Resaca de la Palma State Park on the north side of Brownsville protects the largest tract of native habitat in the World Birding Center’s network of nine sites in the Lower Rio Grande Valley. At any given time, the 1,200 acres of semitropical woodlands and meadows are populated with a parade of resident and migratory birds. Surrounded by urban development and agricultural fields, the diverse landscape along the resaca was acquired by the state in 1977 and opened as a park in 2008.
Resacas are former river channels cut into the vast Rio Grande delta by floodwaters. Separated from the river, these channels are used as irrigation canals or seasonal reservoirs. The depressions left by the old channels bordered with dense woodlands also make ideal habitats for wildlife, many of which can be spotted along the park’s eight-mile network of trails. One of the easiest birds to spot in the park is the pheasant-sized Plain Chachalaca. These shy birds crash through the trees like skittish monkeys. Known for their earsplitting call, the birds are something of a local mascot.
Resaca de la Palma State Park is northwest of Brownsville about five miles off of I-69 East at the Olmito exit. A tram takes visitors to the park’s 15 trailheads. The weather tends to be hot and humid, and bug spray is a must. Although it is near the site of the second battle in the Mexican-American War, the park does not include the battlefield.
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Day Trips: Resaca de la Palma State Park
A version of this article appeared in print on Jul 22, 2016 with the headline: Day Trips: Resaca de la Palma State Park
This article appears in July 22 • 2016.
