The refuge consists of nearly 50,000 acres of coastal grassland, bluestem prairie, mud flats, fresh and salt water marshes, and a bewildering assortment of potholes, lakes, and streams. Also, walk the nature trail across Big Slough, behind the visitor's pavillion. Otherwise, access to the refuge is restricted. In addition to the remarkable diversity of waterbirds and waterfowl that reside here, this refuge contains over 5,000 acres of native bluestem prairie. In this grassland look for Sedge Wrens and Le Conte's, Henslow's, and Grasshopper sparrows.
Hawks frequent the prairies in winter.
The tidal flats at low tide often overflow with shorebirds. In fact, the Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network recently designated the Brazoria Refuge Complex as an internationally significant shorebird site. White-tailed Hawks have nested in previous years in the prairie across FM 2004 from the Amoco plant. To access the nature trail, park on the west side of FM 2004 near the Mustang Bayou bridge. American Bitterns and Green Herons are often seen here, and migrant shorebirds often drop into the shallow wetlands during migrations.