If you want QUICK access to some beautiful hiking trails - this is it! Literally out the front door…read moreof the city - but it doesn't take much to get absorbed into the forest and forget the nearby town! The northern part is much more open and home to several woodpeckers.

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).

The preserve itself is fascinating enough...but my destination inside the preserve is supposedly…read morethe most haunted road in Texas! The preserve is seriously huge. I only visited a small part in particular but spent about 30-40 minutes driving THROUGH the preserve to get to the part I visited lol! But it's a gorgeous drive regardless! The preserve is really a fascinating phenomenon in and of itself...biologists have identified at least 8-10 different ecosystems existing all within the preserve....harmoniously! Of particular interest to me was the Ghost Road Scenic Drive (AKA Bragg Rd). It's an 8 mile stretch of dirt road that falls between Hwy 787 in Saratoga, Tx and Hwy 1293 in Bragg, Tx. It's famous for the haunting Saratoga Mystery Lights, among other ghostly and mysterious sightings and is reportedly the most haunted road in Texas! It's actually a "public park" in Hardin County...but this is no "park"...it's a surreal dirt road that's like driving through a creepy, never-ending tunnel surrounded by swamps and clearings. I saw an abandoned wheelchair and flashes of lights that made my stomach swim with butterflies! But they all turned out to be cars haha! So I didn't end up seeing any spirits or ghosties...but it was an interesting experience! I highly recommend you have a decent set of tires for it though bc there are lots of potholes and mud...Tropical Storm Hanna had just been through and it was nasty weather!

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.

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?

Their trails are like a maze. There are a lot of well-maintained trails packed into the forest and…read moreSpring Creek shores. Our hiking group, Houston Area Trails and More, got 9.96 miles of hiking out of an afternoon visit and we still hadn't done all of them. The terrain varied between sand and dirt. For Houston standards, the trails had wide elevation changes. The trails in the forest had a lot of shade. There is a lake where several people were fishing. On the trails we also ran into lots of locals. We did not see any animals out there other than birds and a rabbit. The fields had wildflowers and berry plants. We parked in the parking lot off Riley Fuzzell Road. There were roughly 50? parking spots. Three police cars were also parked there. There is a building where you can get colorful maps of the maze of trails and use restrooms. I didn't see any water fountains or restrooms out in the trails.

AMAZING SPOT FOR BEGINNER HIKING I've been getting into…read morehiking since the beginning of the pandemic and this is truly the best I've visited so far. Decent and well maintained trails, tons of shade, and not crowded at all.(only saw three people while I was out for a few hours) bring water because I didn't see a refill station besides the main entrance where there's restrooms as well. Also bug spray is a MUST.

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.

Sorry but I will always refer to this by it's correct and rightful name, Anahuac National Wildlife…read moreRefuge. This is a great place to go to see life in the salt marsh east of Galveston Bay. The bird are numerous and of so many species. And besides birds there are tons of alligators, both large and small. The main attraction towards the center of the refuge is Shoveler Pond. The pond is surrounded by a 6 mile one way road and you shouldn't be in any rush to get around. The road is narrow and one way but there are pull-offs where you can stop to let someone go by or just to sit and watch the wildlife. As you stare off into the cat tails and grasses, if you wait long enough you will realize there are a myriad of creatures both big and small there. Tiny wrens red winged black birds and warblers, ducks of all kinds, rails, stilts, avocets, moorhens and then the bigger birds like egrets and herons and ibis. And then there are the alligators, sunning themselves after a mud bath. It's nice when there is a slight wind blowing as the mosquitoes can be kind of bad as the weather warms up, you might want to apply some OFF. And it can be hot and humid in the winter. I like to go in the cooler months. There is also a large boardwalk and deck area for viewing farther out in the marsh but the benches are usually covered in bird poop so be aware before sitting down. There is a shop at the entrance and it is worth a visit as well as restrooms and a butterfly garden. There is a pavilion with picnic tables but last time we were there a lot of wasps and hornets had made nests so we found another spot to have our lunch. The refuge is about half way between Winnie and High Island and a good stop if you are going to or coming from Smith Oaks Bird Refuge at High Island.

What a lovely way to spend a beautiful, clear skies winter day!…read more We loaded up the bikes, backpacks with snacks, binoculars, bug spray, clothing layers, SPF, water, hand wipes, etc, and drove out to explore this 34K acre wildlife refuge an hour or so outside of Downtown Houston. There are hiking trails, biking trails, and people exploring the wetlands from their cars. I DON'T recommend that. I mean, if you have people who are elderly or people who find it challenging to bike around, by all means - you can drive around and treat it like a drive-thru wetland experience. But my biggest rec is to take your bike and explore that way. Aside from the wetlands, we went over to the bayside to watch the sunset. There were LOADS of mosquitos, so prepare for that. And a few families were harvesting oysters. We missed some of the hiking areas and oyster bayou, but looking forward to returning earlier in the day to explore.

Wow! What a cool stop this was!…read more Did this kind of on a whim, and now I want to make time to go back when we have more daylight. There are different paths you can take, but we went on a road around and through a lake that was... well, like nothing I've ever done, honestly. Small, one-lane road, slightly elevated over the surround water... just made us feel like we were on a boat, almost. TONS of cool birds everywhere - lots of different kinds, many familiar but some not, and never in these kind of numbers - as well as a few alligators. Everything felt very well maintained, and the other vehicles on the road were taking their time - no one was impatient or tailgating. There are multiple stopping / pull-off points and there are helpful signs. There are many photo ops. There's a neat wooden walkway over the water. We barely scratched the surface of this place. And there are multiple ways in, so I look forward to hitting the "official" entry and visitor's center at some point when COVID-19 is in the rearview mirror. Very cool spot - worth checking out, especially if you're into wildlife and specifically BIRDS!

It's beautiful here! We were just taking a Sunday drive to get out of this house and saw a sign for…read morethis place. Lots to see and do, nice driving tour, hiking trails and wildlife. Just gorgeous!

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.

Today was the perfect day to go on an adventure. So husband and I drove over to Missouri City Texas…read moreto go on a walk. So best place to park is at the Missouri City YMCA. Then you can walk down to this great Edible Arbor Trail. It's called the Edible Trail as there are different trees along the way that produce fruit and nuts at different times of the year. You are allowed to pick the different fruits and nuts and eat them. Today there was no fruit nor nuts but the trees were busy blooming. This trail leads towards Murray road which is cool. There are benches along the trail which you can sit and take a rest. There is also a place for air for your bicycle. There is no water on the trail so bring your own water. Go outside and enjoy yourself.

Never been to or heard of Houston's Arbor Edible Trail? It's totally fine because I didn't either…read moreprior to this Adventure! Arbor Edible Trail- 2 mile trail that features over 50 varieties of fruit trees and bushes. All fruit picked in yours for the taking and 100% organically grown fed by Houston rains with the aid of Houston weather. Tips: Shade is few and far between, so bring a hat or an umbrella during the hot months. There is plenty of parking at Lost Creek Park. But you would need to hike 2+ miles to get to the entrance of the edible trail. There are plenty of benches so bring snack and take breaks. YOUR ALLOWED TO EAT EVERYTHING YOU PICK!