Brazos Bend State Park

We made it!  2100 miles, 9 state parks and 1 national park, 2 screened shelters, 1 cabin, 1 room at the lodge, and 2 tent camping sites all in 10 days.  We purchased 2 additional dry sacks and a roof top bag for the car.  We managed to fit everything we needed into the car and only had to do laundry once.  We made multiple trips to Walmart, Kroger, Target, and tiny grocery stores along the way to get ice and refill the coolers.  We have returned with a great appreciation for the state we call home.  I will be writing about all of the parks we saw on our trip over the next couple of posts.  I will write about each park individually so that they can be searched and also because I have so much to write!

The first park we visited on July 27th was Brazos Bend State Park.  This large park is located southwest of Houston in Needville.  We stayed in screened shelter #9.  The shelters had good shade under large trees and large grassy areas around each shelter.  This park has nicely paved roads that make biking easy even for small kids.  The bath house was close by and were "not too buggy" according to Natalie.  The raccoons in this park have a bad reputation for being pushy so keep your ice chests and food in the locked car or in the locked shelter.  I think the very best thing about these shelters was the ceiling fan.  That fan was a saving grace because it was obviously quite warm (mid-90's).  After unpacking and relaxing a little, we went on a hike on the 40 Acre Lake Trail near the front of the park.  If you go in the summer bring plenty of bug spray as the mosquitoes were insatiable.  The trail is around the lake which is a haven for birds and alligators.  We saw 4 alligators and a long list of birds including: Cormorants, Anhingas, Stilts, Herons, Coots, Egrets, Ibis', Kingfisher, and Cowbirds.  This was an amazing hike for bird watchers and probably even more exciting during migration.  Natalie found a couple of special feathers, although she dropped one from the observation tower.  We couldn't get it back though because it landed in the water about 10 feet away from a gator.  So we let the gator keep the feather.  Other animals we saw were possum, stag beetles, turtles, and deer.  In the morning we visited the Nature Center.  This was a fun place to bring the kids as they are encouraged to touch.  The rangers lead talks and educational programs for the whole family about the plants and animals of the park.  They brought out a tarantula, a snake, and a baby alligator for the kids to touch.  They also had fossils, bones, fur, snake skins and other exhibits about the critters in this park.  The ranger staff went above and beyond answering questions for my curious kids.  This is a beautiful park for hiking, fishing, and bike riding.  I cannot recommend it for swimming.