One of the biggest perks of living in Texas, Houston included, is the abundance of places for outdoor activities. Houston has an excellent number of parks and outdoor areas – a total of 52,912 acres of total park space! People living in Houston get to enjoy all kinds of parks, even water parks and dog parks.

If running is one of the activities you enjoy doing outdoors, you can have your pick of many Houston parks where you can do a bit of running. Here are some of them:

• Buffalo Bayou Park. This park provides an excellent mix of nature and city sights. The park lets you run along a river, the Buffalo Bayou, and lets you have a beautiful view of the Houston skyline. Running in this park does not get boring because you can mix up the paths any way you want and there are even bridges that can make your run a bit more exciting. The running trails are safe and well-lit and the number of running events held in this park is testament to its popularity in the running community.
• Hermann Park. There is so much to do in Hermann Park and running is just one of them. Among the places to see here are the Houston Zoo, the Houston Museum of Natural Science, the Miller Outdoor Theatre, and the Hermann Park Golf Course, making this park a great destination if you want more than just to run. If you are heading to the park with other people who will not go running, like your kids, the Hermann Park has something for everyone.
• Memorial Park. This one is another favourite among runners because of its abundant, well-placed water fountains and plenty of lighting. It is one of the safest places to run because there are a number of people running any time of the day. This park also offers a tennis court, a golf course, and a swimming pool if you’d like to mix your running with something else.

These are just a few places where you can go running in Houston. Running can be extremely enjoyable and fun when you’re living in Houston. If you are moving to Houston soon, read the Bellhops city guide to help you start to get to know the place better.