Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park is located at 2800 S. Bentsen Palm Drive (FM 2062)
south of the city of
Mission
Mission (from Latin ''missio'' "the act of sending out") may refer to:
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*Christian mission, an organized effort to spread Christianity
*Mission (LDS Church), an administrative area of The Church of Jesus Christ of ...
in
Hidalgo County in the
U.S. state
In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sove ...
of
Texas
Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...
. It serves as the headquarters for the
World Birding Center.
History
The park had its beginnings on January 28, 1944, when the parents of
Senator Lloyd Bentsen, Lloyd M. Bentsen Sr. and his wife Edna Ruth Bentsen, along with Elmer and Marie Bentsen, donated of land to the State Parks Board for a nature habitat. The park currently encompasses
The park has become a prime area for bird watching and butterfly watching. When the Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park became the headquarters
of the World Birding Center's network of nine sites in 2004, vehicular traffic was banned and RV camping was no longer allowed in the park. The other sites, all located in south Texas, include
Edinburg Scenic Wetlands __NOTOC__
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* Edinburg, North West
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* Edinburg, Illinois
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;
Harlingen Arroyo Colorado,
Resaca de la Palma State Park
Resaca de la Palma State Park is one of three state parks belonging to the World Birding Center and managed by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. At 1,200 acres, Resaca de la Palma State Park is the largest of the World Birding Center sites ...
,
Roma Bluffs,
Quinta Mazatlan,
Old Hidalgo Pumphouse Nature Park,
Estero Llano Grande State Park,
South Padre Island Birding and Nature Center. More than 325 species of birds, and more than 250 species of butterflies have been noted in the Bentsen park.
The park is popular to butterfly watchers. The North American Butterfly Association operates the
National Butterfly Center adjacent to the park.
Facilities, hours, admission
Entrance fee
The park is open year-round. Park tram available
Y Cafe, Texas State Parks Store
Exhibits, hiking trail, cycling,
birdwatching
Birdwatching, or birding, is the observing of birds, either as a recreational activity or as a form of citizen science. A birdwatcher may observe by using their naked eye, by using a visual enhancement device like binoculars or a telescope, by ...
,
butterfly watching
Butterfly watching is a hobby concerned with the observation and study of butterfly, butterflies. It also includes the "catch and release" of butterflies. There are clubs, handbooks, checklists, and festivals devoted to the activity.
The Canada Da ...
, picnicking, tent camping, meeting facilities
See also
*
Museums in South Texas
*
References
External links
TPWD: official Bentsen-Rio Grande State Park websiteCity of Mission, Texas official siteVideo segment on the Bentsen-Rio Grande State Park from ''Exploring the Texas State Parks System''
on Texas Archive of the Moving Image
The Texas Archive of the Moving Image (TAMI) is an independent 501(c)(3) organization founded in 2002 by film archivist and University of Texas at Austin professor Caroline Frick, PhD. TAMI's mission is to preserve, study, and exhibit Texas film h ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bentsen-Rio Grande
State parks of Texas
Nature centers in Texas
Protected areas of Hidalgo County, Texas
Lower Rio Grande Valley