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The desolate landscape makes the drive from Brownsville seem longer than 23 miles. Once in the refuge, you’ll pass a border check-point, the Palmito Ranch Battlefield, the Mexican War site of Camp Belknap, Civil War-era railroad pilings, and miles of water and cacti before coming to the beach. Most of the unit is open to the public, and the dirt side roads look like prime mountain biking territory. You might even spot one of the small cats.
Boca Chica Highway ends at the beach, where the sand dunes open up. If it’s a weekend, fishermen will be scattered up and down the beach with their pick-up trucks. If it’s a weekday, you might be the only person here. There is no development, just 7½ miles of high dunes and white sand being pummeled by clear, warm water.
To the right, you can drive to the mouth of the Rio Grande River. On the south (Mexican) side of the Rio Grande is a large concrete tower, a working lighthouse. This is how you’ll know you’ve reached the small outlet of the Rio - if it’s a year in which the river actually reaches the sea. To the north, you can drive to the jetties protecting the Brownsville Ship Channel. This is where the Federal outpost of Brazos Santiago, used during the Mexican War and the Civil War, was once located. Across the jetties, you can see South Padre Island. And while you’re fishing or watching the pelicans and dolphins from the jetty all by yourself, you can gaze over at the tourists crowding the opposite jetty.
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