Houston is located in southeastern Texas and is the fourth largest city in the state. Although it is a large developed city, there are plenty of outdoor things to do in Houston. It has a subtropical climate with hot summers and temperate winters, which means that the weather is always nice enough to play outside. Houston has several large waterways and a network of smaller waterways. Outdoor activities include hiking, bicycling, fishing, boating and paintball.
Cycling
Houston is a bicycle-friendly city, with 345 miles of organized bike lanes, routes, trails and paths throughout the city. Some of these lanes are shared traffic lanes, but others like bayou trails and rails to trails are designated specifically for bicyclists and walkers. Bike Houston, a non-profit organization, endeavors to educate the public about the benefits of bicycling and the rights of bicyclists. The group organizes annual cycling events, such as "Tour de Pink" and "Tour de Cure" to raise money for cancer awareness and research.
Hiking
There are several great places to hike throughout the Houston area. Bayou Park has wide hiking trails that run along Buffalo Bayou. At Brazoria National Wildlife Refuge, visitors can view birds and other wildlife along the nature trails. Memorial Park, west of downtown Houston, is a 1,431-acre maintained park with plenty of bike, jogging and walking trails.
Fishing
Its close proximity to the Galveston Bay and numerous inland water sources make Houston a fisherman's paradise. McGovern Lake, located within Houston's Hermann Park, is regularly stocked with catfish, bluegill, bass, sunfish and rainbow trout. Fishing is available at Sheldon Lake State Park. There is an environmental learning center where fishing programs are available to children. The two Sheldon Children's Ponds are an excellent destination for family fishing. The Galveston Bay offers saltwater fishing from the shore or deep-sea fishing from boats. Here, you are likely to snag saltwater trout, seatrout, flounder, black drum, kingfish or snapper. All fishermen must acquire a fishing license for legal fishing in Houston.
Boating
Houston is home to the largest boat show in Texas, the Houston International Boat Show, so it should come as no surprise that boating is a popular outdoor activity in the area. Canoeing and kayaking is common in bodies of water like Armand Bayou, Green's Bayou, Sheldon Reservoir, Clear Creek and Champion Lake. You can rent a paddleboat at McGovern Lake in Hermann Park. Galveston Bay accommodates kayaks and motorboats of all sizes. Larger boats and yachts can be taken out to sea in the deep waters of Galveston Bay. If you don't have a boat of your own, companies like Central Boat Rentals, will let you rent a boat by the hour or for the whole day.
Paintball
Paintball wars are high-energy athletic events in which members of opposites teams must try to shoot each other with paint-filled ammunition. Paintball is a great activity for groups of friends, but is also commonly used to build trust and comaraderie among co-workers. Houston has four paintball fields throughout the city for you to challenge yourself and have a blast. Paintball Bonanza has six different paintball fields and scenarios, so you get a choice in your type of paintball play. They gladly accept walk-ins, but are also available for birthday parties, corporate groups, church groups and groups of friends. Urban War Zone Paintball is located in the heart of downtown Houston, making it easily accessible from any location in Houston. The fields include oil drums, sand bags and bunkers to provide cover from flying paintballs. Paintball Zone has two locations in Houston that offer several course options to cater to your desired type of play.
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