City: Houston, TX

Category: Parks & Recreation

Telephone: (281) 496-2177

Address: 16756 Westheimer

Description: George Bush Park is the largest park run and owned by Harris County. Before being renamed in honor of 41st US president and Houston resident George H. W. Bush in 1997, it was named Cullen-­Barker Park. Located in the far western part of the city, the park occupies about half of the 13,500-acre Barker Reservoir, which was built in the 1940s to control flooding. Here you’ll find a playground that offers activities for children with physical limitations, two large soccer fields, and six baseball fields, only two of which are available for public use. Gun enthusiasts can also practice their shot at the American Shooting Center, while airplane aficionados can fly model airplanes in the Dick Scobee Memorial Flying Fields, named after the commander of the space shuttle Challenger, which disintegrated just after launching in 1986. Miles of biking, running, and even equestrian trails also fill the park, many running along Buffalo Bayou or smaller swamps and bodies of water, where visitors can go fishing. The trails are popular among runners and cyclists who find them easy to navigate. Although the park has trees here and there, shade is scarce. Also inside the park, on the south end of Westheimer Parkway, is Millie Bush Dog Park, a spacious off-­leash area named after George and Barbara Bush’s now-­deceased springer spaniel.