The Armand Bayou Hike and Bike Trail
A Shaded, Crushed Gravel Running Route Linking Pasadena with the Bay Area
The Armand Bayou Hike and Bike Trail certainly has one thing going for it; it’s shady for the most part. That’s something that Houston area runners certainly welcome in the summertime. The downside? The shade can play host to thirsty mosquitos. Big rain + seven day incubation period = miniature vultures. Welcome to Texas.
The trail is of the crushed granite variety, similar to the Seabrook Trails. One end of the trail begins at the Bay Area Blvd. & Red Bluff intersection. It runs parallel to Red Bluff approximately four miles before turning left into the woods onto the Holly Bay Trail.
Choose Your Parking Spot
This shot shows the intersection. You can see Bay Area Boulevard is shown going diagonally up from the bottom of the image and Red Bluff diagonally from the right to the left.
Parking at the convenience store (situated at the intersection) might be allowed; be sure to ask before you try it.
Parking can be a bit of a hassle. There’s plenty of parking at the Kipper Mease Softball Complex on Red Bluff a short distance from Bay Area Blvd., but it’s closed most of the time. There are also small parking lots at the two spots where bayous cross Red Bluff.
I like to park at Bay Area Park and run down the asphalt sidewalk to Red Bluff. That probably adds a half a mile either direction. The park has good bathrooms and water fountains.
More parking is available at Holly Bay Park at the far end of the trail. The address is 7102 Crenshaw in Pasadena. The trail distance from the park to where it meets up with the Armand Bayou Hike & Bike Trail is about one mile and offers some more technical side trails.
All in all, this running route makes for a nice workout with some great scenery. You won’t be crowded either; this is one of the Houston area’s most under-utilized trails.
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