Gaze across the rippling marshes and ponds of San Bernard National Wildlife Refuge and it's easy to imagine Texas as it was before settlement. Clouds of snow geese in winter or a warbler "fallout" in spring further convince any visitor that they have stepped back into earliest Texas. Less than half of the refuge is open to the public, leaving a vast landscape was wildlife sanctuary. Yet, a drive on the 3-mile auto tour or hike on one of the three hiking trails can take up a full day's workth of wildlife watching.