Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park was our third birding center on our Father’s Day weekend trip in mid-June 2018. It was over a hundred degrees that day as we skirted the Rio Grande trekking ever northward, keeping just ahead of a summer thunderstorm that doggedly pursued us from the Gulf of Mexico. We were hot and tired and a teeny bit concerned about the storm catching up to us and kind of just over birding centers and state parks and nature and driving and sweating and all the things. Our enthusiasm had evaporated with the sweat earned at the first two birding centers and now at our third and final stop on our tour of the World Birding Centers operated by the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department, we just weren’t feelin’ it.
And then we began a conversation with a Park Staffer in the HQ that changed our lives for the good. She offered this option –
It was 4:25pm. The tram stop was only a couple hundred feet away. No walking. No backpacks of water. No fear of rattlesnakes preying on our calves. No heat exhaustion. Just sitting and enjoying. Yes, please!
We sat and enjoyed almost a half hour tram ride through BRGVSP while our own personal Park Staffer (OJ) gave us a V.I.P. tour! The day of our visit happened to be OJ’s two year anniversary working at the park. We asked lots of questions, which he answered in the friendliest way possible at this point in our day – from the driver’s seat of our terrific tram. Since our interests lie more with ground animals than with flying ones, he happily shared about all of the animals that call BRGVSP their home – which we loved! He stopped when we saw a threesome of armadillo and allowed us to get out and take closer photos. We saw a wild turkey, butterflies, lizards (including an endangered one!), a Texas tortoise, and a few different types of birds (of course).
OJ also shared a little about the history of the park, including how the boundary line between Mexico and the U.S.A. was determined in the past (see photo below) and how the area used to have cacti until a flood changed all that. The park has exactly one cactus left, and OJ pointed it out (see photo below) so that we could photograph it.
I have no harrowing stories of close calls with nature (real, or imagined) from BRGVSP to share. There were none. It was just a thoroughly delightful time on a tram tour with our new friend OJ learning about the park he has enjoyed up-close and personal for the past couple of years.
Why We Love Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park
- Tram. This was so much fun! When someone offers you a tram tour, take them up on it. It’s relaxing. Educational. Conversational. Breezy. You hit the highlights, basically, without exhausting yourself by hiking. Win-win.
- Trails. The place looked fun to explore. The tram road was wide and paved. The trails we saw from our perch in the tram looked well maintained and easily marked. If this had been our first stop, we definitely would have taken advantage of the trails.
- Wildlife. Armadillos. Butterflies. Birds. Lizards. There are more, but these came out to say hello to us while we rode through the park with OJ.
- History. It’s fascinating to hear about the past and the Park Staff are great story tellers! Make sure to ask about the flood and the border markers.
- Staff. We were so weary. The Park Staff completely changed our perspective on the park by their friendliness and willingness to go the extra mile in making our visit the best.
- Newness. This park seemed like a combo of the first two birding centers we visited – newness in the HQ area with a more historical wildness in the back part of the park.
Must Do’s
- Tram Tour. Cannot recommend this enough! I would take it any time of year they offered it because the one-on-one interaction with the Park Staff is such an educational encounter. Take the tour first. Then figure out what you’d like to go back and explore further, perhaps by bike.
- Bicycle Tour. The park rents bikes very affordably, which would be another excellent way to explore the park.
- Hike. The trails are short according the park map. We would definitely want to explore them if we were ever in the area again.
We’d love to hear about your experiences at Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park! Please share your thoughts on this Southwest Texas treasure in the comments.