A curious thing happens at Lake Houston Wilderness Park, where proximity to the city gives way to reprieve. 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. read more

I'm sure I'm going to offend some people with this review but let me preface it by saying that hiking 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? read more

Lake Houston Wilderness Park - The only wildlife I saw was in a glass case - Parks Near Me - New Caney, Texas

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Something about Nature! But this is a gem indeed! 1st trail I done here and this was really nice!! When I seen that deer looking at me I was like oh lawdy! But looking forward to going back i stop at the 45 min mark and turn around on the Peach trail this park is huge! read more

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Houston always has hidden gems when it comes to escaping the city for a little wilderness. This place definitely is one of those spots. I could have driven past this place a million times and never saw it or even realized it existed. Beautiful hiking trails, a Nature center, and so much scenery to take in. The park is also available for camping. It has cabins and walk-in primitive campsites. This place is the perfect Escape for a little rest and relaxation. read more

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Camping was great. Nice little A frame middle of the week. Started to get loud and busy on Thursday so we left. Fishing SUCKED and it was the main attraction. Too many turtles. They take every bait thrown. Very frustrating read more

Let's start with the obvious. I'm not a camper. I only came here because my son had a class field trip with the whole school for overnight camping and I wanted to give him that experience. The lots at Magnolia were spacious and great amenities. Bathrooms and showers were close and there wasn't much of a wait. Parking was easy at our campsite and there were grates, a fire pit, lots of picnic tables, a central covered area, and a running sink type area which was a bonus. The creek was a bonus (Peach Creek) and the kids were able to play and cool off. It is a bit rocky so wear some good shoes or go barefoot and suffer the next day. Playgrounds were great for the kids to run around. Really a great find considering its proximity to Houston and the creek. read more

Relaxing place to will get in touch with nature and woosah! They have a couple of lakes and you can bring your own food to barbecue on their girls provided throughout the campsite. They have a campground with wooden bungalow houses to rent. Massive miles of walking trails through the woods. There are lakes that you can fish in but it is catch and throwback only. They have a few bathrooms throughout make sure you note them because the trails are very large and it will take a while to get back to a restroom if you need one. The cost is $3 per person in each car. Even on a warm day there are so many trees to cover you from the Sun the shade feels wonderful and this is a really great hike and nature experience to enjoy. read more

Lake Houston Wilderness Park - Bridge over the water - Parks Near Me - New Caney, Texas

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The park is clean the restroom are clean its a chill place to come relax and swim. We did lake camping and the sun rise was great. read more

A cheap and fun spot!! It's a great picture spot especially for senior or homecoming pics!

WHAT TO KNOW BEFORE VISITING: Lake Houston Wilderness Park is actually a misnomer - It's not located off of Lake Houston, but is a large city park that offers camping, hiking, and a much smaller lake (Lake Dabney). The park actually used to be a state park that was bought up by the City of Houston. That's great for Houstonians because the price for entry is a little bit cheaper than state parks. Cost is $3 per person (definitely worth it!), no reservations required Location: Located in New Caney, TX off 59N, ~45 min from central Houston Size: 4786 acres - The park is large, but we focused our hiking on the Peach Creek area of the park near the Nature Center. YOUR GUIDE TO LAKE HOUSTON WILDERNESS PARK: There are many options to choose from for camping in Houston. Check out all of our local state parks, which all offer campsites and cabins. We suggest trying Lake Houston Wilderness Preserve if you don't want to drive too far from central Houston. You can reserve online. They book up weeks in advance so plan early! Options for camping include: Individual campsite - $7 Screen Shelters - $25 A-frames $35 Rustic Cabin - $85 Lakeside Cabins - $125 They have firewood available for purchase at the entrance for $6. Your overnight rental does not cover day use and you will still need to pay the $3 entry fee. The Screen shelters and A-frames are similar. Both come with electric faucet, electricity (including indoor lighting and outlet) and firepit with a grill. They will provide you a code for shower access when you check-in. We recommend trying the A-frames. They are located off of Lake Dabney and offer a more unique experience. They are also closer to restrooms and have a private parking spot. The screen shelters are near a port-a-potty but the nearest working restroom is about 5 minute walk. This was our first time camping and overall it went well! For first time campers, we recommend bringing layers to sleep in. We didn't think it would get as cold as it did on the April night we visited. -Remember to create a thorough packing list. There's a lot to pack, especially if you're planning on making dinner. We decided to bring dinner in and made s'mores over a campfire for dessert. -We thought there would be less light pollution here, but the close proximity to Houston and lights from New Caney led to minimal stargazing. After spending a night camping, we explored the park! We thought the most exciting part of the park was the Peach Creek and Lake Dabney. To reach Peach Creek park at the Nature Center and take the Pedestrian bridge below across the creek. The overlook is located near the restrooms by the Nature Center. Next up, we visted Lake Dabney. We found Lake Dabney via the Forest Trail. Lake Dabney is a fun spot for photos and also exposes you to the Lake Houston Wilderness Park campgrounds. Stopping by these unique cabins and tents convinced us to want to come back and camp here. We recommend stopping by the Nature Center next! They have all kinds of live strange and venomous critters including an axolotl, black widow, cottonmouth and copperhead snakes. And warning to all of those with a fear of snakes, there's plenty of signs posted throughout the park that warn of venomous snakes at this park. We got lucky and didn't see one during our visit.The Nature Center offered some free brochures of the park, which provided more details about the park's trails. Overall this a great park, and is well worth the drive out from central Houston! read more

Very affordable place to camp that offers a wonderful respite from big city Texas life. I used to live in Cali and I miss pine trees and evergreens every day, but thankfully this far east in Texas is the piney woods region where I can get a small taste of it. As I said, incredibly affordable, we stayed for a couple of nights and only spent $14 for the two of us in one campsite. There are other pricier options such as staying in their adorable little A-frames or the cabins by the fishing pond or even as fancy as big cabins (good for scout troops or family events). This place apparently used to be a Girl Scout camp. The campsite we got was a nice simple plot of land with a picnic table, extra bench, and fire pit/ring. We had ample place to park our vehicle and choose where to pitch our tent. It was a good size and far enough away from neighboring sites to be quite comfortable. Although we did have a lot of folks using our area as a turn-around, which was a bit annoying. We picked the one closest to the restroom/showers. The showers are wonderful! Spacious with a seat/place to put your clothes/towel, easy to operate, and even have temperature adjustment. Classy! Toilets were always well-attended to and bleached early in the morning. Automatic lights come on when you enter, so no need to juggle a lantern/flashlight while you inevitably go in the middle of the night. Stopped in at the nature center on our way in and all the employees were very friendly. You'll see some neat reptiles and the like inside. There's a spot by the river by the bridge where folks and their kids like to play and enjoy the cooler temps. It was relatively swallow and slow moving (at least while we were there) to enjoy just splashing around. The "lake" is more of a fishing pond and not big enough for boating/paddling. We hiked a fair amount. The trails are not amazing but not bad by any stretch. One meanders along the river, another does a loop beside the nature center (+ some fun plaques from a Boy Scout Eagle project). We came during a heavy mosquito time and occasionally found ourselves swatting them away with our hats more regularly than we'd've liked, even though we had plenty of deet bug spray on and reapplications of it too. Those skeeters are determined blood-sucking beasties! Thankfully they aren't a fan of smoke so we weren't too badly bitten during the evening when we'd light up a campfire to sit at and enjoy. Firewood can be purchased in bundles at the front entrance. Wish there had been an actual lake for water activities like kayaking/canoeing, but otherwise this place gets a big thumbs-up from me. =) read more

We travelled from river oaks area to lake houston for a day get away at a park. It felt like the park was in the middle of no where. There was an entrance fee. And there's a few trails we wanted to try but you can't spend too much time at this park. It seemed more for camping vibes. The peach creek trail seemed like the biggest trail also connected to other trails. We did some of the trail- nothing too special. Since we did go in early March- all of the flowers were dead and it was mainly dead trees.. there was one location with a colorful flower which I took a picture of. Overall due to the distance of travel and the size of the Park, I will not be back. It very much seems like a good camping place or family vacation- picnic area not really more for hiking. read more

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Love this place and it's the perfect time of the year for hiking the trails. If you need a healthy dose of nature close to home, this is a good start. It's $3 each for anyone 13 and older, under 13 no charge. There's a swimming hole at the bottom of a large bridge where everyone seems to gather. There's a sandy beach area with plenty of picnic tables on a wooden deck, the water is below that and hiking trails to the side. There are cabins that can be rented as well as a fee for pitching a tent. During certain hours they have a nature center that is open and free to explore. Also there is a small playground near the nature center. Bring your fishing gear and find a good spot, this place is so relaxing. read more

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Pretty well maintained woodsy park. There's a few long trails that you can go through the woods and visit the creek. It was all a bit lackluster though. There are picnic areas and designated camping areas. Convenient restrooms available. Would not recommend swimming in the lake or creek and be mindful of snakes and spiders. Bring bug spray. There's an entry fee per person. Lake Houston but lacking the actual "lake" part (name of the park seems kind of misleading). After one visit here, don't really think I'd go back. read more

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Such a beautiful and natural environment. Trails for days with benches to stop along the way. Several bridges to walk across. There's an area to swim and although we didn't swim today we for sure will go back to do so. There's a nature center here with lots of interactive things for the kids to see and do. Customer service was amazing as well. read more

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They have a lot of nice trails for walking and biking. A creek to let the kids play in and a man made pond as well.

This is my favorite park to go to. Great wilderness park with a lot of trails to hike. Feels like I'm in the woods (because I am!). Well maintained trails, friendly staff, amazing nature center with very happy animals living there. They do educational programs that are fun! Also great for camping!! read more

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10 out of 10! Definitely recommend and will absolutely return with the pup! The staff was very nice. The facilities were extremely clean. Lots of IG ops! It's a quick, 35-minute drive from the city. read more

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A lot to do in this beauty lake. Camping on a tent, camp on the villas, bring ypur paddle board, bring your kayak, fire pit, picnic, relax and enjoy viewing the lake or place your tent in the lake and have wonderful day with family and friends. read more

Beautiful and lots of hiking places. We loved walking with our dog and really enjoy going back

Fabulous park, great trails and cabins to rent. Plus, it is so close to town. Highly recommend. read more

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Reserved a non-electric and water campsite for two days online. When we get there, at noon, they tell us they won't let us go to the site until 3pm but they will take our entry fees and tell us to come back at 3pm to check in. I asked about where to put in my kayak. They directed me to a "boat launch" area on the other end of the park, which would require me to basically drop the kayak off a 10 foot cliff into the creek, with no way to get back, or even get down to the kayak without jumping down into it, so that was a no-go. When we went to check in, we find out the "primitive" site is in actuality a backpacking site you have to hike a mile and a half to get to. It says nothing about it being a backpack only site on the website. My wife is disabled and cannot hike that far, let alone backpack.. When I told them that wouldn't work, they wouldn't give us a refund. I will never go there again, and if there is another hurricane, I hope the whole park gets leveled. Take your money elsewhere. It's way overpriced for what you get. It's also falsely named as this isn't even on Lake Houston. There is a small swampy pond next to the cabins, that you can't put a boat into. I can see if you have never went camping anywhere else you might like what they offer, but we ended up going somewhere else for half the price, and had way more fun at Lake Conroe. read more

Lake Houston Wilderness Park - The supposed "boat ramp" with the 10 foot drop into the creek - Parks Near Me - New Caney, Texas

So everything i said below still stands...love this place and now they have foam soap dispensers in the bathroom! Woo hoo read more

Lake Houston Wilderness Park - Parks Near Me - New Caney, Texas

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Camping when available, hiking, biking, bbq-ing, tables, cabins, byo tents. Great place to get away read more

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My friends and I were looking for a park to walk with our dogs and ride bikes and we had a blast here! The park is pet friendly as long as they are leashed and of course please pick up your dog doo off the trails. No one wants to step/ride in that. The trails are NOT paved, sometimes sandy, muddy, and sometimes steep but very enjoyable. Very few actual benches to rest on but you're sure to find a stump to rest on and the only restrooms are in the parking lot so go before you get going. It's $3 a person to enter the park, no fee for pets, and parking is free. If you want wilderness this is definitely the place! read more

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Super great park has a creek with a little sand beach nice hiking trails and only $3 a per person.

This is an incredible spot where you can escape from the bustle of the city! I recently visited for a weekend and rented out a lakeside cabin for around $120/night (I think) which easily slept 6 people (2 full size beds, 2 couches) and came equipped with a huge bathroom, full kitchen (stove top, oven, and microwave), fridge, and freezer. I believe there's also one cabin that can house 10-12 people as well as many camping shelters that could be rented for $25/night and had more of the bare essentials. I was pleasantly surprised at how clean/new everything was, from the fancy leather couches to the very clean beds and bathrooms. There was even handsoap provided in the bathroom which is a nice amenity. Outside the cabin is an meshed in porch with rocking chairs, a firepit, and a picnic bench. All the cabins sit on the edge of the lake so you have a view of the water and you're ringed by a bunch of trees. The cabins are fairly close to each other so you'll run into the other cabin people while you're there. No internet...but some might find that a nice thing =) Most people had cell phone service, although a little weak. Once you've settled in, have fun exploring the park and the lake. We went on a hike through the forest...it was muddy so not really the most pleasant experience but still nice to walk through nature. There's a visitors center/museum thing but I didn't have a chance to see it. You can bike on the trails, too. Fishing in the lake is catch and release because they're still growing the population. At night be sure to build a fire and make some smores! We arrived pretty late and the park entrance closed at 8pm, so we called ahead and the very nice park staff waited up for us at the entrance booth to take our fees and give us maps and keys to the cabins. Don't be afraid to call them to make arrangements. We had a few people arrive after us in separate cars and they gave us a gate code to pass along to them so they could get in after the gates had been locked for the night. There's ample parking at every cabin for 3-4 cars. Don't forget to bring: -- Park entrance fees ($3/person/night) and money for firewood if you want it ($5/bundle, one bundle is enough for a fire lasting a couple hours) -- Lighter and tinder for fire-making -- Slippers for the walking around the house in to not track dirt everywhere -- Paper towels and napkins (couldn't find any inside) -- Your own food, cookware, utensils, and plates/cups -- Dishwashing soap and a sponge for cleaning dishes -- A hot water boiler if you want hot water -- Bedding and pillows -- Extra plastic bags for trash (there was 2 provided in the house already) read more

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Wonderful customer service (yes, really), hiking trails, geocaching opportunities, and lodging. Customer Service: I'm working to book a group, and I haven't been the most low-maintenance customer. After booking a cabin and two screen shelters, I decided to switch to a cabin and two A-frame platforms. I played phone tag with the park all of Monday, and finally got a call 15 minutes before they closed from the lovely Yvonne saying that she had worked everything out for me, and sent me all the correct emails, and wanted to make sure I was happy. Yes, Yvonne. I was happy. A happy camper. Hiking trails: Due to aforementioned camping trip, a friend and I drove from inside-the-loop-Houston on 3/6 to check out the park ahead of bringing our 15 closest friends out here. We were pleasantly surprised with the trails, especially the Peach Creek trail that winds along (you guessed it) Peach Creek. There is a neat food-bridge across the creek, and miles and miles of unexplored trails. We hiked in the northwest 15% of the park for 3 hours, and had plenty to see and do. I know there's a trail that goes all the way to the San Jacinto river on the east side of the park as well. Geocaching: If you know what this is and you're interested, this park is a hotbed thanks to some user named "The Three Amigos." (3 users?) Something like 30-40 caches in the park. Lodging: Didn't get to see inside the cabins, but checked out the screen shelters and A-Frames along the Lake, and both types of lodging appeared to be in good shape for what they were. The screen shelters are fairly close to each other, so you will see your neighbors. Map: Not going to take a star off for this, because YVONNE, but the map they provide is about 20% helpful. However, trails are well-marked from the roads and at junctions, so if you know you are trying to follow a specific trail you should be fine. Summary: great customer service from booking, pretty trails and lots of them, good lodging options, totally worth the 45-minute drive from the center of Houston. read more

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I have been here many times, since it is close to home. I am an avid photographer so I go here to take pictures. The roads are maintained but are gravel. The trails are somewhat maintained but most of them need to be recut and trimmed back. The last time I went, it was a short stay since the bugs were horrible. You could not take a breath without swallowing some mosquitos. This was kind of expected but I did not expect to be this bad. I did not go to the camp grounds so I cannot say anything about them. One of the landings is nice, though. It is a small beach area with a picnic table. It is where the creek goes around a bend. The water is usually clear and it is some good fishing. This is a nice park for a day trip, but I would not go out of my way to visit it. read more

Disclaimer : In spite of the name, this park is not on Lake Houston. We were looking for a place to kayak and thought we'd check this park out. The worst part is that the park is largely unimproved. The visitor map is not very good. Neither are the signs. Street signs are nonexistent. The attendant at the gate said we'd never find the canoe put in without directions and showed me how to get to an unmarked point on the map. I don't think we ever found it because of the aforementioned lack of signage. We did find an alternative place to put in. We also found a great swimming hole complete with a rope swing hanging from a tree. We had a great time and will go back. This is a nice Park for the price. It is very clean and unspoiled. Just beware that there are few facilities. Also, the roads are unpaved so don't wash your car before you visit. read more

Love it!. Fun family adventure .Great place to take your family and enjoy nature! Highly recommend!

Pretty clean trails. A little mucky, but not too bad where we went, which was part of the Ameritrail, and it had rained lot the week prior. Met a park maintenance man clearing a fallen tree blocking the path, and he was nice. I do wish the park staff would use electric instead of combustion engines for the golf carts. I can understand the maintenance vehicle on trails, but even on the paved paths, the smell of gas/diesel engine exhaust we noticeable multiple times. Detracted from the experience a bit, but not worth not coming back over. We plan to come back for primitive camping. read more

Lake Houston Wilderness Park - Lovely trails - Parks Near Me - New Caney, Texas

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Love this park mosquitos are terrible though so bring bug spray. They have bathrooms,cabins,a creek your kids can plan on and nice trails oh and they also have a animal building that's pretty interesting and it's cheap to get in!! read more

Houston, we have a little piece of heaven just minutes away! I had come here years ago during my internship with the City of Houston for strictly business however I had always remembered the beauty and peace this place brought to me and I knew I had to come back. Years later, I finally came back here again with my grown children, my nephew, and my cousin that recently became part of my family household name! $3 per adult goes a long way (kids are free). We brought our fishing poles, our floaties, picnic cooler, and sand toys. The roads are small but I had never had so much fun getting a little lost in the woods (but roads are named and map is provided). The small building at the heart of the park has live animals and they even offer a small tour of the creatures that roam around the park like snakes, spiders, fish, bugs etc. My family definitely enjoyed learning about the animals that roamed around. Then finally we found a place to fish and have our picnic, as the kids fished I met so many lovely outdoors men who greeted us, you can definitely feel the great vibes of others and made the day trip even more enjoyable. After we loaded my truck and needed to make a quick potty break, I was surprised how clean and neat all the restrooms in the facility were. Looks like the maintenance crew really does take pride in the park and for that, it made me fall in love even more of the park. Finally, after fishing for sport, eating, and getting all sweaty we went down to the creek. The creek from a distance it might look like it is dirty but when you walk past the soft sand and get to the edge of the creek, you see how clear and pristine the water is. The water was cold but in the hot weather, there is a lot of appreciation for cooler water for sure. I sun bathe as the kids were swinging on the ropes and jumping off to the creek, all the kids were so kind and helped each other out, I felt completely safe and didn't do the typical mom yells of worries but instead relaxed and enjoyed the fresh air along with little kids giggling, laughing, and playing... As a parent, those sounds are quite full filling. After our first trip as a family here, we are eager to go back during the cooler weather. We enjoyed every moment as a family and bonded without the distractions of technology but just us with other strangers that have the same intentions to just be around good hearted people that want to get away from the hectic Houston life. read more

This is a great park just outside of Houston for hiking and camping! Just a few miles past Bush Intercontinental Airport, entrance fee is only $3 and there are miles of trails to walk. Furnished and unfurnished cabins are also available to rent overnight, as well as campsites. Don't miss the Nature Center, where you can see a wildlife film, exhibits of animals you're likely to see at the park, and live snakes which live in the area (rattlers, copperheads and water moccasins). We had no idea that such a great outdoor space was so close to Houston! Perfect for couples, families and solo hikers/campers. read more

Great walking trails, a creek for cooling off or canoeing, cabins to rent, several picnic areas with barbecue pits, primitive camping area, and screened in facilities. read more

I grew up in the back of Kingwood and never knew this place existed, yet it was so close!! While I attended LSC Kingwood I picked up kayaking and Mountain biking. I was looking for somewhere close to do such things and I came upon this park. I was blown away, it exceeded every expectation! On my first visit one of the gentlemen at headquarters told me about Lake Isabelle, it's kinda super secret and only reachable by hike or bike. read more

Lake Houston Wilderness Park - Lake Isabelle at the end of 5 Mile Rd. - Parks Near Me - New Caney, Texas

I love this place. It's a close to home wilderness experience that a lot of people don't know is right down the road. Me, my girlfriend and a few friends go frequently for hiking, mountain biking, and camping. There's campgrounds and "primitive" campsite that require a hike to reach, these are the winners for forest lovers, far in the back of a 5000 acre woodlands by a creek. The only reason I give four instead of five stars is because of the recent flooding has covered some of the trails and sand in there is a day laid reaction by the park to clean it up. read more

Lake Houston Wilderness Park - Parks Near Me - New Caney, Texas

Beautiful park! Awesome camping grounds & cabins, very close: 30mins north of downtown Houston, Remarkably clean, great water source for swimming and cooling off, and Extremely affordable! One of Houston's best kept secrets! read more

This is truly a hidden gem located just outside of Houston. I wish I had known about this awesome park sooner. We went there to go hiking during a week day. It is a couple bucks to get in; I believe its $3 per person. Upon getting in you start driving on gravel and dirt roads. It does not feel like you are just a few miles from Houston. We parked right by the entrance where one of the trails start. There are miles of trails, and we hiked the Ameri-Trail with our dog. Apparently you can also bring your horse, but since I am sans-horse this did not apply to me. We hiked for four miles out and back. The trail was small, which felt a lot more like a hike then an urban walk. We saw almost no one the entire time. The trail follows a creek, and there were primitive campsites located sporadically throughout the length of it. After hiking, we had a picnic at one of the many picnic tables. There were group camping sites, the bathrooms were clean, and everything was well maintained. If you are looking for a quick get-away to nature, and do not have hours to drive, I highly recommend this park. read more