red river national wildlife refuge

Go hiking there several times a year and always enjoy the experience. Got close to a Bald Eagle last time and didn't have a camera! I've also seen gators and deer as this is a great place for hiking.

The refuge has a wonderful trail going around a lake that has many opportunities to see willdlife in its natural habitat. Many beautiful birds are perched and soaring over the lake and marshes. We saw Roseate Spoonbills and many white egrets hunting (perhaps some herons, too). There are many trails to take and you can browse the small, but well-maintained museum in the nature house.

My wife and I spent a few very pleasant hours hiking trails from the headquarters building, around Lake Caroline. Even though it was Fall, we spotted 26 species of birds, including large concentrations of White Pelicans and Double-crested Cormorants on the lake. Of special note was a sighting of a male Painted Bunting and an half dozen Roseate Spoonbills. The refuge was established in 2002, "to provide for the restoration and conservation of fish and wildlife habitats in the Red River Valley ecosystem in northwest Louisiana" (quoted from the brochure).The Visitor Center had some nice displays showing the wildlife that calls the refuge home, as well as a gift shop and bathrooms. The refuge is comprised of four units, each of the other three down the river to the south. The headquarters unit is closed to hunting, but small and big game hunting is permitted at the other three units. Waterfowl winter here, and migratory songbirds, shorebirds and wading birds frequent the refuge during the spring and summer. Since we visited in mid-October, the mosquitos were non-existent; I was told by the gift shop lady that this is not the norm in the summertime, that they get to be quite bothersome, so bring your repellent if you plan to visit then.