Brazos Bend State Park, a 5,000-acre gem on the Upper Texas Coast, is just 40 miles from downtown Houston and offers a wide variety of activities for every age: biking, fishing, hiking, birding, camping, star-gazing, and opportunities to learn about Texas’ bountiful natural history via free programs and guided hikes.

The park’s scenic terrain has been carved gently over time by the vigorous Brazos River, which marks its eastern boundary. Fragments of the ancient coastal prairie survive here as do dense bottomland hardwood forests and extensive marshes, making ideal habitats for the American alligator and a rich diversity of other reptiles, amphibians, and mammals. The park is an important refuge for birds, with more than 300 species recorded, and wildflowers abound during the warmer months, drawing a wealth of butterflies.

Park features:

• Hiking, biking and equestrian trails
• 8 lakes (fishing license not required in the park)
• Interpretive hikes and natural history programs
• Nature Center
• Wildlife observation
• George Observatory
• Campsites and day-use facilities 

 NATURE CENTER