March 15, 2022

SABINE NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE

3000 Holly Beach Hwy, Hackberry, LA 70645

“Sabine National Wildlife Refuge is a National Wildlife Refuge of the United States located in Cameron Parish in southwestern Louisiana. It is on Louisiana State Route 27, 8 miles south of Hackberry and 12 miles north of Holly Beach.” - Wikipedia

This wildlife refuge is just a few miles north of the Gulf of Mexico.  I stopped at two trails hoping to get a glimpse of alligators and some migratory birds.  I knew this is not the best time of year to see the birds, but as I was driving into the refuge, I did see a few white herons along the roadside, so I was hopeful.

The first trail, called the Wetland Walkway, was a 1.5-mile concrete loop with a boardwalk over a marshy area.  Along this walk I saw several alligators sunning themselves, most were pretty small.  As I walked the trail, I met some people who said there were lots of creatures sunning themselves, including lots of snakes, specifically water moccasins.  The alligators didn’t bother me, but I was a little nervous about the snakes, however, even though I searched, I didn’t see any snakes.

The second trail was Blue Goose Trail, which took me about 0.5 miles along what I assumed was a brackish water canal which opened to the Gulf of Mexico.I saw one alligator in the water, a small crab crossing the trail, and was able to photograph a Great White Heron in a pond near the parking lot.