I’ve done a couple of these posts about exploring some fun things to do in your own backyard. And today, I thought it would be fun to talk about one of my favorite things to do in Houston: biking. Houston might not seem like it would be a city filled with bike trails, but it has miles upon miles of trails that are uninterrupted! So in today’s edition of explore your own backyard, I’m talking about biking Houston’s Buffalo Bayou.
I think it’s important to note that I’m not a hardcore cyclist, but I’ve owned a hybrid cycle for about ten years now. I would consider myself more of a weekend warrior, but I love to go on longer rides, and Aaron and I would do a long ride every weekend during quarantine, and we still try to get out for longer rides on Saturday mornings when we can.
The good thing about Buffalo Bayou, is that you can create your own route depending on how far you feel like going. Today, I’m talking about some trails out of Spott’s Park.
Start at Spott’s Park
But, for those of you who live in Houston, Buffalo Bayou has some really neat spots to explore. We lived right behind Spott’s Park, which is located off of Memorial and Waugh Drive in Houston, Texas. So, we would start our bike rides in Spott’s Park. If you don’t have a bike, you can rent one from the B Cycle station located at the top of Spott’s Park to the side of the parking lot.
Once you hop on your bike, you continue on the paved trail through Spott’s Park, which will take you alongside Memorial Drive – and eventually, you’ll come to the bridge that crosses over Memorial. You can either cross the bridge or stay straight. We’ve done all of the routes, and my favorite is probably if you stay straight instead of crossing over the bridge. This will take you on the lower portion of the trail right alongside Buffalo Bayou.
Sabine
You can follow this trail for a couple of miles, and you will eventually reach Sabine Street. If you have some time, and it’s on a weekend, grab a snow cone from Friohana, who parks his truck up on Sabine Street. Pro-tip: carry your credit card with you when you ride so you can stop off and grab a treat if you see one somewhere.
Once you pass under the Sabine Street bridge, you carry on for a couple more miles, and you will eventually pass behind the back of Houston’s Aquarium. But, right before the Aquarium – is a bridge to cross over to the other side. I recommend trying that route because it takes you to Allen’s Landing, which is a really neat part at the end of the trail.
Biking Buffalo Bayou
There are countless spots to explore on the Bayou, and I’ll do another post about how far you can go if you continue straight past the Aquarium, because you can go for miles and miles.
There is always something new to see along the way. I love to watch the kayakers.
And, Aaron and I love to just get out and explore.
