Cranebrook Park in The Woodlands Texas

Deep in the west of The Woodlands lies a fairly new village park which is quite different and quite compact. This is closer to a traditional park, lacking the customary feel of a heavily wooded and natural park of The Woodlands. Nevertheless it is convenient, first class and very worth frequenting.

Sterling Ridge Village Swimming Pool

Tennis

Parking area

Children's play area

Children's play area

Soccer field

BMX Bicycle track

This is a nice bicycle track mainly for recreational cycling by our youth. It is a place where one could work to improve competitive skills right here in The Woodlands. Step up to one of the AMA tracks such as the nearby Armadillo BMX race at I45 and FM 1488.¹

Pavilion

^{The pavilion here can be rented by calling in advance of your function, like other parks in The Woodlands.} 

Arbor

<sup>This unique spot in the park is great to sit down and relax. I saw some moms with their babies here on a weekday morning. 

Map 
On Cranebrook Dr. When traveling west on Woodlands Pkwy, take a left. It is located just south of The Woodlands Parkway.</sup> 

 

Shadowbend Park in The Woodlands Texas

Shadowbend Park in Cochran's Crossing of The Woodlands Texas is one of the cornerstones of the park system in south Montgomery County. It has two major components - the park itself with normal Woodlands amenities and the Marsh Experience, across the street from the village amenity park.  This is a major park of The Woodlands, characterized as a village park. You will notice the sign above on Lake Woodlands Dr that leads one to the parking areas.  If you wish to use the tennis courts, parking would be closest where the sign points. Otherwise, there is considerably more parking spaces in the next parking lot which is general parking for the swimmin area and recreational areas of the park. 

 

Two pairs of tennis courts are separated by a small pavilion for snacking and personal belongings. As other parks, this has one court for an individual to practice. 

In the main section, the remainder of the amenities are located. 

Swimming Pool at Shadowbend

Kiddie pool

Pavilion at Shadowbend Park

Children play area

This park is middle aged, and it has a great deal of vegetation, including nice tall trees of various species. The pool and the pavilion are equivalent to the other village parks. Personally, I do like the trees here, so it has a special place in my priorities.

Children play area

 

In 1991, funding from the Texas Parks and Wildlife helped create this park.  This is is the primary reason that our parks are generally public parks. Note the tax entity involved in this project. Other parks were funded by state or federal grants as well.

This time capsule is an interesting point of history in The Woodlands.

Soccer

Basketball

Click any photo to see a full screen view.

Summertime flowers

We will walk across Lake Woodlands Dr in the next article to see the pond and the swamp vegetation. 

Getting there:

Windvale Park

A significant Alden Bridge village park found on the north side of SH 242 in The Woodlands Texas is Windvale Park.  It is one step down from a Village Park due to its size, but it is a nice park! There are some interesting aspects of this park that makes it special.

Special picnic area

This spacious green area next to the park gives the visitor a sense of openness. It is a very good area for a jog along pathways integrated with the park itself.

There is water here with associated wildlife.

Pathway between park and green area

Pavilion

The pavilion here is large.

Swimming pool

Children's play area

More children equipment

Tennis courts - 2

Alden Bridge Park

A major park in The Woodlands Texas, Alden Bridge deserves your visit. It is a beautiful park with an abundance of water. I've been told it is not the best fishing place around, but one can fish there. I saw teenagers net fishing. That can never be good for the fish population!The swimming amentity is placed next to the large pond that spans Alden Bridge Rd, the main artery in the Village of Alden Bridge.

The tranquil feel of the scenic views around the lake, even though the park is so very close to the main road, provides the visitor a calming early morning place to relax with a cup of java and/or a walk in the park. Notice the twin pavilions and their location. This is facing southwest from behind the swimming pools facility.

Twin pavilions

Abundant parking is available through three entries from the main road. Parking spaces are shared with a church next door.

Like almost all of The Woodlands parks, a creek passes through it. The parks are generally located on land that is unsuitable for commercial locations or residences due to flooding risk.  This creek is dammed up to create the pond or really it is a lake.

This view of the creek is on the east side of the road passing from the lake onward.

Walking back from the east side of the road, you can see part of the park and the beauty of the bridge built from masonry bricks. One of the things I noticed about this park is an excellent integration of the pathways that blend in with the park. Notice the pathway bridge in this photo. 

Similar to all major parks, this swimming facility is beautiful, clean and has a great pool house. On this hot Sunday afternoon in August, several families were getting their respite from the heat.

Volleyball court

Soccer field

On this day, the volleyball court was open for someone to play, as well as the soccer field.

Tennis courts - 4 of them

Bathrooms

Getting there:


GPS coords:
30.210163, -95.514708
Located on Alden Bridge Rd near Green Gables Cr. If coming from Research Forest Dr, turn left (west) into the park, not right.

Sundance Park in The Woodlands

This medium sized park in the Village of Alden Bridge is one for a family who lives nearby. It is easily located and is frequently accessed by residents in the local neighborhoods.

The four table pavilion is useful for small group events.

Picnic tables are available and basketball courts provide the neighborhood youth a competitive energy outlet.

  Getting there:

GPS coords: 30.210358, -95.552222 Alden Bridge at Sorrel Tree Pl