If you are vacationing on South Padre Island, you have a wealth of hiking and birding opportunities nearby.
Excellent for a romantic sunset stroll is the Laguna Madre Nature trail at the South Padre Island Convention Center. This 1500' raised walkway over 4 acres of bay marshlands will reveal a world you usually have to get into a boat to see. At the end of the walkway is a blind where you can see some of the plentiful migratory and local birds and even an occassional alligator!
For the more adventurous, about 15 minutes across the bridge from the island is the Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge. This sprawling 45,000 acre park welcomes hikers, bikers, canoers and birdwatchers. The south Texas mild winters makes this an excellent stop for numerous migratory birds. This park plays host to such birds as the migratory greenjays, painted buntings as well as black-necked stilts and snowy plovers. Seeing alligators is virtually guaranteed and there is even a pond named "Alligator Pond."
If you are lucky, you might even spot one of the remaining ocelots in the bush.
The terrain is mostly flat and there are picnic tables near the offices. The trails range from 1/8 mile to 3 1/10 miles. The refuge is open every day from sunrise to sunset. The Visitor's Center at the refuge is open from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. daily. Admission is $2 per vehicle. For more information on the Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge, call (956) 748-3607.