nature

With over 400 acres of protected wetlands, Magnolia is a nature lover’s paradise. Magnolia is a year-round home to a wide variety of resident and migratory wildlife species and the Audubon Swamp Garden is the perfect place to become fully immersed in nature. With a boardwalk that puts you in the heart of a cypress-tupelo swamp, you’ll quickly see what makes this area so special and why wildlife return year after year.

The plantation’s former rice impoundments are now a wildlife refuge, where native plants and animals thrive. Visitors can expect to see alligators, turtles, herons, egrets, and other waterfowl. You might encounter otters, rabbits, possums, snakes, bobcats, hawks, owls, and eagles. The Audubon Swamp Garden is justifiably famous among bird watchers, both for its rookery and its diversity of bird species.

For those keen on exploring further, Magnolia has several miles of trails for hikers and bikers to see some of the more secluded wetlands throughout the property. While exploring, you’re likely to see alligators basking in the sun, wood ducks swimming amongst the cypress trees, bald eagles and osprey soaring in the sky, and maybe even an otter catching a meal.

Be sure to stop by the Wildlife Center, home to rescued animals that serve as ambassadors for their species and bring awareness to the important role they play in our ecosystem. At our center, you’ll see domesticated ducks and chickens along with a donkey, miniature horses, goats, and pigs.