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Texas

When to catch Trinity River Refugeat its best

Trinity River Refuge through the year: spring migration (local timing: during the spring (March to May)) and wildflowers (local timing: May through October). Each has its own page with spots, sources and the latest reports.

RIGHT NOW · SEP 30

  • Latest reportNo dated report this season; the posters below show each usual window.
  • This weekend (NWS)Sat showers and thunderstorms, 85°F · Sun showers and thunderstorms likely, 82°F
  • Park alertsCheck the managing agency before you go

When are you going?

Fall at Trinity River Refuge

Good in fall

  • Fall migration: the same birds head back south, late August to early November

From each place's own sources; no peak claimed.

Nearby in fall

Where to go at Trinity River Refuge

Spots, visitor points and places nearby
  • Spring
  • Fall
  • Winter
Places on this map, as a list
Map: approximate positions; state lines US Census.

Best spots

Where each event's source says to go

Spring migration

  • Champion Lake Day Use AreaPollinator garden at the top of the hill and the short Paseo de los Patos loop under cypress and magnolia; watch for painted buntings and cedar waxwings in migration season. Restrooms here.U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service ↗
  • Knobby Knees Trail and Palmer Bayou BoardwalkAn easy 1-mile trail from the Knobby Knees Trailhead in Liberty to a boardwalk and observation deck on Palmer Bayou, open sunrise to sunset year-roundU.S. Fish and Wildlife Service ↗

Wildflowers

  • Champion Lake Day Use Area butterfly gardenWhere the refuge says many of its wildflowers can be seen: the pollinator garden at the top of the hill, where the Paseo de los Patos loop starts. Restrooms here.U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service ↗
  • Knobby Knees Trail and Palmer Bayou BoardwalkAn easy 1-mile trail from the Knobby Knees Trailhead in Liberty to a boardwalk and observation deck on Palmer Bayou, open sunrise to sunset year-roundU.S. Fish and Wildlife Service ↗

Next 7 days at Trinity River Refuge

Forecast: National Weather Service
  • TodayChance Showers And Thunderstorms92° / 76°28% rain
  • ThuChance Rain Showers then Chance Showers And Thunderstorms91° / 74°59% rain
  • FriShowers And Thunderstorms90° / 72°78% rain
  • SatShowers And Thunderstorms85° / 70°83% rain
  • SunShowers And Thunderstorms Likely82° / 68°71% rain
  • MonChance Rain Showers81° / 66°28% rain
  • TueSlight Chance Rain Showers82° / 65°20% rain

Today: sunrise 7:13 a.m., sunset 7:07 p.m., light until 7:31 p.m. · moon waning gibbous, 78% lit (our calculation)

Nearby, and when they peak

Straight-line miles; roads are longer

Towns nearby

Straight-line miles; each town page has frost dates and its nature year

Trinity River Refuge in pictures

Illustrative photos, not current conditions
Baldcypress trees standing in the still water of a lake at Trinity River National Wildlife Refuge
A cypress-studded lake at Trinity River National Wildlife Refuge (date not given). Photo: Stuart Marcus/USFWS · public domain · resized

Questions people ask

Is there a fee?

No, there is no charge to visit.Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Trinity River NWR: Visit Us ↗ (opens in a new tab)

Are there restrooms?

Yes, inside the refuge headquarters and at the Champion Lake Day Use Area.Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Trinity River NWR: Visit Us ↗ (opens in a new tab)

What should I bring?

Insect repellent, sunscreen, water, snacks, a map, a phone and a flashlight. Pack mud boots: much of the refuge floods or holds standing water at times.Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Trinity River NWR: Visit Us ↗ (opens in a new tab)

Can the trails flood?

Yes. Check the weather and the Trinity River water level gages before you go; in a flood the Knobby Knees Trail can go 8 feet underwater, and if the Palmer Bayou boardwalk is flooded, everything past it is too.Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Trinity River NWR: Visit Us ↗ (opens in a new tab)

How we know

Every timing above, from these pages; checked Sep 29