Balcones Canyonlands National Wildlife Refuge expands by 293 acres in Burnet County
The golden-cheeked warbler, which nests in Central Texas, will remain protected, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced July 26. Photo by Steve Maslowski/USFWS
Balcones Canyonlands National Wildlife Refuge, home to the nesting grounds of the endangered golden-cheeked warbler, has just grown by 293 acres in Burnet County. The land expansion is part of an ongoing effort by local and national organizations to protect the habitat of the endangered songbird and the other wild inhabitants of the Highland Lakes area.
The Friends of Balcones Canyonlands National Wildlife Refuge, a nonprofit dedicated solely to supporting the refuge, partnered with the WoodNext Foundation and the Land and Water Conservation Fund to acquire 293 acres in Burnet County in April, adding to the 317 acres acquired by the coalition in 2025.
The 293-acre land addition is on the northside of E. RR 1431 outside of Marble Falls, just east of Hidden Falls Adventure Park.
“For a species that nests nowhere else in the world but Central Texas, every acre matters,” reads a media release issued by the Friends of Balcones Canyonlands on Monday, June 8. “The golden-cheeked warbler depends on mature Ashe-juniper and oak woodlands to breed before migrating to southern Mexico and Central America for the winter — habitat that is rapidly disappearing under the pressure of development. By securing this land, conservation partners are ensuring that these ecosystems remain intact and connected for generations to come.”
Balcones Canyonlands was founded in 1992 to help protect habitat for the golden-cheeked warbler and the black-capped viero. It spans about 28,000 acres, lying in the limestone hills at the intersection of Burnet, Travis, and Williamson counties.
While the newly-added property does not have any public access points, the refuge as a whole has miles of hiking trails, programs, and resources available for visitors.
Learn more about the refuge, volunteering, hiking, songbird tours, and more on the Friends of Balcones Canyonlands website.