Sweat it Out at These Heights Parks
City living does not mean that you have to abandon physical activity in the great outdoors. Whether you enjoy going to parks, hitting up hike and bike trails, or playing fetch with your dog, there’s somewhere in or nearby the Heights for you to go. The next time you’re looking to stretch your legs, consider one of these outdoor hotspots.
Parks
If you haven’t visited these go-to parks in the Greater Heights area, it might be time to wander over! Each one has its own special qualities and features that are worth checking out.
Montie Beach Park
Located at 915 Northwood Street in the eastern Heights, Montie Beach Park is one of the most beloved greenspaces in the community. Its position at the heart of Brooke Smith makes its 23 acres especially popular among residents who live in that neighborhood. Nearby the community center building, the park offers a 0.84-mile hike and bike trail, lighted tennis courts, a lighted sports field, and a playground. The Montie Beach Civic Club, along with the Houston Parks Board, ensure that the park is kept up-to-date and adequately serves both residents and visitors from all around Houston.
Stude Park
Stude Park has a little bit of something for everyone. With a swimming pool, lighted sports field, an indoor gym, and a 0.83-mile hike and bike trail located adjacent to the park’s community center building, it’s a pretty popular spot! The park also features a playground and a water playground for the kids. You can find Stude Park at 1031 Stude Street in the southernmost section of the Greater Heights.
Woodland Park
Tennis fans will love Woodland Park since it offers lighted tennis courts. It does, however, offer so much more than that! Adjacent to the community center building, you can find a lighted sports field, an indoor gym, and an outdoor basketball court. It’s also a favorite among those who enjoy sight-seeing among nature. It’s a great place to go birdwatching!
Friends of Woodland Park, a 100% volunteer group, helps to preserve the park by keeping it clean, safe, and engaging for both visitors and wildlife. The next time you go, keep your eyes peeled for new art installations inspired by the outdoors! Woodland Park is located at 212 Parkview Street in the southeastern corner of the Greater Heights.
Milroy Park
On Yale Street, you’ll find Milroy Park, a small greenspace that offers lighted tennis courts and a grassy field near its community center. There’s even a playground for the kids, but we’d be lying if we said we’d never seen adults getting a workout on some of the equipment.
Lawrence Park
This park may not be as enormous as Hermann Park, but it still provides a ton of value! Locals love this greenspace’s covered basketball court. Rain or shine, you can always work on your hoops! A sports field and a small playground are also on-site. If you work up an appetite, keep in mind that this is a great spot for a picnic – at an actual table and under the shade of a roof, nonetheless! Lawrence Park is in the southwestern Heights along the MKT Trail and nearby White Oak Bayou Trail.
Other Parks in the Heights:
- Wright-Bembry Park
- Marmion Park
Nearby Parks:
- Shepherd Park Plaza
- Oak Forest Park
- West 11th Street Park Trail
Notable Hike & Bike Trails
Perhaps you’re more in the mood to walk, jog, or bike on a trail. You definitely have options in the Heights! Here are a few of the area’s more notable trails. Keep in mind that there are many other trails in the area.
White Oak Bayou Trail
With over 17 miles of green space and hike and bike trails, White Oak Bayou does not disappoint! Although parks like Watonga Parkway Park, T.C. Jester Park, Stude Park, White Oak Park, and Hogg Park span the length of the bayou, the White Oak Bayou Trail deserves its own highlight. It connects Houstonians to several neighborhoods, including Downtown. It also intersects with the Heights Hike and Bike Trail three times, passing through both Woodland Heights and the historic Heights. Because of the various routes you can take, it’s hard to get bored on this trail. The views are also spectacular! Whether you’re looking for panoramas of nature to sweep you off your feet for a while, or you prefer to gaze at a splendid city backdrop, you’re sure to be stunned by the beauty along this trail.
Heights Hike and Bike Trail
One of the most popular outdoor activity destinations in the Heights, the Heights Hike and Bike Trail is a paved, two-way trail that runs along White Oak Bayou, through a few Heights neighborhoods, and connects with the White Oak Bayou Trail. You’ll be sure to glimpse some wildlife on your trip, and you’ve got several options for where to connect to the trail. In fact, the City of Houston just announced that they will construct a trail connector at White Oak Bayou Greenway in the Heights. Currently, the White Oak Bayou Trail abruptly ends below Studemont Street, forcing outdoor enthusiasts to detour off of the trail system. New developments along both the Heights Hike and Bike Trail and White Oak Bayou Trail systems ensure that pedestrians and cyclists can exercise outdoors safely.
Bayou Greenways Trails
Relax and retreat, run and walk, kayak, or cycle along one of Houston’s bayous. Bayou Greenways offers multiple connections to other trails so you can be active for miles and miles without ever seeing the same scenery. With 150 miles of trails and 3,000 acres of green space, it’s an absolutely huge trail system. Access the trailhead at Bayou Greenways Park at the south of the Heights.
FEATURED HOME
Looking to move to a new Houston home with plenty of places to keep active nearby? Check out this beauty in the Heights!
