Mitchell Lake Audubon Center is such a peaceful hidden gem on the South Side. If you enjoy birdwatching, walking trails, or just a quiet break from the city, this place is absolutely worth visiting. The staff and volunteers are always kind and knowledgeable, and there is so much natural beauty to take in throughout the preserve. Every visit feels a little different depending on what birds are out, which makes it easy to keep coming back. I'm so grateful San Antonio has a place like this. read more

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11 Feb 2023 Nice event they host for Valentine's Day. $25 per person gets you the guided hike around the lake and a picnic lunch. You can opt for just the home, if you wish. Thirty of us took the hike with four certified naturalists. A couple were bird experts. They brought powerful telescopes on tripods for us to view. They pointed out stuff totally foreign to me. To me, all birds are sparrows - small, medium and big. Ha, ha. Most of the 30 people in the group were serious birders, members of various Audubon societies. Some have been to foreign countries to be able to see a specific bird. God love 'em. We drove in a caravan to the wetlands. One of the missions was to see the sunset over the water. Other missions were to see a killdeer, egrets, pelicans. Ducks were everywhere. The one drawback was that no one brought flashlights. Once the sun sets. It gets mighty dark out there. Maybe a chupacabra is out there. You wouldn't know until it was too late. We'll, we survive the march. Waiting for us we're our dinners from W.D. Deli. You can't go wrong with them. We had turkey and havarti on white with potato salad and one of their big-ass cookies and a soda. Yum. Afterwards, the guides served wine. A pretty good event. read more

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Went to the migratory bird festival recently. The park is clean and beautiful. The park Rangers are knowledgeable and kind. Will be back!

It's not a bad place to get outside and enjoy some wildlife. This place is a perfectly maintained spot for those birds migrating through South Texas during the fall, or the spring. If you go during the right time of the year, you should see plenty of waterfowl migrating through. If you take a hike in the 1.5 miles of wooded trails, and pay attention, you'll see all sorts of other bird species. The walking here is easy. It's very flat, some of it is paved, and most of it is smooth gravel roads. You can even drive through the area if you are unable to walk it. Even the wooded trails are smooth and level - not rocky at all (but no driving there). If you are walking it, make note that about 90% of it is in the sun, so take PLENTY of water. You can probably get between 3 and 4 miles out of it if you decide to take every single path. I've been out there twice now, and most of the people I usually see are near the front area attending the birding tours, etc. I have hardly seen any pedestrians or cars on the further stretches of the lake and retaining ponds. It's $5 per person to enter, and YES, they DO accept credit cards. I can tell you that if you visit during the late summer and early fall, you will see a TON of American White Pelicans in the actual lake area. I mean TONS of them (many more than shown in my photos)! Also, quite a variety of gulls, ibis, egrets, and herons at this time of the year. Fellow Yelper Stephen C tells me that later in the fall, many more ducks will migrate through - I'm going to have to make another trip out there soon just for that. I also want to give a huge shout out to Stephen C. for spending so much time volunteering here to keep this place an active birding spot for San Antonians and others to enjoy! read more

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Volunteer opportunity the 2nd Saturday of the month. See the website for details. It's a lot of fun and rewarding. The gift shop where you pay has lots of information and maps to grab. They have so really cool items to purchase too. I really like some of the cleverly funny t-shirts they carry. The staff is so very friendly and helpful and are eager to answer all your questions. Check out the list of events on the website or grab a calendar from the gift shop. So many different events to choose from. You can drive around on the paved and dirt roads and if you want get out and walk some of the trails. Have fun and see how many different kinds of birds you can see. Cameras and binoculars are very helpful and they have loaner binoculars too. read more

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It's a cute and quiet place to go for a nature walk with the family. There were quite a few bicyclist but not too many walkers. Some shaded areas as well. It did an out and back and got some exercise in. Not really a birder so I can't comment on how many great birds there are. We probably needed to go earlier in the day to catch some of them. Mainly saw a herd of cattle enjoying the shade under a tree along side the path (opposite side of the fence). There aren't too many nature options in San Antonio, so surprising to find this within a short drive. read more

Beautiful habitats with lots of birds to see, a lovely butterfly garden, and very kind and friendly staff. Erin was especially nice.

Look at the website and sign up for a Beginner Bird Walk. It costs only $8, the walk is between 1 and 2 miles, and it is a wonderful way to spend a morning. Super kid friendly. Although they do recommend you go in the fall and spring when more birds are around and active. Be sure to wear comfortable walking clothes and sunscreen... This is something I would do again! This time of year (late July, early August) is a little hot for activities outdoors, even that early in the morning. So I'll just have to go back in a few months... There is plenty of parking and if I was able to register onsite. If, like me, you do now have a pair of binoculars... worry not! Leave your driver's license as collateral and you can borrow a nice pair! They will teach you how to focus the lenses for your eyes. The walk leader was great! She was friendly and knew so much. She brought a high power scope and an iPad. She would focus the scope on the bird in question so everyone could get a good look (until the bird decided to move). She also showed pictures on the iPad and played some of the birdsong so we could know what we were looking for and listening to. read more

Attended the annual Hoot Festival at the center. The festival included some vendors, a hay ride, and several activities for children. There are some landscaped areas near the center, but otherwise it's a long walk to the lake so bring good hiking shoes. Many birds, bees, and butterflies were in the garden. Further out to the lake is a small bridge along with many raptors in the sky. It's a quiet area and there are plenty of birds around to watch. I didn't see trail heads or much guidance on areas to explore, so it felt like wilderness. Bring water with you because it's quite a hike to the lake. read more

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Beautiful place! Added some new lifers and really enjoyed our time here. Saw no one else and had it all to ourselves on a late Thursday morning/afternoon. Definitely don't forget to bring water if you walk. read more

This Is a wonderful sanctuary for birds. The birds you see will Depend on what time of year you come to Mitchell Lake. To name a few that I remember from today- we saw coots, Northern shovlers, grebes and a vermillion flycatcher. I also noticed that there were coloring sheets and crayons set up for young children might not have the attention span to Birdwatch for long. Also the bathrooms were spotless and there were several Porta potty's on the trails. This is a must see when ever you go to San Antonio! read more

This is a must stop for anyone remotely interested in birding & nature. Located in south San Antonio, the Mitchell Lake Audubon Center is stewarded by the Texas Audubon Society. The love and caring for this amazing area is readily apparent. Visitors can choose to hike some or all of the seven miles of available trails or take a break and watch birds feeding from the visitor center front porch. The visitors center is housed in a wonderful turn of the century home offering a resource room, small gift shop, drinks and even a few snacks to purchase. Bring a lunch and enjoy a relaxing moment watching the many birds that inhabit this 624-acre site. With a mixture of brushland, grassland, mud flats, shallow ponds, deep ponds, and a deep water lake. Mitchell Lake is positioned on a natural migratory bird route and serves as a resting point for tens of thousands of birds each year. In our travels around this beautiful country we've had the pleasure to visit many water treatment areas. They're the perfect places to see local and migrating birds. They're also the perfect places to hike AND enjoy an areas local flora and fauna. Mitchell Lake Audubon Center stands out as a top must visit destination when visiting San Antonio. Check the local website for current visiting hours and special programs and tours. Currently, there is a entrance fee of $5 for adults and $2 for children. read more

Went on an amazing bird watching tour this morning. 49 species in 3-4 hours. Great guides. It was an amazing morning.

A former sewage dumping ground for San Antonio, this place is a birder's dream. Though I don't consider myself a birder in the slightest sense, I took a couple people there who certainly do. And they enjoyed it. We crossed paths with several others who were also clearly serious about their birds. The center's website boasts that the place hosts 300 species of birds, 120 species of plants, and 17 mammal species, though I'm sure it depends a lot of what time of year you go. But even in late February, there were quite a few different birds to see. It's only $2 per person to get in, which gives you access to a huge network of roads that take you around the various "polders" left behind from the sewage plant, as well as access to Mitchell Lake itself. Worth a visit for anyone who's a bird watcher or has a visitor in town who is. read more

This is overall the best birding place in San Antonio. The staffing is excellent and knowing about everything in the park. They are helpful and will answer any question you have. The moment you enter the park, birds are everywhere from red winged blackbirds to purple martins. I would recommend this place for anyone. read more

Mitchell Lake Audubon Center - There is so much wildlife in this reserve!!!! - Hiking Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

A jewel set in south San Antonio, Mitchell Lake Audubon Center is not to be missed if you are into nature. While undeniably a birders paradise, this place is also a hot spot for butterflies (including a monarch research spot!), turtles, lizards, and other wildlife. The visitor's center is a 100-year old building relocated from a local museum, and is manned by either very knowledgeable staff or volunteers. Walking trails in various habitat types (uplands, wetlands, fields) provide the greatest opportunity to see multiple indigenous South Texas species of all kinds. In fact, a bobcat is even seen on the property even in the middle of the day on a regular basis! Don't miss on this opportunity to see roseate spoonbills, pelicans, caracaras, vermilion flycatchers, phalaropes, roadrunners, and a hundred other bird species! Located just a few minutes from downtown, and with an amazingly reasonable entrance fee of $5, Mitchell Lake Audubon Center can't be beat! read more