Great Texas Coastal Birding Trail, Wildlife observation trail along Texas Gulf Coast, US.

The Great Texas Coastal Birding Trail is a network of walking and driving routes along the Texas Gulf Coast, connecting over 300 observation points through marshes, coastal prairies, and dunes. Viewing platforms and basic facilities are available at the main stops along the route.

The network was established in 1993 to bring together bird-watching spots along the Gulf Coast under one organized system. It took shape during a period when many coastal habitats were under pressure and interest in protecting them was growing.

The trail's markers carry a logo of a black skimmer, and the Great Texas Birding Classic, a state birding competition, keeps drawing participants to the sites. The concept and plan were largely developed by Ted Eubanks and Madge Lindsay, who shaped the network as a tourism route for ecotourists.

Spring and fall are the best times to visit, when large numbers of birds pass through the region on migration. Binoculars are worth bringing, as many of the observation points look out over open water or wide marshes where birds can be distant.

The Aransas National Wildlife Refuge, one of the best-known stops on the trail, holds the winter home of the only natural flock of whooping cranes in the world. The birds arrive in winter and can be watched from the refuge's observation points.