Celebrate the Brazos River Trail

Unveiled by Houston Wilderness on February 25, 2009, The Brazos River Trail runs through Fort Bend and Brazoria Counties and stretches approximately 120 miles on the longest river in Texas, serving as a critical ingredient of the Columbia Bottomlands ecosystem, a major stopover habitat during migration for millions of species of birds.   Sprung out of a forward-thinking partnership between Brazoria County Judge Joe King and Fort Bend County Judge Bob Hebert, The Brazos River Trail will not only help protect this critical habitat for migrating birds and for other animals, but will also provide residents and tourists with access to recreation and education opportunities.

By boating, hiking, bird watching, horseback riding, bicycling, or just relaxing by the water, adventure and knowledge-seekers can witness some of the same ecological treasures that Stephen F. Austin found when he settled his first colonies along the river in the 1820s.  Furthermore, the preservation of these areas provides better water quality and a reduction in flooding damage, as well as economic development opportunities associated with ecotourism.

The Brazos River Trail runs through numerous parks, preserves, and wildlife refuges in Fort Bend and Brazoria Counties.  For locations of trails and directions to the parks, visit Houston Wilderness at  http://www.houstonwilderness.org.

Trail Blazers–The success if the Brazos River Trail project is the result of many public and private partners collaborating to provide recreation and educational opportunities, preserve land and water, help flood damage reduction, and aid in wetland mitigation. Four Trail Blazers were awarded by Houston Wilderness to individuals who championed the Brazos River Trail Project, including Brazoria County Judge Joe King, Fort Bend County Judge Bob Hebert, The Dow Chemical Company and The George Foundation.

The Sam Houston Trail & Wilderness Preserve—The Brazos River Trail is the second gem completed connecting a uniquely diverse necklace of ecosystems, green space, and nature trails throughout the 24-county Houston region.  The entire Houston area will benefit from the many recreational opportunities provided by The Sam Houston Trail and Wilderness Preserve –hiking, canoeing and kayaking, fishing, cycling, and horseback riding–all year round, and all within a 1.5 hour drive of downtown Houston.