Incorporating bridge abutments and other infrastructure, Buffalo Bayou’s hike and bike trail system weaves through downtown juxtaposing the urban center with its historic waterway, the built environment with the natural.

The innovative trail connection from Fannin to Austin Streets, more than a decade in the making, winds its way through the lower levels of two historic Harris County buildings, linking Buffalo Bayou Park with points east, connecting parts of the city that have long been separated.

The iconic buildings represented along this trail portray the remarkable transformation of Houston’s downtown skyline by Gerald D. Hines and his firm. With the development of the 50-story One Shell Plaza in 1971, Houston began its journey to become one of the most architecturally rich cities in the country. Over the decades, Hines has continued to shape the skyline here in Houston and in cities around the world.

Lost Lake is the site of a former pond that was lost in the 1970s, when its dam across a natural ravine broke. The pond was restored and is now a tranquil area for reflection, surrounded by beautiful plantings and gentle cascades. Visitors will also find public restrooms and a restaurant here.

Watching more than 300,000 Mexican free-tailed bats emerge every evening from the crevices of the Waugh Drive Bridge is truly a spectacular sight. Unlike in other colonies, a large number of these bats remain through the winter months, providing viewing opportunities on warm nights. Stop by at sunset to witness this natural wonder and learn more about the bats through interpretive signage at the viewing platform.

At the center of this grove is the Gus S. Wortham Memorial Fountain, affectionately known as the “Dandelion.” The fountain’s brass starburst of pipes sprays joggers, cyclists, and walkers, offering a cool respite from the heat. With shaded overlooks and beautiful plantings, the area is a favorite meeting spot.

Unless you know it’s there, the Green Tree Nature Area may be difficult to find. Located south of Memorial Drive at Waugh Drive, this heavily forested trail is a nature lover’s delight. You will find birds, squirrels, and even a rabbit or two on any given day.

One of Buffalo Bayou Park’s most beloved destinations is the Johnny Steele Dog Park. Dogs have plenty of space to run, swim, and play, while their owners can relax on benches and take advantage of dog washing stations and drinking fountains (complete with spigots for dogs). Limited parking for the dog park is available along the frontage road of Allen Parkway.

Late Texas artist Jesús Bautista Moroles’ Houston Police Officers’ Memorial commemorates the 113+ Houston Police Department officers whose lives were lost in the line of duty. Shaped like an Aztec pyramid, the sculpture symbolizes a royal tomb. The Police Officers’ Memorial and surrounding grounds are guarded 24 hours a day. This is also the site of an annual procession and wreath-laying ceremony.

The late Houston landscape architect Charles Tapley originally designed this inspirational site in the late 1970s that now features a bayou tributary, riparian plantings, granite steps, seating areas, and a footbridge.

Named in honor of the late City Council Member and civic activist Eleanor Tinsley, this “park within a park” is one of Houston’s most popular outdoor spaces with the signature Bud Light Amphitheater lawn and open-air Nau Family Pavilion. Visitors can also enjoy the Eleanor Tinsley Garden and the tranquil Jane Gregory Garden nearby.

Here, you will find the Wortham Insurance Visitor Center with restrooms, bike rentals, and staff available to answer your questions and provide directions. Visitors can also enjoy food trucks, stunning views of the downtown skyline from The Brown Foundation Lawn, and frequent performances and events at the Hobby Family Pavilion. 

Learn more about renting The Water Works for your own event here.

Constructed in 1926, the Buffalo Bayou Park Cistern was one of Houston’s first underground drinking water reservoirs. It provided decades of service until it was decommissioned in 2007. With generous support from The Brown Foundation, BBP restored the Cistern and transformed it into a magnificent public space. Visitors can take tours highlighting the site’s unique history and architecture, and the space also hosts a robust series of immersive installations by renowned artists.

Click here for the complete tour schedule and to purchase tickets.

The Barbara Fish Daniel Nature Play Area is a popular destination for families, and is designed to inspire a love of nature within children. The play area features a boulder rock scramble, rolling lawn, a stream and waterfall, climbing logs and stones, and a 33-foot slide. Kids especially enjoy the tri-level tree house/boat deck and climbing net. Families have easy access to parking and restrooms at The Water Works nearby.

The Buffalo Bayou trail system winds through this 23-acre waterfront destination that lies just east of Buffalo Bayou Park. Visitors will find stainless steel boat sculptures by Houston artist John Runnels at major park entrances, BBP’s signature Lunar Cycle Lighting, and the Hobby Pedestrian Bridge, among other features.

This historic park, created in 1899 by Mayor Sam Brashear, was originally landscaped like a Victorian village. Today it is home to The Heritage Society, an organization devoted to preserving a collection of Houston’s historic structures. Nine buildings have been restored and relocated to Sam Houston Park that together tell the story of Houstonians throughout the city’s past.

The art in Buffalo Bayou Park is for everyone. From landmark historic sculptures by world renowned artists, to site-specific activations by emerging practitioners, artworks are one of the park’s most distinguishing features. Many iconic works are part of the City of Houston’s Civic Art Collection, while others were commissioned by Buffalo Bayou Partnership.

The Sandy Reed Memorial Trail is the ten-foot-wide concrete trail that stretches the length of Buffalo Bayou Park on both sides of the waterway. This busy trail is enjoyed by walkers, joggers, and cyclists, and weaves through the park’s varying landscapes. The five-foot-wide asphalt Kinder Footpath is for walkers and joggers only and is found closer to the bayou’s banks.

This 22-acre park is the centerpiece of downtown’s Theater District and commemorates Houston’s 150th birthday. Visitors can stroll along the promenade and take in the public art in the park, including artist Mel Chin’s monumental stainless steel pillars, Seven Wonders.

A bronze statue of former Secretary of State James A. Baker III gazes from the Baker Common across Buffalo Bayou at a statue of former President George H.W. Bush. North Carolina sculptor Chas Fagan created both statues.

Allen’s Landing marks the spot where August Chapman and John Kirby Allen stepped ashore in 1836 and began the transformation of the area from swampy marshlands to the city we know today. This site, at the confluence of Buffalo and White Oak Bayous, became Houston’s first port and a thriving commercial hub. After years of neglect, BBP revitalized this historic site and park into an active waterfront destination. Stainless steel canoe sculptures by John Runnels grace the entrances to the space, and visitors can walk along the wharf where they will find public text art designed by local artist team, ttweak.

The Sunset Coffee Building at Allen’s Landing was built in 1910 by merchant William D. Cleveland to house his coffee roasting operations. It is one of the few remaining industrial buildings on Buffalo Bayou within downtown Houston’s Historic District.

BBP renovated the building in cooperation with Houston First. This industrial building houses BBP’s administrative offices as well as three unique event spaces available to rent, including an indoor space with a balcony overlooking the bayou, a large outdoor plaza, and an intimate rooftop terrace with stunning views of downtown.

James Bute Park is the original site of Germantown and Frost Town, two early immigrant neighborhoods. In the 1970s, Houston artist Kirk Farris transformed the once-abandoned site into a park named for a Houston entrepreneur who lived nearby. A Texas Historical Marker displayed in the park officially designates Frost Town as a historic site.

The historic McKee Street Bridge dates back to 1932 and was more recently painted aquamarine, purple, and lavender by Houston artist Kirk Farris.

This City of Houston park features green space, trails, and a boat dock as well as interpretive signage about the history of the East End. The Azios family fountain and historic columns are reminiscent of Mexico City’s colonial Zocalo architecture.

Several remnants of the East End’s industrial past can be found along the hike and bike trail. Just east of Jensen Drive, you will discover massive concrete gravel silos now owned by BBP. These tall structures are not only important interpretive landscape elements but the canvas for imaginative public art events.

Central to the Buffalo Bayou East Master Plan is the expansion of the City of Houston’s Tony Marron Park from 19 to nearly 40 acres. By 2026, the enhanced park will become the open space anchor for the area, providing residents with a wide range of activities and featuring improved sports fields, new nature play area, and venues for special events and festivals. Learn more about the vision and plans for Tony Marron Park here.

Changes are underway at Japhet Creek, a bayou tributary stretching north, deep into the Fifth Ward neighborhood. BBP has begun implementing the enhancements envisioned in the Buffalo Bayou East Master Plan to revitalize this historic tributary with a neighborhood park, creekside nature trail, landscaping, lighting, and by 2027, a bayou-crossing pedestrian bridge connecting to Tony Marron Park. Learn more about plans for Japhet Creek Park here.

On this site near Tony Marron Park, BBP is working with partners to create mixed-income and affordable housing that will be surrounded by more than six acres of new parks and trails. 80 multi-family units opened summer of 2024. Learn more about Lockwood on Buffalo Bayou here.

Not currently open to the public.

Decommissioned more than 20 years ago, much of the Northside Sewage Treatment Facility’s infrastructure remains. Aeration and settling tanks, compressor rooms, as well as original pipes and valves are intact. BBP envisions redeveloping the site into a major, regional destination.

Not currently open to the public.

This dramatic former industrial site along Navigation Boulevard at a stretch of the bayou called Turkey Bend will be transformed by BBP in the coming years into a unique recreational and cultural destination. Future visitors to the site will be able to congregate and relax along the waterfront, attend events and programs of various scales, and participate in boating activities. Learn more about plans for Turkey Bend here.

Formerly an industrial property, this 10-acre site was transformed into a natural green space named in memory of Yolanda Black Navarro, a committed civic leader who served Houston for decades. The park features three wetland ponds with an overlook, cistern, native plantings, and footpaths. BBP is working on connecting Yolanda Black Navarro Buffalo Bend Nature Park to the City of Houston’s Hidalgo Park to the east.

Built in 1932, Hidalgo Park is a popular East End site for Sunday picnics, birthday parties, and baseball games. Neighborhood children enjoy the park’s creative wooden playground and water play station. Among the park’s treasures is a statue of Father Miguel Hidalgo, a gift from the government of Jalisco, Mexico.

Not currently open to the public.

In 1837, the Allen brothers arranged for the Constitution, a 150-foot steamboat, to visit Houston to dispel doubts about Buffalo Bayou’s navigability. Not being able to turn around once it arrived at its destination, the boat backed down the bayou until it reached a wide enough bend. Dubbed Constitution Bend, the site is now the Port of Houston Turning Basin.