![]() | McFaddinBrochure |
Brochure of McFaddin National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) in Texas. Published by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS).
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U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
McFaddin
National Wildlife Refuge
Directions to the Refuges
From Houston:
Take Interstate 10 east, toward Beaumont.
Travel about 54 miles until you get to
exit 828, and merge onto Texas highway
73 east toward Port Arthur. After about
25 miles, continue onto Texas highway
82 east. Approximately three miles after
you get on 82 east, you will turn right on
Texas highway 87 south. You will travel
about 11 miles before arriving at the town
of Sabine Pass. At the four-way stop, take
a right and continue down highway 87
south. Continue on about 3 miles, until you
reach the entrance to Texas Point NWR.
The entrance to McFaddin NWR is about
12 miles past the Texas Point NWR main
office, on highway 87.
Introduction
Established in 1980 and 1979, McFaddin
NWR and Texas Point NWR supplies
important feeding and resting habitat
for migrating and wintering populations
of waterfowl, as well as other wildlife.
McFaddin NWR encompasses over 58,000
acres of coastal marsh bordering the Gulf
of Mexico. Texas Point NWR containing
approximately 8,900 acres. From October
to March, thousands of geese feeding and
resting in the marsh can be heard, if not
actually seen.
Refuge staff use a variety of tools to create
and maintain a diversity of habitats for
wildlife. Prescribed burning, grazing,
water and salinity management, exotic
plant control and wetland and upland
restoration are just a few of the tools that
are used to manage for healthy, productive
and diverse ecosystems.
Things to Do at the Refuges
Wildlife Watching
Between October and March, visitors to
the Refuges are likely to see as many as
27 species of ducks, including greenwinged teal, gadwall, and mottled ducks.
Huge flocks of snow geese, sometimes
in excess of 80,000, feed in marshes, rice
fields and moist soil units. During spring
and fall, warblers and other songbirds
can be found in small wooded areas, while
shorebirds taking advantage of the sandy
beach, mudflats and shallow water in moist
soil units.
Clam Lake Road
Five miles of interior roads on McFaddin
NWR provide excellent wildlife viewing
opportunities, as well as access to various
boat ramps, fishing piers, and observation
platforms. Watch and listen for clapper
rails in the marsh and geese overhead.
Visitors should be aware that there are no
fuel stations on or near the Refuge.
Moist Soil Units
These wetland units provide excellent
habitat for a variety of species. During
winter months, large concentrations of
waterfowl can be found feeding on native
plants. In the spring and summer, the
units may be flooded to provide habitat for
nesting waterfowl, as well as for migrating
Beaumont
10
Houston
10
61
1985
Port
Arthur
73
124
87
W
562
N
87
45
McFaddin
NWR
Galveston
288
o
xic
e
M
f
fo
Gul
Freeport
Texas
Point
NWR
0
shorebirds. Wading birds make use of
these wetlands year-round. Wildlife in
these moist soil units can be viewed from
adjacent roads and overlooks.
Fishing and Boating
Two fishing piers on Ten-Mile Cut and five
piers along Clam Lake provide excellent
opportunities for fishing and crabbing.
Surf fishing is also allowed on the refuge
along the Gulf of Mexico.
Fishing and crabbing are in accordance
with State regulations and subject to
the following regulations. Fishing and
crabbing and allowed year-round in TenMile Cut, Clam Lake, Mud Bayou, Mud
Lake, the beach along the Gulf of Mexico,
and along roadside ditches open to the
public.
Fishing is allowed using pole and line, rod
and reel, or hand-held line only. All lines
must be removed when you are finished
so that other wildlife does not become
tangled in your lines. Cast-netting for bait
for personal use along waterways in areas
open to fishing is permitted. Fishing from
or mooring to water control structures or
bridges is prohibited, as well as harvesting
fish or crabs for commercial purposes.
The harvest of frogs, turtles, shrimp and
oysters is prohibited. Five small boat
ramps are available for launching small,
shallow-draft boats only. Boat ramps are
located at Clam Lake (2) Ten-Mile Cut,
Five-Mile Cut, and Star Lake (hunt season
use only).
Outboard motor boats and non-motorized
boats, with no more than 25 HP and 9-inch
propeller, may be used to access Mud
Bayou, Mud Lake, Ten-mile Cut, and
Clam Lake year-round. Seasonal access
between March 15th and August 31st for
25
50 Miles
the Star Lake boat ramp. Non-motorized
boats may be used to access Five-Mile
Cut between March 15th and August 31st.
Personal watercrafts are prohibited on the
refuge.
Hunting
Waterfowl hunting is permitted in
designated areas on the refuge. Hunters
must contact refuge headquarters before
the waterfowl hunt season begins, in order
to obtain current hunting regulations and
refuge permits.
For additional information, contact
McFaddin National Wildlife Refuge
P.O. Box 358
Sabine Pass, TX 77655
409/971-2909
409/971-2104 Fax
www.fws.gov/refuge/McFaddin/
August 2013
Great egret. / Ann Moore, USFWS
W
at
er
wa
y
Restrooms
Wildlife Viewing Area
Parking Area
Boat Launch
n
I
p
N
R
o
S
N
I
Fishing Pier
Accessible Area
Seasonal Non-Motorized Boat Launch
Between March 15 and August 31
Seasonal Boat Launch
Between March 15 and August 31
Seasonal Wildlife Viewing Area
Between March 15 and August 31
l
ta
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t
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lu f I
Public Road
Ten-mile Cut
G
p
N
N
R
Clam Lake
Five-mile Cut
S
NR
o
R
R
Ro
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Cla
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Star Lak
ke
La
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Lak
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of
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N
1.5
0
87
Rd
an
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Wis
I
no
3 Miles
McFaddin National Wildlife Refuge
Jefferson, Chambers and Galveston Counties, Texas
To Beaumont
69
lough
82
add
F
Mc
Anahuac
NWR
ulf
G
of
Texas
Point NWR
Salt
o
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Me
Salt
I
N
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Ba
High Island
87
R
W
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82
ay
rw
n
lf I
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Clam
Lake
Fence
Lake
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ile C
m
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NR
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R
N
Dipping
Vat
Ponds
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Io
87
ke
Anahuac
McFaddin NWR
National
Conservation Easement
Wildlife
Private Land
Refuge
124
Mu
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Ba
you
Chambers County
Galveston County
High
Island
Mud
Lake
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Gul
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87
Lake
Star La
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a
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Wa
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Five-mile
Cut
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Chambers County
Jefferson County
1985
ke
87
Sabine
Pass
La
LOUISIANA
TEXAS
Willow
Lake
ll
Sabine
Lake
73
124
124
ay
rw
ate Barnett
lW
Lake
sta
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r
t
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lf I
Gu
e
Sh
10
Winnie
10
To Houston
Willow S
73
Port
Arthur
1.5
3
4.5
xi
Me
N
6 MILES
Revised: Jan 2009