Getty Images

Buffalo Bayou Park

Top choice in Houston

This sinuous 160-acre city park follows Buffalo Bayou west from downtown, with easy pedestrian access and plentiful parking en route. Sweeping views stretch back to the downtown skyline, while assorted areas are devoted to exercise, contemplation, art exhibits and more besides. This beautiful urban green space is very popular with locals who need a fix of the natural world amidst the hustle and bustle of Houston traffic.

Activities

Potential activities range from kayak tours with Bayou City Adventures to bike rentals with Buffalo Bayou Rentals. Park highlights include the crowd-pleasing colony of 250,000 Mexican bats under the Waugh Dr Bridge; the Green Tree Nature Area, a verdant walking space nearby; and the Water Works, a former utility site (105 Sabine St) transformed to hold playgrounds, exhibits and information sources. There are some lovely trails along the river, although it's advisable to do them early in the day to avoid stifling temperatures.

Food and drink

A selection of food trucks are parked up at the Water Works on Sabine Street. There are also lots of scenic picnic spots if you fancy bringing your own lunch to the park. Glass containers and alcohol are prohibited.

Contact

Address

Shepherd Dr to Sabine St, btwn Allen Pkwy & Memorial Dr

Get In Touch

713-752-0314

http://buffalobayou.org/

Suggest an edit to this attraction

Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Rothko Chapel
2.06 MILES
Commissioned by Dominique and John de Menil (also founders of the Menil Collection) in 1964 to create a nondenominational chapel, American abstract…
Hermann Park
3.22 MILES
This 445-acre park is home to playgrounds, a lake with paddleboats, a picturesque Japanese Garden, the Hermann Park Miniature Train and the Houston Zoo…
Menil Collection
2.15 MILES
The Menil Collection is considered one of the most important privately assembled art collections of the twentieth century and is a Houston highlight…
Houston Museum of Natural Science
2.88 MILES
Don’t even dream you’ll see the whole of this colossal and absolutely stellar museum – the most popular in Texas – in a single visit. The permanent…
Space Center Houston
22.13 MILES
Dream of landing on the moon? You can’t get closer than the visitor center/museum alongside NASA's Johnson Space Center, where interactive displays…
San Jacinto Battleground State Historic Site
17.81 MILES
A hallowed site for some Texans, this 1100-acre park is where Texas fought for – and won – its independence in 1836. You can learn about the battle by…
Museum of Fine Arts, Houston
2.64 MILES
This nationally renowned palace of art starts its displays with ‘Splendors of the Ancient World’, and has a fine collection of pre-Columbian golden…
Bayou Bend Collection & Gardens
2.72 MILES
The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston curates the impressive historical decorative arts collection (1600s to 1850s) displayed here. The 1928 home once belonged…

View more attractions

Nearby Houston attractions

1. Heritage Society at Sam Houston Park

0.37 MILES

Use your phone to follow a free tour around the 10 historic structures that have been moved to this park. Among them is the Yates House (1870), home to a…

2. Market Square Park

0.85 MILES

You can get a real feel for old Houston from the 19th-century buildings that line two sides of the square, the historical center of downtown. A few…

3. Allen's Landing Park

1.05 MILES

Named after Houston's founders, Allen's Landing marks the spot on Buffalo Bayou where Houston's settlement began. So far the original wharf has been…

4. Discovery Green

1.18 MILES

Your place to frolic downtown. This 12-acre park has a lake, playground, fountains to splash in, outdoor art, restaurants and a performance space. The…

5. Printing Museum

1.3 MILES

This often-missed gem traces the history of printing from its advent until the early newspaper era. Rare and unusual printed works include the Dharani…

6. Art Car Museum

1.44 MILES

You never know which wildly decorated autos you’ll see in this small indoor museum, which honors the annual, not-to-be-missed Houston Art Car Parade…

7. Saint Arnold Brewery

1.95 MILES

The beer hall at Houston's most famous craft brewery overlooks the production area and is freely open for drinking and eating. Tours are usually offered…

8. Rothko Chapel

2.06 MILES

Commissioned by Dominique and John de Menil (also founders of the Menil Collection) in 1964 to create a nondenominational chapel, American abstract…

View more attractions

placement: superzone
path: Destinations/POIs/superzone
possible size: [970, 250], [970, 90], [728, 90], [1, 1],

targeting:

{
  "url": "usa/texas/houston/attractions/buffalo-bayou-park/a/poi-sig/1567195/362176",
  "destination": "Houston",
  "continent": "North-America",
  "country": "USA",
  "region": "Texas",
  "city": "Houston",
  "position": "superzone"
}