On September 27 and 28, Bridgeland, an 11,400-acre planned community to the east of KPC's preserve system, will host a Nature Fest - two days of outdoor activities that celebrate nature and conservation (see related article below).  At the event, Bridgeland will dedicate a 1.5-mile hiking and nature trail along Cypress Creek.  The trail is the first part of a planned 5.5-mile trail system that will serve as a major visitor amenity for Bridgeland residents and eventually may become part of a regional trail system open to the public.  

To the east of Bridgeland, the Cypress Creek Greenway Project, a nonprofit organization, is also working to develop public trails and public parks along Cypress Creek. The Greenway Project coordinates its efforts closely with Harris County Precincts 3 and 4 and with Legacy Land Trust to add public parks, greenways and trails along Cypress and Spring creeks. The Cypress Creek Greenway Project anticipates connecting its trails to those of other trails developed for the general public by private and public groups.

The Katy Prairie Conservancy already owns 13,000 acres to the west of Bridgeland and the Cypress Creek Greenway Project.  These protected lands include nearly 13 miles of Cypress Creek proper and an additional 15 or so miles of creekside along the tributaries of Cypress Creek.   

This fall KPC plans to build its first 1.5 miles of trailway along Cypress Creek.  The trail will be fully accessible to the public; visitors will have an opportunity to walk alongside tallgrass prairies that provide food and cover for upland species and will also get close to natural and recreated wetlands that harbor shorebirds, mottled ducks, and aquatic wildlife.  

We hope that KPC's trail is just the beginning of a trail system that will dovetail with the plans of many other groups, including Bridgeland, the Cypress Creek Greenway Project, Harris and Waller Counties, and others to create a link from the edge of Lake Houston all the way to the headwaters of Upper Cypress Creek. 

Can you imagine what an amazing recreational asset the trail would be - an opportunity to take a hike along some of the most beautiful and still natural bayous in Harris and Waller counties?  We want to get connected -- the sooner the better.        


Mary Anne Piacentini