Hiking Houston Arboretum

Directions:

The memorial park entrance is closed.  The New entrance is on the 610 N Service Road (feeder road).  I don’t think Google Maps has been updated yet so you’ll have to make the adjustment.

Meeting time is 9:50am which means we will start hiking at 10am sharp! 😊

 

Let’s take a stroll around the Houston Arboretum.  We’ll hike along all of the trails that are currently open.  These trails are well maintained and flat. Comfortable walking shoes are fine.

Level of Difficulty/Pace:

Easy – All Levels. We’ll go the pace of the group with a goal to walk about 20-25-minute miles. If the group as a whole wants to go faster, we will.  If the group wants to go slower, we will.  Faster people can always go ahead and then backtrack to the group for additional mileage.

Description of trails.

Outer Loop:
A good choice for distance hikers who wish to avoid the hectic trails of Memorial Park, the Outer Loop is a two mile trail which encircles the Houston Arboretum. Come and walk early in the morning to see many kinds of birds, urban mammals and insects, or bring a friend and enjoy a short break from Houston’s hectic city streets. This wide trail provides plenty of edge habitat which is attractive to birds and other wildlife. The southern portion of the Outer Loop has a wonderful remote feel, and is a perfect place to pause and reflect about nature. No jogging please!

Palmetto Multi-sensory Trail:Dedicated in June 2011, this new 1/3 mile loop is specifically designed for visually impaired individuals. A project of Leadership Houston Class 29, this trail offers many interpretative stops that educate visitors about the natural world here at the Arboretum

Carol Tatkon Sensory Garden:Located on the north side of the Nature Center, the Carol Tatkon Sensory Garden (opened in 2003) is a delight to all the senses. Although most of us rely primarily on our sight to explore the world around us, take time to touch and smell as you explore this small, fragrant garden. Stay awhile or relax on a bench and listen to the sounds around you. If you are lucky, you might even catch a glimpse of a lizard basking in the sun on the stone wall, or a hummingbird feeding on the flowers.

Meadow, Pond & Observation Decks: If you like to watch wildlife, head out to the meadow along the eastern edge of the Arboretum. Here, at the transition between East Texas Pineywoods and the Gulf Coast Prairie, little bluestem and other native grasses provide food and shelter for all kinds of small mammals and grassland songbirds. A one-acre pond lies in this meadow and provides a year-round sanctuary for dragonflies, fish and turtles. Listen for the “jug-o-rum” calls of bullfrogs from the observation deck, and look for snakes swimming in the water in search of prey.

Biomimicry Trail:A series of five interpretive signs showcase local species that have inspired innovation and sustainable solutions to challenges we face. As you walk along the trail, look for local species and the stories of their strategies and processes that inspired innovative design solutions making them more efficient, effective, and sustainable.

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