Buffalo Bayou Park
Located in the heart of Houston downtown, Buffalo Bayou Park is actually one of Houston’s largest urban green spaces. It consists of 160 acres and miles of paved trails (great for running). The trails here tend to be busy and narrow at times, so it may be difficult to bike during peak hours, although we’ve certainly done it.
You can easily spend hours here walking the trails from end to end and exploring the sites. Buffalo Bayou Park is actually in a cool area of town that offers many attractions that we’ve explored over the years.
Police Officer’s Memorial 
Attractions include the:
- Lee and Joe Jamail Skatepark
- Eleanor Tinsley Park – best spot for taking photos of the downtown skyline
- Love Lock bridge
- Houston Police Department Memorial
- Glenwood Cemetery
- Spotts Park – good location to get a pair of Bbikes. You have just enough time to bike over to Eleanor Tinsley Park and back
- Buffalo Bayou Cistern – a former water reservoir, now turned into art installation
- Waugh Drive Bat Colony – Watch wild bats emerge from under the Waugh Drive bridge at sunset. Be sure to check this out if you’re here in the evening!
Photo Ops: This is also a great park for photo ops and we actually got our engagement photos done here! This is also THE place to go to see the Houston downtown skyline. Recommended sites for photos include the Nau Family Pavilion within Eleanor Tinsley Park, Water Works in Buffalo Bayou Park (located on the second floor above the visitor center), and the Sabine Street Bridge Overlook.
Parking: Parking is an issue here and we recommend allowing yourself ample time to drive around and find parking during peak hours. There’s parking off Allen Parkway (metered) or you can try to find a free spot at the Lee and Jamail Skatepark on the east side of the park. The parking lot on this end only hosts about 20 spots. Another option that I’ve done is parking my car at Spotts Park, which has more spots available and biking over to the main park.
Learn more about Buffalo Bayou Park at: https://buffalobayou.org/visit/destination/buffalo-bayou-park/
Find this park in: All-Time Top Parks, Top Inner Loop Parks
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