Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park - Texas Parks and Wildlife

Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park - Texas Parks and Wildlife One of the top birding destinations in the country, Bentsen is full of "valley specialties".
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As one of the top birding destinations in the country, Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park in deep South Texas well deserves its status as headquarters of the World Birding Center. Birders across the nation know Bentsen as a treasure trove of "Valley specialties," tropical birds found nowhere else in the United States. The 798-acre Bentsen - Rio Grande Valley State Park, together with over 1,700

acres of adjoining U.S. Fish and Wildlife refuge tracts, promises a year-round nature adventure in the richest birding area north of the Mexican border.

Update 9/12/26 @ 5:00 PM: Water has been restored in the park. We do still recommend bringing extra water with you anywa...
09/12/2026

Update 9/12/26 @ 5:00 PM: Water has been restored in the park. We do still recommend bringing extra water with you anyway due to the heat.

Park Alert!

Water inside the park is temporarily down. This includes all areas including the Nature Center and south. At this time water bottles can be filled at park HQ or water / Gatorade can be purchased at the park store during business hours (8AM - 4:30 PM).

If you are visiting, bring along plenty of water as temperatures have been quite high. We will update as soon as park water access is restored.

Join us at the Bentsen Outdoor Skills Showcase (BOSS) for a day full of outdoor skills like archery, fishing, camping, a...
09/12/2026

Join us at the Bentsen Outdoor Skills Showcase (BOSS) for a day full of outdoor skills like archery, fishing, camping, and more! Explore hands-on activities, meet outdoor experts, and experience the incredible wildlife of Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park!

📅Saturday, September 26, 2026
🕘 3:00pm - 7:00pm
📍2800 S. Bentsen Palm Dr, Mission, TX

🎫 FREE ENTRY!!!!

For more information, please contact us at (956) 584-9156

Join us for a special Wild Wellness celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month! 💚🤍❤️📅 Wednesday, September 16, 2026⏰ 9:00AM – 1...
09/10/2026

Join us for a special Wild Wellness celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month! 💚🤍❤️

📅 Wednesday, September 16, 2026
⏰ 9:00AM – 11:00 AM
📍 Bentsen - Rio Grande Valley State Park

Start your day with a peaceful morning designed to ground, restore, and reconnect with nature. Enjoy grounding, yoga, and sound healing with special guests LINDO ARTE MEXICANO: Coming from Reynosa, Tamaulipas, to share insights on the symbolism of *huipiles*, CONCIENZAO: Marco will share music dedicated to nature, and CATRINAS PREHISPÁNICAS: Coming from Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, to share about art and culture.! 🍃🧘‍♀️☕

To RSVP your spot or for more information, please call (956) 584-9156

Do you enjoy being out in nature? Do you want to give back to your local state park? If so, then consider becoming one o...
09/04/2026

Do you enjoy being out in nature? Do you want to give back to your local state park? If so, then consider becoming one of our spectacular volunteers!

We are now recruiting for several volunteer opportunities. Greet visitors and share your love of Bentsen as a Nature Center Attendant! Or drive a shuttle and help visitors explore the park as one of our Shuttle Drivers. You can also help keep birds and birders alike happy as one of our seasonal Feeders! All volunteers also get the opportunity to learn more about the area and experience the unique wildlife native to the Rio Grande Valley and Bentsen - RGV State Park.

For most opportunities, volunteers must be 18 years of age, pass a background check, and be willing to commit to a regular schedule (typically 1/2 day or less, once a week). Drivers and feeders must also pass a driver's license check and be willing to take a short, distracted driving course provided by us.

For more details, requirements, and to apply, visit the TPWD volunteer page at: https://tpwd.texas.gov/volunteer/

Congratulations to Ranger Leo and Ranger TC for their TPWD Service Award!!! 🏆Bentsen is proud to recognize the dedicatio...
09/03/2026

Congratulations to Ranger Leo and Ranger TC for their TPWD Service Award!!! 🏆

Bentsen is proud to recognize the dedication of two of our park rangers today. Ranger Leo is celebrating 10 years of service & Ranger TC is celebrating 5 years of service. Throughout the years Ranger Leo has ensured site safety measures are met keeping our park and trails beautiful for all to enjoy & Ranger TC has led hundreds of interpretive programs bringing our community and nature together🌳

We appreciate all the hard work our rangers do that help make our parks better and visitor experiences meaningful. Here's to your milestone accomplishment and the many adventures up ahead! 🥾

09/03/2026

Javelina family cooling off in a mudhole 🤎

Collard Peccaries or Javelinas (Pecari tajacu) are native to the Americas and can be found across North, Central and South America. They are called Collared Peccaries because of the yellowy-white 'collar' around their neck or Javelina because of the sharp tusks that look like spears, or javelins.

At first glance, they share a similar appearance to pigs, but they aren't pigs at all!

Peccaries are mammals closely related to pigs, but they are in a different family. Pigs and warthogs are in the family Suidae, but Peccaries are in the family Tayassuidae. Peccaries are social animals and live in familial groups from small groups of 6 up to 50 individuals! They can have babies throughout the year with the young staying close and scampering along with the adults. They communicate through a variety of sounds with loud grunts, squeals, and snorts as well as leaving scent marks on rocks and trees. Their strong musk is notorious. You will usually smell a javelina before you see one!

Keep an eye out for javelinas javen' a good time at Bentsen!

September programs are now open for reservations! 🌻Please call and contact the park at (956) 584-9156 to secure your spo...
09/01/2026

September programs are now open for reservations! 🌻

Please call and contact the park at (956) 584-9156 to secure your spot for programs requiring RSVP!

All programs meet at Park HQ, Tram Turnaround unless otherwise noted. We recommend water, sun protection, bug repellant, and comfortable shoes and clothing for all programs 🥾

For more information on programs, please visit https://tpwd.texas.gov/.../bentsen-rio-grande.../park_events

Swallow-tailed Kite spotted soaring over Bentsen! Our blurry photo isn't doing justice, but we promise the raptor is muc...
08/27/2026

Swallow-tailed Kite spotted soaring over Bentsen!

Our blurry photo isn't doing justice, but we promise the raptor is much more impressive in person 😅

These migratory birds are long distant migrants traveling thousands of miles from the U.S. to South America. With their light-colored bodies contrasted against black wings, graceful glided flight, and pronounced forked tail they are almost unmistakable!

And just in time for Hawk Watch! 🦅

Thousands of migrating raptors will be making their way through the RGV and we'll be doing our part to keep count with our annual Hawk Watch returning in September!

Bentsen’s annual Hawk Watch contributes to Hawk Count, a long-term effort by the Hawk Migration Association of North America—the largest standardized raptor migration monitoring network in the world!

Learn more here: https://www.hawkcount.org/, https://www.hawkmigration.org/

Uncommon visitor at Bentsen 🦋👀A Ruddy Daggerwing (Marpesia petreus) recently made an appearance at the park!These striki...
08/20/2026

Uncommon visitor at Bentsen 🦋👀

A Ruddy Daggerwing (Marpesia petreus) recently made an appearance at the park!

These striking butterflies have orange wings, 3 black line markings, and "dagger-like" tails. Their range spans from Brazil through Central America, Mexico, and the West Indies to southern Florida with some straying away north to Arizona, Colorado, Nebraska, Kansas, and... South Texas!

The RGV is gem of biodiversity and safe haven for many visiting wildlife. Keep your eyes open while on the trails - you never know what unexpected wildlife you might discover next!

P.S. - How beautiful are those Anacua flowers in full bloom! 🐝

Address

2800 S Bentsen Palm Drive
Mission, TX
78572

Opening Hours

Monday 7am - 10pm
Tuesday 7am - 10pm
Wednesday 7am - 10pm
Thursday 7am - 10pm
Friday 7am - 10pm
Saturday 7am - 10pm
Sunday 7am - 10pm

Telephone

+19565849156

Website

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