Nature Areas

2,500 acres of nature preserves near NASA, in the Clear Lake area. Environmental education programs.

10,520 acres of coastal prairie habitat 60 miles west of Houston.

420 acres of nature preserve in Baytown. Texas Coastal Birding Trail site, Children’s Discovery Area, Butterfly Garden, hiking trails.

Prepared by Fred Collins and John Berner

43,388 acres of coastal prairie, fresh and salt marshes, and saltwater lakes on the upper Texas Coast south of Houston in Brazoria county.

Great source for information on visiting Brazoria and San Bernard NWRs. Maps. Activity listings.

State park with 4,897 acres along the Brazos River about 28 miles southwest of Houston.

Information about the park, guides, schedule of walks and other activities.

Prepared by Fred Collins and Kendra Kocab

Site includes information about the Katy Prairie, maps, and activities.

Baytown environmental education facility. Exhibit hall, live animals and microscope lab.

2,000 acres on west end of Galveston Island.

Houston Visitors Guide.

Bear Creek Park (west Houston), George Bush Park (west Houston), Armand Bayou (east Houston), Jesse Jones (north Houston) and Tom Bass (south Houston) among the best for birding.

Nature sanctuary in Memorial Park in Houston. Education programs.

34,000 acres on the Bolivar Peninsula, close to High Island.

Blackhawk (south Houston), Little Thicket (Heights), West 11th St. Park (just west of the 610 Loop), Memorial Park & Houston Arboretum, Moody Park (north Houston), Keith Weiss (north Houston), and Sunnyside (south Houston) among the best for birding.

Bird collection is one of the largest in the country. Attwater's Prairie Chicken breeding program.

1,733 acres north of Houston. Red-cockaded Woodpecker management area. Nature trail.

Harris County park north of Houston, with 250 acres of piney woods and gardens. Education programs.

Nature Discovery Center and 4-acre nature sanctuary in Bellaire. Excellent spot for viewing winter hummingbirds.

27,000 acres of marshes and ponds on the upper Texas Coast south of Houston in Brazoria County.

1,200-acre site just east of Houston, in LaPorte. Marsh restoration project to re-establish native prairie and marsh habitats. Boardwalk.

Fish hatchery and aquarium center in Lake Jackson.

Fish hatchery, aquarium and nature center, north of Houston.

17,000 acres of bottomland hardwood forest along the lower Trinity River north of Houston and east of Beaumont.

Excellent source of information for the Trinity River Refuge and Swallow-tailed Kite locations.