This was one of the highlights of my birding this year (2021)!! I had the pleasure of visiting for a couple of days during the spring migration and OOMMGGG did I see tons of species!! Not to mention all the different turtles, frogs, and alligators - a plethora of wildlife even for all your non-borders out there!! The High Island complex consists of 4-5 different sanctuaries and you mostly have to drive to each one but not terribly far - a mile or three - so you could walk it but if you're birding, time is of the essence lol! I spent most of my time at the Smith Oaks sanctuary and had the best birding luck along the Grackle Pond Loop. Some highlights for me were the Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Blue Grosbeak, Hooded Warbler, and even a super colorful Common Gallinule!! I also caught a couple of Black-bellied Whistling Ducks - just amazing!! The Smith Oaks Rookery was incredible as well - hundreds of vibrant pink Roseate Spoonbills, crisp white Great Egrets, and smaller Snowy Egrets nesting for the season!! Just wow!! I did make one visit around the Boy Scout Woods sanctuary - known for its birding bleachers at a popular drip and other ponds along the trail. I was anticipating this sanctuary being a gold mine based on all the research I did, but I didn't see much of anything there. It was a nice hike but terribly swarming with mosquitoes- even with the bug spray lol! I definitely preferred the Smith Oaks sanctuary. All told I did about 4+ miles of easy hiking - there's no elevation gain anywhere here. The trails all around the sanctuaries I visited were a mix of well maintained board walks and nicely groomed dirt trails through the woods along swamps and ponds. The boardwalks would be handicap accessible and you'll have lots of viewpoints and options - especially at the rookery! But the dirt trails are pretty narrow and uneven in places.There's plenty of parking at all the locations. Each individual sanctuary is $8 to enter - but if you buy a souvenir patch for $30 you get unlimited entry to all of them for the year. The small amount of staff I interacted with were very lovely! Helpful, warm, and eager to inform! I will definitely be back to visit this magnificent hotbed of wildlife activity someday! It was just awesome!

This is a great piece of nature hidden in a Houston subdivision. There are lots of paths to walk, bridges, and lookouts. We saw several turtles and birds. It is much larger than you would think and there is a large map at the entrance. There are also restrooms and parking available.

We spent about an hour hiking the trails at the Edith L. Moore Nature Sanctuary. Once you step through the gate, it's hard to even believe you're still in the city. The sanctuary consists of about eighteen acres of beautiful forest. There are lots of boardwalks and wooden bridges that run over Rummel Creek and the chance to see some wildlife. We saw a lot of birds, squirrels, lizards, turtles, and even a coral snake as we made our way on the winding trails. The entrance is a little hard to find. Park in the church parking lot, and look for a gate with a brown carved sign over it that says Houston Audubon Edith L. Moore Nature Sanctuary. It was very quiet when we were there, great for people that enjoy immersing themselves in nature. Note that they're closed on Tuesday mornings for maintenance. If you want a little escape from urban life without having to travel far, this pretty nature preserve is the perfect place to go. And best of all it's free.

THIS PLACE IS NOT CLOSED as Trip Advisor advertises! The bathrooms are closed but not the sanctuary. It is a great place to hike and it is very beautiful. Lots of birds. It is in the middle of a neighborhood. You park at the church on the main street and go in the gate. The gate is unmanned and opens and locks by itself. Hours are 7am to 7pm, except Tuesdays it opens at 12:30pm. We went early and only saw one other person.

It's just a small area of nature with hiking trails but it's cool because there's lots of wildlife and pretty scenery like a creek, swamp, etc right there hidden in the city. Great for bird watching. Nature lovers and hikers will enjoy it.