Explore the rugged setting of Orange, Texas, a land of winding bayous and dense marshland dotted with towering Spanish oak and cypress trees and filled with wild animals and a variety of plants. Embark on an adventure throughout the surrounding landscape via a series of outdoor tours available throughout the region.
Take a ride through the swamps of southwest Texas via the Orange-based Adventures 2000+ Swamp and River Tours. Make your way through the rustic backcountry and down Sabine River upon a 27-foot motorboat with an awning for shade. The narrated tour travels through a swamp tunnel made from overhanging tree canopies, graveyards filled with old abandoned ships and alongside an assortment of wildlife, from alligators to eagles. Tours are available seven days a week and the company highly recommends reservations.
Based out of Orange, Colburn's Sabine Connection plans chartered fishing tours on Sabine and Calcasieu lakes filled with flounder, redfish and speckled trout. The eight-hour tours include a Coast Guard-certified captain and guide, lures, tackle and transportation aboard a 22-foot motorboat. Fish cleaning is also provided, free of charge. You must bring your own food, drinks, fishing license and wading boots, if needed. Tours are offered year-round.
Shangri La Botanical Gardens and Nature Center in Orange is home to more than 250 acres of lavish landscaped gardens, including a pond surrounded by 41 varieties of azaleas, a children’s garden that serves as a butterfly sanctuary and a 1917 Victorian greenhouse filled with orchids and ferns. Enjoy a two-hour guided walking tour through the gardens or head to the Nature Discovery Center where you can hop aboard a pontoon for the Outpost Tour. The 90-minute excursion operates year-round and takes you through the lush Adams Bayou and Cypress Swamp while a guide provides detailed information on the surrounding wildlife and vegetation. Children under the age of 4 are not allowed on the tour.
Neches River Adventure departs from Riverfront Park in Beaumont, 25 minutes west of Orange. Sail down the Neches River aboard the "Ivory Bill," a covered pontoon, as you explore surroundings filled with 300 bird varieties, more than 200 species of trees and nearly 50 different types of mammals. The two-hour tour runs from early March through late November on Saturday mornings. Private charters are available seven days a week.
