Sheldon Lake State Park & Environmental Learning Center
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Natural Oasis
Just 15 minutes from downtown Houston you’ll find a park with a lake, ponds, wetlands, woods and prairie. Your family will love exploring this nearby oasis.
Things to Do
Come out for the day to fish, hike, paddle and nature watch. You can visit for free: We don’t charge an entry fee!
All facilities and trails are ADA accessible.
Hiking
Walk two miles of trails through various habitats in the park. The Pond Loop Trail takes you past 28 hatchery ponds returned to nature. Along the aptly-named Prairie Trail and Wetland Loop, you’ll see examples of coastal habitats.
Explore the park’s “green” side while hiking. Look for solar panels, water collection tanks and recycled steel pipes. Download our Guide to Alternative Energy and Green Building at Sheldon Lake Environmental Learning Center | PDF.
Take a virtual tour with our interactive trails map.
Fishing
You can fish without a license here!
Fish the 1,200-acre Sheldon Lake from boat or bank. Throw in a line at the fishing area off Garrett Road. Launch boats from the south boat ramp on Pineland Road; boats must not exceed headway speed. Learn more about fishing at Sheldon Lake.
Families (children with adults) can drop a line in one of our two fishing ponds, which are catch-and-release only. We have a limited number of cane poles you can borrow for these two ponds.
Paddling
Bring your own kayak or canoe and explore Sheldon Lake.
Nature watching
This park is teeming with things to see, from birds to alligators, prairie grasses to wildflowers, trees to aquatic plants, butterflies to grasshoppers. Bring binoculars to see details and cameras to capture memories.
The 82-foot John Jacob Observation Tower features panoramic views of the park, the distant Houston skyline, and the San Jacinto Monument! The tower has two observation decks, one accessed by ramp and the other by stairs and elevator.
Visit our Wildscape demonstration garden for ideas on using native plants to attract wildlife to your backyard.
Alligators live in the park; read our alligator safety tips before your visit.
