The Buffalo Bayou Guide will guide you as you walk, run or cycle along the waterway and visit the many parks and historic sites.
LEGEND:
Buffalo Bayou Park
Buffalo Bayou Park is the 160-acre greenspace that lies just west of downtown Houston. Enhancement of the park was a collaboration of BBP, the Kinder Foundation, the City of Houston through Houston Parks & Recreation Department and Harris County Flood Control District. Buffalo Bayou Park includes beautiful gardens and native landscaping; hike and bike trails; paddle craft and bike rentals; the go-to dog park in the city; public art; a creative nature play area; two visitor centers; and gathering places for visitors to picnic, relax and enjoy outdoor activities. Buffalo Bayou Partnership maintains and operates the park with annual funding provided by the Downtown Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone (TIRZ) #3.
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The Water Works
The official "gateway" to Buffalo Bayou Park, this elevated skylawn and pavilion will offer stunning views of Houston's skyline. more info -
Eleanor Tinsley Park
Named in honor of the late City Councilmember and civic activist, Eleanor Tinsley, the park is home to the city's annual Fourth of July celebration and other large-scale festivals and events. more info -
Johnny Steele Dog Park
The Johnny Steele Dog Park features a pond, shade structures, dog washing areas, benches and drinking fountains. more info -
Lost Lake
Lost Lake features lush wetland gardens surrounding a restored pond that is situated near a visitor center housing restrooms and paddle craft rentals; The Dunlavy, a private event space; and The Kitchen at The Dunlavy, a grab-and-go food counter offering breakfast and lunch daily. more info
Buffalo Bayou Park Cistern
The Buffalo Bayou Park Cistern is located at 105 Sabine Street.
Book Cistern Tours
Sabine Promenade
The 23-acre waterfront park features hike and bike trails linking western trails in Buffalo Bayou Park with Sesquicentennial Park in downtown, lush landscaping, unique lighting, boat launch and a pedestrian bridge. Buffalo Bayou Partnership served as the construction manager for this $12 million project.
Sesquicentennial Park
Commemorating Houston’s 150th birthday in 1986, Sesquicentennial Park has become an urban oasis in the heart of Houston’s downtown Theater District.
Allen’s Landing
Allen’s Landing is an historic park that truly defines our city. It was here in 1836 that August Chapman and John Kirby Allen stepped ashore and claimed Houston as their own. This site also became Houston’s first port, a thriving commercial hub and a symbol of our city’s entrepreneurial spirit. In 2016, Buffalo Bayou Partnership continued transformation of Allen's Landing into an active destination along downtown's waterfront by completing restoration of the historic Sunset Coffee Building.
Yolanda Black Navarro Buffalo Bend Nature Park
This unique 10-acre park, located near the Port of Houston Turning Basin, offers passive recreation and wildlife conservation.
Neighboring Parks
After passing the Barker Reservoir near Beltway 8, Buffalo Bayou runs through the 500-acre Terry Hershey Park and through the Memorial area to the Houston Arboretum and Memorial Park, and the River Oaks area. Buffalo Bayou Partnership’s jurisdiction officially begins when Buffalo Bayou hits Shepherd Drive and stretches to the Turning Basin of the Port of Houston. Enjoy exploring and discovering the numerous parks located along this waterway.
Trail Guide
Things to Do
- Walk, jog and bike the trails (no bikes on the asphalt footpaths)
- Rent a bicycle from Bike Barn at The Water Works or Houston BCycle and ride along the hike and bike trails
- Rent a canoe or kayak from Bayou City Adventures and paddle on Buffalo Bayou
- Picnic, play frisbee or fly a kite
- Have your child glide down the 30′ slide at the Barbara Fish Daniel Nature Play Area
- Enjoy the downtown views at the Wortham Insurance Terrace of The Water Works
- Hop aboard the Spirit of the Bayou pontoon boat tour for a bat tour, history tour or private charter
- Experience the sights and sounds of over 250,000 Mexican free-tailed bats at Waugh Drive Bridge
- Catch a glimpse of the resident hawks, owls and other wildlife
- Learn about the historic Buffalo Bayou Park Cistern during a guided tour
- Let your pup off-leash at Johnny Steele Dog Park to freely run around and play
- Play volleyball
- Take a self-guided public art walk and look for works by artists Henry Moore, Mel Chin, John Runnels and more
- Enjoy a guided walking tour to learn about the surrounding ecology, public art and best wellness practices
- Grab breakfast or lunch at The Dunlavy located at Lost Lake
Parking
There are public parking areas available at Lost Lake, Eleanor Tinsley Park and The Water Works, as well as along Allen Parkway, Memorial Drive, and city streets surrounding Buffalo Bayou Park. When parking along city streets, please pay close attention to signage, be neighborly and use the pedestrian bridges to safely access the park. Do not leave valuables in your vehicle. Restricted & Temporary Parking Options:
- City of Houston Lot H – Over 400 spaces available for public parking on weekends and after 6 pm on weekdays. Buffalo Bayou Park trails can be accessed from Sabine Promenade.
- American General Campus Surface Lot – The American General Campus is temporarily offering free weekend parking to park visitors. To access this parking on Saturdays and Sundays, proceed east on the Allen Parkway (inbound) feeder from Waugh. Turn right into entrance 4, then turn left to enter the surface lot. Once parked, please use paved paths and sidewalks to proceed to the crosswalk at Studemont to safely cross Allen Parkway to Buffalo Bayou Park. All garage and parallel parking within the American General Campus is private parking and reserved for office tenants only.
- Parking on Allen Parkway – Parking is available 9 am – 7 pm Monday-Sunday. There are 140 parking spots between Sabine and Taft streets with pricing at $1 per hour for a 3 hour max (including Saturday and Sunday).