The best EQUESTRIAN camping near
Channel Wood , TEXAS

 We loved this place! Our campsite was on Burr Oak loop. Very spacious. Quite a walk to the bathroom though. Very clean bathrooms. 

The trails are awesome! So glad we had our bikes, it allowed us to cover a lot of ground. We did see over 10 alligators. Some on the side of the trail, some in the water….I lost count of how many we saw. Great for hikes. Awesome for bikes.

This is the best place to escape from the big city and enjoy nature! There is so much to do. The hiking and bike paths are aplenty. We loved seeing the gators, especially when the babies were hatching (spot dozens of babies in the photos). The observatory is also incredible. There are so many friendly astronomy enthusiasts who are willing to share a peek through their telescope (pre-covid) and share their knowledge. Be sure to help keep light pollution down in that area so everyone can enjoy the stars (no flashlights or phones out). This is such a great park to enjoy and spend a weekend away from the city without traveling too far.

If you want to see alligators in their natural habitat this is the park for you.  There wer so many. We even came across one on the trail eating a snake. The best part though is the observatory. There’s always plenty of stargazers up there that love to share their equipment, you can also pay for the big telescopes. We visited before Covid, so not sure how things are now. The shelter sites are nicer than most. The bathrooms were average.

I was visiting Houston with my husband (who is from there) and decided to make a quick escape from the city to nature.  We camped just one night, so despite the short visit, we really had a great time.  Our site was very spacious, and it was pretty quiet there.  There were large trees giving us plenty of shade.  I love the Spanish moss that hangs from the trees.

We also took a hike in the park around the lame, and saw a few alligators.  Such a fun hike, highly recommended!

I've been going to Brazos Bend since I was a kid. It's always fun to hike or bike around the trails and see all types of birds, alligators, and other wildlife. For us it is close by which is another added bonus.

We reserved our reservations a head of time, showed up, and the staff was very helpful and went easy. They keep the park and restrooms clean clean. We got to hike the 40 Acre Trail (about an hour hike) and the whole family loved it. Definitely will be back soon in the future for the other trails and activities.

This is a great family-friendly park, as it has many activities for nature education, an observatory, and endless trails. (Dont hike alone! Alligators arent shy and they think they own the trails!) The drive in to the main area is great. Drive slow so you can enjoy the views! Also, take your binoculars and scope the horizons!

Ok, I'll admit it. I visited this park for one reason only… to see alligators.

Brazos Bend State Park does have other attractions like miles of hiking trails, campsites, water fowl and migratory birds, but the real attraction for me was simply to see live alligators in their natural habitat. If you have the same motive, this park will not disappoint. 

This park is located outside of Houston. During much of the year the temperature can be warm to hot and muggy. I think that the best time of the year to visit might be in the winter during November, December or January. At other times of the year you may need to fight off mosquitos as big as alligators.

There are a number of trails to hike, but I chose trails that would provide the greatest opportunity to see alligators. So we hiked along the 40 Acre Lake to Elm Lake Loop. We first saw a number of water fowl - ducks, cranes, egrets. Then right along the trail we saw a fairly large alligator. Now there are signs that warn to stay a safe distance away from the alligators and it is solid advice. But simply staying on the trail allowed me to pass about 30 feet in front of a resting alligator. I'm guessing that if the alligator wanted to get up and chase me it could have. I just calculated that I didn't need to be faster than the alligator, I just needed to be faster than my hiking buddies.

We all survived and it was a pleasant experience.

Best day park around. Easy parking, easy hiking & beautiful nature. Gators, gators, gators!!!

Went again, and we saw gators at the nature center. Cool