Brazos Bend State Park - Texas Parks and Wildlife

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Brazos Bend State Park - Texas Parks and Wildlife

Hike, bike, camp, and fish on over 5,000 acres just 45 minutes from downtown Houston. Enjoy scenic views and abundant wildlife. We're famous for our alligators.
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INFORMATION PLUS HOURS OF OPERATION FOR HEADQUARTERS, NATURE CENTER AND GEORGE OBSERVATORY

Brazos Bend is one of the last remaining wild places open to the public in the greater Houston area. The park is approximately 5,000 acres of prairie, wetland and bottomland forest located in SE Fort Bend County along the west bank of the Brazos River. There are approximately 37 miles of trails. Most trails are open to walking and cycling. We do not provide bicycles. Although we have equestrian trails we do not provide horses. Rainy weather floods the river bottoms causing trail closings. Please call ahead for trail conditions. 979-553-5101-0

We are an extremely popular park. Camping reservations need to be made months in advance. We are the busiest in the spring and fall months and on mild winter days. Visitors during those times should expect to wait in line to enter the park. We are famous for our wild alligator population. Please adhere to all posted and printed safety information. Alligators are best viewed in mild weather. They don't like to it too hot or too cold. HOURS OF OPERATION

HEADQUARTERS - PERMITS - GIFT SHOP

Monday - Thursday 9:00 am - 4:30 pm

Friday and Saturday 8:00 am - 9:30 pm

Sunday

Daylight Saving Time 8:00 am - 5:30 pm

Winter months 8:00 am - 4:30 pm

PARK HOURS

8:00 am - 10:00 pm

Entrance permit required at all times. Use self-pay station at Headquarters Building. Pass Holders will need to use self-pay and record pass number. No fee. Gates close at 10:00 pm

(Fall and Winter Public Deer Hunts will keep the park closed on some weekdays but not on weekends.) NATURE CENTER - GIFT SHOP

Friday - Sunday 11:00 am - 3:00 pm

Major Holiday, Spring Break and Thanksgiving Weeks may have extended hours. Call Park Headquaters for more information. Closed Christmas and Thanksgiving Days

GEORGE OBSERVATORY & GIFT SHOP / HOUSTON MUSEUM OF NATURAL SCIENCE

Saturday is public day

8:00 - 10:00 pm

Tickets for the George Observatory will need to be purchased strictly online with limited availability. A permit to visit the park will also be required.
**The George Observatory will require all ticket holders to wear a mask. For schedules, times and other information about the George Observatory, please visit hmns.org/george-observatory/

Weekdays by group reservation only. Open for special celestial events.

09/12/2026

Good news, everyone! 🐦✨It's hummingbird banding season again!

It's that magical time of year when hummingbirds are flitting and flying through Texas 🍃 on their southerly migration, and we at Brazos Bend are once again diving into the world of hummingbirds with our hummingbird banding programs🌿.

Join us at the Nature Center as we catch some of these beautiful little birds🔍, take their measurements📏, note their conditions📋, log our findings, and release them in preparation for a long journey south. Get to witness science up close as we discover a little more about these fascinating little jewels of the sky! 💫🕊️

We will be banding hummingbirds from 8:30AM to 9:30AM on Sunday September 13th, Saturday the 19th, Sunday the 20th, Saturday the 26th, and Sunday the 27th of September. 📅✅

These programs are subject to change or cancellation due to the weather or availability of birds.

Navigate to our Facebook events page to learn more about these events: https://www.facebook.com/BrazosBendStatePark/events

09/10/2026

🚨Warning… Awesome Alert!!! 🚨

Many snakes call Brazos Bend home and we were lucky to come across this young Texas Coral snake, which is one of the three venomous snakes found in the park.
Love them, or hate them… these shy snakes are critical to the health of the ecosystem.

Notice the head and the tail on this specific snake. What’s missing?!?!
If the color “red” was your answer, congratulations!
When threatened, they’ll tuck their head close to their body to confuse potential predators.

Another magical day at Brazos Bend!!!

What other snakes have you seen at the park?
💚🐍💚

09/06/2026

🌟We are grateful for our staff and volunteers working together to make this happen! We are over the moon 🌙 with the turnout of participants who joined us for the nature-based outdoor programming.

We had an incredible opportunity and privilege to serve our deaf community by promoting our wildlife 🐰and natural resources 🍃 at Brazos Bend State Park

See y’all again next year! ✌️

09/05/2026

Happy National Wildlife Day! 🦋

Let's take a moment to celebrate the incredible diversity of animals and natural spaces around us and appreciate the role each species plays in keeping our ecosystems healthy. From the enormous alligators 🐊 who help to create and expand our crucial wetlands to the little butterfly that helps to pollinate our many plants and crops, each animal has a part to play in the tapestry of life.

Whether it's protecting habitats, sharing your knowledge of our wild spaces, or helping to manage and maintain our natural world, we all can play a part in the process of conservation to ensure that all creatures get the chance to live their lives in a world that we all deserve. 🦌

🌳What vital role would you like to play in our environment? Let us know below!

Photo credits: RK Stewart, David Heinicke, Jessica Bullard.

09/01/2026

🎶That distant hum you hear outside is not your AC unit trying desperately to cool you down in the heat of summer. It's probably a chorus of cicadas!

Meet the Resh Cicada, one of the most common cicada species in our area. They're named for the shapes on the shield behind their heads, which looks like the Hebrew letter "resh" (and makes them look stylish besides)!🪲

These cool critters spend years underground as larvae and nymphs living off root sap. When the time's right, they crawl out, emerge from their nymphal stage, and spend a couple weeks screaming in the trees as a flying insect.🌳

All that buzzing? Only the males make it! They vibrate special membranes called "tymbals" which resonate through their abdomens, producing a sound that is *louder than a lawnmower*! 💥

Resh Cicadas are only one of the many kinds of cicada singing their songs in the Houston area. Have you seen any of these noisy neighbors lately? Share your sightings in the comments (bonus points for pictures)!📸

08/31/2026

Come see join the fun at Brazos Bend State Park for Deaf Outdoors Day this Saturday, September 5 at the Nature Center! We’ll be hosting different activities with the help of 🌟ASL Interpreters for programs such as 🐤Hummingbird Banding, 🐊Apex to Alligator, 🐍Spectacular Snakes, Mystery of the 🦋Missing Monarchs, and much more! Hope to see you there!!🌟

08/28/2026

🌱On Saturday, October 3rd, from 10am - 2pm, Brazos Bend State Park will be partnering with TIRR Memorial-Hermann to host a special event - “Nature Without Limits”! 🌳

This event will showcase exciting adaptive equipment for all user groups to enjoy various outdoor recreation activities. 👨‍🦼‍➡️Additionally, we will have special programs like a 🗺guided hike, ⛺adaptive camping, 🏹adaptive archery, and 🐍several interpretive tables.

Not to mention, we will have food trucks available on-site as well! 🚚

Discover just how easy getting out in nature can be at Brazos Bend State Park - where nature has never been so accessible and we're here to prove it!

*Park entrance will be free during this event*
*Register for event with the link in the comments*

More information can be found in our events or at the following link: https://tpwd.texas.gov/calendar/brazos-bend/nature-without-limits

08/24/2026

You're invited to join us for a special event: Veterans at the Bend!

☀️On Saturday, September 19th from 8AM-12PM, Brazos Bend State Park will be hosting Veterans at the Bend event: a veterans mental health awareness event. Veteran-owned businesses, vendors, and organizations will be in attendance, helping us to inform and educate while attendees partake in fun, food, contests, and programs!🎣

👟This event begins at 8AM at the Elm Lake Pavilion with a resource booth hour followed by an Honor Hike at 9AM around Elm Lake Loop and Horseshoe Lake Loop. There will be all kinds of activities like archery, fishing, tug of war, as well as interpretive tables and programs.🎯

🌳The park's entry fee will be waived for anyone coming to visit Brazos Bend during this event, so come out and join us as we learn together and walk to support our veterans.📅✅✅

08/22/2026

🌟Check out our latest career opportunity!🍃

🤠 Texas Parks & Wildlife bringing you another great job opportunity here in Texas! Check out this recent posting for a Park Ranger (Resource Specialist) at Brazos Bend State Park! 🐊

Rich in biodiversity, Brazos Bend has some of the most spectacular wildlife that call this area along the Gulf Coast home! With over 5,000 acres of wetlands, bottomland hardwood forests, and one of the most pristine coastal tall grass prairies, this is a great opportunity to showcase knowledge and develop new skills in maintaining these precious habitats. As well as making an impact that prepares the park for resiliency over the next 5-10-20 years!!

Park Ranger II (Resource Specialist)
Application Deadline: 08/28/26
Apply here and type "Park Ranger II" in the Search field: https://erphcmprd.cpa.texas.gov/psc/candidateportal/EMPLOYEE/HRMS/c/HRS_HRAM_FL.HRS_CG_SEARCH_FL.GBL?Page=HRS_APP_SCHJOB_FL&Action=U

🌱On Saturday, October 3rd, from 10am - 2pm, Brazos Bend State Park will be partnering with TIRR Memorial-Hermann to hos...

08/21/2026

Address

21901 FM 762 Road
Needville, TX
77461

Telephone

+19795535101

Website

http://tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/brazos-bend

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