Sheldon Lake State Park & Environmental Learning Center

Sheldon Lake State Park & Environmental Learning Center Houston's neighborhood State Park & Environmental Learning Center...a hidden gem! The primary activities at the lake unit are fishing and wildlife observation.
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Sheldon Lake State Park and Environmental Learning Center is comprised of two units, Sheldon Lake (access point located at the boat ramp off Pineland Rd.) and the State Park and Environmental Learning Center (main entrance at 14140 Garrett Rd.) Sheldon Lake is open every day to public fishing. Boats must not exceed headway speed while operating on the lake; they may be launched at the south boat r

amp on Pineland Road. Bank fishing is permitted year-round. Activities at the State Park and Environmental Learning Center include group programming, birding, wildlife/nature study, hiking, and fishing for children. The park (open daily) includes several nature trails which pass through 28 naturalized ponds, prairie, and wetland habitats. These offer opportunities to view alligators and other wildlife. (Binoculars are recommended for best viewing.) Free catch-and-release family fishing is permitted for children accompanied by adults, in the two fishing ponds. Alternative energy technologies and green building techniques (photovoltaic, solar hot water, wind turbine and ground coupled-geothermal) are demonstrated at the Pond Center. A wildscape demonstration garden shows techniques for using native plants and wildflowers to attract birds, butterflies and other wildlife to your backyard.

Caution: Road Work Ahead!🚧Construction on Park Road 138 is underway. At this time, some sections of the park road are re...
05/13/2026

Caution: Road Work Ahead!🚧

Construction on Park Road 138 is underway. At this time, some sections of the park road are reduced to one lane. When planning your visit to the park, please allow for extra drive time when entering and exiting.

As the road work progresses, parking will be limited and we anticipate hitting capacity on the weekends. Please expect temporary closures.

Be sure to keep an eye out on our page for further road construction updates!

Happy Mother's Day! This mother daughter duo of common gallinules is wishing y’all a happy Mother’s Day! Incubation of t...
05/10/2026

Happy Mother's Day!

This mother daughter duo of common gallinules is wishing y’all a happy Mother’s Day! Incubation of this species is done by both parents and usually lasts between 19-22 days. Just shortly after they hatch, the young are excellent swimmers. The youngsters usually depend on their parents and siblings to feed them until they’re between 3-6 weeks old, but sometimes the late bloomers will still need a little help. Whether the parents are ready or not, the young will be ready to take off in approximately 40-50 days and the chicks surely appreciate all their parents have done. Share the love with the special people in your life today!

A special thanks to Stephanie Trice for the wholesome photo!

Sheldon, Park Investi-Gator, was under the Pond Pavillion when he noticed these weird markings in the condensation on on...
05/03/2026

Sheldon, Park Investi-Gator, was under the Pond Pavillion when he noticed these weird markings in the condensation on one of the windows. He knows that a critter let these behind and wants to know who is responsible for them, can you help Sheldon identify the source?

Hey y'all! It's almost time for our Herpetology Summer Day Camp! Spots are limited and registration is required. Contact...
05/02/2026

Hey y'all! It's almost time for our Herpetology Summer Day Camp!

Spots are limited and registration is required. Contact [email protected] or (281)456-2800, x8281 to get your camper or campers registered.

Hey y’all, it’s time for Friday’s Featured Creature!  Check out this caw-some bird! 😉Crows are known for their cawing ca...
05/01/2026

Hey y’all, it’s time for Friday’s Featured Creature!

Check out this caw-some bird! 😉

Crows are known for their cawing calls that can be easily distinguished from other birds, but that’s not the only thing that sets them apart. They are highly intelligent, in fact, they have been known to craft tools to aid them when they’re foraging for food. Some crows have been seen using stick and twigs to help them get grubs or other insects out of hard-to-reach places. These animals are omnivores that will eat just about anything ranging from fruits, nuts, to small animals and sometimes even carrion. This one in particular caught itself a snake-sized snack.

A special thanks to Stephanie Trice for the awesome photo!

Hey y'all, here's what we have going on next month. We hope to see y'all there!
04/30/2026

Hey y'all, here's what we have going on next month. We hope to see y'all there!

I spy with my little eye a tiny little guy! Red-eared sliders are one of the most commonly seen turtle species in the pa...
04/26/2026

I spy with my little eye a tiny little guy!

Red-eared sliders are one of the most commonly seen turtle species in the park. They get their name from the red marks on the sides of their heads. This hatchling was likely born this year since it is only about an inch long. Within the first year of a red-eared slider's life they'll grow to be about 3 inches long. Full sized adults typically range between 5-12 inches long. Keep an eye out for more of these awesome reptiles the next time you visit the park!

04/25/2026

Program Update: Good morning y'all! Our Cloud Finders program has been moved to 2-3pm today! We hope to see you there! ⛅

Tommorow is going to be filled with fin-tastic fun! We hope to see you there!
04/24/2026

Tommorow is going to be filled with fin-tastic fun!
We hope to see you there!

Look who's out of brumation! 🐊Sheldon, the Park Investi-Gator! He and his other reptilian friends are all out and about ...
04/19/2026

Look who's out of brumation! 🐊

Sheldon, the Park Investi-Gator! He and his other reptilian friends are all out and about enjoying the warmer weather. Since they're cold-blooded, they rely on external heat sources to help regulate their body temperature. This means that you will see them more frequently in the park during the spring and summertime.

With that being said, Sheldon would like to take this time to make sure everyone knows what it means to be alligator wise!

Being alligator wise means:
-Stay at least 30 feet from an alligator at all times
-Staying on designated trails, do not enter the water
-Do not feed or harass alligators
-If you're fishing in a pond with a gator, be sure to give them plenty of space. Do not cast towards them.
-If you see someone breaking these rules, report it to a park ranger.

Sheldon hopes to see y'all out in the park soon!

Address

14140 Garrett Road
Houston, TX
77044

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 5pm
Tuesday 8am - 5pm
Wednesday 8am - 5pm
Thursday 8am - 5pm
Friday 8am - 5pm
Saturday 8am - 5pm
Sunday 8am - 5pm

Telephone

+12814562800

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