Walk Along The Bayou

This is my second time back to this park.

This time, I took the Buffalo Bayou Bike And Hike Trail (I think the actual name the park gives it is the Blue Jay Trail, but when you get to Eldridge Parkway it becomes the Quail Trail) from the parking lot off Memorial Drive near Eldridge Parkway all the way out to where it ends by Beltway 8 (Sam Houston Tollway).  The trail was approximately 5.5 miles each way.  If you walk to the end, there is a parking lot where a friend can wait and pick you up.  If you do not have a ride back, realize that you will be hiking a good distance (11 miles).  I would not recommend it if you are elderly or in poor health.

This is not a hike, per se, but more of a nice long walk through the park.  The park is frequented by joggers, cyclists, and people walking their pets and this trail is paved asphalt and concrete the entire way.  It is relatively flat, although there are small hills to climb/descend along the way.  There are numerous grassy glens with beautiful wildflowers growing (when in season).  The trail parallels Buffalo Bayou and you are constantly afforded some nice views of it.  Along the path, you will cross several small bridges that span creeks that drain into the bayou.  You will also walk under several road bridges for vehicles driving over/the park.  The Beltway 8 bridge is massive and an impressive engineering feat.  It is at these points when there is no solitude.

If you don't want to walk along the water bank, the trail branches off at several points and gives you a different path further away from the bayou.  One of my gripes about this park is that the signage is sparse and poor.  There are no printed trail maps available and where the trail forks, there is no information as to where they go.  This causes unnecessary confusion and can get you lost unless you have a GPS or good sense of direction.

You also stand a good chance of seeing wildlife.  There are a lot of birds and it seems almost every tree has a nest in it.  I saw a Blue Heron, but only briefly.  Apparently he saw or heard me first, so he became startled and took off in flight.  Seeing those large birds fly is a treat.  I also saw some turtles along the bayou.

I am almost done hiking all of the trails in this park.  I may need one more visit as GoogleMaps shows a dirt trail on the other side of the bayou called Anthills.  I'm not sure if it's even a park trail, but it may be nice to view the bayou from the other side next time.