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Stephen F Austin Park

3.0 (1 review)

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14 years ago

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Brazoria National Wildlife Refuge

Brazoria National Wildlife Refuge

4.9(14 reviews)
8.3 mi

I was feeling a bit beaten down by the urban sprawl so taking advantage of my school holiday I…read morerandomly chose brazoria for a visit. It did not disappoint at all!! I read online that the best time to visit is around dusk or dawn, but we only managed to make it around 2pm, so we decided to head on to Galveston and come back around dusk. It's quite remote so be sure to fuel up (nearest gas station is around 20 miles away). Around 2pm we drove thru the gate and after driving about 3 miles we encountered the discovery center. We got out and walked around. There is a paved hiking path around the discovery center which takes you through some of the freshwater marshland and a "songbird hike". The paved path disappears after a few hundred feet and you are left to bushwhack through the remainder of the hiking path. Because of the heat (most of this area is in direct sun) and aggressive mosquitos we turned around after the paved area and went back to the car. However, the calls of many songbirds were audible. From this point you can keep driving and go on the auto tour, pay attention to the signage which directs you into the 7mile auto tour loop. You can pull off at any time on the auto tour to get out and enjoy the view! Because the road here is not paved, I don't recommend driving faster than 10 mph as that kicks up a lot of dust which gets all over your car. At the end of the tour, you can check out "Roger's pond" which is a brackish pond. The highlight of the tour is the salt marshes which you can see around the first couple miles of the loop. After Roger's pond, you have to turn around, then you can take the refuge exit paths to leave the refuge. The gates to the refuge close at dusk and open at dawn-- we cut it close on our return trip and left around 7:30, but we were still able to escape successfully. We saw a lot more wildlife in the salt marshes upon our return, including lots of roseate spoonbills and egrets. However there were a lot of mosquitos at dusk so definitely wear long pants and long sleeves to avoid being eaten up!

I have a real soft spot for Alligators. And Brazilian National Wildlife Refugee is doing great work…read morein providing these big reptiles a home. You will see Alligators in this park! There was a little guy under the boardwalk right next to the parking and picnic area and lots of large gators on the driving tour. Highly recommend saying hi... just be respectful and don't approach or try to feel them.

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Brazoria National Wildlife Refuge
Brazoria National Wildlife Refuge
Brazoria National Wildlife Refuge

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Bryan Beach - Jac doesn't mind the sand.. loves the view!

Bryan Beach

3.7(11 reviews)
5.0 mi

Bryan Beach is a long stretch of sand in Brazoria County along the coast starting southwest of the…read moreQuintana pier and ending at the Brazos river mouth. For decades, it was an unincorporated part of the county with no local government or emergency services. It was a free, barren, no-man's land. It was a semblance of the Wild West and, we liked it that way! Nowadays, I believed it's been annexed by the Port of Freeport. Bryan Beach is a lot of different things. It's possibly the ugliest beach in the world. Definitely, the ugliest in Texas. At the same time, it can reveal great beauty (mostly when the lights are off). It's a quickly eroding coastline, barely able to drive on or pitch a tent on. Fishing is great. Of course, you might want to catch and release as the river mouth passes a terrifying amount of pesticides, fertilizers, and God knows what else. Rip currents and an abundance of sharks make swimming dangerous. There's also sometimes dangerous people there. It's really a blank canvas. You can make it whatever you want. I've had incredible beach parties there in the past. Huge bonfires, cooking up dinner, camping out, insane amounts of alcohol.... With the right group, you can have the time of your life there. Maybe it's a weird portal to another dimension. Who knows? Bryan Beach is what you make it.

We had a great time! Plenty of shells to collect for those who like to go hunting for shells.read more

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Bryan Beach - Surfside was okay but no camping and more city folks..  so off to Bryan beach we go!

Surfside was okay but no camping and more city folks.. so off to Bryan beach we go!

Bryan Beach - Jac the pup loved the beach stimulating sounds and view

Jac the pup loved the beach stimulating sounds and view

Bryan Beach - Jac was amazed the first time laid eyes on gulf.

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Jac was amazed the first time laid eyes on gulf.

Lake Jackson Recreation Center - They are very proficient at making notifications

Lake Jackson Recreation Center

4.0(4 reviews)
6.3 mi

Update 01/21 /26: Director informed me that with lap pool potentially below 78F - it must be closed…read moredue to potential for hyperthermia. Simple absurd! as pool has been at 77F perfect for athletic swimming. Now announced that pool will shut down indefinitely heater replacement -After 2 weeks down Mismanagement!! Maintaining my 2 stars as Adriana & Ashley are so awesome! Good aquatic facility, just make sure to have a backup as it's often closed for: -Currently: Pool heater broke, though the water was ~86F 1/12/26, very warm, no RTS specified. -Not enough lifeguards, requires 3 for 2 pools, which is absurd -Poorly planned maintenance on ventilation (ongoing), drain covers (1 week), etc -Chemistry out of spec/contaminants, due in part to shower-before-swim not enforced -Swim meets which end ~noon - closed remainder of day Lap pool often above the 78-82F range for aquarobics - too Hot! Gym closed all day to replace 2 machines :-( Good thing this place receives lots of municipal funding, else it couldn't compete.

The Recreation Center in Lake Jackson is 65,500 square feet of family fun and fitness, located at…read more91 Lake Road, Lake Jackson, TX 77566. The facility includes: - Family Changing Room - Four Racquetball Courts - Full Size Gymnasium - Two Full Courts - Locker Rooms/Shower Facilities - KidZone (Childcare) [members only] - Spinning Studio - Two Aerobics/Multipurpose rooms - Two Indoor Swimming Pools - Weights/Cardiovascular Training Room - Vending Area - Fitness on Demand Studio - Free WiFi Facility Hours Monday - Friday 5:45am - 9:00pm Saturday 8:00am - 6:00pm Sunday 1:00 - 6:00pm KidZone Hours (Members only) Monday - Friday 8:00am - 1:00pm & 4:00pm - 8:00pm Sat-Sun Closed Admission Fees (for non-members and guest) $3 per child (3-17) $3 per senior (60+) $5 per adult Methods of Payment Cash, Check, Visa, Mastercard & Discover

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Lake Jackson Recreation Center - Entrance to Park/Rec Center

Entrance to Park/Rec Center

Lake Jackson Recreation Center
Lake Jackson Recreation Center - Swimming area has indoor water slides for kids of all ages.

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Swimming area has indoor water slides for kids of all ages.

Stephen F Austin Park - parks - Updated July 2026

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