Brazos Bend State Park

Southeast Texas

Located about 45 minutes southwest of Houston proper, Brazos Bend State Park makes a great destination for a day away from the city. As you head southwest from Houston, you leave the sprawl of the the city behind and enter a world of cotton, soybean, corn, and hay fields, with a few cattle ranches thrown in for good measure. The park itself is a mixture of hardwood forest and fresh water marsh, cradled between the Brazos River and a number of creeks and bayous.

The park offers camping, fishing and biking, but personally I go there to hike along the trails and enjoy the scenery and wildlife. Collected below are scenes from three of my trips to Brazos during the summer of 1999.



For the first leg of our virtual hike, we head to the back of the park and follow the trail which leads toward the Brazos River. Along the way we pass this overlook on "Big Creek", as well as a little armadillo scurrying through the grass on the side of the trail. Next the trail winds its way to the banks of the Brazos -- the boundry of the park on this side. Across the muddy river is a ranch house, mostly hidden among the trees. On the park side of the river, the terrain is a mixture of deep woods and sunny clearings like the one pictured at the lower right.

After completing the river trail, we head west toward the more marshy areas of the park. Along the way, we run across this group of deer grazing near one of the camping areas.
Our path next leads us past Horseshoe Lake, a favorite among fishermen in the park. Both it and its larger neighbor Old Horshoe Lake are U-shaped lakes wedged between Big Creek and Elm Lake.

	As we travel the first leg of the Elm Lake Loop and then head across toward Pilant Lake, alligators become an increasingly common sight. During the afternoon, they are often seen sunning on the banks. Toward evening, they become more active and can frequently be seen cruising the channels in search of food.
	This lovely view across 40 Acre Lake is our reward for a quick climb to the top of the observation tower located at its intersection with Pilant Lake.
	As we retrace our steps eastward to Elm Lake, we spot this small alligator with its mouth hanging open. Why is his mouth open, you ask? Darned if I know.

As afternoon moves on toward evening, we follow a narrow trail along Pilant Slough and find this buck standing watch on the edge of the woods. Next we spot an alligator silently patroling the slough, headed for the tree-lined pond in the next frame.

Finally the sun sets and our time in the park winds to a close. I hope you've enjoyed this virtual stroll at least a fraction as much as I enjoy my actual adventures there. And please, if these pictures inspire you to get off the computer chair and go enjoy nature, please be sure you leave it just as lovely and unspoiled as it was before you came.

Back -- Home

Please direct questions or comments to this address
Hits: 2942. Last modified: Wednesday, 29-Sep-1999 22:13:28 CDT