- 04 Nov, 2025 *
This summer, I purchased a book called ‘60 Hikes Within 60 Miles’ which is all about hikes and walks to relax and find focus around Houston. Today, I decided to finally crack it open and try a park. I rolled some dice and found myself driving out to Cullen Park Hike and Bike.
The place is located in the northern part of Katy, not too far from the Addicks Reservoir. Upon arrival, it looked like a fairly standard city park: A bit of greenery, but all sidewalk and lawn grass. Not what I was looking for when I purchased a book promising 60 hikes within 60 miles of Houston.
However, I persisted to the back of the park, where I pulled into a parking lot next to a ‘trailhead’ of sorts. Really just a continuation from the pavement across the grass and then into a tunnel …
- 04 Nov, 2025 *
This summer, I purchased a book called ‘60 Hikes Within 60 Miles’ which is all about hikes and walks to relax and find focus around Houston. Today, I decided to finally crack it open and try a park. I rolled some dice and found myself driving out to Cullen Park Hike and Bike.
The place is located in the northern part of Katy, not too far from the Addicks Reservoir. Upon arrival, it looked like a fairly standard city park: A bit of greenery, but all sidewalk and lawn grass. Not what I was looking for when I purchased a book promising 60 hikes within 60 miles of Houston.
However, I persisted to the back of the park, where I pulled into a parking lot next to a ‘trailhead’ of sorts. Really just a continuation from the pavement across the grass and then into a tunnel of trees. This was the proper entrance to the Cullen Park Bike and Hike Trail.
Like any place around Houston, you do have to temper your expectations a little bit. Obviously, you’re not going to see any impressive elevation changes, but we can still find beauty in green spaces. On such example is this small stream, and the bright grass under a brilliantly blue sky.
Or, what of this? A wide open field near the small West Houston Airport? I’m not getting lost in nature, but I almost feel like I am in an empty space.
But sometimes, you’ll stop, look around, and be amazed that this kind of view is found in the fourth most populous city in the country. We have sprawl for days. We have sprawl so bad people use it to explain why urban sprawl is bad. But damned if I didn’t feel something.
There was also quite a bit of wildlife on the trail. Cardinals, squirrels and birds, of course. But I ran into something truly special there in the brush.
Right at the location of this picture, I heard the sound of loud thumping. I looked ahead and saw a pack of four deer dashing through the brush, followed by one with antlers who stared me down a moment before continuing on. As I stopped to marvel, the same pack of deer barreled through the brush coming from the other direction, this time closer. I decided to start walking, hoping they would pass on behind me.
Then, I heard the thumping of their hooves through the dirt and no more than ten feet before me the pack emerged at a full gallop. The last one was so close to me that I surprised it and it lost its footing for a second. I was so close that I saw its eyes widen and focus on me before fleeing.
Truly, it made my morning. It is a one-way trail, so I had to double back when I reached the end. Altogether, it was about 8 and a quarter miles with less than 30 feet of elevation change. For your trouble, you get to see a cemetery (well, the sign for it), two play grounds/park pavilions, lots of trees, a stream, and an airport. Quite a pleasant morning, and it scratched an itch.
I’m going to try and do one of these random urban trails once a month. This book has places from Huntsville down to Galveston, so it will be exciting to see what I get.
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In unrelated news, my Writing Month is going well so far: as of 11/3, I am slightly ahead of schedule at 5148 / 50000 words written. Over a tenth.
Yeehaw.