Our group of ladies were treated to a tour of native plants around the arboretum building. We asked…read moremany questions along our tour and were given many answers to help us stock our yards with more native plants.

A beauuuutiful nature center surrounded by many trails you can take! I had a nice time looking at…read morethe exhibits inside & was a little disappointed to find there was a lack of Houston Arboretum specific merchandise to commemorate our visit. But, overall the trails were nice, everything felt lush and alive! Bring water and don't forget to pay for parking. This spot is a great escape from the city.

Beautiful preserve with a not too long trail. You see many families camping as well as fishing…read more More than one body of water. Highly recommend for families and pets looking to explore outdoors

Beautiful and well-maintained preserve right off SH249 near Vintage Park area. It has many parking…read moreareas, walking trails, and wildlife to enjoy. On our walks, we typically see cranes, turtles, hares, and many species of birds, like woodpeckers, cardinals, and blue jays. There are some nature trails as well as paved ones. Highly recommend it!

This is an awesome little slice of serenity. It's a 20-acre patch of forest. Small enough where you…read morecan't get lost but large enough to feel like you're away from the city for a brief while. I was hoping to see more wildlife like birds and such but only saw a turtle. Very random -- wasn't expecting that. Might have been unlucky or there at a less-than-ideal time for birdwatching. Nonetheless, it's a great spot for a stroll and we're lucky to have such easy access to this place. Super simple parking as it's surrounded by residential streets on all sides. You can enter the park from any side. Highly recommended for nature lovers and anyone looking to disconnect for a bit.

West 11th Street Park is a surprising gem in the heart of the Heights!…read more What to know before visiting: Bring good shoes. There were some muddy areas along the trails despite the fact that it had not recently rained in a while. The park is located in the middle of the neighborhood and there is plenty of street parking nearby. Estimated length of time to explore the park: 30 min - 1 hour The park itself is a 20-acre forested area with a ground blanketed by fallen leaves and old oak and pine trees. The park features windy trails that cross paths with each other multiple times. If the park was larger, it might be easy to get lost. However, since you can see the streets surrounding the park through the trees it's no problem keeping your orientation. Even with the streets nearby and the soft sounds of cars driving by in the background, the forest felt relaxing and quiet. We absolutely loved the self-guided Wireless Wilderness audio tour provided by the park. There are multiple signs posted throughout the park with a phone number to call and a stop number to dial to learn about the ecology of the park. There are 16 stops that we found while wandering around. Overall, this park is definitely worth a visit!

BEAUTIFUL PARK! I have lived in Houston for years and only ever scratched the surface of this…read moreBuffalo Bayou Park. It's so clean and I absolutely love all the wild flowers this time of year. This is one of the best place to bike in the inner loop with the separated biking and pedestrian trails. Connects to the heights and all major neighborhoods. A lovely place to get a walk or bike ride in on the evenings or weekends! There are quite a few manicured grass spots for picnics or to bring a book, as well as shaded areas. I have always felt very safe at this park. A 'not so hidden' gem as parking can be a little tough, but leads to not very busy trails. I never realized how beautiful this park is compared to the days I would only drive by!

The Houston Cistern at Buffalo Bayou Park is not only an amazing piece of Houston history but also…read morea wonderful structure to tour. In a city that is known for tearing down and paving over so much of our history, it is wonderful that this was saved and has been made into a place that visitors can visit and experience. I went with some friends from Kingwood on a Photo Walk of the area, we were lucky that the light and sound experience was still going on, each column in the cistern has LED lighting that changes to the tune of some aethereal music playing silently, the acoustics of the cistern make it sound so beautiful and mesmerizing. When you purchase your ticket online you choose one of the available times, upon entry they give you 30 minutes, the time passed quickly. Be ready if you are taking pictures or better yet, a video. Smart phones work great but you might consider turning off auto focus and just focusing manually if you know how because when it gets dark for a moment and then the lights come on most cameras auto focus has to search for focus so it goes in and out of focus. When you leave, there is a skateboard park up above and worth some time for taking pictures of the acrobatic skating going on.

It's so great living near to this large park. I feel safe walking mornings or evenings because it's…read moretypically at least scattered with bikers, baby carriages and dog walkers. I would love for it to have more signage. It's so large I've gotten turned around a few times and end of walking for 2-3 hours instead of just the 45 minutes I intended on. Lol.

Beautiful park and bike trail. I was here for the first time las week to see the bluebonnets that…read moreeveryone was telling me about, and I really love how the park wasn't so busy, so there are plenty of parkings. Depending on which side of the bayou, you might see different flowers/fields. I will definitely be back here again for the views when it gets cooler again outside and once bluebonnets bloom again.

Love that they have a toddler area and big kid play area. Although the big kid area is easy for…read moretoddlers to navigate. The playground looks new. Like they just replaced it. Definitely wear tennis shoes or closed toe shoes here. The trails are a good mixture of dirt and then some parts are cement. Nice fishing spot as well. Catch and release only. Be careful letting smaller kids near the pond. I have seen a kid slip and fall in. He was okay and got out, but after seeing that I keep an extra eye on my kids if we want to get close to the pond. They have a sand volleyball court. Lots of walking trails. Even behind the trees where a retention pond is. They have covered pavilions with picnic tables and bbq pits. Also love that the playground is covered and kids can play in the shade. That's a MUST for Texas parks!

Super impressed by this park!…read more They've done a really great job with adding beautiful manmade waterfalls and such. The walking trail is very pleasant. FYI: the trail is paved and stroller accessible. On the way back, we took another trail which was dirt and had no issue taking the stroller on that as well. Nice playground for kids. There are bathrooms just past the playground. I initially thought they were closed because the gate had the lock still on it (in a locked position) but luckily, someone advised me that they were actually open. So, don't go by appearances and actually tug on the door! There are two relatively small parking lots that fill up quickly but there is also street parking available.

The Clay Family Eastern Glades is, quite simply, a perfect addition to Houston's Memorial Park. It…read morestrikes as effortlessly chic yet serene. There's an unmistakable elegance to the entire space, from sweeping lawns to winding paths. It is a sophistication that feels both modern and timeless. It invites leisurely strolls, impromptu picnics, and lingering conversations that stretch into golden hour. The Eastern Glades doesn't just complement Memorial Park. They offer an escape designed for appreciation.

This is a really picturesque place that captures the biodiversity and landscapes of the piney woods…read more/ big thicket type of ecosystem. Hines lake is a beautiful landscaped lake which features a lot of cool wildlife, awesome boardwalks, and pavilions for gathering. There are gorgeous water lilies and reeds and small trees! Only a few steps away from the lake, you can enter a wetland boardwalk, this closely mimics piney woods type of landscape with lots of loblolly pines, etc. informative posters surrounding the boardwalk help tell the story of the snags, and throws, that you can observe nearby. This quick detour loops right back towards the parking lot. You can really get lost here! I love how they preserved the nature of Houston in this park and made it enjoyable to walk through.