If you are looking for some easy, family friendly hiking around Houston, Jesse H Jones Nature Center is your place! The park is located along Spring Creek Greenway in northeast Harris County. Throughout the area you are sure to see several different habitats and lots of critters. I went in early May during COVID to enjoy some time outdoors with Winter and explore a new place – at least new to me.
Hiking Jesse H Jones Nature Center
Only 25 minutes from downtown Houston Jesse H Jones Nature Center makes for a great morning outing. To be honest, I have no clue what trail we actually hiked. We started walking from the main parking lot toward Spring Creek and enjoyed what we saw picking our own adventure as we went. There are several trails which lead to various beaches along the Creek – which is a great spot for fishing. Although I do not recommend swimming here you can also launch Kayaks from the nature center with an advanced reservation. There was also an area within the park where sand dunes flourished. I have a love-hate relationship with sand, but sand dunes are so unique!
The main trails are paved – for the most part. Several areas also have boardwalks over cypress swamps, which are great areas for birding. This Nature Center is designated by Texas Parks and Wildlife as a coastal birding area. I have to admit, I do not know much about bird identification. However, I know there were a lot of pretty birds here and a lot of people who seemed to know what they were doing. I have no doubt there are many more species during peak migration season. Texas is located within one of the largest bird migratory corridors.
If you are looking for a challenging hike, or to get some distance under your belt I would recommend heading to Sam Houston National Forest. Spring Creek Greenway also traverses the Nature Center. The Greenway connects to several other preserves and natural areas along Spring Creek in Harris County. This will definitely increase your distance, but this is a paved and highly trafficked trail. However, for a morning outing this was the perfect little spot. We explored for about 2 hours then headed back home.
Before you go
Due to COVID all the amenities were closed. However during normal times you can enjoy a large picnic area with playgrounds for the kids and of course the Nature Center. And have no fear, there is plenty of parking here and the park is FREE to the public. Also, check out the parks website for activities during normal operating times.
There is plenty of space to explore here. There are two main areas for hiking – East Trails and West Trail – with several mapped and named trails. With the main trails paved, Jesse H Jones Nature Center is ideal for little kids. Another thing to watch out for – there are a lot of un-mapped trails throughout the large property. The good news? It is pretty difficult to get lost here. When I visited they did not have maps to take with you while hiking. So be sure to take a photo of the trial map near the parking lot before you head out. Exploring here was a lot of fun!
The Jesse H Jones Nature Center has big plans in the future. A new conservation area, sponsored by the Bayou Land Conservancy, is opening soon and will be connected by pedestrian trails to the Nature Center. This will add a new areas to explore! Plus, the Spring Creek Greenway Trail runs through the nature center. This connects this park with several other preserves and conservation properties along Spring Creek.
Leave no trace
The environmental activist in me comes out at the end of every post. If we want to keep being able to enjoy the great outdoors, we have to take care of it! I have a bag to put all my trash in that I carry in my day pack. Using a refillable and reusable water bottle or camelbak instead of using a plastic bottle from the convenience store is a must.
When I hike with dogs, who are lucky enough to have nature as their restroom, I always carry plenty of baggies to clean up after them. Most parks don’t have trash bins along trails, so be prepared to carry it out.
Look for more posts about hiking in Houston and around Texas here. For more dog friendly hiking and camping, check out my blogs on the All Things Winter page.
sounds like another great hike!
thank you! It was an easy one but still a fun morning exploring