Brazos Bend State Park

Only got to walk Elm Lake Trail and the 40-acre Lake Trail with my wife and kid. We still got to see 15 alligators along the way. This place is such a hidden gem. I can't believe this was our first time visiting here. The alligators were barely moving and were very chill. Some of them were very little and some were quite large. You should be fine as long as you keep your distance.

A really cool state park in Houston area, nice trails. Have always seen lots of alligators. The visitor nature center is nice too, they usually have a tiny alligator and you can touch it. Plenty of parking everywhere. The trees and landscape has changed over the years quite a bit in the park.

Can't get enough of this park. The best time to visit is right after a cold front has ended in the spring or winter. The most alligators I've seen in a single visit was 49! It was actually a bit startling, honestly lol. The reason for this is that obviously reptiles don't like the cold, and they're very eager to get into the sun and bask as soon as the weather is a bit warmer. Some trails become impassable after rain, but they usually mark trails as closed when this happens. It's also a birdwatching paradise, with plenty of white ibises, mostly in the winter after they've all migrated down here. There are bathrooms and outhouses throughout the park, and some water fountains. Most trails are at least partially-shaded, though the prairie trails are obviously full sun. Some trails are horse-friendly.

We stayed here on a threev day weekend in our travel trailer. The sites are well maintained and the facilities are nice. We hiked the Elm Lake trail and went to the observation point by the spillway. We saw six alligators on the hike! There were also many owls creating some ambiance at night! Very nice place to camp, I highly recommend a visit!

This is such a great location for a family camping trip! I took my niece and nephew camping for the first time and we wanted to stay in a tent, but weren’t ready to fully “rough it”. The tent campsite 🏕️ we stayed at had a water spigot with potable water, and electrical outlets. You will need at least a 25’ extension cord if you want to reach outside your tent, or 35’+ to reach inside your tent. There are bathrooms that have sinks with soap, and locations to shower inside. There are lots of activities to keep the kids busy indoors at the Nature Center like: 1) learning about crocodiles and attend story time 2) getting to pet baby crocodiles and snakes 3) interactive exhibits with bones and information about the park There are outdoor activities that you would expect like hiking, playgrounds, etc. One thing I would recommend for the hikes is downloading the AllTrails app since it is a little more useful/accurate than the signs posted at the park. All of the rangers were nice and helpful. We will definitely be back!