It's so great living near to this large park. I feel safe walking mornings or evenings because it's typically 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. read more

Terry Hershey Park - One of the little bridges - Parks Near Me - Houston, Texas

Beautiful park and bike trail. I was here for the first time las week to see the bluebonnets that everyone 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. read more

Terry Hershey Park - Parks Near Me - Houston, Texas

*This review specifically pertains to the DAIRY ASHFORD ENTRANCE/PARKING AREA as well as hiking with a baby stroller.* DAIRY ASHFORD ENTRANCE/PARKING AREA: It was easy to park as it was a large area and we had no issue finding a spot (on a Saturday afternoon). From this area, you can access two different stroller-friendly trails that both run along the Bayou: The Robin Trail and the Quail Trail. The Robin Trail is accessible right from the parking lot. The Robin Trail is serene and has a remote feel. The Quail Trail is the main trail that runs through the park. To access it from this parking area, you have to turn right to walk alongside the road (Dairy Ashford Rd.) for a few feet, and turn right onto the Quail Trail. Basically, you have to cross the Bayou. The Quail Trail is lovely but feels less remote than the Robin Trail. You will see houses on one side and will encounter lots of bikers (be careful and pay attention). I'd honestly recommend doing both trails, if you have the time. We did the Robin Trail (turned back at the Robin Loop) and a portion of the Quail Trail (turned back at Kirkwood) and it was a nice 2.5 miles. I'd recommend this route for any parents looking for a nice day outing. Overall, this is a lovely park. Great for feeling like you're away from the city at certain spots. Please note that there are multiple entrances/parking areas. I'd recommend doing your research so you can choose the best one for you. Here is a map for reference: https://www.pct3.com/portals/45/docs/map/terry-hershey-park.pdf. read more

It's a very nice big park. My first time visiting it and definitely will go back. Bluebonnets are ready! Stop by and take photos before too late. Here is the drop pin of the address. Hopefully it helps. https://maps.apple.com/?ll=29.772607,-95.628670&q=Dropped%20Pin&t=m read more

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This review is for the Terry Hershey Park's Hike and Bike trail specifically because that's the main attraction and it's not really a park per se. The trail follows Buffalo Bayou from the Beltway west (between Memorial and Briar Forest) all the way to Hwy 6. As is the case with other paths, I HIGHLY recommend you go to google maps and look at the path so you get an idea. It's easy to get turned around when you're on a long path. In total, a one way trip is 8.4 Miles if you follow the path without cheating, but you can cheat and cut it 7 miles if instead of looping around near the I-10 parking lot (near Eldridge and the little outdoor gym) and just go straight through but come on...you're there to exercise so just get that extra mile in... If you want to get in even more, the west side trail will lead you to the George Bush Park Hike and Bike trial where you'll go around all the flood dams. This is an awesome trail for hiking and biking because there is tree cover for almost the whole way so the sun won't kill you the way it would on the White Oak Bayou trail (which I also love, see other review). If you're driving there, from what I saw, there are 3 official parking spots- HWY 6 on the west side, the I-10 parking (somewhere near eldridge) and all the way by the beltway under the bridge. I have no idea which one is safer- if it had to guess, I'd say I-10. There are also a lot of escape routes/points of entry if you have to cut your hike short or you live in that area and just want to bike there - you can get out at Wilcrest, Dairy Ashfort, Eldridge, Memorial (when it gets close to I-10), etc. so it never hurts to have a Q-Card for the bus in case you have to. Again, look at the map and have your phone and GPS. A few bad things - you're right by the bayou so some parts stink. There are also mosquitoes and bugs, especially at night. I had bugs go in my eyes a few times. The water fountains are blocked too due to Covid so bring lots of water. The other thing is that there are a lot of twists and turns and even a little elevation (at least by Houston standards) so remember there are walkers on the trail too and a lot of them are absolutely oblivious to their surrounding. I've seen people walking 4 across and blocking the whole way. I've seen dogs on one side on a leash and the owner on the other side. It gets dark faster there too due to trees so bring a flashlight or headlight if you're on a bike. read more

Terry Hershey Park - The start of the trail from HWY 6...this is looking towards the west and George Bush trail - Parks Near Me - Houston, Texas

This is such a beautiful park! I have been here 3 times since discovering it and I am SSSOOOOO happy I found it. Just a few pointers. . .if you want to run in the sun, head West and do not go under the bridge. If you want a nice shaded run, out of the Texas sun. . .go East, under the bridge, crossing under Hwy 6. read more

Terry Hershey Park - Parks Near Me - Houston, Texas

Ant hills are back with a vengeance. People have rebuilt the trails and added some serious mountain bike jumps, twists and turns. I can tell you they are no joke and not for the faint of heart. I consider myself an average rider and had to walk through some of the stuff like a wuss. Start at the bridge on Eldridge b/w memorial and enclave and go east all the way to Dairy Ashford. You can park at the little shopping center on the corner of Enclave and Eldridge. I don't trust the park parking lots because people are breaking into cars. If you don't have a bike they are great to walk or run also. read more

Great place to check out the outdoors. A little bit of a drive from central Houston 25-30 minutes but a great trail along the river. Not very well shaded so can be very humid in the summer but mild in the fall and winter. There are lots of dogs and bikers here! read more

Terry Hershey Park - Parks Near Me - Houston, Texas

The trails are nice and people walk-in down the trails are friendly. Walked my dog down the trails. Make sure you don't wear headphones that cover your ear. There are several cyclists going fast and will shout out a heads up so if you have earbuds in you might get hit. I didn't so I pulled my dog to the side when they would speed by after giving me the heads up. The views are nice however I did not see the public library box and also the bluebonnet flowers were not yet bloomed in the field. I walked 35 min to see a field pretty much empty. Overall a good place to walk your dog and see the bayou. read more

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This park is absolutely beautiful. I can't believe I came in sandals. I should have brought my rain boots for that mud! I only walked 3.5 miles here today. I'm sure I haven't even seen a fraction of what the park has to offer. I was busy looking at all the beautiful greenery. There's so many places I took mental pictures to come back to for a nice picnic. This park has a lot of open land so bring sun screen and bug repellent. You definitely need it! read more

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Great place for rides and taking your kids and dog. Usually friendly crowd. Good trails and tons of options. read more

Terry Hershey Park - Parks Near Me - Houston, Texas

What's not to like. It's perfect for running, walking, biking, and families. I like and prefer cemented paths which you'll find here. It's clean. Very scenic, especially if you love or feel at one with nature like I do. There is a combination of shaded and non-shaded paths. I've been going for years and consider this place to be quite safe. Parking is plentiful. There are multiple entry points. My favorite is the one on south I-10 service drive just west of Eldridge. It's not as packed as the one on Memorial because you can easily miss it if you're not looking and a inconvenience to turn around. If you prefer hills while biking or running then you may think this trail is flat. read more

Terry Hershey Park - Below the bridge - Parks Near Me - Houston, Texas

Never had been here before, we were just passing through Houston and decided to pull over once we saw how pretty and big it was. Very well maintained with nice restrooms, playground equipment and a nice bike/walk trail. A couple of really nice inclines as well as water all around you, with ducks a geese. Glad we stopped. read more

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this is a must if in the area for nature people! really nice walking loops and variety in scenery for its size --would recommend stopping by & exploring read more

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What I love about Terry Hershey Park is that it's not as popular as Memorial Park, Hermann Park, or even Eleanor Tinsley Park as they are all inside the loop. This is a good thing because there's less traffic (both foot and bike) so it means bikers have more room to bike to share the path with runners/joggers/walkers. The park itself is about 6 miles follow along the western part of Buffalo Bayou. A bit of history on who Terry Hershey is, she was a conservationist who fought against the city on making sure banks of Buffalo Bayou does not turn into just concrete pavement. There are many entrances to this park and it stretches all the way from Beltway 8 to Highway 6. The beauty of this is that you can start anywhere or go any direction for your own desire of exploration. Along the park path there are pull-up bars, monkey bars, and for you to do dips, etc. There's plenty of benches for you to rest and small up and down 'hills' so you won't feel like you're just going on a flat path. Another thing is that there's also splits for you to go different routes as well. Now I lived on the west side of Houston pretty much all my life, including during the hurricane Harvey in 2017. The reason I brought this up is that just like any park that follows along Buffalo Bayou, when heavy rain weather strikes Houston, Terry Hershey Park will simply be underwater. Even when the water receded, the grimes and dirts will be covered along the paved path and sometimes the foul smell will linger. Again, this is the downs for a park right next to a water way that's for draining addicks so the water can go into the Gulf of Mexico but the ups is that it's a great place of nature right in my backyard. What I love about Terry Hershey Park is that I do feel like I'm in the nature, for me to reset myself. You can hear various birds sound and insect noise. Sometimes, you may even see peacocks from the nearby neighborhood that would come to this park every now and then. I have biked and run here a lot and I will keep coming here. City of Houston have been slowly constantly updating this park as well and I can't wait to see what else they will put in here. I am hoping they would use one of the big lands and turn it into a fenced in dog park but that's a hopeful thought. read more

I came out on a gorgeous Pi Day to check out the future location of a 5K. I agree with all fellow Yelpers in that the bikers and joggers are friendly and the park is well maintained. My only gripe is the doggy doo that I saw throughout the park. Dang! Watch your step! This place really does transport you to a forest getaway, all the while you are smack dab in the energy corridor. With so many entrances to the park and ample parking, I can see this place on my schedule more often! read more

Terry Hershey Park - Map - Parks Near Me - Houston, Texas

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Amazing. Been looking for a trail to go cycling on and I've found my place. The path is nicely paved. I went during the day so I didn't get the pack of joggers. I really love this path because it makes you feel somewhere else. You wouldn't believe you were in a city like Houston if you looked around. Trees galore and nature at it's finest. Peaceful place just to get away from the stressful city life. What I love most about this path is that it's NOT flat. Hills do suck but these are SMALL rolling hills. It gives you some hill training but doesn't wear you out. And with every uphill there's a nice downhill. This path is also curvy at points. I'm still a rookie at riding so curves scare me but I do enjoy the thrill. There are cops that cycle through the area if you are worried. There doesn't seem to be any lights so I wouldn't ride at night. I wouldn't run on this because there's no give I would rather run at memorial or rice. But as far as bike trails to this point it's in a league of it's own. I want to be able to ride all the way out to george bush park. Until then the review ends between beltway and elridge. read more

Terry Hershey Park - Parks Near Me - Houston, Texas

A rather large yet cozy park smacked in the middle of the energy corridor. There are various entrances to reach this park; & yet each entrance happens to guide you through a unique path. I love the large stretched out corridors here. These are tunnels that are full of trees that stretch so far out into various pathways and bridges. Great for those that are joggers or bicyclists. I find myself mostly walking here and yet I can't seem to finish the trail. It's easy to get lost here as well. Lol. Unless you spot a map or something. As mentioned, the trails are long and unwinding. I had always known about this park yet its entrances were mysterious, and easily missed. Frequently visiting and being near the beltway, I was able to spot one of the main entrances and that was it. I've been a frequent stroller here for the past 2 years. This park seems to have been here forever; I hope it stays & that it continues to preserve itself within the midst of the concrete jungle. There are vast neighborhoods tucked within the corners of some of the pathways. One of the neighbors decorated a bench and left a mini library outside so walkers can grab books & leave a book as well. It's these little things that are precious & that have made this park ever so charming. I love visiting in Autumn and Spring in particular. Last year I spotted a field of yellow flowers. Just nothing but pure yellow gold all around, as if the sun had dipped its beams into the earth. Support local parks, walk, bike or jog. Or bring your fluffy best friend. Just move a bit and you'll be good! Toodles! read more

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Nice urban park in Houston. The path is paved and there are some trees providing a little shade along the way. A few benches were scattered along the path too. Plenty of walkers and some bikers present. It felt pretty safe in the daytime. If you are in the Energy Corridor area, and want to take a walk, go here. read more

++If you love nature and being outdoors. then this is the place for you! Awesome fun for the whole family! With their playground for the kiddos! Plenty of trails and sights to see! I definitely recommend you coming here. read more

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Huge park that sprawls throughout the westside of town. Excellent for hiking. The trails are gorgeous, particularly during early spring when the wildflowers start to bloom. read more

Terry Hershey Park - Terry Hershey trail, not too far off from the "ant hills". - Parks Near Me - Houston, Texas

It's a nice park for a morning run! A lot of space for other activities as well such as biking and hiking!

My very first time visiting this park was earlier today and I'm making this a regular from now on. It was perfect for an end-of-the day unravel and it was surprisingly quiet for that time of the day - right before sunset. You can truly feel you are in nature on your own if you go through the non-paved paths. Those are the trails that follow along by the water and at the time I was there, all the ducks were lined up - also unraveling for their day, I guess. Too cute! :)) It feels very peaceful and you can forget you are in a big city here. Well worth to pay a visit. read more

Loved it! Calming and plenty of space to relax alone or with family. The trail and view of running creeks were refreshing. It was the sunflowers and bridge that brought back riveting memories. I didn't want to leave, but it was the heat that encouraged me to go. Although it was a new stop for me, I will be revisiting it. read more

Very nice Place to go for a Walk Just be mine full details and cycles of so be careful that you don't walk into a bike trail read more

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The best thing about this park is that you have access to the bayou below the bridges----now you if are like me and you enjoy a good adventure climb off into the woods and start walking. You may run into some spider webs, and a sticky bush, but boy you will be having some real fun. The bayou is filled with catfish, I mean swarms of catfish and some little fish too. It also has some soft rocks--though be careful because it can get slippery off the banks. Being down there makes me re-live the days when I lived in Manvel and I had a creek behind my house. Those were the days. I sure do miss those days where I can get outta the house just to walk the creek, and find things. Discover nature at it's finest---being in the city you can hardly do that type of stuff. The adrenaline of almost falling into the bayou waters, climbing the trees to get back on land, and walking in the waters is what I love. I had such a fun time. We surely will be back. On the other hand, I bought my dog with me and I saw how much fun he was having also. He was so eager to jump into the water, and walk ahead. I've never seen him act this brave in years since we moved to Houston. Just a hint: we didn't find the entrance to this the park, so we parked our vehicle at the nearby library and walked. read more

Just finished bike riding 4 hours and it was great! We arrived at 8:30 am and temperature was 80, by the time we finished it was 90. We packed about 3 water bottles in our camel packs, oatmeal that we ate before headed out and middway through our ride we stopped at highway 6 for snack break. I'm planning to come back before its too hot and go for a run. There are plenty of spots to rest along the way, water fountains, maps for direction. read more

I may have found a good place to walk my dog Mickey at. There are the paved paths were bikers, runners, walkers, etc can go through but I like looking for the paths that aren't paved but walkable anyway so I can avoid some of those people who are going too fast on their bikes . It would've been perfect if it weren't for humans leaving their litter all over the place. Nevertheless, lots of room for my dog to walk and sniff around. read more

Terry Hershey Park - Off the beaten path - Parks Near Me - Houston, Texas

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This place is a gem! My husband and I were given a tip about it and checked it out for a walk yesterday; when we saw how long the trail is, we went out for a five-mile run today. There are wide, green meadows with wildflowers, direct access to Buffalo Bayou for paddling, and lots of path-side amenities for working out or just sitting and watching the world go by. I've been discovering parks all over this town since I moved here four months ago, and Memorial Park is too populated; George Bush is too far. This is in the middle of everything, yet delightfully, blissfully lacking the road noise and volume of people of those other parks. Also, this is clearly where all the people who are actually wanting to work out go. Perfect for running and cycling, and even walking. I can definitely see myself taking a picnic there someday, too. read more

Terry Hershey Park - The view from the entrance off of Dairy Ashford. - Parks Near Me - Houston, Texas

A lot of people have issues with getting to this park because there are so many entrances. It is nearly impossible to meet up with people here for the first time; double check your directions! The park has some nice parts to it, but there are some issues that I have with it. -A cute stream that I saw drew me closer because of the cute duck families swimming in it. As I approached the stream, I smelled sewage and the charm was gone. -A good amount of people at this park are super rude. Of course there were cute kids, families, etc. eating, playing games, and bike riding who seemed friendly. But there were a good number of middle-aged/elderly bike riders who were flatout rude as we walked on the trail. I guess they were local park goers who did not appreciate people walking on their trail. It's not a biking trail...it's a trail...and there are rules posted for runners/walkers/bicycle riders... read more

I love this place... Just go and enjoy being outdoors... Bike, walk, run... dogs, no dogs... Just get out and do something... It's too pretty of a day to be inside... NOTE: Bring some water... read more

This is a great park to take a stroll, ride your bike, and play in the sun. It can be as long or short as you like. There are many places to stop and rest or smell the flowers. There is a playground or work out area too! I really love walking on the dirt trails down by the water. There's always lots of turtles and stuff to see. Glad it's near my house! read more

Terry Hershey Park - Spring time in the park with the pups! - Parks Near Me - Houston, Texas

This is by far one of my favorite parks. The memorial entrance is beautiful: filled with gorgeous green trees, wildflowers (when they are in bloom; I've even picked some!), and shade! This entrance is more private and quiet which is a mega plus. I also really love the Beltway 8 entrance. Same as above: quiet, shady trees, beautiful trails. Rollerblading is good for the memorial entrance since the trails are smoother. If you enter the Hwy 6 location and choose the left side entrance of the trail, it is super bumpy and not really ideal for rollerblading, unless you want a massage :-). My only complaint would be that there are not enough water fountains and with this wonderful Texas heat, plenty of water fountains are a must. If you expect to be doing a long walk/run/bike/whatever, bring some water. Also, using the Beltway 8 entrance, when you first start out on the trail, you will see a bathroom. This is pretty much the only available one you will see, so take advantage. Great park for runners, walkers, biker, and rollerbladers! Even for the kiddos! Check it out. read more

Terry Hershey Park - Deep in the park (Memorial entrance) - Parks Near Me - Houston, Texas

The posted canoe signs along the bayous are inviting but, upon observation, numerous trees have fallen across the creek and on the south side of Memorial Drive at Memorial Mews Street is a concrete nightmare at the bridge. Also the canoe exit sign on Memorial Mews Steet is facing downstream - first time canoeists wouldn't know where to exit at this point as the exit sign is facing downstream. It needs to face upstream. The city of Houston would do well to create a canoe park north of I-10, and to establish pick up sites downstream. Sufficient water level control would have to be established in order for one to traverse the bayous downstream. I for one would pay to do it! read more

Parking located underneath the bridge--a lot, but not enough for a football game. Great for biking, running or taking a stroll with your pets. The trees and views are nice and the path goes on for what seems to be forever. Paths can become congested when it's busy. But everyone there was friendly and cautious to those around them. Bathroom stop available, but faucet is push-to-use.. a little difficult to use. read more

Update: A swing bench has been installed. Perfect for watching the sunset Terry Hershey Park is by far my favorite park in the city. I've been visiting this beautiful park for over 15 years and the quail trail (park at the Dairy Ashford parking lot) is particularly picturesque. Lovely bluebonnets bloom along this trail past the Jake Hershey bridge and farther along the path, headed towards Sam Houston Tollway, the park opens up into an amazing vista of lush green hills (okay vista MAY be a bit much )but it IS a really gorgeous open green field. You can stop and sit on the grass or on a bench and just admire the view. Tip: If you want to enjoy the sunset at this particular trail you need to time your walk/jog/or ride so that you are back where you parked at sunset. This path is not lit. I failed to note this during one of my walks and if I didn't have my phone on me the only light would have been from the fireflies. However, the Bluejay, Cardinal, and a portion of Mockingbird trails (accessible near the parking off Memorial drive or Highway 6 respectively) stay lit and there's a huge gazebo, a lake, and children's play area there. Around the lake, you can see (and feed) the flocks of adorable ducks . I do not enjoy cardio in gyms so for those trying to get your cardio in, you can take the Mockingbird trail to Highway 6 and get in a little cross training by running up and down the stairs. Lastly, there are ab benches, pull up bar rigs, and monkey bars throughout the park read more

Best place for biking hiking walking, you name it. It's always clean, safe, and ready to go. I love love love this park.

Came here 5 years ago and it was lovely. Just tried to go now and is it not open?! We could not get in!

To my surprise, this place is already open and beautiful after being destroyed by Harvey. Rode (bike)today, and it was spectacular! All the trails are newly paved, and new trees planted. I didn't expect this until Spring 2018...wow! Occasional crews still there, but consider it open for business. Get back out there and enjoy this great trail/park. read more

Gut-wrenching have been my days of late. Far too long have the flatlands of Suburbia tormented my soul. Too long has the sight of its subdivisions snatched the creative ability from the depths of my mind. And yes, far, far too long have the concrete suburban sidewalks stolen the strength away from my ankles. This is no review of Terry Hershey Park. Nay, this is a review of the narrow winding dirt paths on the far side of the bayou. The paths only tread by the runners with guts. The paths that connect us once again to our ancient ancestors, the ultra runners of old. Yes, I speak of the curiously named "Ant Hills" of Terry Hershey Park. A place that will always be remembered in my mind as the trails which rescued my soul from the depths of suburban hell. I regrettably hail now from Katy, a rather large suburb with near nothing to offer in trail running. I've spent my runs zig zagging up and down the rubbish ridden river which the locals refer to as the bayou. It's foul smell brings tears to my eyes. I abandoned all hope in Katy, resolving to search elsewhere. My research led me to Terry Hershey, yet with no high hopes. However, my hopes proved far too low. Compared to the absolutely dreadful topography of Houston, the Ant Hills were mountains. They climbed up and down, winding left and right through the trees. For a time, I had forgotten I was in the concrete jungle of Houston. And while forgetting one thing, I remembered another much better. Running up and down the banks of the bayou on those single track trails, something happened inside. I journeyed deep into the center of my soul, searching tirelessly for something, yet not quite knowing what. Then finally, I found it. The joy I once treasured long ago. It was the ecstasy of running. The feeling that had long laid captive by the dark suburban forces at work. There, running up and down those single tracks, I rediscovered the feeling of freedom that accompanies the trail run. It is the elation that escapes all pain and stress. It is the overwhelming gladness that convinces you that everything is just all right. It is the conviction of invincibility within. Nothing can conquer you. It is the overflowing joy that never fails to bring me back. The great Ant Hills helped me immensely that day. In many ways, they did indeed set me free... Free to once again enjoy that feeling of freedom. I can assure you, it is a great feeling. One that outmatches the feeling of any runner in the suburb, who shoves in his earbuds to gut out his 5 mile run on the concrete sidewalk and dreads it every time. The Ant Hills set me free to once again run for the joy of it. read more