Wildlife / Public land
Muleshoe National Wildlife Refuge Draws Tens of Thousands of Sandhill Cranes Each Winter
Muleshoe National Wildlife Refuge, established in 1935 and described by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as the oldest national wildlife refuge in Texas, sits 20 miles south of Muleshoe and hosts large concentrations of sandhill cranes during winter.
The Muleshoe National Wildlife Refuge covers about 6,440 acres of High Plains playa lakes and grassland in southern Bailey County. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service manages it as part of the national refuge system and notes it is the oldest national wildlife refuge in Texas. Three saline lakes — Paul's Lake, Goose Lake, and White Lake — provide resting and roosting habitat for migratory birds traveling the Central Flyway.
Sandhill cranes arrive in the fall and use the refuge through winter and into early spring. The refuge is best known for hosting one of the largest concentrations of lesser sandhill cranes in North America; peak counts have reached 250,000 birds in a single visit, according to the TSHA Handbook. Waterfowl, raptors, songbirds, mule deer, and coyotes are also regularly seen here.
There is no fee to visit. The entrance gate is open year-round from 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Primitive camping is available near the refuge headquarters. From Muleshoe, take Highway 214 south for 20 miles, then go west on Caliche Road for about 2.25 miles. Pets must be leashed, drones are prohibited, and the usual Texas county burn-ban rules apply to campfires.
Source to confirm: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service — Muleshoe NWR