Woodlands Park Rules and Guidelines

Every Woodlands Texas park has rules posted. Some are particular to a special type of park and others are generalized for the park system here. There is good reason to have these rules. Let's say for example, you want to take your dog to a dog park. There are alpha dogs and highly protective dogs - for their master and for their toys. No one wants to step in dog waste. So there are consistent rules for dogs in all the parks. If you use the park, you must clean up behind yourself. Some people say "this is just common sense". I would agree, but some people don't seem to have that sense or if they do, they lack respect for other people rights to enjoy the park as found by the disrespectful person.

A few key items to note
1. Dusk is not dark. It is before dark. If you have to use a flashlight to see, you should not be in the park period! People live adjacent to parks and ponds. Keep them in mind. They will likely be the ones reporting you to the authorities should you be in viewing distance of their home or making noise. Privacy of residents is important. Please respect that.
2. Trash in our ponds kill fish. Please do not leave plastic bags or other trash on the banks. They often get into the water and kill fish. Trash in our parks is also an an unsightly and health hazard nuisance. Our community does not appreciate your trash. In fact, often it is a resident that has to pick up after you, not a paid contractor. This community is rich in assets but not is spending power, so it does not spend a lot of money on maintenance. That is the responsibility of the visitors to our parks.  Please pick up after yourself and carry out everything that you carried into the park. I admire those people who pick after others in addition to themselves. They don't particularly want to do it, but they have an appreciation of beauty and cleanliness. If your want to distribute your trash into our park, you are not welcome in the park.
3. Rowdiness to the point of aggravating other visitors in the park is also not appreciated. Just be courteous to others and understand they came to appreciate the outdoors and nature the park affords. Sounds of creatures such as birds and the tranquility of nature are reasons people are in the parks. Excessive noise is not appreciated.If you play music on some electronic device, play it for yourself, not the park.
4. People appreciate seeing children and families in the parks. They also appreciate pets as long as the owner takes responsibility for cleaning up behind the pet and the pet is not a threat to their family or pet. Leashes are required! Doggie bags are required. There are biodegradable bags that can be purchased from various sources. The Parks department here provides bags from Dogipot. Website
5. Dog parks have a different set of rules. Your dog should have its shots. There are serious diseases that can be passed from one dog to another.  Protect your dog by keeping its shots up to date. Keep aggressive dogs on a leash until they get to know the other dogs. Sometimes a dog is not suited socially to mix with others and should never be released to mix with other dogs. Do not let your aggressive dog harm another person's dog. You are liable for what your dog does, not the park system. That dog is part of their family.
6. If you are a vendor, you must have a permit to sell your goods on public property in The Woodlands. This particularly applies to food and drink vendors.
7. Honor designated parking locations. Do not park on the grass! Do not park on prohibited locations on streets. Chances are that you will be reported by local residents. If you don't know where to park, ask anyone you may see or call the parks department.
8. Ponds have special rules. You can fish the ponds, but must return the fish back to the water to live.  This is enforced. Fishing is defined as placing bait on a hook attached to a line for the exclusive purpose of hooking a fish and bringing it to shore. Net fishing is generally not allowed, although the park rangers allow nets for catching bait fish. Ponds are small and the community expects to not have to repopulate the ponds at a cost to the community. A Texas fishing license is required on all public ponds and lakes.¹ Please be aware that Texas Game Wardens are not generally enforcing this on The Woodlands bodies of water, so there are differing statements regarding this regulation, but the regulation is clear. I advise conforming to the regulation rather than depending on local and possibly temporal interpretation of law. State fines are fairly stiff. Fishing for keepers is allowed in Lake Woodlands and the reservoir; these rules are enforced by the Woodlands Park Rangers.  Keeping fish is also allowed when extracting fish from private stocking for events such as the catfish stocking of Creekwood Park for children twice a year. Fishing from non-motorized boats in Lake Woodlands and the reservoir is allowed. Trolling motors are not considered a motor for this purpose. Keep the wake of your boat non-existent. Kayak fishing is encouraged on Lake Woodlands and the reservoir. Kayaks are rented by The Township for recreation that includes fishing. Refer to the related article. ²  Also, it is a good idea to honor the little known state regulations on turtles and frogs. Taking turtles from the ponds is regulated by state hunting laws. A hunting license is required to take turtles or frogs from public waters, even on private property.¹   
9. Alcoholic beverages are allowed in the major parks, but keep in mind that drunkenness on public property is not allowed and violators will likely be prosecuted. In little neighborhood parks, alcohol is not allowed.
10. Vegetation in public parks is the property of The Woodlands Township. Unless you have permission to do so, do not cut or change the vegetation for any reason. For those who want to help care for pathways or parks, you can contact the township for what you may or may not do.
11. Pavilions may be rented but you must make reservations in advance.  Park facilities are also available for use by small businesses but you must have a permit or contract to do so.    

Park Rules published by The Woodlands Township(click here)
Park Regulations and legal authority of The Woodlands Township(click here)
¹Texas Parks and Wildlife Website Summary of Fishing and Hunting Regulations
²Riva Row Boat House Commentary article

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.

Pathways still on agenda of The Woodlands Township

Two projects carried over incomplete into this year. The pathway from Indian Springs to Creekside Park did not begin as anticipated and remains under construction. A large section now has concrete but will not be opened until later. A small bridge will be required to pass over a leg of Spring Creek on the north side of the bridge. I am uncertain at this moment if there will be a traffic light put on Gosling, or we will depend on traffic stopping to let pedestrians pass from the east side of Gosling to the west side at the entrance to Creekside Park. The volume of traffic probably does not yet warrant a traffic light there.  Our weather has slowed down the project tremendously! It will be another six weeks before the pathway will be completed even if the weather permits the work! Little chance of that, so I will stretch that out to about 10 weeks (maybe late April).

A contract work crew has been scheduled to begin construction of the final leg of the Flintridge pathway after the crew completes its work with the Gosling pathway to Creekside Park.

Financially, the funds for these two projects were moved from the associations to the Township before cessation of the associations'  operation at the end of last year.

I am not complaining. How about you? We need rain. I hope this summer's dry spell will not be as bad as last year. The dry weather revealed itself in January last year. This year we received a decent amount, but it was still significantly below the normal rainfall for January.

Gardening on community property

Do you know that The Woodlands Texas has a resident's gardening location and possibly will have a second one soon? Residents have gardened for years here. They wait in line for someone to relinquish a plot in the "garden" at the Bear Branch Sportsfields. The gardening plots are sectioned off and marked clearly to enable residents to have a vegetable or flower garden out in the sun. In the older parts of The Woodlands, some homes have practically no sun in their yards. Even now in August, some of the gardeners are working their little gardens. Some have trellises for vines; others have stakes, coverings and other tools to help them deal with the heat. Water delivered by hose is available close to all the plots. Sign-up is with the association, so you can access their pages there to see what the current process is to get a plot.

Bear Branch Park, The Woodlands Texas

This large park is easily accessible from Research Forest Drive. Located adjacent to Bear Branch Creek, it features a rink for roller hockey, is wheel and dog friendly and has natural trails to the creek. This park also has a combined soccer/baseball field and a volleyball court. Entrance to the dog park. On entering the park from Research Forest Dr, turn right into the parking lot and the dog park will be to your right. This is its entrance. There are two fenced areas, the right for small dogs and the left for large dogs. The large dog area. Very spacious. Its beautiful swimming pool. Small childrens playgound. Large pavilion is ideal to rent for group events. Its skateboard facilities include two separate boarding rinks. Five tennis courts It's hockey rink provides an unique amenity for all ages. One can walk on the pathway system over Bear Branch Creek or maybe explore some natural paths in the park. The Longleaf Pine is propigating along the creek bed. Even in dry season, Bear Branch Creek normally has water flowing down it.

How to get there
It is located just west of the bridge over Bear Branch Creek, on Research Forest. The entrance is on the north side of Research Forest, between Shadowbend and The Woodlands High School, across the street from the Bear Branch sports complex.
Google Map

Harpers Landing Park

There are some great trees and lots of dense forest in this park. I liked the swimming pool there and apparently there are many people who share that sentiment with me. It was busy for a Friday at noon. A visitor can enjoy the picnic benches. I saw at least two places where two families could share an area (two tables in close proximity). There is a toddlers park within this park, on the side opposite the pool. The park is bound by four streets and has walking paths on three sides. Two parking lots provide plenty of parking space. A soccer/baseball field is available, as well as tennis courts. This is a wheel friendly park. To see details in these photographs, make sure you click on the photographs themselves because every one is substantially larger than what you see here.

To get there, go east on highway 242 from I45. Take a left at the first street after Trade Center Parkway, Donwick. Go to Trade Center Parkway and take a left. The park will be obvious on your right at Harper's Landing Drive, where you will want to turn right in order to arrive at the parking lots.

Google Map