Birding & Wildlife

An amazing diversity of plants and animals from many parts of North America live in the Big Thicket region of southeastern Texas.

Trees--pines, oaks, sweet gums, hollies--line either side of the long dirt road, giving travelers the illusion of driving through a dense forest.

The birding along Gore Store Road is renowned; birders frequently visit the area to view threatened and endangered species.

Twenty miles north of Beaumont, visitors to this 5,561-acre sanctuary can hike, bird watch, or rent canoes from local vendors.

Shangri La Botanical Gardens and Nature Center is a project of the Nelda C. and H.J. Stark Foundation in Orange, Texas. Its mission of “mentoring children of all ages to be kind to their world” promotes the growth and appreciation of both arts and nature in Southeast Texas. H.J. Lutcher, who built the original Shangri-La in Orange more than 60 years ago, said, “I’m working with nature, trying to paint this scene with the most beautiful colors nature will give me.”

Activities include camping, picnicking, swimming, canoeing, hiking, fishing, and birding.

Rookeries and parks within the project area make great stop-offs for birders on their way to the Pineywoods from Houston.