The alligators should be enough to drag you to this daytime getaway just south of town, and the park has gators to spare — gators in the nooks, gators in the crannies, gators disguised by the general greenery, even brazen, family-friendly gators sunning themselves on the trails. But that’s only where the attraction begins; Brazos Bend State Park is a bustling paradise for native fauna, from your run-of-the-mill deer, rabbits, raccoons, possums and wading reptiles to exotic migratory and local birds. And Brazos Bend has flora too, lush and dense all along the miles and miles of hiking trails and unspoiled wetlands.
This article appears in 2017 Best of Houston.