An Adventure Guide to Houston’s Buffalo Bayou

Houston’s founders originally planted their flag along the Buffalo Bayou back in 1836. Today, the 52-mile riverside path has been reimagined as a hub of urban green space—a fantastic place to paddle, bike, jog, walk or simply relax. Developed by the nonprofit Buffalo Bayou Partnership, this popular attraction can easily entertain you and your family all day while visiting Houston.

Have a bite by the light of gleaming chandeliers

Imagine a glass house lit by dozens of chandeliers in all shapes and sizes, overlooking the beauty of Buffalo Bayou Park. Welcome to The Kitchen at the Dunlavy, a breakfast and lunch spot with a refreshing SoCal-style menu and a full bar. For breakfast, get the avocado toast and chia seed pudding; for lunch, order the russet steak fries and the brisket sandwich with Gruyere and horseradish cream. Say, “Yes, please!” to blueberry yogurt cake for dessert—trust us, you’ll be glad you did.

Meditate underground

The unique architecture of Houston’s former drinking water reservoir—built in 1926—makes the Buffalo Bayou Park Cistern an ideal backdrop for internationally acclaimed art installations. Photo Credit: Katya Horner/Slight Clutter Photography

If you're looking for relaxing things to do in Houston, find your third eye at Buffalo Bayou on Sundays from 10 to 11 a.m. You'll enjoy an inspiring $5 meditation session in the spectacular Water Works underground cistern. This 87,500-square-foot basin is marked by otherworldly rows of 25-foot-tall concrete columns. Reserve a $5, 30-minute guided tour Wednesdays through Sundays (free on Thursdays) through what was one of the city’s first underground drinking-water reservoirs, built in 1926.

Rent a bike or a kayak

Biking along the bayou is an exhilarating pleasure, and there’s no need for your own wheels. Bike Barn’s Buffalo Bayou Rentals will set you up with rental bicycles designed for any level of biking experience, from hybrids and cruisers to tandems and kids’ bikes. You can also take a group tour with Bayou City Bike Tours. Prefer to paddle? Rent a canoe or a kayak from Bayou City Adventures, offered daily at the Lost Lake Visitor Center. There’s no need to reserve in advance, so you can wait and see how your mood (and the weather) hits you.

Go on an artsy scavenger hunt

Public art dots Buffalo Bayou park’s trails, transforming the green space into an outdoor museum. Take a walk from your Houston hotel to find Henry Moore’s Spindle, an abstract bronze piece once installed in London’s Hyde Park; Tolerance by Jaume Plensa, a series of human sculptures in thoughtful poses at the base of the Rosemont Bridge; and Monumental Moments by local artist Anthony Thompson Shumate, six human-scaled word sculptures that say Explore, Pause, Reflect, Listen, Emerge and Observe. These words will transform your next selfie into an Instagram inspiration.

Watch Buffalo Bayou’s Bat Colony

Get a front-row seat for nature’s headliner at the Waugh Drive Bridge. Every night, Houston’s largest colony of Mexican free-tailed bats emerge in one graceful swoop.

Every evening at sunset, thousands of Mexican free-tailed bats take flight from crevices in the Waugh Drive Bridge. These nonmigratory critters are so fond of the Buffalo Bayou, they’ve made it their year-round home. The colony was made up of more than 250,000 bats prior to Hurricane Harvey, but its numbers are slowly increasing again. Check the interpretive signage at the site for bat facts. For the best views, find a place to perch just before sunset at the Jerry and Nanette Finger Family Seating Circle or the Albert and Margaret Alkek Foundation Alcove, close to Waugh Drive.