Fitness
Hermann Park is a great place to come and stretch your legs. Joggers love following the 2-mile Marvin Taylor Trail under the shade of the Park's historic live oaks. 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.
STOP 1.
MARVIN TAYLOR TRAIL CONDITIONING STATION
Stop by and try out our attractive eco-friendly exercise equipment situated along the Marvin Taylor Trail. Located behind the Conservancy office at 1700 Hermann Drive, the site provides a variety of TimberForm Fitness Route conditioning stations. It’s a perfect way to get an extra workout as you make your way around the trail.
STOP 2.
MARVIN TAYLOR TRAIL
The Marvin Taylor Trail offers runners and walkers a picturesque two-mile path, much of it under the shade of historic live oaks. Renovated in 2011, the former carriage trail now features a decomposed granite surface with concrete curbs, new light poles, and improved drainage. The trail is named for Marvin Taylor, a community leader who helped organize runners and neighbors to clean up Hermann Park. His volunteer group was one of several that joined forces to become the Friends of Hermann Park, now Hermann Park Conservancy.
To see locations of mile markers along the trail, click here.
STOP 3.
BILL COATS BRIDGE
Spanning 290 feet, this contemporary suspension bridge connects the banks of Brays Bayou in the Bayou Parkland area of Hermann Park. Named for a Conservancy founder, the bridge is an important link that connects the Park to nearby neighborhoods and to a 35-mile trail system. Cyclists and pedestrians enjoy the convenience and safety it offers.
STOP 4.
HOUSTON BCYCLE - LAKE PLAZA
The Houston BCycle bike-sharing program makes it simple to pick up a bike at a BStation and return it to the same or any other BCycle station. Hermann Park has four BCycle Stations: Outside the McGovern Centennial Gardens along the Marvin Taylor Trail, Bill Coats Bridge at Almeda, Lake Plaza just off of Parking Lot F, and Rice University METRORail on the path between the Sam Houston statue and the Buddy Carruth Playground for All Children. Click here for a map of stations and information on renting a bike from BCycle.
STOP 5.
URBAN FOREST
A small urban forest, tucked away in Bayou Parkland along the banks of Brays Bayou, provides cooling shade and a quiet place to rest. The numerous species of trees and undergrowth are a source of food and shelter for a variety of wildlife. The forest is the perfect retreat from stress of city life.