Frontera Audubon, Weslaco

The town of Weslaco has a population of more than 35,000. Humans, that is. That number would actually be much higher, if it counted native critters such as the Buff-bellied hummingbird, Great Kiskadee, and Plain Chachalaca.

These creatures are just a few of the animals that call the Frontera Audubon home. The 15-acre nature preserve houses and protects the wild beauty of the Rio Grande Valley, welcoming visitors to explore a spacious network of trails, where they'll find plenty of opportunities to spot wildlife and discover native plants. But the park also preserves a piece of human history as well—the Skaggs House, a historic Spanish revival mansion built in 1927, was donated to the Frontera Audubon for historic preservation, and is now designated as a Texas Historic Landmark.