High Island Policies and Rules

Visitor Information

• Privately owned and managed by the Houston Audubon Society.
  
  
• The four sanctuaries at High Island (Boy Scout Woods, Smith Oaks, Eubanks Woods, and Gast Red Bay) are open 365 days a year, dawn to dusk. At Smith Oaks the gate at Old Mexico Rd is open dawn to dusk March 15-May 15 and on weekends in the fall: September 15-October 15. The Winnie Street entrance at Smith Oaks is open 365 days a year, dawn to dusk.
  
  
• The entry fee for adults at High Island sanctuaries is $30 for an annual patch or $8 for a day pass. Children and students are free. All groups pay full admission. Group billing available with prior approval from the Houston Audubon office. Proceeds benefit Houston Audubon Sanctuaries.
  
  
• Boardwalks may be slippery when wet.
  
  
• Beware of venomous snakes, mosquitoes, fire ants, poison ivy and armadillo burrows.

Policies

Because this is a wildlife sanctuary, we ask you to observe the following rules.

Contact Pete Deichmann, Sanctuaries Manager, at pdeichmann@houstonaudubon.org with any questions.

Photography Guidelines for the Rookery Free Observation Platforms

• Please show consideration for other sanctuary visitors and allow them to view birds from the observation platform.
  
  
• Limit your time at the front of the observation platforms to 20 minutes.
  
  
• Photographers wishing to spend more than 20 minutes taking pictures must use the rookery rental platform.
  
  
• Flash photography allowed only within the photo blind at Boy Scout Woods.
  
  
• If you are not taking pictures, please move your equipment off the platform.
  
  

Camping