Looking to get outdoors in the city? The Houston Arboretum is the perfect place to get in touch with nature only 10 minutes from downtown, and it is FREE. It is one of my favorite weekend spots when the weather is gorgeous and I do not want to drive far. With several miles of well maintained trails and boardwalks through native wetland and upper coastal prairie, it is like stepping back in time before Houston was built. AND the trails are open to dogs as well – on leash of course.
Trails at the Houston Arboretum
Thirteen separate trails wind through the Houston Arboretum, all interconnected in some way making it easy to explore more than one trail when you visit. Many of the trails are short, perfect for kids or a hot Texas summer day. There are several ponds, wetland areas, and field stations to explore, and if you stop by the nature center before heading out you can pick up a trail scavenger hunt among other activities for kids of all ages. They even have adult programs and offer night hikes – check out their website for dates and more information!
My favorite route around the Arboretum during the day is to start on the Outer Loop trail. From there you can access almost every trail on the property. A hike around Meadow Pond is a must to look for turtles, fish, and even the resident alligator if you are lucky – or unlucky! A big plus, the Arboretum is always adding new trails and maintaining the existing trails. This also means you have to pay attention to signs and only travel on the open trails. The newest addition – Ravine Trail – opened in 2020 and features some urban art by a local artist.
One of my favorite out and back trails is the Couch Birding Trail. In my opinion it is by far the “prettiest” trail at the Houston Arboretum. Known for its birding during migration season, the trail also offers a canopy of vines and trees providing plenty of shade. At the end of the trail is on overlook of Buffalo Bayou – scenic for downtown Houston.
Before you go
Parking at the Houston Arboretum is now $1/hour. You can pay at the pay station or on the mobile app – ParkHouston or ParkMobile both work. There are two parking options either using the 610 entrance or the entrance off of Woodway Drive. The trails are open 7AM – Dusk, 7 days a week, while the Nature Center is open 9AM – 5PM. Exploring the trails and the Nature Center is all FREE to the public. Even better news… you will not get lost here with plenty of trail signs and clearly marked trails. Sturdy shoes are still highly recommended though!
Interested in more hiking in downtown Houston? Just outside the Arboretum are the Memorial Park hiking and mountain biking trails. I frequent these on the weekends as well, and have a blog coming soon.
Look for more posts about hiking in and around Houston and Texas on the outdoors page. For more dog friendly hiking, camping, and things around Houston check out my blogs on the All Things Winter page and the dog days series.
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