, lots of birds (usually). You can overlook Rio Grande from one of the trails. Overall, better experience and better hiking than in Valley State parks. You do have to drive past the Wall with an army patrol staring at you.
Peaceful and tranquil. I just went for the walk but if you take your time and look for birds there are a bunch of different species. If you go make sure to take some bug spray. ( Depending on the season )
Awesome sanctuary with amazing birds and palm trees everywhere. Doesn’t feel like Texas, but more like a rainforest in Vietnam. Truly amazing and a place that all Texans should visit! The mansion at the entrance is truly amazing as well!
The house is so beautiful and well kept up. Its amazing to walk around the grounds and soak up the history.
Love Sable Palm but is in of some TLC. I like things more rustic but even I would clean it up a bit. Roads & parking lot need attention.
Really fun and unique. Never would have expected a place like this o. Texas
Great place to visit historic mansion, wildlife, and relax.
Loved watching the Red-crowned parrots fly overhead. Restored plantation house is lovely.
Beautiful sanctuary ~ quiet, sub-tropical jungle, complete with tree-sized cacti. You will have a hard time believing you are still in Texas! A must see!
Short distance hiking, Ok place to see some rare birds, wildlife and some history. Lots of mosquitoes and beware of illegal activity due to proximity of the US/Mexico border.
Its a beautiful trail activity. The big bummer is that you cant tour the house. And no bikes. But if you want a really neat walk. Yes its great. Also the treatment of the staff is great too
Although we didnt see much but a cardinal we enjoyed the nature walk.
This beautiful palm 🌴 forest is a beautiful place to take a 3-mile walk along the Rio Grande and a resaca
Very beautiful, quiet, and peaceful place.
Interesting place. It was a hot day but we photographed a few birds.
The lady outside working on the grounds was very friendly and working hard on the gardens.When we arrived to the house the office was closed for lunch so we sat on the beautiful veranda. When the worker came back he rudely banged on the glass at us to come in. How can I help you in ugly tone when we came in. We only stuck around so we could pay our fees, sorry we were bothering him lol . Anything else? Guess he was having a bad day. Once we payed we did a self tour of the trails, beautiful grounds and historic home (downstairs only). We took several of the very well marked trails. Saw two of the bird blinds and walked the boardwalk trail over the wetlands. The Palms are just gorgeous and we saw lots of birds. I dont think we will go back but glad we got to see it once and that this beautiful preserve is being cared for.
Cool historical place. Nice trails.
This place is actually quite nice. I enjoyed the lengthy trail hike, as well as the views of the river. Its definitely worth a try if youre in town.
Beautiful grounds, historical mansion and great trails. Bring lots of bug spray and binoculars. Great signage not just for birds but for everything!
The bird feeding area seemed neglected but many new birds seen on the trails.
It got taken over by somebody else or something but the trails have changed and I dont know if the water was diverted out of there or if its just because of the drought but pretty much everywhere there should have been water there was not water. Was a very different experience than it was 5 years ago!
I went for a walk around the area, it was nice and calm. The admission was $5 and to rent a pair of binoculars was $2 (and turning in your ID until returning binoculars). It was a good experience and enjoyed the serenity of the environment. I however wasnt able to see much wildlife but that didnt stop me from having a good time.
Quiet place to get away. Trails were a bit short but several blinds allowed us to see quite a bit of the wildlife and birds. Worth seeing if you are in the area.
We found this while looking for things to do on TA. Its a real hidden gem. Its designed as a Bird Sanctuary and there are trails to walk and birds to see. You walk in to the house to register and pay $5. There are some restored rooms inside that are very well done so dont miss them. Then just go out side with the trail guide and walk the trails. They are very easy and unless the weather is real hot should be enjoyable. I would suggest going at some other time than the middle of summer like when we were there. The heat was almost unbearable so we could not stay as long as we wanted to. Youll also get a good look at the Wall as you come in the entrance. Well hopefully come back in cooler weather
A beautiful place with walking trails and a variety of birds.
As avid birders, this was a must do while visiting south Texas. It was an extremely windy morning, so birding was a challenge, however this did not detract from a pleasant morning stroll on the well marked trails, in fact the breeze made for a comfortable walk: few biting bugs and kept us cool. Green Jays and Chachalacas frequented the feeders. Driving into this sanctuary, I felt lost..., like I was entering a time machine going back 100 years, than felt I was crossing the Mexican border. I am leaving out details, as you should experience the drive and form your own personal adventure. After a short drive I could see the beautiful Queen Anne style home, the visitors center, where we paid the $5 entrance fee; be sure to spend some time exploring this rich in history building.
Great hiking, lots of shade! The house is amazing and the staff is super helpful and friendly.
Looks like theyve made major improvements since my last visit.Great place to see birds, especially green jays.Watch for armadillos along the paths.On my last visit, they were outside the border fence, which is an embarrassment to Americans, essentially giving a safe place on US soil for smugglers. ( This is not a criticism of the preserve.)
This is a wonderful place to bird in the valley. Wide variety of habitats lead to a wide variety of birds. Trails are maintained and well marked.Several blinds and a very long boardwalk. Views of the Rio Grande river and trails through sabal palms . We hadnt been here in quite a while and were very impressed with all that has been done over the years. Truly a must do !
Such a beautiful home but not much do at the home other than bird watching and appreciating the scenery. I would like it if we were able to go upstairs in the home.
This was a nice place to just get away for a little bit. The entry price is fair. I do feel that the grounds could be better maintained once you are on the trails. The map helps somewhat...that is if you took a picture of it before you left. BUT...the trails are not that well marked and the ones that were marked were overgrown and uninviting. My girlfriend and I ended up way off course on some trails that were NOT on the map. We could only guess they were the border patrols access points for the Rio Grande. We were enjoying our walk until we walked for a ways and began to wonder where everything was. So we turned to Google maps to get us back on course. Also be aware that more than likely your cellphone will be on a Mexico tower. Im with AT&T and my girlfriend is on Verizon...both of us were on separate Mexico towers. Just FYI to help plan accordingly.
Great place but under staff I only saw one person in the whole place wow terrible
Sabal Palm Sanctuary is one of my go to birding places. It is wonderful all year long, but for South Texas residents it is a place to enjoy birding and escape the brutal Summers.Sabal has a unique history with the Rabb House, and the changing course of the Rio Grande/Rio Bravo. More than the historic features, it reminds one of what the Rio Grande Valley might have been like before agriculture.The species of reptiles, birds, and flora are spectacular. If you are looking to find the South Texas specialty the ever beautiful Green Jay look no further. Sabal Palm is teeming with these gregarious birds.There are several ponds that are home to not only shore birds, and Kingfishers, but also to the members of the Tyrant family. You will find every kind of flycatcher in this biodiverse rich piece of heaven.Sabal should be on every birders bucket list, for to miss it is to miss a huge piece of wildlife our Rio Grande Valley has to offer.
Nice walking trails. We were disappointed that no bikes allowed. We didnt realize there was a fee. ($5 per person). I dont think it was worth the cost. We didnt see any wildlife and it was kind of dry and dead looking (end of December). Nice place if you dont have anything else to do.
Fantastic hiking on a well-maintained trail and boardwalk system. Knowledgeable experts that provided a comprehensive biological and historical presentation. A part of Texas history I never knew existed, highly recommend a visit to experience a truly unique bit of Texas.
This is a hidden gem, a wonderful old plantation house with pathways cut through palm trees down to the Rio Grande. There are some bird feeders for bird watching and informational signs about the vegetation. Bring lots of bug spray and enjoy strolling the grounds.
Rather disappointed. We thought they gave tours of the Rabb plantation home but you are free to look around the 1st floor only (3 rooms + public restroom). A number of trails and a view of the Rio Grande. Did not see any birds to speak of, but possibly wrong time of year? (March 11) Serious birders may think its great but we werent impressed.
Good mix of birds at the feeding station, including Altamira orioles, green jays, cardinals, white wing dove, clay-colored thrush, curved bill thrush and black-crested titmouse. The trails are well marked and the vegetation is heavy. Its easy to spend a lot of time wandering around.WARNING: Insect repellent is highly recommended - tbe mosquitoes are vicious!
Beautiful sunset views, and the palm trees are amazing! Whenever I’m in the car and we pass by these, it is amazing!
Most Awesome place to commune with nature on trails along Rio Grande river away from the madening crowd. You will never see a Visitor Center like Sabel Palms with over 100 year old southern plantation home.
Beautiful, peaceful. Wish we had gotten there earlier in the day so we could have done more of the trails, or had come on Saturday so we could have toured the house, but really enjoyed how much we did see and do here.
Escape from COVID!The Sanctuary is truly a peaceful retreat from the hustle of our outside world. You can immerse yourself in the sounds of the subtropics, hearing and seeing unique and colorful bird species primarily found south of the border. Chachalacas, the size of chickens repeat raucous rhythmic choruses like nothing youve ever heard. Their color is in their behavior, moving and calling to their friends in the south Texas brush. My wife even uses a recording of their chatter as a ringtone! Green jays are common here and exhibit multiple shades of green and yellow with distinct accents of black and blue. During spring and fall migrations, a myriad of species can be seen: Altamira orioles, cuckoos, warblers, grebes, owls, anis, kingfishers, doves, ducks, pelicans, hawks, hummers, falcons, flycatchers, phoebes and kiskadees to name a few. The brush can be decorated with so much color during these times, you might think the Sanctuary was having a Christmas tree decorating contest!
Gorgeous place and wonderful bird watching nature trails. Great for photoshoots...
With over 3 miles of nature trails, this is a great place to get away from the city and appreciate nature. General admission is only $5 per person.
I made a reservation the manager wanted additional details which I provided but the resident manager never confirmed my reservation! Horrible service!
One of the top locations in Cameron Country to bird watch. The sanctuary (previously Audubon) is not only another natural gem of the Rio Grande valley, but is also located on a historic location. A Spanish explorer (Piñeda) originally called the Rio Grande: “The river of las palmas.”An early Tarzan movie was filmed on a resaca (Oxbow lake) here.Also the Rabb cotton was located here. The Rabb house museum at the entrance is a must see before entering the sanctuary.
Nice place. Peaceful
So many beautiful trails. Saw a lot of bunnies and birds. Easy to spend a few hours here.
Great trails, beautiful wildlife.I really wish they had more information or even tours of the plantation.
Active Owls nest, rain forest feel when you walk the TRAILS. Staff is so knowledgable and friendly. Bird feeders let you get up close and personal with so many different birds. Take the family (pack a lunch, kinda isolated)!!!!
Wonderful place to see wild things. Photo blinds, feeders, water features make seeing the Rio Grand Valley wildlife easy.
Wonderful place ,nice easy walking trails....love the old plantation house!
Wanted to see birds so the feeding station was where we went. I couldn’t see a morsel of food any where. Water ponds we half empty, too. No birds at all. Used to be better back in the day. Disappointed.
Beautiful walking trailsGuy at reception desk needs people skills seriously believe he was playing Game on his computer and was annoyed that we asked question. He couldnt even explain what a sambal palm is
My new favorite place to visit on vacation. Lots of trails and birds to see. Beautiful!
This is an excellent nature preserve that is the only sizeable stand off Sabal Palms left in the USA. The lovely old home is also an AirBNB. Take the Saturday morning birding walk!
Nature at its best trail along down to the Rio Grande River a sight to see. Encounter South Tx wildlife javalinas,chachalacas Etc.A place to visit for sure
Amazing place. Great nature walks and scenery. History, the Rio Grande, the Wall and great birds.
Easy walking paths, beautiful plantation
Beautiful, historic home is used as the headquarters for this interesting nature sanctuary. Good trails. We saw a rare snake.
Beautifull hidden gem.
Amazing place, lovely palm-lined trails, beautifully restored plantation home.
It was an interesting visit. I cant for bird watching and it was slim pickings fire this visit. Beautiful old home to see and a comfortable walk.
Was really nice to do a jog, also a bonus got to see a hog
Nice place to visit with your family.We saw a deer crossing the street on the way back. We were kind of shock because we never thougt to see one of this on these month and this place.
Nice natural landscapes. Visiting Sabal Palm Sanctuary its a great way to relax while witnessing the natural diversity of the Region. :)
Signage could be better, they have a wheelchair platform lift to access the main house which was nice. We went at the wrong time of day to see many birds.
I went here in 1976 with Dr Cleveland from TWC, now Texas Wesleyan University. Great visit! I learned more from him than any other teacher by far.
One of my favorite places we visited! Very beautiful sanctuary and lots of birds.
Excellent nature trails. Price too high considering the whole house is not open to tour.
A great nature place with some of the last remaining Sabal Palm forest in the united states.
Beautiful experience, so much nature beauty and wildlife to see and enjoy. A must see....!
Spend some time here with a couple friends a few years back, I still remember how beautiful the scenery was compared to the surrounding area.
Beautiful place for photos and to enjoy nature walks.
Beautiful area with a great trail and butterfly garden. Great renovation of the historic Rabb House.
Amazing little sanctuary full of wildlife and plants and tress. Very peaceful.
Lovely All-brick plantation house with plenty of walking trails. Bring bug spray!
Went to see birds, saw very few because they hadnt been keeping the feeders full. Saw more mosquitoes and dragonflies than birds.
Great place to go hiking and see wildlife. Vast historical background.
Great place to visit. Serene. River views. Victorian house. Very nice.
Beautiful place to sightsee , saw two big bucks walking thur the trails
Beautiful place and great for hiking, staff is very knowledgeable
Its nice and the trail walking fee is only a dollar
Nice groomed trails through natural habitat, but be prepared for mosquitos.
Great place. Nice walk to river. Cleared path. Great friends.
Beautiful grounds. Great place to bring kids. Helpful, friendly staff. BRING BUG REPELLENT
Nice Forrest of native Sabal palms which is perfect for hike and explore Rio Grande Valley.
Great place to walk and see interesting flora and fauna
Beautiful place to visit! A hidden nature gem!
Short trails. Nice views of the Rio. Very cute just got.
Nice trails and overlook into Mexico
Amazing
It was nice. The trails are short, and the views are nice.
Fun for bird watchers and nice plantation house. Right on the Rio grande river.
Beautifully restored house. The historical tour on Saturdays is excellent.
Gorgeous house and garden. Nice trail system
Great place to go for a quiet walk!
Incredible birding venue!! Love the long boardwalk out into the jungle.
Great place to stroll, look for wildlife, enjoy the solitude.
Great place, the pictures dont do it justice
The place had gone WAY down the tubes. Not maintained. Used to be great!
Worth the trip. The view of the Rio Grande is interesting.
Beautiful place to experience a Sabal Palm forest. Great birding
Unique Flora and fauna. Beautiful spot in the LRGV.
Nice wild area South of the border (wall). Feels like a jungle.
Beautiful area with history
The very best.. been there many times years ago.!
Go visit and bird here before Trump gives this area south of the fence to Mexico.
Awesome trails for nature walks.
Beautiful plantation of south Texas! Nothing more could said than that... BEAUTIFUL.
Pretty Cool! Take bug spray. Lots of misquotes!
Very nice place glad I got there
Great trip! Take bug spray!
Great place to walk around and explore
Amazing and peaceful!
Closest your get to the river with out border patrol bugging you
It was beautiful
Good for bird watching. Family enjoyed it.
Beautiful place,I just say enough
A beautiful place. A must see.
Great place to view the sabal palm.
Birding was slow, front desk person not very helpful
Wonderful place to visit.
Its a lovely sanctuary.
Had a great time with the family!!
Good place to spend time sightseeing.
Learned much, definitely work the stop.
Beautiful place
Beautiful hikes
A plantation house; but limited in other experiences.
Fascinating piece of Brownsville history!
Very calm and inviting place
Peaceful. Listening to the wind of the forest.
Beautiful natural area
Very nice and Free
Its so beautiful
Great bird watching
Serine peaceful, informative
Remodeling done nice.
Cool place!
Nice
Beautiful
Amazing place!
Beautiful
Beautiful!
No hummingbirds 😒
Historic bldg.
Nice paths
Beautiful scenery
Great birding
Love love love this place!!!!
Breath taking.
Historical
Beautiful place! Many birds to see! 🥰
Beautiful, very large and cheap.Interesting place.
I liked it very much, it is a very quiet, great relaxing place, to walk, enjoy, nature, breathe fresh air, 5, stars I highly recommend it
Beautiful place, with nature
Beautiful everything I would like very much to know the top of the house on the 2nd floor I imagine what the clothes were like in those times ❤️ I want to return
Withdrawn, $ 5 entry, I recommend taking a bike to go through it.
Very good experience. No place like it in the region.
It is a good place to breathe fresh air
Very rich visit
Its fancy, a lot of green: D
Beautiful place 😍
He is a good heater
😎
Total reviews rating 4.6
183 Reviews for Sabal Palm Sanctuary 2023:
Review №1
2022-06-28We only got to do one trail that was about .25 miles. Its very pretty there and has easy to walk trails. The house is very nice as well with nice antiques inside. Even a nice fresco that dates back about 100 years.The place is on the other side of the border wall but still technically in the US. Funny enough our phones said Welcome to Mexico as soon as we pulled in.There is a deck you can actually look across the river at Mexico from.
Review №2
2021-08-24The house is beautiful. Its the RGV version of Bishops Palace. The trails are amazing. We walked about three miles. Its shady, and there are animal tracks and butterflies and dragonflies and birds. We had a great time.
Review №3
2021-08-24This is definitely the best nature reserve/sanctuary in the RGV, and we had a wonderful afternoon excursion here. The historical plantation house is in the Queen Anne architectural style, and is quite the visual marvel. Furthermore, the estates overall relative seclusion added greatly to its immersive ambiance. We will undoubtedly be revisiting again.
Review №4
2022-04-10Exploring El Valles History!If you are seeking solitude and enjoy the wildlife this is a perfect place for you!! 🥰🥰
Review №5
2022-02-22Spectacular nature reserve, easily accessible from Brownsville and a short drive from South Padre Island. Trails are easily walked and you will undoubtedly encounter folks on the trail who can help you identify the birds and other critters youre seeing. Great place for butterflies too. Well worth a visit.
Review №6
2022-01-09Beautiful Victorian house that is the visitor center for the sanctuary. Three rooms complete with period furnishings are open for viewing. Property has many trails for hiking, all are easy to walk. Three bird blinds overlook a water course as we as one overlook of the Rio Grande River. All in all, a pleasant place to get out into nature!
Review №7
2022-04-13View of the Rio Grande, shaded walking trails, reasonable price. Very large I never ran into another person on the trails and it felt like I had it all to myself. Several viewing platforms were covered which was nice. Animals everywhere! Especially if you like birds and lizards. The House is cool too.
Review №8
2022-02-22This is a beautiful place to visit and especially nice for birders. It is one of the few sable palm forests left that you can visit and enjoy. The history about this place and the house are fun to learn about as well.
Review №9
2019-04-05Really interesting habitat thats not found many places anymore. The gardens are a work in progress, and the map doesnt always accurately reflect the trails, but we thoroughly enjoyed the wildlife. Can rent binoculars in the new visitor center (which is an old plantation house). Nice lookout over the Rio Grande.
Review №10
2020-12-19When I was told that this is the most beautiful nature park/sanctuary in the valley, I was a bit surprised since I had never even heard of it. After going today though, I can safely say that sabal palm is absolutely the most gorgeous natural area in the entire RGV. A biome so unique, its completely breathtaking and I found myself just stopping and looking around at the scenery, losing myself in this forest of gigantic sabal palm trees. The environment is so incredibly varied, with the sabal palm forests clearly being the main focus, but other micro-biomes being present in the trails surrounding the main forest. From resacas, lakes, marshes, mesquite forrests to sandy riverbanks, this park has everything. There are amazing views of the Rio Grande from this park and it is very possible to walk all of the trails in one day. It took me about 3.5 hours to walk the 10.3 km of trails. To top it off, there are several gardens and birs feeders around the park, with a beautiful victorian-style plantation at the entrance! Admission is $5 and believe me it is worth every single penny. I only encountered two other people during my walk today, definitely a great place to relax and enjoy nature away from other people.