Sharyland Villas RV and MHP

The Great Outdoors

One of the joys of camping with an RV is the ability to explore the area easily in your rental RV. Just south of the campground, in a bend of the Rio Grande, is the Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park, a part of the World Birding Center network. This relatively small par of only 764 acres offers a lot for its visitors. Birdwatchers will love the diverse array of species that either lives permanently at the park or use it as a stopover during migration. The are many observation platforms here, including the two-story Hawk Observation Tower. A great time to visit is spring or autumn when you can witness thousands of hawks traversing the park.To help you explore and make the most of your time at the park, they have constructed over 7 miles of hiking and biking trails. You'll also find picnic areas, restrooms, an amphitheater, and have the opportunity to fish in the adjacent rivers and creeks. Should you enjoy riding bikes, they are available to rent in the park for a small fee, and ranger-guided tours are also available.Closeby is the Estero Llano Grande State Park, another park in the World Birding Center Network, and another great space to get you outdoors and close to nature. This park is smaller than Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park, but includes two fishing ponds and is also on the banks of a creek.There are 5 miles of trails within the park, but be careful of the alligators that tend to congregate around the ponds! To keep the kids interested, get them to try out geocaching here while following the trails.Only a mile or so from the campground is the Mission Hike and Bike Trail, a purpose-built area that links the town to the Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park. There are also a couple of dedicated tracks for runners and bikers to test their off-road skills. One for the truly committed sportsperson!

Exploring the Area

In the heart of Mission, you are within walking distance of all the amenities you should need while RV camping at Sharyland Villas RV and MHP. Grocery stores, restaurants, and bars are all on your doorstep.This area is famous for its butterflies and birds, so while in the area, it would be a shame not to visit the National Butterfly Center. Covering over 100 acres, the center is home to native butterflies of Texas and holds two annual festivals at the center. In November, during the most significant migration period for butterflies, the Texas Butterfly Festival takes place. Over the four-day event, you can see thousands of migrating butterflies, take guided tours, and join in with organized activities. The other event is the Wild Gardening Festival, held every April. The festival aims to educate and encourage people to grow plants that are beneficial to butterflies and help replace much of the habitat that has been lost.Once you've had enough of birdwatching and butterfly spotting, then maybe the Mission Historical Museum will catch your interest. The museum is located in downtown Mission and spread over two buildings. The Shary Building was built in 1939 and is historically significant, while the old Post Office building was built in 1940 and contains an original WPA mural (Works Progress Administration).