Buffalo Bayou Park

Buffalo Bayou Park is a peaceful escape in the heart of Houston. I took a morning walk and was impressed by the scenic trails, lush greenery, and the views of the downtown skyline. The park is well-maintained, perfect for a stroll or a jog, and offers a calming atmosphere to start the day. Highly recommend for anyone looking to enjoy nature in the city.

Not from Houston and loved this park. Did nearly 4 miles along the bayou with the dogs with great views of the city skyline and some nice art along the way. Paved and appreciated the pedestrian only sections of the trail. Some shade and some nice mini-park areas and gardens as well. Very clean, well-maintained and felt safe (on a Friday morning). Parked near the trail and paid $1 for 3 hours. Well done, Houston!

I have visited Buffalo Bayou Park couple of times and explored different trails6. Visiting this park was a serene experience! The numerous trails in the park offer delightful walks and biking opportunities amidst stunning natural vistas and captivating sculptures. The park has a bat colony, a skate park, a water works park and a cistern with light displays - all of which are Houston's tourist attractions. Ample parking near the park adds convenience, but weekends can be crowded. If you are attending any event, it is quite impossible to get parking close to the event you are going. Nonetheless, the panoramic skyline view is worth visiting! Highly recommend.

Love this park. Huge dog park for small or big dogs. Waugh bat bridge is nice during season, many flowers, follows on either side of the bayou, one sand volleyball court, great trails for bikes and skates too, love the skate park and cistern at the north end. Be to your vehicle before dark or very likely you'll have a window shattered.

Buffalo Bayou Park is a great place to take your dog. It's a big park with a swimming pool that dogs love. The downside is that it can get muddy, so expect your dog to get dirty. Some parts of the park are still under construction, but overall it's a pretty good park. It's my favorite in Houston and better than any other park.

I travel a lot and always look for good running trails. Buffalo Bayou Park was great with a sidewalk to run or walk on and a parallel trail along Buffalo Bayou. I also came across green spaces with volleyball, soccer, ect... as well as a dog park.

I felt very familiar with the Buffalo Bayou Park even that this is my first time visiting. Because the Canal Trail is the same concept in DC area. I love both of them.

Insanely huge downtown park. Great for everyone who want to catch the skyline, go for a run, walk dogs, kids, picnicking or just sit and be at peace. Very quiet, clean and well maintained. Lots of security driving though to ensure no help is needed and will guide where you’re going.

This park offers something for everyone - whether you're a solo biker, a group of friends out for a fun day, or someone looking for a peaceful date night or time with furry babies. The well-maintained trails are perfect for a solo biking adventure, while the open spaces are great for doggy outings with friends. The park caters to both singles and families, making it a versatile destination. I even took my mom here while she was visiting from Florida, and she was thoroughly impressed. Thank you, Houston, for providing this safe, clean, and beautiful park. It's a true gem in the city and a testament to what can be achieved when a community comes together to create and maintain such a wonderful public space. I'll definitely be a frequent visitor to this park for biking, doggy outings, and quality time with loved ones.

visited da infamous park and bridge in the heart of houston ~ first of all, it is INCREDIBLE HOT AND HUMID i was sweating in between my tits and back and my mans had to take off his shirt at one point lol it was only 11am ish too i was dying especially with the millions of mosquitoes tryna bite me (i currently have about 12 on my legs and 3 on my arms) HOWEVER it is a pretty park with so many paths and greenery and flowers and lil ponds around. nice to see many walkers/ joggers too ~ beautiful chewsday afternoon ~

Very scenic and beautiful park with beautiful scenery. Great for walking and for taking pictures to post on IG. Also it is next to the Waugh Bridge where bats gather. Definitely one of the sites to check out of you are in Houston!

Our friends who are locals took us here for the Cistern history tour. We were so intrigued by it we decided to stay for the light show! The price was reasonable about $12-$15 per person and there's also a student discount. Afterwards we took a nice stroll around the park and its surrounding area. The park offers the view of the downtown buildings and all the green scenery.  I'm sure when the weather it's cooler it would be good to have a picnic and bring your dogs there.  There's a small parking lot that fills up quickly but there is also street metered parking. This is a great place to visit when you are in Houston.

We go almost every week and we love walking around and discovering new areas every time!

This place is really beautiful with long, paved trails. Unfortunately, it was very rainy when we went, so our time there wasn't as long as as we had hoped. However, we got to see a lot of beautiful sites and seeing the city through the trees, was a cool experience.

March 7, 2024 my 2nd time to come to the cistern. Rachel Rossin "Haha Real" installation inspired by the children's story, Velveteen Rabbit AI animation video game engine graphics. sound by Houston born musician, Frewuhn called, Lyra [my 2nd time to the cistern]

This is a pretty nice park to walk around or hang out while you're in Houston. You can walk around and check out all the scenery it has to offer. Great place to visit when you're in Houston!

The park is so pretty. The art installation is really cool. I'd definitely like to see another installation.

The pics are lost lake but I enjoy Buffalo Bayou park to the max. I can't wait to be here in spring and enjoy all the wildflowe r the signs say are planted!! Because of the cold I haven't been able to see the bats but I will be there some day to enjoy it. I walk my dog there and take a great afternoon to just take in nature. I have yet to take the same path twice, which is so cool to me. I am from south Florida and an experience as simple as going to a beautiful park normally would cost me a great amount of money. This makes me love houston Eben more!

I'm so glad we have this gem of a park located in Houston! There's so much you can do here: from walking, running, biking, flying a kite, walking your dog(s), etc. There's a very large dog park here, that's very popular. There's a lot of parking along the outside of the park, but it does fill up really fast during peak times (weekends, evenings, etc.) I love how large this park is, and it's even running distance to Memorial Park too. I like that you can see the skyline throughout the majority of the park, but also get to enjoy the nature side too. It's overall pretty peaceful. During the weekends, you can see people out doing group workouts. My only complaint is that I wished it felt safer to be at this park whenever it gets dark out (like during the winter time when the sun sets early) because I feel like there are not enough lights out here to feel safe when I'm wanting to run/walk around here in the evenings after work, and the sun sets early.

Nice park to walk, jog, run, etc. It was very clean. They have some intriguing artwork. You can stay until sunset to watch the bats come up from under the bridge. Amazing sight to see and you'll see a lot of locals gather to watch it together. Sufficient amount of parking, it was easy to find a spot.

What a beautiful park filled with so many trails along the Buffalo Bayou. Art installations. Playgrounds. A dog park. Bayou cruises. Memorials. Skatepark. And a historic cistern. So nice to be able to spend time enjoying an afternoon or evening at Buffalo Bayou Park. Great place to walk, jog or ride a bike along the miles of trails along the bayou. Amazing permanent or temporary art installations can be enjoyed in the park. So interesting to be able to enjoy the oversized sculptures by Carmen Herrera. Loved the geometric pieces which were in the park for a few months. Tolerance by Jaume Plensa honors a young man, David Ritcheson, who was the victim of a horrific hate crime. He testified before Congress to lobby for the Hate Crimes Prevention Act. Unfortunately due to the trauma inflicted on him, he committed suicide a few months later by jumping from a cruise ship. He was only 18. The seven statues in Tolerance are a stark reminder of how intolerances can lead to hate crimes as well as the diversity in the seven continents that unite us together. The Buffalo Bayou Cistern supplied water to Houstonians from 1926 until it was decommissioned due to an unrepairable leak in 2007. Today, it is used for history tours, sound baths and seasonal art installations. Book a tour online. Free bookings are available the first Thursday of each month. Visit the Water Works for a great view of the city. Cross a bridge for a different perspective of the park and bayou. Or take a walk, or run, past the Dandelion Fountain during the annual Race for the Cure. Parking is available along the parkway or limited parking is available near the Buffalo Bayou Cistern. Nice park to enjoy with family and friends.

First time coming here with the family. Nice little lawn on top and a skatepark nearby. There's a bunch of food beverage and snack wagons in the area. The best part is paying $10 per person to attend an amazing experience in an old water reservoir. It's not as huge as I thought, but it's still cool. It's dark down there, but the staff giving the tour did an awesome job talking about the history and using her light to give us some optical illusions. The echo is amazing and cool. I forgot the name of the woman who gave the tour, but she also sang a song that she wrote in German and the echo was pretty beautiful. The parking lot is super small, but you can also find street parking. Staff are friendly and fast and there's a public restroom in the area.

Beautiful area for families to hang. Lots of outdoor space and decent parking. No issues with safety and several food trucks nearby for snacks.

Nice bayou park located in downtown houston. Nice place to walk, and when the weather permits a prime picnic location. Volleyball sand court and walking paths the run along allen Parkway.

Upstairs is a nice pavilion with breeze to eat from one of their food trucks. The tour guide didn't check tickets and I think there may have been some freeloaders on our tour. 3 food trucks today. Plenty of parking in their free adjacent lot at noon on a Saturday and still has spaces at 2 pm when we left.

There are so many obvious must sees, and also so many hidden treasures at Buffalo Bayou Park, that it can take several visits to discover them all! Parking can be a challenge alongside the park, but there is some street parking on Taft (alongside the Federal Reserve) and it's an easy walk across Allen Pkwy. The adorable Bats that take flight at dusk each night at Waugh is a must see and can be viewed from both the Northside and the Southside, although the Southside alongside Allen Pkwy is better suited for it. There are 2 restroom areas if you decide to do the entire loop and need a potty break, one at Flora Restaurant (on the Southside of the Bayou at Allen Pkwy and Dunlavy) and one on the Northside of the Bayou at Sabine. There are bike rentals scattered throughout and even a shop you can rent better bikes at Sabine, as well as food trucks on the weekend. From picnics, to kayaking, to biking, and a terrific dog park, there's something for everyone, and every dog, at this very special park. Not to mention phenomenal downtown views that are Insta worthy!

This review is about the Buffalo Bayou Cistern. We didn't have much time to check out the rest of the park. We did talk a short walk along the bayou, and the park seems safe, clean and beautifully laid out. There even was a boat landing for kayaks. We were looking for unique experiences during our visit to Houston and the cistern did not disappoint. Modern art is usually not our favorite, but the way that the light installation "HaHaReal" by Rachel Rossin transformed the underground installation was surprisingly fascinating and we enjoyed our tour. The visitor center is located right next to the cistern and check in was easy. The tour started right on time, and our guide gave us a short overview of the history of the cistern before walking us through the art installation, so it was like receiving two tours in one. It's a nice cool spot on a hot and humid day. I would recommend booking tickets in advance, which is easy to do on line and going early in the morning, since the designated parking lot is really small and fills up quickly. While it's dark, there are no jump scares.

The Sound meditation at the cistern is literally in my top 5 most amazing experiences in Houston. Really...How many cities can you name that are this creative with their broken...I mean, decommissioned reservoir? From a local, know that this is not a spot for the kiddos (no strollers or kids under 9 allowed) & general tours are free on Thursdays, which makes for a nice experience & an opp to walk buffalo bayou after your tour. BUT if you're looking for something a little different, they often have unique art installations (make sure to make a reservation) & the sound meditation is on select weekends, you can sign up through youniversoul (which is not free but oh so worth it). Def one of the cities most hiddenist of hidden gems

Buffalo Bayou is my favorite park in Houston!! Truly, it's incredible. There are free concerts at the Water Works (105 Sabine St above the Cistern), that feature high quality performers. It's dog friendly, you can pack a picnic and sit out, and there are some tables and chairs available here. The entire trail spans for several miles with separate areas for biking vs walking to keep the flow moving. The dog park, bat colony, and art installations are mainstays, and it's just an overall great place to hang out with friends. There are some parks attached with playgrounds, volleyball, etc and opportunities for beautiful views of the skyline. Could not recommend more!

Amazing experience will be a frequent to this park for biking and doggy outings. Great with friends or alone and of course date night or time with Furry Babies. Took my mom here while she was visiting from Florida and she was impressed. Thank you Houston for this safe clean beautiful Park.

Cool and unique Houston attraction. This is a decommissioned underground water reservoir that is used for tours, art and music events, sound bath meditations, and more. Their website is very clear and informative. It lists all the upcoming tours/events, allows you to book tickets, and delineates their visitation guidelines. We booked a sound meditation, followed by a tour. If you want to do the same, you'd have to visit on a Saturday or Sunday. The sound meditations are only Sat/Sun, at 10am. I'm glad we got to experience the history of the space, as well as its creative usage. FYI: Our sound bath ended about 15 minutes before the start of the tour at 11am, giving us ample time to drop off our gear (yoga mat/cushion/blanket) and use the bathroom. TOUR: Great. Our guide was excellent. Very knowledgeable. He also knew how to showcase the space through light and sound. He used his flashlight for various effects and even sang a song. SOUND MEDITATION: This was a really interesting experience. I couldn't let go and relax the way I have in past sound meditations, but there are other reasons for that. My boyfriend and I agreed that there was a lot of continual droning/dissonance (versus shorter bursts of same) which was a bit jarring. Still, it was an awesome experience in a very unique space. STAFF/VISITOR CENTER: Really helpful staff. I had to call the day before with a question and to my surprise, quickly got a real person on the phone. There is a small gift shop with a few cute items. Bathrooms available on site. Also, they have a couple food trucks outside the visitor center (at least they did on a Saturday). There was a coffee truck, an ice cream truck, and a taco truck. PARKING: Small lot so come early. We came pretty early and still snagged the last spot. I believe there is an overflow parking lot plus street parking as well.

AaAaAAA-Aaa-aaa-aaa-aaa-aa-aa-a-a-a This place is an amazing treasure that I had no idea what it was for- or why Houston had it, or that it even existed! You Yelpers have friends in low places- the lowest of Houston! This below ground cistern holds millions of gallons of water that was originally supposed to be for drinking, but Houston got too big to try and get all the city's drinking water in one spot, so it's sort of a relic. They keep a few inches of water in the bottom to keep the concrete in good condition, but other than that, it's mostly empty. But you can go on tours, and check out this architectural design wonder, and see how the concrete and light and sound can all play tricks on the senses. It looks like it's in infinitely deep pool of water, or the echos go on for almost twenty seconds is one of the strangest phenomenon I've ever felt! Totally worth it. You have to book tickets on the city website. They have frequent tours that last about 35-40 minutes. Totally worth it. Show up a bit early to make sure you get good parking, which can be challenging in this park.

Nice short hiking trails. Many beautiful locations for pictures. Also a nice place for joggers, or also if you simply want to sit down.

One of the best places to view the sunset in Houston, Texas... I was trying to surprise Lisa by taking her to a fabulous place... I wasn't able to find the exact location that I wanted, but this was pretty good. Buffalo Bayou Park is a really big park! I read reviews stating that there was no parking so I kind of parked illegally at the other end of the part from where I wanted to be. We walked a long time (my joints were aching) and didn't find the bridge that I was searching for... Next time I will circle the block and find better parking and hopefully discover a really Instagrammable place! In the meantime, Buffalo Bayou Park has a lot of walking, jogging, and biking trails! There were groups of people enjoying the fresh air and clear skies. We even saw a photoshoot of a couple celebrating a memorable occasion with their friends at one of the pavilions! It was just really humid! How humid was it? I think it was about 63% ...while Honolulu is maybe 55%? Lisa had to stop at a paletta cart and buy a Frozen treat! She said it helped her temporarily. Haha! Now - we know to bring our bottled water - especially because it's August!!!

Our tour guide Kat was extremely knowledgeable about the history of the Cistern. Not going to spill all the beans, but thanks to our tour guide Kat I was able to find out amazing historical facts not only about Houston, but the Cistern and its connection across the globe. I strongly recommend going on this quick yet fun tour!

A cool one-of-a-kind place to stop by for a short tour! Make sure you look at the times ahead and book on your phone (even if same-day) as they are usually a few times on the hour each day. Tour is about 30min and you book it through the website rather than at the center. The cistern is cool to check out for the echoes, illusions, as well as being a short tour to beat the heat (a must in the summer). It would be cool to check out a sound healing event or art demo there when they have them from time to time. Definitely worth checking out if you're in the area looking for something to do while beating the heat!

This is such a beautiful park. Sad that I didn't have enough time to explore all of it. There are trails on both sides of the river. If one side starts to bore you, not that it would, there are multiple bridges along the river to check out the other side. The park is clean and well maintained. There are various points of interest that will make anyone want to quit and continue on to walk. We saw the beautiful visitor center, Dandelion fountain, and all the way to Johnny Steele dog park. I was curious why a couple of people were waiting near Waugh Drive bridge. I found out that a large bat colony leaves the bridge near dusk, creating a dark trail that goes on for about five to ten minutes. There isn't a set time the bats leave so it's a waiting game to see something this incredible. I saw something similar in Austin but wanted my parents to see it. After waiting for a while, we decided to leave. We were already there but next time.

Perfect for bike riding, a picnic in the park, a hike, or just soaking up some views and sunshine. There are statues every there, water fountains, and much more.

This was an unexpected surprise in Houston. I was only in town for a day and wanted to check out something unique to do and the Buffalo Bayou Park Cistern popped up in my search. I bought the tickets the night before online and it was only $7. The visitor center and entrance to the cistern is right next to the parking lot. I can see the lot may get crowded depending on when you go since there's a skatepark there as well. For the tour itself, it's around 30 minutes long. Inside the cistern, it's pretty cool so it's a nice escape from the humidity outside. It's fairly dark inside but there are enough lights to navigate and our tour guide has a flashlight. The whole tour was essentially a circle around the cistern which isn't that big. I think the highlight of the tour was our tour guide. He was very knowledgeable about the history of the cistern and he even sang a few songs at the end of the tour.

Absolutely love this park. Right now, they are hosting a Propel event, so free work out class every Sat/Sun until the end of July 2022. Beautiful trails to ride. We rode from the Heights to Bayou (20 miles) on the trail and it was wonderful. Nice to take a stroll, have a picnic somewhere, run/ride!

10 stars. I love the views and the vibes at Buffalo Bayou!!! Easily, one of my favorite places in the city. I've been countless times. I've gone for sunset picnics, nighttime views of the city, people watching, biking around the bayou, festivals, running, walking, rollerblading...literally so many options....such a vast space!! Get into it.

I've had the pleasure of visiting the Buffalo Bayou Park Cistern twice. It's one of those unique spots in Houston that not a lot of people know about but everyone should check out. Located in Buffalo Bayou Park, there's a free parking lot. Surrounding the Cistern, there's usually a food truck or two and the skate park is right there too. The Cistern was functional back in the day. It was an underwater aqueduct to store water. Since that is no longer necessary today, the Cistern has transformed as the venue for various art installations. They install new ones periodically and it's a really cool experience. The Cistern itself is impressive with tall columns which make for a great venue for creative art installations. You do have to pay to get in unless you come on a Thursday when it's free. Make sure to make a reservation ahead of time if you're coming on a Thursday because it's not uncommon for them to sell out. Cross the Cistern off your bucket list. You won't be disappointed.

Buffalo Bayou Park is amazing! My husband and I went there together for the first time and it's absolutely breathtaking. The grass area is so beautiful and green, I enjoyed seeing all the family gatherings, people playing volleyball and even a dog birthday party. We live in Conroe and after seeing all the movement, greenery and amazing people from all nationalities we've decided to move to Houston. Our next visit will be a picnic with our fur baby we certainly enjoyed our time there.

Fabulous adventure if u love singing u will love this place plus it was just us and the guide

A must 30 minute tour of historic Houston flood control. Water still gets captured here during hurricanes, but not intentionally. Must be over 9 years old.

This isn't the park by me. It's the park Bayou. BBP is an absolutely gorgeous Park located in Houston, and definitely one of the prettiest parks in Texas, especially in terms of inner city parks, with sensational views of the skyline as a backdrop, and the closer you get to it the more amazing and sureal it becomes, because it is such a huge massive concrete show-offy Skyline. Bigger than the one in LA, I would say. It's really a river (bayou, creek, whatever), winding through some of the richest and most picturesque parts of Houston, and the park follows it along the way, and includes a truly remarkable sensational bat colony along the way. Barbie prefers a little DP action, but some BBP action is always good too, honestly, isn't it?

Bayou Cistern has been in Houston for a long time now. It's a nice place to visit since they have new exhibitions every few months. If you are in Houston and never been here then you must put this on your list. Free every Thursday so that's a bonus. It locates right by Buffalo bayou park, so you surely can have a nice walk in the park.

One of my favorite places in the entire city. A community of Houstonians coming here to do everything from training for a marathon, walking fur babies, dates with lovers and friends the vibes are just immaculate. The staff can be seen cleaning up and maintains the park throughout the day so it's decently well kept. I wish people would treat it better and not litter in the water since there is so much rich wildlife here. I've seen turtles, alligators, cow ducks lol, snakes and so many other critters. Respect the park and respect nature so we can all enjoy this sanctuary.

Beautiful park! Parking is only a buck for 3 hours (I was able to walk the entire parameter of the park and still had 44 mins to sit and chat). It was peaceful, not too crowded at all. Will definitely return!

Walk/stroll, Run, skate, bike, play volleyball, doggy park, have a picnic, and enjoy the view while you're at it. Large park spanning about 5+ miles. Houston gem

Such a beautifully big park! I'm a native Houstonian, but I hadn't been here in so long. I decided to spend some time with family since quarantine has limited our activities. This is probably the best park in Houston for nature goers. There's several trails that go for miles. There are also areas to canoe, bike, and much more. Wildlife is all around this park! I even saw a snake when I was there; it nearly shocked the life out of me. Finding parking is always rough; especially on the weekends. I suggest coming early to get the good parking spots. This is a great park in the heart of Houston.

Near the downtown area, this is the kind of park EVERY major metropolitan area needs! All the outdoor space and views add to the flare that is Houston, Texas! Ive done my running and biking here numerous times and it always feels like the first time here. The scenes of the water, bridges, hills, and steps are peaceful. There's also lots of flat land with some large trees making picnics and laying in the sun a perfect moment with family and friends. Bike paths and running trails are separated so there isn't much congestion when getting your move on. One of my favorite parks in the city. As Kenny Bania (Seinfeld character) would say: "IT'S GOLD JERRY! GOLD!!!"

I no-clipped into the backrooms, luckily we had an awesome tour guide who loved what she was doing. It was the right amount of spookiness, prettiness, and coolness. A wonderful place to take pictures in. There were no monsters (unlike some other places I've gone to)

This park might be my favorite park in the Houston area. I was so shocked when I saw the skate park and how cool all of the obstacles looked. The bathrooms were very clean and I loved the trails around the park too. I want to brings my dogs here next time to play. They also have soccer and volleyball around the park too.

absolutely beautiful place to spend some time. would highly recommend checking this out. extensive and fun paths with great variety in scenery & views. amazing park & trails 0 complaints

Fun to walk around or bike around. Free to use and accessible to the public. I don't deal with parking here since I leave from home; however it can be a hassle parking your car. Some of the areas can be a little ghetto but overall, lot of tax dollars put to work here.

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.