Top 5 Spots in Orange, TX for Nature Lovers

Are you a nature lover at heart? Do you relish the opportunity to unplug from your digital devices and reconnect your mind, body, and spirit with the peacefulness that being in nature provides? Orange, Texas, offers plenty of recreation areas and natural wonders you can explore by yourself or with friends and family.

Blue Elbow Swamp Boardwalk

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Take a stroll along the boardwalk through the Blue Elbow Swamp. This quarter-mile out-and-back trail consists of an elevated walkway built over the swamp that allows guests to access the area throughout the year. The boardwalk sits above the wetlands high enough to allow visitors to observe the landscape from an elevated height while the tall grasses and towering trees surround them.

Wayfinding signs posted along the boardwalk provide information about the swamp’s wildlife, vegetation, and history. Bring your camera and keep your eyes open for alligators that like to lurk in the area of the boardwalk.

You can access the Blue Elbow Swamp Boardwalk from the back of the Texas Travel Information Center in Orange.

Location: Take Exit 880 off Interstate 10 in Orange and look for the Texas Travel Information Center.

City of Orange Riverfront Boardwalk and Pavilion

Take a drive to downtown Orange and head to the Riverfront Boardwalk and Pavilion along the Sabine River. This 12-foot-wide boardwalk allows you to take a stroll and enjoy the scenic wonders along the waterfront.

In addition to the boardwalk, you’ll find a large pavilion and 2-acre green space where you can spread a blanket and settle in with a good book. The pavilion hosts many of Orange’s outdoor festivals. In addition, the structure is available for the public to enjoy, and you can reserve it for special events upon request.

Location: 601 W. Division St.

Telephone: 409-883-1011

Claiborne West Park

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Climb into your Chevrolet and travel from Orange to Vidor, Texas, to visit Claiborne West Park. Comprising approximately 450 acres of land, Claiborne West Park is an inviting wooded recreation area that any outdoor enthusiast will appreciate.

Claiborne West Park occupies part of The Great Texas Coastal Birding Trail. This trail includes birding sites and hidden gems extending throughout the Coastal Bend region of Texas, from Kingsville and Corpus Christi up to Goliad and the coastal areas of Port Aransas, Rockport-Fulton, and Bay City. As you travel along the trail, you’ll witness diverse species of migratory birds during the spring and fall migration periods. Overwintering whooping cranes are also frequent visitors to the area.

Recreational facilities at the park include a disc golf course, horseshoe court, mountain bike trail, softball field, and tennis court. Additional guest amenities include the following:

• Two playgrounds.
• Six shelters with barbecue grills, including three that feature bathrooms, electricity, and water.
• Picnic tables underneath the trees.
• Campgrounds for primitive camping.
• An amphitheater for wedding ceremonies and special events.
• A pond stocked with rainbow trout during January and February.

Claiborne West Park also features 5 miles of trails through a nature preserve where visitors can watch the birds and discover wildlife native to Southeast Texas. The pedestrian bridge over Cow Bayou connects the recreational areas on the park’s west side to the nature preserve on the park’s east side.

Location: 4105 North St., Vidor

Telephone: 409-745-2255

Lower Neches Wildlife Management Area

Located about 8 miles southwest of Orange, the Lower Neches Wildlife Management Area borders the Sabine Lake on the east side. The approximately 8,000-acre site consists of low-level coastal plains surrounding the bayous, rivers, and shorelines, offering attractive environments for migratory birds that stop over the area during their flight to and from South America. This site consists of three central regions: the Nelda Stark Unit, the Old River Unit, and the Adams Bayou Unit.

If you want to catch a glimpse of these birds and other wildlife species, you’ll find observation areas throughout the site. Hunting for birds and alligators is permitted during scheduled spring hunting times.

When you’re planning to explore the Lower Neches Wildlife Management Area, keep in mind that the site doesn’t offer public restrooms or drinking water fountains. Guests with special needs will find a wheelchair-accessible wildlife viewing platform on the Old River Unit.

Location: 10 Parks and Wildlife Drive, Port Arthur

Telephone: 409-736-2551

Shangri La Botanical Gardens

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Restore peace and tranquility to your soul with a stroll through the Shangri La Botanical Gardens. Nestled along the waterways of the Adams Bayou, the botanical gardens make up about 250 acres of land, home to an extraordinary collection of plants and trees. As you stroll along the paths, the scents of flowers, interesting textures and colors of foliage, bird calls, and other sounds from native wildlife will greet you on your journey.

The botanical gardens support a diverse ecosystem of plant species arranged in creative displays. You’ll find five garden rooms and four sculpture garden settings filled with a plethora of plant material. If you love to garden, you’ll appreciate the abundant inspiration that abounds here.

Be sure to visit the Pond of the Blue Moon, a space that acknowledges James Hilton’s 1933 novel “Lost Horizon” and H.J. Lutcher Stark, who established the first public gardens on this site during the 1940s.

Check the events calendar on the Shangri La website for upcoming activities and public programs. Admission to the gardens is free, but donations to support Shangri La’s ongoing educational and preservation work are appreciated. The gardens are open Tuesday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Location: 2111 W. Park Ave.

Telephone: 409-670-9113

Discover the natural wonders and scenic beauty awaiting you today in Orange, Texas. What did you think about the list we’ve put together? Do you have a favorite nature spot in Orange that you think we should profile in this article? Write to us and let us know. Our team members at Granger Chevrolet are always eager to share what we love about Orange with our customers and friends who appreciate the opportunity to explore the natural wonders that make up our community.