Pine Gully Park, Seabrook, Texas
Encyclopedia
Pine Gully Park is a 52 acres (21 ha) park located in Seabrook, Texas
in the United States
, near Houston. It is located on the shore of Galveston Bay
. Though the park has some traditional recreational facilities it also features a great deal of largely undeveloped and restored woodland
s and salt marsh
es which offer habitats for numerous animal species.
The park is part of the Seabrook Trail System, which connects most of the parks in the city. As part of this system the park is part of a larger collection of wildlife habitats in Seabrook which are all near the much larger Armand Bayou Nature Center
. The park is also part of the Great Texas Coastal Birding Trail
, which includes bird watching sites, sanctuaries, and trails along the entire Texas
Gulf Coast
.
Park wildlife includes American Alligator
s, heron
s, King Rail
s, White-tailed deer
, Nine-banded Armadillo
s, and many other species. Apart from its natural scenery the park features a preserved Karankawa
camp site.
The park is the venue for the annual Seabrook Lucky Trails Marathon.
Seabrook, Texas
Seabrook is a city in Harris county, with some water surface area located within Chambers county in the U.S. state of Texas. The population was 9,443 at the 2000 census....
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, near Houston. It is located on the shore of Galveston Bay
Galveston Bay
Galveston Bay is a large estuary located along the upper coast of Texas in the United States. It is connected to the Gulf of Mexico and is surrounded by sub-tropic marshes and prairies on the mainland. The water in the Bay is a complex mixture of sea water and fresh water which supports a wide...
. Though the park has some traditional recreational facilities it also features a great deal of largely undeveloped and restored woodland
Woodland
Ecologically, a woodland is a low-density forest forming open habitats with plenty of sunlight and limited shade. Woodlands may support an understory of shrubs and herbaceous plants including grasses. Woodland may form a transition to shrubland under drier conditions or during early stages of...
s and salt marsh
Salt marsh
A salt marsh is an environment in the upper coastal intertidal zone between land and salt water or brackish water, it is dominated by dense stands of halophytic plants such as herbs, grasses, or low shrubs. These plants are terrestrial in origin and are essential to the stability of the salt marsh...
es which offer habitats for numerous animal species.
The park is part of the Seabrook Trail System, which connects most of the parks in the city. As part of this system the park is part of a larger collection of wildlife habitats in Seabrook which are all near the much larger Armand Bayou Nature Center
Armand Bayou Nature Center
Armand Bayou Nature Center is an urban preserve located in Pasadena and southeast Houston between the Johnson Space Center and the Bayport Industrial District...
. The park is also part of the Great Texas Coastal Birding Trail
Great Texas Coastal Birding Trail
The Great Texas Coastal Birding Trail is a state-designated system of trails, bird sanctuaries, and nature preserves along the entire length of the Texas Gulf Coast in the United States. As the state of Texas hosts more bird species than any other in the U.S. the trail system offers some of the...
, which includes bird watching sites, sanctuaries, and trails along the entire Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
Gulf Coast
Gulf Coast of the United States
The Gulf Coast of the United States, sometimes referred to as the Gulf South, South Coast, or 3rd Coast, comprises the coasts of American states that are on the Gulf of Mexico, which includes Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida and are known as the Gulf States...
.
Park wildlife includes American Alligator
American Alligator
The American alligator , sometimes referred to colloquially as a gator, is a reptile endemic only to the Southeastern United States. It is one of the two living species of alligator, in the genus Alligator, within the family Alligatoridae...
s, heron
Heron
The herons are long-legged freshwater and coastal birds in the family Ardeidae. There are 64 recognised species in this family. Some are called "egrets" or "bitterns" instead of "heron"....
s, King Rail
King Rail
The King Rail, Rallus elegans, is a waterbird, the largest North American rail.Distinct features are a long bill with a slight downward curve, with adults being brown on the back and rusty-brown on the face and breast with a dark brown cap. They also have a white throat and a light belly with...
s, White-tailed deer
White-tailed Deer
The white-tailed deer , also known as the Virginia deer or simply as the whitetail, is a medium-sized deer native to the United States , Canada, Mexico, Central America, and South America as far south as Peru...
, Nine-banded Armadillo
Nine-banded Armadillo
The nine-banded armadillo , or the nine-banded, long-nosed armadillo, is a species of armadillo found in North, Central, and South America, making it the most widespread of the armadillos...
s, and many other species. Apart from its natural scenery the park features a preserved Karankawa
Karankawa
Karankawa were a group of Native American peoples, now extinct as a tribal group, who played a pivotal part in early Texas history....
camp site.
The park is the venue for the annual Seabrook Lucky Trails Marathon.