Walks

Enjoy a leisurely stroll in Hermann Park around the Jones Reflection Pool and McGovern Lake but don't miss walking through the Japanese Garden for a very Zen experience. More ambitious walkers can take the 2-mile Marvin Taylor Trail around the golf course but if you get tired, use the covered Greenway Trail to cut across the golf course to reduce your walk by half. 

Romance

Bring your sweetie to Hermann Park and enjoy some of the most romantic spots in the city. 

Fitness

Hermann Park is a great place to come and stretch your legs. Joggers love following the 2-mile Marvin Taylor Exercise Trail around the golf course under the shade of the Park's historic live oaks. If you prefer cycling, check out a bike at the B-Cycle Station near Lake Plaza and ride over the Bill Coats Bridge to the Park's Urban Forest at Bayou Parkland. Don't forget to sign up for Run in the Park, Hermann Park Conservancy's annual 5K. Keep an eye out for registration information on our website. 

Art in the Park

Explore the eight installations that make up Hermann Park's Centennial Art Project, Art in the Park. On this tour you'll view site-specific works, temporary loans, and even a permanent installation in the train tunnel that can only be accessed by riding the Hermann Park Railroad. This tour will give you an opporunity to see different parts of the Park that you may not have explored before. Most of these works are only on view in the Park for one year or less so see them before they leave in 2015. Enjoy! 

Trees

Most of the flora and fauna intentionally planted in Hermann Park are native or adapted Texas species. In the Park there are nearly 10,000 trees, some approaching 100 years old; there are also numerous young trees added to the Hermann Park landscape each year.

Trees in cities have a multitude of benefits such as lowering high city temperatures up to nine degrees Fahrenheit, providing shade to parked cars and buildings, absorbing atmospheric pollutants to improve the air quality, and assisting the control of storm water runoff (HARC, 2004). Take a closer look at some of Hermann Park’s most popular trees as you explore, and consider planting some Texas beauty in your very own yard.

Doreen's Picks

Doreen Stoller, executive director of Hermann Park Conservancy for over eleven years, loves spending time in Hermann Park. Some of her favorite things to do include taking in the view of McGovern Lake from the Tiffany & Co. Foundation Bridge, relaxing on the Moonscape Bench and watching birds congregate on the islands in McGovern Lake, standing in the arch of the Sam Houston Monument and gazing across the Jones Reflection Pool, then stopping in Molly Ann Smith Plaza to wave to children on the Hermann Park Train as it winds its way through the Park. She also enjoys watching colorful Koi dart in the stream in the Japanese Garden and taking the pedestrian underpass to the Bill Coats Bridge to watch birds fishing in Brays Bayou. Check out Doreen’s favorite spots for yourself with this guide!

Off the Path

Don’t miss the hidden gems of Hermann Park! Step off the beaten path to discover the natural beauty of Bayou Parkland, the serenity of the Japanese Garden, fun, site-specific art installations on loan to Hermann Park, and more.