Sheldon Lake State Park: All You Need to Know

Just 25 minutes from Downtown Houston, TX is the perfect state park to take a day trip to.  There’s easy hiking, fishing, and loads of wildlife to see.  You will love an afternoon spent at Sheldon Lake State Park!

This former fish hatchery has had time to recover and has bloomed into a beautiful state park.  With 2 miles of hiking trails, fishing ponds, and a large lake for paddling, there is something for the whole family.

And guess what!?  In addition to this being the perfect place for a walk or a picnic, this Texas State Park has no entry fee.  So grab the whole family and head on down to Sheldon Lake State Park!

Important Links 

–Sheldon Lake State Park website

–State Park Map

–Hiking Journal – Never Forget the Details of Your Favorite Hikes Again!

–Sheldon Lake State Park events

Location

Sheldon Lake State Park is a mere 25 minutes from Houston, Texas and a great place to take an afternoon trip.  Whether you are planning on going hiking, paddling, having a picnic or trying your hand at fishing, there’s something for everyone. 

To get to the main entrance of the park, you’ll want to use this address: 14140 Garrett Rd, Houston, TX 77044.  The road that runs through the park is often closed at the other end.  

From other areas of Texas, there will be a little more driving involved.  Sheldon Lake is 3.5 hours from Dallas, TX, just over 3 hours from San Antonio, TX, and just under 3 hours from Austin, TX.  I would pair this park with another destination as well, since it’s a small park. 

Hours: Open Daily from 8am – 5pm 

Parking

There is plenty of parking in Sheldon Lake State Park.  There are several parking lots by the learning center.  Once you drive into the park, you’ll be on the only road in the park.  Follow this until you see a few parking lots and then pick your spot.

Fees

Nearly all Texas State Parks charge an entrance fee, but not Sheldon Lake State Park!  This is one of the few state parks that is free to enter and explore, so take advantage of it.

I will say that the park is fairly small, so you won’t need more than a few hours in the park.  If you plan on fishing in Sheldon Lake itself, you can use your own discretion for how long you’ll want to spend casting a line.

Fishing

Speaking of fishing, did you know that you don’t need a fishing license to fish in this Texas State Park!?  There are 2 main locations to fish in Sheldon Lake State Park.  

Location 1: Near the visitor center are several small ponds, but you can only fish in the 2 ponds closest to the Picnic Area.  These ponds are catch and release ONLY!

Location 2: You can also fish the 1,200-acre Sheldon Lake.  You can park near the Garrett Road Crossing and fish from the bank.  Or you can launch a boat from the south boat ramp on Pineland Road.  For all of that information, you can check out this website.   

Be Gator Aware!

Perhaps you have decided you want to try your hand at fishing in Sheldon Lake State Park.  So here seems as good as any time to warn you to be alligator aware when in the park.  

I saw 5 different alligators in the hour and a half that I walked around the park!  So they ARE alive and well here.  The park has put together a few points that you should follow to be Gator Aware.  

• Stay at least 30 feet (the length of a school bus) away from all alligators
• Never feed or taunt alligators
• Keep dogs on leashes and keep them away from the waters edge
• Watch your children
• Never approach baby alligators or a pile of rotting vegetation (This is an alligator nest.): Mother Alligators will protect their young
• Report all problems or dangerous actions to a park ranger
• Stay on designated trails; DO NOT enter the water

Essentially, be aware of your surroundings and keep an eye on your kids/pets.  Alligators aren’t an animal you want to mess with.  

Hiking

While Sheldon Lake State Park only has 2 total miles of hiking trails, these trails are all ADA approved!  So truly anyone can go hiking here.  Most of the trails are in and around the old hatchery ponds, so make sure you are gator aware while you are hiking here.

There are also a few trails that run through the prairies and wetlands in the park.  These trails are primarily boardwalks, so you don’t have to worry about getting your feet wet or muddy.  I hiked all of the trails here in my Birkenstock sandals and had no issues.  

With their only being 2 miles of trails, you won’t need much time to hike here if this is your primary objective.  I was able to hike all of the trails within an hour, and that was with spending some time photographing the alligators I saw.  

List of Trails

All of the trails in Sheldon Lake State Park are very easy, flat, and well-marked.  Below are the names of the trails, and you can refer to the park’s trail map to see how they are laid out in the park. 

• Pond Loop Trail – 0.6 miles – Easy
• Bent Pine Trail – 0.2 miles – Easy
• Prairie Trail – 0.6 miles – Easy
• Wetland Loop – 0.2 miles – Easy
• Swamp Rabbit Trail – 0.4 miles – Easy
• Armadillo Trail – 0.1 miles – Easy
• Kinglet Trail – 0.1 miles – Easy

The Observation Tower

During your hike around Sheldon Lake State Park, there is a unique opportunity to get a bird’s eye view of the park!  At the end of the Swamp Rabbit Trail stands the John Jacob Observation Tower.  

This observation tower will take you 60 feet in the air.  Here you’ll be able to see the prairies, grasslands, wetlands, and overlook Sheldon Lake itself.  There are stairs or an internal elevator, but be aware the elevator was closed (3/2025) and in need of repairs.  

Paddling

Sheldon Lake State Park is the perfect place to go paddling or launch a boat (electric motor only).  There is a boat ramp on Pineland Road where you can put in and park your vehicle.  

You can also use your own canoe or kayak and explore Sheldon Lake.  Just remember that kayaks/canoes are required to have a PFD (personal floatation device) on board, a whistle to make sound, and if you are paddling at night or in low light, you are required to have a light that can be seen from 360 degrees.    

For all the safety information about paddling in Texas, check out this website for more details!

Is There Camping Here?

Unfortunately, there is no camping in Sheldon Lake State Park.  It appears that there once was camping here because there is an area labeled “Family Camping” along the Wetland Loop.  

But at this time, there is no camping.  Perhaps in the future this area will open back up?  Only time will tell!

Events

You might be asking, besides the trails and ponds and wildlife, why should I go here?  Sheldon Lake offers quite a few events each month.  Events like scavenger hunts, Ranger story times, and guided nature walks!

For all the details about their programs and events, check out this link!  Here you’ll see the list of events for the month.  

Other Things in Sheldon Lake State Park

There are a few other things to know when it comes to Sheldon Lake State Park!    

Kids can become a Junior Ranger at Sheldon Lake.  Ask a ranger while on your visit and complete a challenge to earn a badge!  Let your kids see that life is better in the outdoors.  

There is a demonstration garden right next to the picnic area.  Here you can see various plants that will do well in this region of Texas.  This is a great opportunity to get some examples of what might do well in your own backyard.

Sheldon Lake State Park is a Texas Aquatic Science Certified Field Site. Meaning, this park is perfect for teachers who are looking for an educational field trip!  Teachers can reach out at (281) 456-2800 and set up a time to bring their class for a science based trip.  

Conclusion

Between the free entry, easy hiking trails, wildlife to be seen, and paddling adventures to be had, you won’t want to miss a day trip to Sheldon Lake State Park!  This little park is just outside of Houston, and perfect for an afternoon outside of the city.

There are weekly events here for the whole family and even a Junior Ranger program to keep the kids entertained.  While this isn’t the best state park in all of Texas, it’s a great little oasis to get outside in nature.

As always, feel free to contact averagewildexperience@gmail.com with any questions.

-Happy Exploring!