If you love hiking, you may be looking for some amazing places to hike in and around Houston. Luckily, there are plenty of spots to choose from, whether you want to stay right in the heart of the city or you’re willing to drive a little further out.
We’ll give you the critical information you need to know, including the trail length and the nearby facilities. We’ll also give you more details about the trail itself: whether it gets busy, if it’s dog-friendly, the difficulty level, and the wildlife you can expect to see along the way.
Places to Hike In Houston
Let’s start by taking a look at some of the incredible trails within Houston itself.
1. Buffalo Bayou Park
| Address | 105 Sabine St Houston, TX 77007 |
| Website | https://buffalobayou.org/ |
| Length | 4.8 miles for the Buffalo Bayou Loop |
| Facilities | Benches, drinking fountains, dog washing, bathrooms, bike rentals |
The famous Buffalo Bayou Park is known for being one of the most beautiful spots in the city. It’s also an excellent place to go for a hike. The Buffalo Bayou Loop is moderately challenging but not too long at 4.8 miles (about 1.5 hours for hikers with some prior experience). It’s pretty hilly, making it a more interesting challenge to try out.
It’s a beautiful trail, popular not only for hiking but biking and birding too. You’ll spot a lot of wildlife on this trail and have a beautiful view of the river.
This is a busy trail. You’ll have to look out for larger groups and mountain bikes. Try to go early, or in the late afternoon, to avoid most of the crowds. It’s a dog-friendly trail, and you’ll find several facilities here to take advantage of, including bathrooms and drinking fountains.
Once you’re done, you can enjoy the rest of what Buffalo Bayou Park has to offer. You can enjoy the beautiful Eleanor Tinsley Park, enjoy a glimpse of The Lost Lake, or hit the food trucks to refuel. There is a large parking lot at Buffalo Bayou Park, and you can download a trail map before you go.
Also Read:- 8 Amazing Parks & Trails to Run Near Houston – Our Top Picks
2. Houston Arboretum
| Address | 4501 Woodway Dr. Houston, TX 77024 |
| Website | https://houstonarboretum.org/ |
| Length | From .5 miles to 1.76 miles |
| Facilities | Self-guided audio hikes, guided nature hikes, nature shop |
The Houston Arboretum is an excellent hike for nature lovers. With several trails to choose from, the shortest is around .5 miles, and the longest is 1.76 miles. You can go for the longest, the outer loop, which will give you a good view of everything. Or, you can chain together several shorter trails that cut through the middle. The Willow Oak Trail, for example, leads onto the Blackberry Trail, and each area has its interesting highlights to look for.
With that in mind, it’s a great hiking destination for beginners. You can choose which trail you feel the most comfortable with. It’s also good for kids for this reason.
There’s a focus on wildlife here. You can pick up one of the self-guided nature hikes, which you can listen to on your phone as you walk along. These will talk you through the nature you can spot in each area. You can expect to see turtles, squirrels, birds, snakes, frogs, and more.
It does get busy here, but there’s plenty of space for people to walk here. You can bring your dog as long as you keep it on a short leash. The building at the beginning of the trail has a play area and bathrooms and is open from 9 am to 4 pm most days.
There is parking here. It’s free on Thursdays but $5 every other day of the week.
3. White Oak Bayou Trail
| Address | 2001 W 11th St Houston, TX 77008 |
| Website | https://buffalobayou.org/ |
| Length | 17 miles |
| Facilities | Benches, nearby bathrooms/restaurants, and cafes |
White Oak Bayou Trail is one of the longest continuous trails in Houston, at nearly 17 miles. It takes you through some of the most beautiful spots in the city along the White Oak Bayou. It’s pretty straightforward in terms of hills, but it’s long, so if you want to tackle the whole thing, you’ll need to set aside a few hours.
It’s pretty, located mostly in a leafy area, although occasionally you’ll have to cross an overpass. The White Oak Bayou is pretty, and you’ll enjoy the relative peacefulness of this trail. Plus, you can enjoy some gorgeous city skyline views, too.
This is a popular trail, so it does get busy, but there’s plenty of space to walk or bike here. You can bring your dog if you want to. The trail itself doesn’t have specific bathrooms or places to grab food or water, but you can dip out of the trail at several points to find facilities.
There’s only one parking spot at the start point of the trail, so that’s something to bear in mind.
4. Hershey Hike and Bike Trail
| Address | 15200 Memorial Dr, Houston, TX 77079 |
| Website | https://www.traillink.com/trail/terry-hershey-park-hike--bike-trail/ |
| Length | 10.7 miles |
| Facilities | Bathrooms, dog drinking fountains, playgrounds, drinking fountains |
Hershey Hike and Bike Trail is a moderately difficult trail, taking an east-west journey along the Buffalo Bayou. At 10.7 miles, it’s one of the longer hikes on this list, and it connects to the George Bush Hike and Bike Trail at the west end.
It’s a pretty trail, with plenty of shade from trees, which will give you some relief on a hot day. It’s fairly easy to traverse, so it’s a popular destination for biking.
It’s fairly popular, but you should be able to walk around other groups of people fairly easily. You can bring a dog on a leash; there are dog water fountains to use along the way. There are bathrooms and a playground along the way, too.
You can park at one of three parking lots: Highway 6 (at the west end of the trail), Beltway 8 (at the east end of the trail), and Dairy Ashford Road (mid-trail).
Also Read: 8 Amazing Dog Parks in Houston (Indoor and Outdoor)
Places to Hike Around Houston
If you want to go a little further out, there are some excellent trails to choose from.
1. Lone Star Hiking Trail and Little Lake Creek Trail at Sam Houston National Park
| Address | 394 Fm 1375 Rd New Waverly, TX 77358 |
| Website | http://www.fs.usda.gov |
| Length | 13.79 miles |
| Facilities | Parking |
Sam Houston National Park is beautiful. It has several trails to choose from, but one of the most popular is the Lone Star Hiking Trail/the Little Lake Creek Trail. It’s around a 4.5-hour hike, and it’s moderately challenging, with a few uphill areas and some fallen logs to climb over.
This trail is popular for birding and camping as well as hiking. You can expect to see tons of wildlife, including deer and birds. There’s a lot of foliage so that you can find a bit of comfort in the shade on a super hot day.
This trail does get busy, so you’ll need to go at quieter times of the day if you want to avoid the crowds. Hunting is permitted here, so you’ll need to be careful during hunting season (November to January). You can bring your dog on this trail, too.
You won’t find bathrooms or water-drinking fountains here, so you’ll need to gear up: take your backpack with snacks and plenty of water, and be prepared to use the bathroom outdoors! However, there is a parking lot here, which is free to use.
2. Galveston Island State Park Trail
| Address | 14901 FM 3005 Galveston, TX 77554 |
| Website | https://tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/galveston-island |
| Length | 2.17 miles |
| Facilities | Parking, nearby museum, restaurants, etc |
Galveston Island State Park Trail is an excellent hike for birdwatchers. At 2.17 miles, it’s a good trail for any skill level, although it gets swampy and flooded occasionally. Again, we’d recommend wearing full-length hiking pants for this one.
There is a wide variety of wildlife to spot here. You can find crabs and crawfish, many species of birds, snakes, and small fish. It’s an exciting trail if you want to spot different creatures, and it’s a good trail for families for this reason.
It gets busy here, but you’ll still find some peaceful moments early or later in the day. You can bring your dog as long as you keep it on a short leash.
There’s not much along the trail in terms of facilities, but there’s a lot to do in Galveston Island in general. You can enjoy some seafood, check out a dolphin tour, and enjoy go-karting or just a peaceful stroll through the gardens. You’ll have to pay a $5 entry fee per person.
Also Read: The 6 Most Beautiful Gardens in Houston
Lake Livingston State Park is a great day out for a variety of reasons. The loop trail comes in at 1.6 miles and is a pretty gentle trail, so it’s suitable for all experience levels.
There’s a lot to spot here. You can find small mammals (armadillos, raccoons, opossums, and squirrels), fish, and birds. It’s a great spot to go for birding, and because it’s pretty short, it would make a great day out for families.
It’s a busy park, but there’s a lot of space, so you should be able to pass people easily. You can bring your dog, as long as you keep it leashed.
There’s a lot to do in the park once you’ve walked the loop. You can go boating using their self-service rental boats, you can swim in the lake (watch out for alligators), and you can even camp out here if you want to make it a weekend trip.
The park store sells souvenirs, water, food, and ice and is open from Wednesday-Sunday. There are restrooms at the campsites, too.
3. Lake Livingston State Park
| Address | 300 Park Road 65, Livingston, TX 77351 |
| Website | https://tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/lake-livingston |
| Length | 1.6 miles |
| Facilities | Park store, rest stops, swimming, boating, fishing |
Lake Livingston State Park is a great day out for a variety of reasons. The loop trail comes in at 1.6 miles and is a pretty gentle trail, so it’s suitable for all experience levels.
There’s a lot to spot here. You can find small mammals (armadillos, raccoons, opossums, and squirrels), fish, and birds. It’s a great spot to go for birding, and because it’s pretty short, it would make a great day out for families.
It’s a busy park, but there’s a lot of space, so you should be able to pass people easily. You can bring your dog, as long as you keep it leashed.
There’s a lot to do in the park once you’ve walked the loop. You can go boating using their self-service rental boats, you can swim in the lake (watch out for alligators), and you can even camp out here if you want to make it a weekend trip.
The park store sells souvenirs, water, food, and ice and is open from Wednesday-Sunday. There are restrooms at the campsites, too.
4. Lost Pines Trail at Bastrop State Park
| Address | 100 Park Road 1A, Bastrop, TX 78602 |
| Website | https://tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/bastrop |
| Length | 7.08 miles |
| Facilities | Store, portable restrooms, fishing, swimming |
The Lost Pines Trail is a fantastic way to view the Bastrop State Park. It’s moderately difficult, taking around 2.5 hours to complete. It can be difficult to navigate, so don’t forget to plan your route. It’s pretty steep in some areas, too, and it’s rocky and sandy in places.
It’s a popular spot, so it does get busy, but you’ll find some quiet, peaceful moments at the less busy times of day (think early morning or late afternoon). You can spot deer, rabbits, woodpeckers, opossums, armadillos, and the endangered Houston toad. You can bring your dog here, but they must be leashed.
While you’re in the park, you can enjoy other activities, including boating, swimming, and fishing, and you can camp overnight if you want to turn it into a weekend-long event. There are temporary bathrooms here, with other facilities being rebuilt.
To Sum Up…
We hope this has helped you to find your next hike in (or around) Houston! With so many amazing places to choose from, why not try them all?
You can keep exploring Houston by checking out our guides, like the 24 Best Places to Take Pictures in Houston, the Top 10 Places to Go Rock Climbing in Houston (Indoor and Outdoor), and the 10 Best Skyline Scenic Views in Houston, TX.