Love this local park in Bellaire. From the Nature Discovery Center to the Texas Birdwatching Trail, there are so many interesting finds along the woodsy walk. The Nature Discovery Center was a favorite when my kids were small. Loved the bunnies, the Wiggles and Squirms classes and summer camps. From being summer campers to junior counselors, they really learned a lot about science and nature. They even hosted a booth about eating healthy for their Girl Scout Silver Award during Pumpkin Patch one sunny October weekend. Love birding? Check out the list of bird sightings. Saw a juvenile yellow crowned night heron recently. In some cultures, this is a symbol of good luck and prosperity. Check out the turtles swimming in the small pond along the boardwalk. The park is free to visit. Parking is available both off Evergreen and Newcastle. Enjoy a walk in the woods in Bellaire. read more

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The Nature Discovery Center is situated in Russ Pittman Park. The actual nature center building has limited hours. They are only open on weekends from June - August (10am-noon). Their hours during the school year (late August - late May) are Tuesday through Thursday, 10am-noon and 4pm-6pm. The surrounding park is open 7 days a week, 5am-930pm. The park is small but lovely. There are lots of little trails that help isolate you from the road/other visitors. I was impressed at how many benches & picnic tables there were throughout the park. Lots of places to stop and rest. A charming fountain. A few signs to let you know about local flora/fauna. A playground for kids. Even if you visit when the nature center is closed, they do have some outdoor cages with animals. There was a bunny cage although I think he was hiding. Also saw a possum -- Blossom was a cutie. There was also a turtle cage but they weren't there (gone for hibernation, apparently). There was also a large cage with doves. So there are some animals to see whenever you visit. Another major plus -- they have outdoor bathrooms! They are separate from the nature center. I always have to pee so this is a big draw for me. There are two parking lots -- one at the north area (by the nature center) and the other at the south area (by the playground). The parking lots are small but if you come early, it shouldn't be an issue. I'm not sure what the street parking situation is in the area. read more

The Nature Discovery Center/Russ Pitman Park feels like an enchanted forest inside a quiet Bellaire neighborhood. Take some time away from the hustle and bustle of the city life to experience a 4-acre pocket oasis within Houston! Should I call this park Nature Discovery Center or Russ Pitman Park? From the signs posted inside the park, Nature Discovery Center and Russ Pitman Park seem to be interchangeable. The Nature Discovery Center is a nonprofit organization that hosts nature-based programs. Their office is located within the larger Russ Pitman Park. Unfortunately, we didn't get a chance to check out the Center during our first visit here. The Center closes at 5:30pm daily and is closed on Mondays. The park itself contains multiple trails that meander through 4 natural Houston habitats: Pocket Prairie, Deciduous Woodland, Prairie Wetland, and Cypress Pond. Each area is labeled with a thorough graphic that includes information on the typical plant and animal life living there. Multiple informational graphics are posted within the park Expect to see countless wildlife when exploring! There were birds chirping, squirrels exploring, and plenty of plant life to see on a spring evening when we visited. There's also a couple of animal pens that provide homes to birds, bunnies, and turtles! The park is perfect for families with children. The kids will definitely enjoy the playground located inside of the park and the animals! If you're looking for more to do, just take a short walk across Evergreen Street to Evergreen Park. This nearby park offers access to another playground (including a fun zipline) and a community swimming pool. read more

this is a small park. it's nice with a decent variety in scenery. pond and nice plants. read more

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Incredible outdoor recreation area and I'm especially fond of how totally incredible the residents are. My daughter spotted 2 gorgeous poodles that resembled her favorite "Barbie" dogs and she asked if she could take a picture without hesitation their owner was super kind to oblige. There's tons of play equipment for kids of all ages not to mention the neat zipping and before our journey all the way home they even had a clean portocan which is major convenience you don't see at every park so I was grateful! Fantastic place to bring the family thank you all for being so incredible! read more

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Great neighborhood park that you sometimes might me to bring bug spray for the mosquitoes. Always an adventure with a little ones. Why don't wonderful place to picnic on the weekends or walk in a nice shady area. Recommended by some of my other Yelp friends. A treasure Gem that Is in the heart of Bellaire read more

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I must thank Danielle S for finding this gem. She basically has addressed all of the pluses about this wonderful park. It's a huge park with nice trails and lots of vegetation. The only thing I can add is there is actual poison ivy in this park so please BEWARE. They are clearly marked but just in case you don't notice just stay on the trails and enjoy the scenery instead of trying to picking stuff up. There are also 2 playground pieces for the kiddos and 3 tennis courts across the street. read more

Russ Pitman Park - Parks Near Me - Bellaire, Texas

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Russ Pitman & The Nature Discovery Center are great little gems hidden in the middle of Bellaire (ITL). Situated at the corner of Evergreen and Newcastle, the park is just over 4 acres and includes nice swing sets, jungle gyms and climbing areas for kids, a walking trail complete with labeled trees, flowers & plants, and the Nature Discovery Center building. The park itself is opened daily from 6 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. and the Nature Discovery Center every day except Mondays and major holidays (see website for hours). Until recently, I had not visited the park in at least five years. The trails were much smaller than I had remembered, and a bit overgrown too. I remember in the past there were many more clearly labeled trees and plants. I learned the park is currently in transition as they intend to plant more native varieties, so that may explain why some labels were missing or incorrect. However, they do need to spend some time weeding and tidying up the garden as it was a bit difficult to tell how much is planned garden and how much was just weeds. Also worth mentioning, is the fact there is poison ivy growing along the trail, but it is clearly marked and you should be fine as long as you stay on the path. You don't need to plan an entire day here as the entire trail can be walked in about 15-20 minutes, even quicker if you are legitimately walking and not just meandering. However, if you wish to spend a couple of hours, there are several picnic tables under the gazebos and benches throughout the trail where it is nice to sit and watch the world around you. Like with other parks, the tables and benches are first-come-first-served. However, the gazebos may also be rented out for parties with advanced notice and a small rental fee. They also offer activity time for kids and scheduled guided walking tours of the park for those interested in bird-watching or generally learning more about the park. With free entry into both the park and the NDC, as well as free parking, Russ Pitman is worth your time. read more

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This park is geared more towards younger and more imaginative/adventurous children (2-6 years old). I came here because I read in a blog that they had a pre-walker setup. My little man is crawling and loves to stand, but this is not the best place for it to be honest. This particular park is very earthy and in touch with nature. It has a small private parking area, bird houses, and informational signs for trails. The fauna are not people shy. While we were there, we saw some squirrels ransack a stroller. The sandbox area is very haphazard and there are random logs and bamboo stalks strewn everywhere. They have toys available to children to play, but they are in rough shape. I'm personally not a fan of wood-chips (i.e. splinters) and this park has them under the play structure and swings. The play structure is in good shape, has descent shading, but is fairly simple. I love that they have infant swings, but they get quite a bit of sun. My little one enjoyed being pushed back and forth, but I did not feel comfortable letting him explore on his own. This park is best suited for a guided nature tour more so then a quick spot to go to for little ones to burn up energy. FYI, there is a park for older children right across the street. It can get confusing if you type the address in to your GPS. read more

Family, family, family. That's what this park and the surrounding neighborhood are all about. Safe and age appropriate activities. Meet neighbors, have parties. BPR gets it done! read more

This is a gem of a park. It's nice and quiet with a lot of activities for the kids. I think you can rent this out for events such as birthdays. My son loves to play in the sandbox and with the rabbit near the house. They have a few '"short trails" to walk around. Also they have lot of different types of vegetation. Watch out for mosquitoes, but that is every area in Houston. read more

We visited Russ Pitman Park specifically to attend a class about foraging & identifying edible wild plants. The class was fun and informative. The park staff was great. It's a very small park, but they do their best to fill it with interesting things to look at. read more

Really cute park for the kiddos. Playground and they have a pool with lifeguards. It's small but still nice. Very clean and stays open late which is perfect because that's when it cools down during the summer. read more

Russ Pitman Park - Cute park for the kiddos. They have a pool too. - Parks Near Me - Bellaire, Texas

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It is sooo quiet, you can hear birds singing and chirping. They have a kiddies park, swing, sandbox. You can read a book in here or just relax and observe. They have picnic tables and you can bring in food and drinks. Indoors they have little live animals. Snakes, hamsters,turtles, and more. No dogs or alcohol allowed. You can enjoy a quiet time alone or with friends. I had a great time. Love it. read more

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Very well-kept and interesting neighborhood park that is a superb place for birdwatchers during migration season. I easily had a wonderful half-dozen or so experiences there this past birding season. Staff is knowledgeable and helpful. read more

Fun little place to walk around and explore. I want to come back and take some family pictures here. They also have an activity/story time for kids Wednesdays at 4. It didn't even feel like we were in the middle of Houston while we were walking around the trails - hardly any people around. Great for families. read more

Lots for the kids to do at this park. They love the sandbox, jungle gym, walking trails, and fish pond. Great place for them to get a little dirty and explore nature. read more

A garden oasis inside the loop puts you in a grassy knoll just as it was hundreds of years ago. Well kept trails, native plant and wildlife and swings for the kids. Bing a camera and some bug spray and have fun. read more