Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge

Shoveler Pond's auto tour loop puts gators right next to the road, so you can roll down the window and look without leaving the car. Spring and early summer are most reliable, when gators bask on the pond banks and bulls bellow during mating season. Some of the largest wild gators in Texas live here, so keep well back from the water's edge if you get out to walk. No feeding, no exceptions.