AMBLEWAY Wildest hikes

Buffalo Bayou Park

The Cistern–Buffalo Bayou South Trail, 3 sights

4 mi · ▲ 118 ft · 1 hr 24 min

The Cistern–Buffalo Bayou South Trail, 3 sights is a 4-mile out-and-back in Buffalo Bayou Park near Houston, TX. The route reaches The Cistern. It is mostly level, with 118 ft of elevation gain, and mostly paved. It scores 0/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: paved and peopled.

Elevation

0 mi0 – 46 ft5.6 mi

Getting there

Trailhead: Unnamed 29.76130, -95.38600
Nearest town Houston, TX
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Directions

AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com

The Cistern–Buffalo Bayou South Trail, 3 sights

4 mi · ▲ 118 ft · 1 hr 24 min

Elevation 0–47 ft

Out & Back · Buffalo Bayou Park

Trailhead: 29.76130, -95.38600

Weather Sep 22: sunrise 7:11 AM · sunset 7:20 PM

Transit-accessible: Washington Ave @ Brashear St stop 799 m from the trailhead · Drinking water at the trailhead · Parking lot at the trailhead

  1. Start at the trailhead, heading E.
  2. 50 ftContinue straight onto Buffalo Bayou South Trail, heading E.
  3. 400 ftTurn left, heading E.
  4. 50 ftSharp right, heading E.
  5. 50 ftSharp left, heading E.
  6. 50 ftTurn right, heading NE.
  7. 50 ftBear right, heading NE.
  8. 50 ftTurn right, heading N.
  9. 50 ftBear left, heading N.
  10. 150 ftContinue straight onto Police Memorial Trail, heading N.
  11. 100 ftContinue straight onto Buffalo Bayou South Trail, heading E.
  12. 50 ftTurn right onto Police Memorial Trail, heading E.
  13. 50 ftTurn left onto Buffalo Bayou South Trail, heading E.
  14. 150 ftTurn left onto Eleanor Tinsley Park Trail, heading E.
  15. 50 ftTurn right, heading E.
  16. 50 ftContinue straight onto Buffalo Bayou South Trail, heading SE.
  17. 50 ftPass The Cistern.
  18. 0.2 miContinue straight onto South Trail, heading E.
  19. 50 ftBear right onto Buffalo Bayou South Trail, heading E.
  20. 50 ftContinue straight onto South Trail, heading E.
  21. 250 ftBear left onto Buffalo Bayou South Trail, heading SE.
  22. 50 ftContinue straight onto South Trail, heading SE.
  23. 450 ftBear left onto Buffalo Bayou South Trail, heading E.
  24. 0.7 miTurn left, heading E.
  25. 0.1 miTurn right onto Heritage East Trail, heading NE.
  26. 0.4 miTurn right, heading E.
  27. 0.4 miReach The Cistern, then turn around and head back the way you came.
  28. 0.2 miTurn left, heading SE.
  29. 0.2 miTurn right, heading SE.
  30. 0.4 miTurn left onto Buffalo Bayou North Trail, heading NE.
  31. 0.1 miTurn right onto Buffalo Bayou South Trail, heading NW.
  32. 0.4 miBear right, heading W.
  33. 0.3 miBear right onto South Trail, heading SW.
  34. 450 ftContinue straight onto Buffalo Bayou South Trail, heading W.
  35. 50 ftBear right onto South Trail, heading W.
  36. 300 ftContinue straight onto Buffalo Bayou South Trail, heading W.
  37. 50 ftBear left onto South Trail, heading W.
  38. 50 ftContinue straight onto Buffalo Bayou South Trail, heading SW.
  39. 0.2 miTurn left onto Eleanor Tinsley Park Trail, heading NW.
  40. 50 ftTurn right onto Buffalo Bayou South Trail, heading NW.
  41. 150 ftTurn right onto Police Memorial Trail, heading W.
  42. 50 ftTurn left onto Buffalo Bayou South Trail, heading W.
  43. 50 ftContinue straight onto Police Memorial Trail, heading W.
  44. 100 ftContinue straight onto Buffalo Bayou South Trail, heading SW.
  45. 150 ftBear right, heading SW.
  46. 50 ftTurn left, heading SW.
  47. 50 ftBear left, heading SW.
  48. 50 ftTurn left, heading SW.
  49. 50 ftSharp right, heading SW.
  50. 50 ftSharp left, heading SW.
  51. 50 ftArrive back at the trailhead.

Each distance is the walk from the previous step. Tap a step for a map of its junction.

Trail map, photos and weather for this hike: www.ambleway.com/hikes/the-cistern-the-cistern-out-back-4-sights-6-km-9b4d

Trail surface

87% paved3% gravel10% unspecified

Weather

Sunrise 7:11 AMSunset 7:20 PM

Sunset

The best sunset spot on this hike is 0.1 mi in (~4 min). Leave by 6:56 PM for the 7:20 PM sunset. Back at your car by 7:38 PM — 5 min before dark. Car visible from the viewpoint

More sunset hikes nearby

Good to know

  • Transit-accessible: Washington Ave @ Brashear St stop 799 m from the trailhead
  • Drinking water at the trailhead
  • Parking lot at the trailhead

Hikes near Houston, Texas