Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge 4.8 (reviews)

The Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge lets you step into a rare tropical world, where moss drips from trees and butterflies flitter all around you! Kids you can get lost in the magic of the Rio Grande, which the refuge sits along the southern stretch of.

Try and spot those noisy chachalacas, or the fast green jay - the refuge is one of the top birding destinations in the world so bird lovers you will be in for a treat! 

The refuge is also a great way to kids to learn about the ecosystem and the importance of a natural balance in the world.  The refuge is a living example of that for them - in spring and fall hundreds of thousands of migrating raptors fly over head, with over 35 species of warblers visiting in spring.

In the summertime, lizards, snakes and tortoise enjoy the hot summer heat, and as the sun goes down you can try and spot the Mexican free-tailed bats making their way across the sky!

If you are lucky you might even see a coyote or bobcat!  Can you see any track marks left by them?

Butterfly lovers you will love the hundreds of species of butterfly found there, and mainly tropical ones too. 

If you want to really get out an immerse yourself in nature, you can hike more than 12 miles of trails!  There is even a fun open-air tram ride, as well as guided nature walks for you to join.

And specially for kids, make sure you pick up the "Let's Go Outside" book which has everything you will need for a fun visit, including animal tracks to match up with ones you see, and scavenger hunts!

How many animal tracks do you think you can spot?