Aransas National Wildlife Refuge, National wildlife refuge on the Gulf Coast of Texas, United States.

Aransas National Wildlife Refuge covers 115,324 acres on the southwest side of San Antonio Bay, where the Guadalupe River meets the Gulf. It spans Aransas, Refugio and Calhoun counties and includes nearly all of 38-mile Matagorda Island. Its five units hold grasslands, blackjack oak thickets, freshwater ponds and marshes.

The refuge was established in 1937 to protect migratory waterfowl and has remained a critical stopover for wintering birds ever since. Its creation marked an early milestone in coastal wildlife conservation efforts.

The whooping crane is the refuge's best-known resident: the flock winters on the salt flats and marshes, and its numbers have recovered markedly since the 1940s. The birds feed on crabs and shellfish in the shallows, and visitors often watch them from the paved observation tower near the visitor center.

The refuge lies on the southwest side of San Antonio Bay, with the Aransas and Tatton units on the mainland and Matagorda Island reachable only by boat. The 38-mile barrier island has no causeway, so plan around ferry or charter access. Bring binoculars for viewing from the observation points and trails.

The refuge's whooping crane population has recovered markedly since the 1940s, when the species was close to vanishing. The birds winter on the refuge's coastal marshes and grasslands, and the refuge is the largest Fish and Wildlife Service protected area in Texas, at 115,324 acres.