Valley's newest state park sees few visitors, but staff remain optimistic

BROWNSVILLE — There are few visitors to Resaca de la Palma State Park these days as searing heat takes a toll on ecotourism in the Rio Grande Valley.

Resaca de la Palma became Texas’ newest state park on Dec. 6 when 1,000 people showed up for the grand opening.

“Attendance has been about what we expected,” park manager Pablo de Yturbe said. “We would like to have more people coming out our way, but that will come in time. People will realize we’re here and eventually come.”

During January, the first full month of operation, 1,279 visitors showed up, followed by 1,005 in February, 1,276 in March, 622 in April and 1,092 in May. June figures are not yet in.

“We expect numbers to be lower in the summer,” said Katherine Miller, natural resource specialist at the 1,200-acre park in northwestern Brownsville near Olmito.

Miller said public reaction has generally been positive, “but we get a mixture of opinions. People have suggestions of certain things they would like to see, such as more signage.”

Even though the Valley is in the grips of a tenacious drought, Resaca de la Palma has weathered the storm — or lack thereof as the case may be.

The resaca that snakes through the park has water, thanks to a contract with Rancho Viejo Water District No. 2.

Five resaca overlooks offer visitors the opportunity to see egrets, herons, grebes, kingfishers, great kiskadees, black-bellied whistling ducks and other water birds.

In addition, 6.5 miles of trails and a 3.5-mile tram route make it possible to view yellow-billed cuckoos, groove-billed anis, flycatchers and spring migrants such as painted and indigo buntings.

The area historically has been a good spot to view nesting altamira orioles, tropical birds found in the Valley and nowhere else in the country.

“We have at least four or five nesting pairs,” Miller noted.

Miller said there have also been reports of hook-billed kites at the park, which are rare in the eastern park of the Valley.

The park is not all about birds, however.

Butterflies, such as the Mexican bluewing, zebra longwing and Mexican sister are fairly common in season.

Park employees have even reported seeing a mother bobcat and her young.

Resaca de la Palma is also home to sabal palms, the only native palm trees in the Valley, the very rare Bailey’s ball moss along with Texas ebony and Mexican olive trees.

De Yturbe said that as the Valley grows, Resaca de la Palma’s significance increases.

“We are seeing how the ecosystem is being squeezed by the population growth,” he noted. “We see how Resaca de la Palma in the short term will become isolated, but in the long term will remain a good example of what the Valley once was.”

The park is the largest member of the World Birding Center, which consists of three state parks and six municipally owned sites in the Valley.

Resaca de la Palma is open seven days a week. For more information on the park, including hours and entrance fees, call 956-350-2920.

————

Steve Sinclair is a reporter for the Valley Morning Star.