This past weekend, my dog, Sneakers and I were in Baytown, TX checking out W.L Jenkins Park. This…read morepark is a true hidden gem and has an expansive gravel trail that covers 3+ miles into open space and connects into another nearby park. Also, there's a large and small dog park with good sturdy doggie bags with handles. I loved this park so much that Sneakers and I spent hours hiking and relaxing. We covered 4.2 miles. I wanted to share this hidden gem with y'all since I was surprised that Baytown has such a fun park!!

Beautiful little park here in Baytown. Clean and quiet with lots to do. Splash pads, playgrounds,…read moredisc golf, skate park, softball / baseball fields, soccer, fitness area, dog park and walking trails. I think I got em all. Oh well. Get your lazy butt out and enjoy this little gem. Go explore before you can't.

I came out for a day of fishing…read more There are only 2 Porto potty's. No fresh or live Bait nearby. Lots of spots to fish and crab. Sadly the fish are not biting well. Caught 1 gaff top and another type fish.

Scenic peaceful park area, friendly service, lots of spots to fish, relax, walk, jog, definitely a…read morecool kids playground, small amphitheater, lots of educational activities including Girls and Boy Scouts

there's birds and ducks here. nice walking loop around the pond though it's not very long. on the…read morebusier side.

This park is so calming, even when it's packed with people…read more Plenty of parking, good paved running trail, bike trail along the back, good scenery with the lake, playground for the kids, outdoor workout station and frisbee golf (if you're into that). The running trail seems to be about .8 miles a lap, with markers for 5 and 10k runs. You will see plenty of turtles and ducks, the fishing is decent, expect to catch catfish. This park doesn't have it all, but it's a good mid size park with friendly people. Dog owners can be annoying, especially those with pits bulls, and the ones that don't pick up after their dogs . Unfortunately not everyone disposes of their trash property and this results in little on the banks of the lake. At night don't be surprised if you see some rats (nature), and plenty of duck poop which can be surprisingly large . Bonus: there is a good size hill on the south side of the park, it is good for climbing, rolling, and uphill sprints. Have fun!

Fun place to visit with friends and family. Cool place for a picnic or just taking in the sunset.read more

For the most most people go here for fishing but it also has a soccer area and playground. Plenty…read moreof open space to have a picnic or something or sit and a sunset. Has nice la views but it can feel a little sketchy sometimes. There's an old apartment complex in the back

Nice place to take the kids…read more The splash pad has several benches around it. There's a tent area w a couple of tables, could be used for a party. There's swings and a playground area also for those that wanna stay dry. Public restroom available!

First and foremost I'd like to say I get it everyone has to make their money some way. It's…read morecompletely absurd to charge 30 dollars for an 8qt cooler on top of that being charged 30 dollars per person. Also before you go in with any drink you will be forced to finish your drink before entering. To add on, to the list of things you can't bring in no alcohol or vapes no sealed containers snacks etc. I'm not bringing a whole bar in this little ahh cooler. Please do better and get rid of the high school kids working there and actually look out for peoples safety. Wait times are also absurd they have 1 person working in the front, stood in the sun for nearly an hour

All water slides were amazing what did i not like about it i like the wave pool so fun so amazing…read morerecommend for evreyone

I've always been to Deussen park from my childhood age and I still go now. They have made such a…read moregreat improvement and it's still a great park spot. We like this dog spot for our puppy. I forgot to take the picture of the river area but it's a nice relaxing spot.

Very pretty! I love that they have many trees and a big space to use your bicycle. The people are…read morefriendly and it's also a great spot to fish and/ or have parties! Love the green space to play sports like soccer and the courts to play volleyball and basketball!

This is a well maintained unique park with playground structures for big kids and two smaller…read moreplayground structures for smaller kids. Bathroom facility on site, parking spaces by the road, and a walking path with pavilion by Burnet Bay.

Checked out Sheldon Lake State Park after seeing it nearby. It's not a fully developed park, rather…read moreit's a collection of former fish hatcheries that have been returned to nature + walking trails + wetlands. There is no entrance fee and you're able to fish from the shoreline without a fishing license. The park is open from 8am-5pm. There's only about 2 miles worth of easy, paved trails. The main attraction is their observation tower that has an elevator that took us to the top. Up there, we saw the Houston skyline, oil refineries, and the other areas of the park we can't get to by foot. There are occasionally some ranger programs that the park rangers host. Because this park is classified as a not for profit park, they don't sell any gifts or souvenirs. They do have a park stamp though if you're interested in adding to your Texas State Parks Passport stamp collection. Even though this place doesn't offer many of the bells and whistles of other parks, the free admission makes it accessible to anyone seeking to get away from the "busyness" of life.

This is one of the Texas State parks that is free without the TX State Park pass and doesn't allow…read moreindividual camping. They only have group camping onsite and the campsites are not private, but very close together. Located in an unincorporated community just right off of Beltway 8 and US-90 Highway is Sheldon, TX which isn't too far from East Houston. Sheldon Lake isn't as kept up as Brazos Bend State Park in Needville or Stephen F. Austin in San Felipe, TX (which are closer state parks near Houston worth checking out); I did notice that since the park is considered free, hooligans feel the need to vandalize educational outdated posters on the tower and carve their names into trees which serve no purpose. I had the pleasure of meeting one of the park rangers, Tori who mentioned that the park was special to her. She was going around the park to assessing things that needed to be completed and worked on. This is one of the underrated parks that is home to ecological habitats of wetlands, bottomland woods, and coastal prairies. Driving to the park on Garrett Road, to your right, you'll see Sheldon Reservior. Seeing the trees on the reservior reminded me of the bald cypress at Caddo Lakes State park in Karnack, TX. Big and sunken into the swampy waters. Climbing several stairs to get to the top of the 82-floor tower was exciting because the view was stunning. There are placemarkers on the floor that indicate at which area that you stand you can see the Houston Ship Channel, the San Jacinto Monument, Houston Skyline, bayous, and views of the park. The elevator looked to be out of commission for a while as it was boarded up. There were giant solar panels generating the Mitsubusi Generators behind the towers. The trails are flat and gravel based; they are easy to manever for able-bodied and handicapped accessible individuals. There aren't any traditional trail markers located through the park which can be a bit confusing if you have trouble with reading a maps or don't have a sense of direction due to a lack of spatial awareness, then you may get lost. Not to worry because the park is very small and each trail isn't too long. The main trails always lead back to the parking lot. Each trail at this park doesn't extend past 0.8 miles. Unlike many others TX State parks, the Civilian Conservation Corps didn't build anything on-site at Sheldon Lake. This is definitely not one of my favorite state parks within our state that I've visisted, but it isn't bad to come here for a quick hike and to relax. It wasn't very crowded like it would be at Enchanted Rock located in Fredricksburg, TX or even Inks Lake in Burnet, TX. The park is very simple and needs some extra work to make it shine like the other TPWD parks.