As the second-largest state in the U.S., Texas is vast, comprising 10 different biomes or ecoregions, from piney woods and marshes in the east to rolling plains and highlands in the north. This has led to an even more diverse range of natural habitats, harboring 540 bird species, 142 mammals, and various amphibians and reptiles like the Texas blind salamander, the rat snake, the skink lizard, and the sea turtle. There are thousands of tigers in Texas, too, though these are in captivity — as was memorably documented in Netflix’s wild series “Tiger King” — and even one of America’s most shark-infested beaches. And along the Gulf Coast, you’ll find large populations of an animal usually associated with Louisiana or Florida: the American alligator, the only crocodilian native to Texas.
Set within Trinity Bay, just east of Houston, sits the small city of Anahuac. Since 1989, Anahuac has been known as the state’s “Alligator Capital.” It was once home to the nomadic Karankawa tribespeople, who viewed alligators much as tribes on the Great Plains viewed bison. The Karankawa hunted alligators for food, while accounts from Spanish sailors mention they used rendered alligator grease as a ward against insects. Alligators are now a protected game species in Texas, but they’re still central to life in Anahuac, with many visitors coming to explore the 30,000-acre Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge and its resident gators.
While in Anahuac, you can also visit nearby ranches and vineyards, or go fishing for trout, redfish, and flounder in East Galveston Bay. You can fish in Lake Anahuac, too, which permits nonmotorized vehicles like canoes and kayaks. Thousands visit the city for the Texas Gatorfest in fall, a celebration of the region’s spirit animal, while history buffs can travel back in time at Fort Anahuac Park and at the Chambers County Historical Museum.
Wildlife and fishing in Anahuac’s lush natural landscapes
The Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge, now formally known as the Jocelyn Nungaray National Wildlife Refuge (in honor of a Texan girl who was murdered in 2024), is a good place to kick off your travels in Anahuac. Initially established to support migrating waterfowl, the refuge is now home to a panoply of species throughout the year…