Trailblazing: Houston Parks Board Clears Path Between River Grove and Hamblen Road

The trailblazing Houston Parks Board has already begun the first leg of its San Jacinto Bayou Greenway. Last month, the Parks Board announced it was beginning construction of the new linear park. It will connect Edgewater Park – at the southeast corner of US59 and the San Jacinto West Fork – to River Grove Park in Kingwood. The first segment of the project runs through the woods between Woodland Hills Drive and the eastern end of Hamblen Road.

The $2.1 million project will take about a year to complete.

The Parks Board has not started pouring concrete yet, but they have blazed a trail through the woods.

Looking west from the Kingwood Greenbelt along Woodland Hills near the entrance to River Grove Park.
Reverse angle, looking east toward River Grove from the end of Hamblen in Forest Cove.

To learn more about the Bayou Greenway, click here. This project is in cooperation with Harris County Precinct 4 Parks.

Creating One of Longest Urban Trail Networks in North America

Eventually, this project will unify the 40 miles of trails along Spring Creek and the West Fork with 100+ mile trail network in Kingwood. That will create one of the longest urban trail networks in America. With a 160-foot long bridge across Caney Creek to Lake Houston Park, it could become even longer and create an unparalleled natural amenity. At 5000 acres, Lake Houston Park is already the largest urban nature park in North America.

We’re getting up into “Guiness Book of World Records” territory now. And to think it all started with a natural disaster called Harvey. Without Harvey, the path between US59 and Woodland Hills would have likely been blocked by unaffordable properties.

Posted by Bob Rehak on 2/21/2021

1272 Days since Hurricane Harvey