NEO Houston - Nature and Eclectic Outdoors

NEO is dedicated to helping people of all ages and backgrounds lead more active outdoor-oriented lives for better health, happiness, and wellbeing. https://youtu.be/YLPJrHs5PCk?list=TLGGYXrB28dE2rIxNjAzMjAyMg

Bike ride +/-11 miles, along the paved trails of Braes Bayou and Keegans bayous. Sunset is at, around, 8pm.

12+ mph pace

There are a few street crossings along this trail.

This is an "out and back" ride so if it is abit too much it is easy for you to turn around and go back to the start.

Before the day of the ride, air up your tires (to make sure they hold air), oil your chain, check your brakes.

I have extra construction vests, ask me for one if you would like to borrow during the ride.

What to bring:
Bike
Helmet (strongly recommended)
Water/hydration
Snack
Extra innertube
Bike lights (approx 200 lumens)

Parking:
Please refer to the map below for available parking areas, indicated with a P.
Parking Map

Meeting Location:
We will meet at the Buffalo Bayou Cistern

Welcome to a unique workout in the flatlands of Houston – Elevation Training using one of the few topographic features in Houston, Buffalo Bayou!

We start with a couple stations along the Bayou itself then go on to downtown and utilize the structures and monuments there. You may choose to go up and down the stairs as slow or fast as you want. This hike is meant to help you push a little and see your strength improve over time. There are 6 stops total, covering a distance of about 4.5 miles in about 90 minutes and, if you’re ambitious, can get about 1,000 feet of elevation gain!

I want to stress, this is a workout. You will need to wear tennis shoes and proper workout attire. Headlamps are desired in the winter, and water is especially needed in the summer. Be sure to dress for the weather, regardless!

The paths may be slippery, muddy, or dark.

No worries if you're running late. Just meet up with us along the route. Follow the link to see the route and stops:
Elevation Training Map

Come camp and swim with us at beautiful Pedernales Falls State Park!

While many of our activities allow for pets to attend, this one does not. Please leave pets at home. Service animals may participate, but they need to be certified to serve a specific function (for example, seizure detection). Emotional support animals do not qualify.

Please check out our waiver, a supplies list and some state park camping tips HERE.

Your RSVP fee covers your park entrance and camping fees. Whether you are an individual or a family with children, the reservation fee is only $35. We offer this opportunity to families with children at the same rate because they tend to have to pay more on their end to participate in general, and we do not want the RSVP fee to prohibit them from participating.

You may pay your RSVP fee via Zelle at "contact@neoproject.org" or our Zelle Tag, "NEOproject" with no additional fee. If you need to pay via Paypal or credit card, you will need to cover any associated fees. Please send me a message when you have paid so I can be sure you are on the RSVP list.

If you are unable to come to camp for some reason, you may give your spot to someone else or consider it a much-appreciated donation to NEO. If you are RSVPing for a family, please note in the comments how many adults and children will be in your group.

This will be a super fun and exciting weekend camp to enjoy each other's company in one of my favorite state parks, Pedernales Falls. This park is featured in many Sci-Fi movies due to its other-worldly appearance after thousands of years of water flowing through limestone and carving spectacular trenches, crevices, and caves to explore.

Activities will include hiking, birding, swimming, fishing, stargazing, a night hike, scorpion/spider hunt, and more! We will provide instruction and safety guidelines for all activities. No outdoor experience is necessary to participate. If you represent a school, church, or youth group that would like to participate, please contact me directly at contact@neoproject.org.

You may arrive in the park at any time on Friday and just enjoy the park. We will meet at the campsite area at 5:00. Friday and Saturday nights, we will make a group campfire and bring out camp stoves to cook dinner at our basecamp. Campers are responsible for bringing their own food, snacks, and drinks for the duration of camp. We will cook as a group and form a nice community for the weekend.

EXTREMELY IMPORTANT: Sunday morning, we will break camp and be packed up by 10:00 AM. If tents are wet, you must stay to allow your assigned tent to dry completely before packing it up. Once we are packed up, you can choose to enjoy the park for the rest of the day on your own if you like.

NO REFUNDS WILL BE ISSUED for this event unless the event is actually canceled. If you need to cancel for any reason, you can give your spot to someone else or just consider it a much-appreciated donation to NEO. NEO pays for these events ahead of time and cannot get a refund if you cancel. Thank you for understanding.

***
NEO is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that encourages people of all ages and backgrounds to lead more outdoor-oriented lives for better health, well-being, and resilience. Much of our work serves schools and historically under-served communities. If you like what we do, please consider making a tax-deductible donation at neoproject.org/donate. There are multiple donation options available. Your dollars make a difference!
Thank you!

NEO is dedicated to helping people of all ages and backgrounds lead more active outdoor-oriented lives for better health, happiness, and wellbeing. Video summary

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After the event has started, we do not respond to comments. These trails are not "out and back" and are too tricky to catchup. There is no planned route.

PAID PARKING $ for 3 hour intervals, free after 9pm. Cash, credit card, or app
Parking app

An automatic gate to the parking area closes @ 7pm. When exiting it opens up when you approach the gate.

Sunset is at 8pm-ish. Come enjoy some stress relieving time in the woods of Memorial Park and get to know some of your NEO brethren better. :-)

If the trails are water logged we have other options like the arboretum next door, the lieberman loop, or the picnic loop.

Be sure to bring bug spray, a headlamp (approx 125 lumens or adjustable to approximately 125, anything over 200 is too bright) and comfy tennis shoes or boots with good tread. For restrooms the running center closes @ 7pm (6pm Nov-Feb). At the far end of the parking lot and running track, next to the "Rally" pavillion, is another set of restrooms. Parking @ the running center is NOW (as of Dec 2024) $2 for 3 hours. Free after 9pm. Cash, credit card or the parking app https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=net.sharewire.parkhouston

We will head out onto the trail about 5 minutes after event time.

This hike is not stroller friendly...the trails are narrow and bumpy with many roots and elevation ups and downs, slopes.

Dogs are welcome but must be friendly, and they must stay on a leash at all times...no exceptions. There could be multiple dogs, so be sure they are not dog aggressive.

What to bring:
Flashlight or headlamp (approx 125 lumens, no brighter than 200)
Water/hydration/electrolytes
Snack
Shoes with good treads
BUG SPRAY