Houston and its surroundings offer a wealth of opportunities for nature-lovers to enjoy the outdoors, with plenty of places for hiking, biking, paddlesports and boating, wildlife-watching, birding and photography both within the city itself and nearby.
The Houston Arboretum is a popular option for in-town outdoor recreation, and the Houston Zoo (located inside of Hermann Park) is another visitor highlight. For a more unique nature-based attraction, visit the Cockrell Butterfly Center at The Houston Museum of Natural Science, with its three-story walk-in rainforest butterfly habitat.
Neighborhood: Pasadena
Address: 8500 Bay Area Boulevard, Pasadena, TX 77507
Website: abnc.org
This 2500-acre nature reserve encompasses wetland forest, prairie and marsh habitats, with 5 miles of hiking trails, a visitor center and 19th-century farm site, and other a variety of other nature-oriented activities including kayak tours, boat tours, safari tours, and guided after-dark hikes.
Neighborhood: Memorial
Address: 440 Wilchester Boulevard, Houston, TX 77079
Website: houstonaudubon.org
This small, approximately 18-acre wildlife sanctuary, managed by Houston Audubon, offers birding, opportunities for wildlife photography and short walking trails.
Educational programs are also offered. They are held in the sanctuary’s historic 1932 Moore Log House, which has the distinction of being the only log cabin in Houston still standing in its original location.
Neighborhood: Washington Avenue Coalition/Memorial Park
Address: 4501 Woodway Drive
Website: houstonarboretum.org
Located inside of Houston’s Memorial Park, the 155-acre Houston Arboretum is a nature sanctuary offering miles of hiking trails through recreations of different ecosystems (including woodland, wetland, savanna and prairie), featuring a wide range of native plants and wildlife.
The nature center displays information about the different habitats represented in the arboretum and the animals that can be found there (with some live exhibits), and there are also frequent events and special programs for adults, children and families.
Neighborhood: Northwest Houston
Address: 20215 Chasewood Park Drive, Houston, TX 77070
Website: pct3.com/KMP
This small, 80-acre wildlife preserve is centered around a lake and offers trails, fishing piers, canoe launch, and picnic and camping facilities.
Neighborhood: Northeast Houston
Address: 14140 Garrett Road, Houston, TX 77044
Website: tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/sheldon-lake
Created around a former fish hatchery, this state park offers 2 miles of accessible trails, fishing and kayaking on the lake, nature watching (with an accessible observation tower and boardwalk) and ranger programs.
Neighborhood: Medical Center Area
Address: 6200 Hermann Park Drive, Houston, TX 77030
Website: houstonzoo.org
Houston’s zoo is one of the most-visited zoos in the United States. Located inside Hermann Park, it is home to hundreds of species of animals from across the world, including endangered and some more unusual animals.
Neighborhood: Medical Center Area
Address: 5555 Hermann Park Drive, Houston, TX 77030
Website: hmns.org/cockrell-butterfly-center/
Located inside of The Houston Museum of Natural Science but visitable as a separate attraction, the Cockrell Butterfly Center’s main attraction is its three-story walk-through rainforest butterfly habitat, with as many as 2000 butterflies representing dozens of different species.
Museum exhibits feature preserved specimens of many other varieties of arthropod and information on pollinator gardening.
Location: Northeast of Houston
Website: https://www.nps.gov/bith/index.htm
Big Thicket National Preserve – well over 100,000 acres spread over a wide area accessed via several units – offers a range of ecosystems including wetland and forest environments.
Activities include hiking along the 40 miles of trails, camping, paddle sports (including along official paddle trails), ranger programs, wildlife-watching and photography, fishing and hunting, and horseback riding.
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Location: South of Houston
Address: 2022 County Road 227, Freeport, TX 77541
Website: fws.gov/refuge/brazoria
This huge, 44,000+ acre coastal wildlife refuge situated in the rear of Christmas Bay, preserves extensive coastal estuary and coastal prairie environments. Activities at the refuge include hiking and biking trails, fishing and hunting, and a visitor center with boardwalk.
Photography and wildlife-watching are also popular activities, with 300 species of birds visiting the refuge at various times of the year. There is also a 7.5-mile drive along which you can view wildlife from the comfort of your vehicle.
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Location: Southwest of Houston
Address: 21901 FM 762, Needville, TX 77461
Website: tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/brazos-bend
Large, almost 5000-acre nature area featuring several lakes and extensive hiking and biking trail network exploring bottomland and upland coastal prairie ecosystems.
Brazos Bend State Park offers camping facilities, bird- and wildlife-watching, a nature center and observation tower, ranger programs and other activities. The George Observatory (part of the Houston Museum of Natural Science) is also located in the park.
Location: Galveston
Address: Boddeker Road, Galveston, TX 77550
Website: eastendlagoon.org
This nature reserve on Galveston Island preserves nearly 700 acres of barrier island habitat, with opportunities for fishing, kayaking/paddleboarding and birdwatching. A short accessible trail with interpretive signage explores the site’s wildlife.
Location: Galveston
Address: 14901 FM3005, Galveston, TX 77554
Website: tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/galveston-island
Galveston Island State Park offers the beach, prairie and salt marsh ecosystems typical of a Gulf Coast barrier island, with hiking trails, paddling trails, observation towers, fishing, ranger programs, and tent and RV camping.
Neighborhood: Humble
Address: 21415 Cypresswood Drive, Humble, TX 77338
Website: cypresstrailsranch.com
Cypress Trails Ranch offers 1-hour to full-day horseback trail rides through forested grounds, and other equine activities, for riders of all abilities.