A curious thing happens at Lake Houston Wilderness Park, where proximity to the city gives way to…read morereprieve. Though it is close to Houston, the park is improbably remote, as if distance were measured in mood rather than miles. The warm breeze softens, noise recedes, senses are redirected. Toward birdsong. Wind through pines. The quiet rhythm of the forest. The landscape reflects calm. Preserved through the foresight of George Mitchell, the visionary behind The Woodlands (once the largest master-planned community in the world), the park is a legacy of thoughtful design.

I'm sure I'm going to offend some people with this review but let me preface it by saying that…read morehiking in the Houston and surrounding areas tends to be a "what you make of it" proposition because we don't have any nice bodies of water (sorry, a bayou doesn't count), mountains, waterfalls, or even a real hill. I get that and I am not comparing this park to the PNW, but even in the context of "It may not be the best place to hike, but it's the best we've got", this is a pretty unremarkable and boring park for hiking. I'm sorry, it just is, and it's not worth the drive unless you happen to live in the area and have no other place to go. The name of the park is Lake Houston Wilderness Park but you don't see Lake Houston from here and in the 10.5 mile hike around the Ameritrail, I did not see one single bit of wildlife- not even a bird. How does a park with so many trees not even have birds? I mean don't get me wrong, I'm glad I didn't run into any snakes or even a single mosquito either but how is it possible that even wildlife don't come to this park? For the $3 cover charge, at least I got plenty of exercise but I might as well been at the Houston Arboretum since it's closer and they actually have turtles and birds and such to see. This was just a long walk without any bathrooms or rest stops along the way and you can get that anywhere. I guess if you are there for camping or the other activity they offer, it might be worth it but if you're going to do that, why not just go to Brazos Bend where they have some interesting stuff going on too?

What I love about This particular forest area is that is somehow feels so different than the Spring…read moreCreek area where I usually hike. These trails are wider and maybe a bit more maintained as I believe Texas A&M Forest Service manages it for research end education. There are a few nice ponds and picnic areas and it's a great place to hike with a group and/or ride horses (if you have them).

If you're looking for an easy hike right in town, this is the place for you…read more The trails are VERY flat here and consist of packed sand. It's so smooth and flat here, you could probably push a baby stroller through here. ;-) The paths average 6 to 8 feet in width. No tree roots crossing the trails, or stumps, or logs blocking the trails. I didn't see a single piece of trash or any dog poop on the trails. But they allow horses on these trails, so there is some manure - just a little bit though. It gets pretty quiet on the trails, even though it's in the middle of town. Most of the trails are laid out in a grid format, kind of like city streets are laid out. Signage is abundant and trails are clearly marked. I can't imagine how someone could possibly get lost out here. I was able to get a 7.4 mile hike, even though I didn't hit all the trails. I'd estimate there's a total of 10 miles of trails out here. The most elevation change I was able to get was 33 feet over a stretch of one mile, so as I said - very flat! There's also a nice little pond at the trailhead, and parking for about two dozen cars.

Great set of short trails next to the Sugar Land Memorial Park. These trails are standalone but…read morehave parking closeby and are beginner friendly. Unfortunately they do get washed out due to proximity to the river.

Nice park! Beautiful trails... just prone to water damage so don't go soon after rains!read more

I love Brazos bend state park. It can be a drive depending on where you live in "Houston" but I…read morethink it can be eye worth it for the entire day or even a weekend trip. I come here for a short half day trip to walk some trails with my kids 5&7. Nothing is too strenuous here for the kiddos. The facilities are typically pretty clean too and there are picnic tables to be able to have a nice lunch or snacks. The park has plenty of trails, picnic areas, fishing spots, and gators! The observatory is always a hit too!

I was surprised on my visit to Brazos Bend State Park. After hearing and reading about people's…read moreexperiences, and seeing pictures online, I thought I knew what to expect...but I was wrong. This park is far away enough from Houston but still close enough for a day trip, which is what I did. It took me about 30 minutes to drive here from Sugar Land. As I approached the entrance gate, I saw that they had two lines of cars with gate booths, just like the national parks. A ranger came out to my car and I registered myself as a day visitor. A park map was given to me and off I went to explore! Brazos Bend SP is larger than I thought it would be. There was a large parking lot and a few trailheads not too far away from the entrance, but I decided to drive past it to the next lot. 2 miles on the road later, the next parking lot was equally large but with much less cars and visitors. There's an interpretive center that was closed when I went, but a water fountain was nearby where I refilled my water bottle. I ended up walking along a combination of trails to get a feel for the place. The trails are mostly flat with asphalt, dirt, and light gravel. The peacefulness of this park is what really convinced me of the gem that this place is. Along the way, I witnessed many birds, including several vulture roosts in the trees. I also saw the American alligator in a pond, which I viewed from a safe distance. It would be quite difficult to reach the river and the ponds because of the natural vegetation in the area, so there weren't any wild alligators on the trails. I didn't get the chance to fully explore this park, but I wouldn't mind returning here another day. The gift shop offers a variety of items to purchase and the rangers seemed knowledgeable about the history of the park. Overall, I enjoyed my time here!

So this is right off Cypress Forest Drive and connects to Faulkey Gully Hike & Bike Trail near the…read moreYMCA. When you park here, you'll see a covered picnic area before you enter through a small dirt path that leads to a wide square field with other trails in each corner. There is a long hike/bike trail within the preserve that surrounds the bayou area and plenty of nature and trees for viewing. I enjoy coming here whenever I'm in the area as I usually find myself here from the Faulkey Gully area.

Located in northwest Harris County, the 100-Acre Wood Preserve contains several unique forest…read morecommunities, including an upland forest with remnant mature post oaks, and a forested wetland with overcup oak. The preserve contains 2 miles of hiking and biking trails, and is popular with mountain bikers. We love biking here and either picnic here or order from Dattz Pizza. Parking is abundant with a portable toilet for public use.

What a beautiful park and nature preserve! The staff here is wonderful and their excitement to…read moreshare their love of nature with park visitors is infectious. Great nature and learning centers - great for people of all ages.

I love this trail on my bike! This is an awesome 5 mile trail that has many different routes.read more

Great bike trail, fun afternoon out. Bring your bug spray. If your walking watch for bikers…read more This spot is well know for mountain biking. We have run into some sketchy teens and my neighbors dog got high from picking something up along the trail but overall very family friendly with lots of family foot/bike traffic.

I love this bike trail. It can get a bit confusing for first, second and 3rd timers. You really…read morehave to ride it and figure out where the trails lead. They do have miles of paved riding if you don't like to go off road, they do go in different directions, over and under bridges so you just have to remember where you are going. Along the paved there are a ton of off road trail that go through the woods. Be prepaired to flip gears b/c there are some steep hills you need to navigate in different points. The off road trails ride along the creeks and are very fun to ride. They are narrow however so call out your corners and turns.

terrible littering & pollution all alongside the water. people come & go as they please & destroy…read morethe place. turtles are forced to coexist with plastic & propane tanks in their habitat.

Great trail for morning walks and runs! Lots of deer around. Interesting history of the park.read more

Herman Little Park is a relatively new park located near the Hardy Toll Road, between FM 1960 and…read moreCypresswood Drive. It has numerous amenities including a scenic manmade lake, play area for kids, exercise machines, soccer fields, and a series of trails. The trails are paved cement in some places, gravel in others, and dirt in yet other places. Some parts of the trail run adjacent to Cypress Creek and other parts run through the woods or around in loops. The park connects to the Cypress Creek Greenway. The lake is stocked by TPWD.

A little pond stocked with fish to catch hidden in the back of the neighborhood. It's small, but…read morevery quaint. Perfect place to bring the kids to practice fishing. Has a covered bathroom for convenience.