Keith-Wiess Park & Halls Bayou ~11.5 Miles
Details
Gathering Place: If you don't see us in the parking lot, walk up to the bathrooms by the soccer fields. Call Tom at 713-781-1680 for help.
Map to Keith-Wiess Park
https://goo.gl/maps/27h9JTZTcrm
Houston Area Trails & More is a collection of like minded hiking enthusiast.
To find out more about us see: About HATS (https://www.meetup.com/Houston-Area-Trails-More/pages/1575507/About_this_Meetup/)
What you need to hike (https://www.meetup.com/Houston-Area-Trails-More/pages/20893013/What_do_I_need_to_hike/)
Weather Forecast (http://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?lon=-95.34754965356288&lat=29.893680177631936)
The Hike: We will hike most of the trails of the park in an approximately clockwise manner. Then follow the new hike and bike trail down Halls Bayou and return on the other bank of the bayou. The only bathrooms are at the start. There are no bathrooms along the hike path. The trail is partly shaded and about 3/2 paved.
Geo-PDF hike map (https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B8zFw2naXhuOdWR4Y3lKX0tNSzA). (For use with the Avenza Maps app on iOS or Android)
Experimental web hike map. (https://arcg.is/55n9z)
Google Street View of the trail (https://www.google.com/maps/@29.8702372,-95.341192,2a,89.8y,192.28h,87.93t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sMOFElSzeEz-FaQr0Y41kYA!2e0!6s%2F%2Fgeo2.ggpht.com%2Fcbk%3Fpanoid%3DMOFElSzeEz-FaQr0Y41kYA%26output%3Dthumbnail%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26thumb%3D2%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D289.34976%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i13312!8i6656).
This will be our first look at the new Halls Bayou Greenway Trail that will one day give us two or three more hikes.
Halls Bayou Greenway (http://houstonparksboard.org/projects/halls_bayou_greenway/).
EARLY DAYS AT KEITH-WIESS PARK
Archaeological surveys along Hall’s Bayou have uncovered evidence of what appears to be a bison kill dating from the Late Ceramic Period, which stretched from 800 AD to 1750 AD. It is likely that local Native Americans regularly hunted game in East Texas pine forests, including this one.
Thomas S. Lubbock attained a first class land grant in 1838, apparently on the basis of his having settled the property by 1835. It changed hands several times after that, and was home to Barry’s Dairy Farm by 1915. Several varieties of orchards were planted on the farm. By 1918, the farm implements were sold and the dairy closed. Bootleggers used the dairy structures until they accidentally burned the place down.
More about Keith-Wiess Park (http://www.houstontx.gov/parks/parksites/keithwiesspark.html)
For previous HATs hikes in this park: 2011 (https://www.meetup.com/Houston-Area-Trails-More/events/40858032/), 2014 (https://www.meetup.com/Houston-Area-Trails-More/events/219185999/) & 2015 (https://www.meetup.com/Houston-Area-Trails-More/events/219530344/)
December 2011
https://secure.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/1/9/0/2/highres_76686402.jpeg
December 2014
https://secure.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/7/b/b/9/600_432931673.jpeg
Halls-Greens Bayous Greenway plans
https://houstonparksboard.org/projects/halls-bg-project-map.png
Optional After Hike Event:
Chacho's
5350 North Fwy, Houston, TX 77022
A 24-hour fixture offering a variety of classic Mexican eats, margaritas, & patio seating.