What a gem of a park! It's beautiful with a jogging track and lights. The creek runs right down the…read moremiddle of the park and it's gorgeous. This is a first class park. Coming from Houston for work this would be the second prettiest park in the city. Absolutely wonderful. Great job Jasper!

When there was no other campsites available on the website for TX State parks, I kinda grew…read moreskeptical that this one being so close to East Texas that I would have issues as I'm a minority. However, nonetheless, when I tell you this state park is a gem and an underrated one too you'll be surprised to know why. Let me tell you: With the Texas Parks pass, I booked a weekend stay from Saturday to Monday at campsite 36. The original cost was going to be $36, but with the pass it was only $15 total. The campsite wasn't a drive-in and it was only a short hike in. I was a bit worried about this since the person I went with normally camps at drive up sites and not so much primitive. Rest ensure, he was fine because the parking lot to our campsite was approximately 400 ft in and the pathway was sand. The only troubles we had was our lousy portable cart that had a lame leg. Our campsite was the most primitive since most of the others were close in proximity to the others and your neighbors were either across from you or adjacent from you. Thankfully, ours wasn't. All primitive campsites are off of many hiking trails and campsite 40+ are near the creek so that's a nice view. The campsite itself has a lantern post, fire ring, picnic table, and a base spot for the tent (away from the fire ring). It is prohibited to burn or ignite firewood collected inside the parks. So, please go to the ranger station to purchase firewood. My friend and I ended up going to Home Depot, they sell it for $6 and it burned very well and too quick. Oh and please don't go to the gas station to get theirs, we made that mistake and it was not only expensive, but the wood burned too quick. The mosquitoes are absolutely terrible, make sure you bring DEET bug spray, citronella candle, or something to keep them invasive buggers off your skin and ears! I must tell y'all, the restrooms are amazingly clean. Every morning they are cleaned with Pinesol and are spotless. Once you sleep throughout the night and your body starts to feel sticky, please hit the showers!! The water pressure is perfect flowing and the water can get hot. The floors can be cold. I wore my sandals. I can say those restrooms are by far the best I've occupied in a state park or any park owned by the state! There was no dead bugs lingering around or weird mildew odor. If you like to hike, check out those trails. I hiked early morning just before anyone else was up and had a thrill exploring nature. I seen some deer, birds, another watering hole, and wildflowers. The trails are well maintained. There was some obstructed paths due to water or creeks passing through, but that was the fun part trying to maneuver to the other side. I had to get creative with where I jumped off of to get on the main trail. The main creek water was murky due to the amount of tannins in it and the water line wasn't high, so I opt out of swimming in it. The ranger station is clean and well organized. They sell the state park scratch off maps for those of you who are into exploring all state parks like me!! A true nature nerd, eh? They even sell Village Creek SP merch like stickers. The rangers were pretty nice and didn't display any form of prejudice or discrimination. Definitely a smaller state park than the others. It is settled in a residential area like most SPs are, but it's kind of a good thing especially if you forget some food, there's a Wal-Mart less than 5 minutes away. I would recommend this state park to visit.

Knew I would be in the area and wanted to check out their amenities. I was accompanied by my…read moremother, brother, and future sister-in-law. We took a rather short hike on one of the loop trails (roughly 1.2 miles). Thought the property was well maintained; however, the area seemed ripe for a proscribed burn to help prevent forest fires. The staff at the front desk were extremely friendly and helpful. Would gladly camp here in the future. If you're ever in the area, come visit.

Big Thicket National Preserve is an American treasure. It is a beautifully serene area of the…read morecountry located in East Texas that fully deserves all the attention it's due. The many ecosystems that this park encompasses is a geological mystery that starts millions of years ago with the movement of glaciers. We only had a short 2 hour time window to enjoy the exhibits at the visitors center, the short film in the theatre, and a quick hike close to the visitors center. The film is the same one you can view on their website, so if you are short on time, skip it and watch it at home. The gift shop is stocked with amazing items, so definitely save 5 minutes to browse around. My kids enjoyed speaking to Ranger Scott about his favorite animal in the preserve, the American alligator, and completing the Junior Ranger booklet for the badges. This program is targeted for 14 and under but adults can participate as well.

Nice NPS site. Small but informative visitor center with friendly ranger. Infrastructure is…read moresimple and well maintained. Nice junior ranger program. Would not go out of my way to visit but worth a stop if in area.

The Neches River tour through Neches River Adventures is another gem in the area. It departs from…read moreColliers Ferry Park. It's educational, family friendly and goes at a leisurely pace for a really lovely Saturday outing. Our family enjoyed it so much.

This is one of the hidden gems of the Beaumont park system - if you don't have a boat, you may…read morenever know it's there. Stuck way back at the end of Pine street, near the country club, there is a park with covered picnic areas, multiple picnic tables, a playground, restrooms, a couple of docks and a boat ramp. Plenty of trailer parking as well as normal sized car/truck spots available. It's quiet here, and relaxing near the river. You can see people fishing from the dock on some days.

This playground is my favorite! It is gated for the safety of the kiddos, and located next to the…read moreevent centre pond, which means you can bring old bread, cereal, popcorn, etc to feed the duckies!! there is a walking path around the pond for exercise or casual stroll, in the playground itself is adapted for special needs kiddos as well! They have large seat & "tire style" swings with bottoms for handicapped kiddos, a wheelchair accessible ship that rocks, and tons of sensory equipment! There are a few picnic tables for the kiddos to have snacks or eat lunch, and right around the corner is the community skate park that is open to the public & FREE.99! It's mine & my son's favorite by far!

We went to this park while on a road trip and it was fantastic! Enclosed space that has ample…read morerunning room, shade and benches, and a little lake to walk around next to it!

City water park , nice pool with 3 big slides. Kids love it. Splash area. New big lazy river, pay…read more1.50 extra but worth it.

Fun water slides, splash pool, children's play area and a fast flowing lazy river. There were…read moreplenty of tubes available to grab and go for the waterslides or lazy river. This place is great no matter what age. Plenty of food, pizza, drinks, ice cream choices to purchase at their facility. You cannot bring your own food into their facility only bottled water. (That was kinda a bummer) We did have a total blast with our grandkids and family. This place offers a great way to cool down. We will definitely go again!!

I can't say how much I enjoyed being with real elephants at such close quarters and being able to…read moretouch them too... As a child, I have seen real elephants in old temples, they don't have them anymore. Other than that its been zoo and safari. But this was different.... Kennedy introduced himself as the guy who was taking care of animals since 5 generations and he is studying to be a vet. The main mahout was a small guy and he was hilarious. He did most of the talking about all the animals. These elephants are rescue elephants which have been handed over by the zoo for various reasons, or, so I understand. There are 3 elephants Paige with longest teeth, Jeanie with a little short ones , and Krissy with none. With poaching increasing, the number of Krissy's are increasing. That will keep them safe I guess. Not sure why the previous reviews are so brief. We got to learn about them, feed them carrots, even phones if u r willing to give away ( ha ha- Paige really seemed to want them), how to keep their foot and nails in shape, bathing them so on and so forth. This was the first time I had heard a live trumpet and it was adorable. In the end we posed for pics. They are tamed and trained no doubt, but seemed to be enjoying our company and well treated by their owners. They have plenty of parking. Tickets are purchased online, most often they are open only one weekend a month. Restrooms are available. Food not allowed, but a bottle of water is ok. Got to meet Abu the camel, his partner, a zebra and a billy goat and his family too. I wanted to hold one and did not know how to- one of the helper guys I approached said just pick them up and hold - really ! Then some other fellow visitor helped.

This was the experience of a lifetime! The owners and staff are awesome and the animals are…read moreobviously loved and cared for perfectly. Of course the elephants are the main attraction and the whole experience met and exceeded every expectation.

The Neches River and surrounding bayous play an important part in the life of the Coonie Triangle…read more It's odd that so few businesses and public spaces take advantage of this. Maybe it's because of the occasional hurricanes, I don't know. Riverfront Park tries to rectify this situation, and does so splendidly. This is a typical city park, with a large lawn area, many picnic tables, playground, lots of oak trees. Many houses close by, so I'm sure that it's used quite a bit by residents who walk there to relax. The hunny and I visited during the annual Riverfest. Most of the large lawn area was taken up by food booths and carnival rides. At the eastern edge was a portable stage where several hundred sat to hear Tauren Wells sing. And now for the five-star rating: It's on the river. Yes, this is a true waterfront park. There is a large parking lot with boat ramp, and a classic Southern riverfront restaurant on the other side of that parking lot. It was a treat to see the barges go by during the Tauren Wells concert. Riverfront Park took advantage of its setting with a boat show on Sunday. I'm going to go back there. One of my favorite dates with the Hunny was when we drove into the California Delta south of Sacramento, stopped at a choke-and-puke deli and got some food, then crossed over the levee road to sit on a dock and eat. No improvisation is necessary here, although if you don't go to the nearby restaurant, you'll need to bring your own grub. She'll love the setting. And you will too. Parting thought: it's not an easy drive from the freeway, and FM 365 does not lead directly to the park.

The coolest park! It's a giant wooden park with lots of spaces for kids to play in. Across the…read morelittle street is a newer playground but we spent so much time at the wooden one. It is right by the lake. Super clean, it is our new spot.

Considering this just an unassuming neighborhood park, it's a nice hidden gem if you want to stop…read moreand eat your lunch of have a picnic. I'm not sure if non-residents can come here too or not but I'm sure if you don't abuse it, nobody minds. I actually just found this place on Google after hiking at Lake Houston Wilderness park and that was a huge disappointment and wanted to at least go to a park that had a view of the Lake. It may not be the best view of the lake, especially with a dead half eaten Pelican on the shore, but it's still much better than the other park I mentioned!

Randomly came across this parking looking for a new walking trail. It's clean, peaceful, relaxing,…read moresmall private access controlled park, with beautiful views of Lake Houston. They have a new restroom area, with shaded picnic tables, a playground, and gazebo's over looking Lake Houston. They have a dock(no boat ramp)great for leisure kayaking, but be prepared walk a few hundred feet (200). Overall great experience on a week day was a wonderful peaceful experience....