ABOUT Brazos River Trail

THE BRAZOS RIVER TRAIL unfolds over one of the most incredible ecological systems in our region, where the historic river winds through the dense, wet Columbia Bottomlands. This lush world of towering trees, palmetto thickets and flowering plants supports a multitude of wildlife species and provides a critically-important stopover habitat for migrating birds.

THE BRAZOS RIVER TRAIL...HISTORIC, NATURAL, WORTH PRESERVING.

Winding about 125 miles through Fort Bend and Brazoria Counties, the lower Brazos River and the surrounding Columbia Bottomlands are steeped in culture and history.

This is the cradle of the Republic of Texas, where Stephen F. Austin arrived in 1821 with the Old Three Hundred, as the state’s first group of colonists is
known. Texas declared its independence from Mexico here too, and established its first capital, at Columbia, in 1836. As time passed, historic plantations here produced sugar and cotton; legendary ranchers worked the land; and oil flowed. This history can still be explored today at sites including the George Ranch, the Varner-Hogg Plantation and the Levi Jordan Plantation.

The natural riches early Texans enjoyed along the scenic river bluffs and in the dense bottomlands are today being preserved through a network of parks, refuges, beaches and waterways where visitors are encouraged to explore and discover.  Hiking, biking, horseback riding and paddling trails will soon abound. Some are already established and amazingly close at hand – including magnificent Brazos Bend State Park, where oxbow lakes, forested walks and alligators are among the attractions.

And world-class birding can be enjoyed at many sites along the Brazos River Trail, especially during spring and fall, when more than 239 million migrating birds wing their way across the area, dependant on the lush plant and insect life here to survive their journeys.

To read more about Brazos River Trail, download our atlas!