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!

Nice park, good equipment. The nursing home on the same property is a 1 star place do not take…read moreyour loved ones there. From care to cleanliness is all subpar.

The equipment is new and well kept. It's very clean and nice . There is a concrete walking trail…read moreand a basketball court as well.

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!

My family and I visited Pirates Bay Water Park for the first time last night for the Special Pirate…read moreCelebration event. Firstly, any business that supports specials needs is already great in my book. I read reviews of the long lines, so I gave myself an extra 30 minutes to get there. It was not needed at all. Yes, the line was long, but I purchased tickets online so I didn't have to wait in line for that, and as soon as the clock struck 8pm, the line moved very quickly. We didn't wait for longer than a few minutes. My kiddos thought the wait would be long (and so did I) so they went off to the playground to kill time. Little did I know as soon as they made it, doors were opening so I had to get out of line to go get them then get at the end of the line. Even with that, I'd say it was less than two minutes of waiting. Once inside, I noticed the park was very clean. There was plenty of seating as well as tubes available. The kids opted to spend almost all of their time in the lazy river. Warning: it moves a little fast. I had trouble keeping up lol. There are regular lifeguards that are on the deck observing the kiddos, and there are guards that are actually inside the water interacting with the kids. My two boys were paired with such a sweet angel that gave them the BEST experience. Towards the end of the night, another guard joined them. The boys were on their backs racing and showing off their "tricks." The girls even took them on two of the rides (which I wouldn't have taken them as I am terrified of even the slightest thrill rides). I wish I would have gotten the girls' names as they really took care of my boys. I didn't order any food as the event was only two hours long, and we ate dinner before we left, but food was available for sale, and you also have the option of bringing your own. I brought water for everyone, but we were in the water the whole time so we didn't get to it. Next time, I'll leave it in the car so I don't have to tote anything around.

Horrible, no food allowed inside but only one person cooking for over 100 kids. Nightmare place for…read morea school trip, DO NOT GO THERE!

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.

No one, and I mean no one (in my circles) has ever referred to this park by its full name. We…read morealways just refer to it as Deussen Park. That said, Alexander Deussen was an important geologist who basically donated the land on which this park is situated. What sets this park apart from most parks in the metropolis is the expansive acreage, dark green verdant scenery, forest-like quality and its proximity to Lake Houston. Most parks in Houston have the concrete jungle as a backdrop or, in the case of Memorial Park, are located near highways or major thoroughfares. However, Deussen Park is one of those parks you can kind of disappear into and get lost in away from the chaos and everyday randomness of urban life. I've been here for BBQs and other gatherings, but would like to attend a concert here one day. If you just want to escape the big city, this is one of the best places to go.

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.