Looking for a quick day hike or weekend camping getaway near Houston? We spent a Saturday at Lake Houston Wilderness Park, which has several miles of easy-to-moderate trails. For camping, there are primitive walk-in camp sites as well as more "tame" pad campsites with water, hookups and access to showers and facilities. There are nifty A-frames, recreation areas, and larger cabins. Entry is $3 per person as of this writing and they take credit cards.
Pros: The trail was easy for all ages and leashed dogs, with cell reception in case you wanted to take a quick call or post and share pics. The pine forests smelled great and the creek is a lovely surprise when you come across it. Stargazing at night is great. There are longer, more primitive trails, or you can hike the Peach Creek Loop. It was also not crowded.
Cons: It was easy to hear the park traffic from some of the trail (annoying if someone had engine problems or loud bass) and it got a bit boggy from the recent rain in the lower areas. Our shoes were muddy but we were testing Husband's new waterproof trail runners, so it was ok with us! (His feet stayed dry.) The lake, however, is pretty small.
Cons aside, for Southeast Texas, it is pretty and large enough where we can go a few times and still have room to explore.
xo,
Beretta