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Brazos Bend State Park |
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21901 FM 762
Needville TX 77461
979/553-5101
History: Brazos Bend State Park, approximately 28 miles southwest of Houston,
covers roughly 5000 acres, with an eastern boundary of 3.2 miles fronting on the
Brazos River on the southeast border of Fort Bend County. This was the area of
Texas' first Anglo colonization. It was purchased by the state in 1976-77 and
was opened to the public in 1984.
An American Alligator at the park - Click on image to view a larger one. Use
your back button to return to this page.
Archeological materials show that prehistoric people visited this area, possibly
as early as 300 BC; in early historical times, the Capoque band of the Karankawa
Indians roamed between the mouth of the Brazos River and Galveston Bay and may
have traveled inland as far as Brazos Bend. In the early 19th century, this area
of Texas was the site of Stephen F. Austin's first colonial land grant from
Mexico, and present park land was included in a grant to Abner Harris and a
partner named William Barrett in 1827. Most of riverfront was sold shortly after
the Texas Revolution, and records show that in 1845, part of the park and 2400
feet of river frontage were in the hands of cotton brokers who lived in
Brazoria. At the time, the Brazos River was one of the principal routes of
commerce, and it may be that the brokerage firm used the area for one of its
riverboat landings. In recent times, the land on which the park is located was
used for cattle grazing, pecan harvesting, and as a private hunting preserve.
Activities: Activities include camping, picnicking, hiking, biking, equestrian,
and fishing. Six lakes are easily accessible to fishermen, with piers located at
40-Acre, Elm and Hale Lakes. Visitors are cautioned to pay due respect to
alligators, which are numerous in some areas of the park. There are at least
three free interpretive programs and hikes offered every weekend. Interpretive
staff and volunteers offer weekday guided hikes and programs for schools and
other educational organizations. Fees and reservations required. The Nature
Center is open weekends and most holidays from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. It's
"Habitats and Niches" display offers an unusual "hands-on" alligator discovery
area, a tactile model of the park, freshwater aquarium, live native snake
species, a touch table and an open-captioned orientation video for all visitors
including those with hearing impairments. The George Observatory is located in
the park and is open Saturdays from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. For information on
stargazing programs/passes and other programs, call the Observatory at
979/553-3400 or at 281/242-3055 (as a satellite of the Houston Museum of Natural
Science) or visit the George Observatory web site. Shop for gifts at "Ye Olde
Gator Shoppe", the Visitor Center, and at the George Observatory. |
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