Brazos Bend State Park

Brazos Bend lies on the Brazos River in Fort Bend County, about 45 miles from downtown Houston. Its 4,897 acres were once parts of the Abner Harris and William Barrett grants and spent many years as a ranch and hunting preserve. The state bought the land from private owners in 1976, and the park opened in 1984.

It is a park of water and big trees. Oak, elm, pecan, sycamore and cottonwood shade the trails, many of them hung with Spanish moss, and lakes and marshes draw a wide range of birds. Alligators are common in parts of the park, and the park asks visitors to read its alligator safety tips before they come. Pets must stay on a short leash and out of the lakes. The paved half-mile Creekfield Lake trail crosses a wetland on a boardwalk, and thirty-seven miles of trail in all serve hikers, cyclists and riders.

In the woods stands the George Observatory, run by the Houston Museum of Natural Science since it opened in 1989. It opens to the public on Saturday nights, weather permitting, with tickets bought ahead. The park's nature center has exhibits on its three ecosystems and its reptiles.