Parks and Trails in Rice Village, Houston: 10 Places to Walk and Play

The best parks and trails in Rice Village are the Rice University campus, which is one big arboretum of about 4,600 trees, and the string of small city parks in West University Place next door: Colonial Park's walking track, Wier and Judson parks for tennis and playgrounds, Jennie Elizabeth Hughes Park's push-button stream, and the Edloe Street Pathway. Ten picks in all, and every one is free to walk into.

Rice Village doesn't have one big central park. It has something better for a short walk between lunch and shopping: shady pocket parks on quiet residential streets, two measured walking loops, and a university campus where one pine tree was grown from a seed that flew to the Moon. The line we'd put on a tote bag: in Rice Village, the oldest tenants on the block are the live oaks.

Where does Rice Village start and stop?

For this guide, Rice Village means the area our Rice Village / West U guide covers: the Rice Village shopping district around Kirby Drive and University Boulevard, the Rice University campus on its eastern edge, and the City of West University Place (West U), which wraps around the shops to the west and south. We leave out Upper Kirby, Southside Place, Bellaire, the Museum District and Hermann Park. West U is its own small city with its own parks department, so its rules (below) are different from City of Houston parks.

The quick list

• Best long walk: the Rice University campus and its Lynn R. Lowrey Arboretum.
• Best measured loop: Colonial Park's concrete track, where 7 laps make a mile.
• Best water play: the button-activated stream bed at Jennie Elizabeth Hughes Park, or Colonial Park Pool in summer (resident rules apply).
• Best for tennis: Wier Park, Colonial Park or Judson Park.
• Best quiet sit: Friends Park's clock tower and arbors on Rice Boulevard.
• Best for big kids: Whitt Johnson Park's basketball courts and GaGa ball pit.
• Best for dogs: none in West U, by law. Head to the dog park at Levy Park in Upper Kirby instead.

How we chose

We picked public green spaces inside our Rice Village boundaries that anyone can walk into, and we confirmed each one on the official site of whoever runs it: the City of West University Place, the Friends of West University Parks Fund, and Rice University. We left out spaces with no public amenities, such as the Liberty Hill Park welcome sign, and a planned park on Robinhood Street that hasn't been built yet.

All West U parks are typically open 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., according to the city. Alcohol, tobacco and pets are prohibited, and the city warns that animals in parks can bring a $500 fine. Most spaces are first come, first served; only the Colonial Park Pavilion, the Colonial Park West End decks and the Judson Park deck can be reserved for parties. Check each official site before you go.

On the Rice University campus

1. Rice University campus and the Lynn R. Lowrey Arboretum

East edge of Rice Village, 6100 Main St · tree-lined campus walks · free to stroll

Rice University's 300-acre campus is the neighborhood's big green space, and the whole thing is an arboretum. The Lynn R. Lowrey Arboretum, dedicated on March 18, 1999, spans the entire campus, which Rice says holds about 4,600 individual trees of 125 species, from oaks and elms to hickories, maples and pines. Rice's own arboretum history calls out the live oaks of the outer loop, the shady road around the edge of campus, and its visitor page invites you to walk the campus on your own to admire the architecture.

I didn't know that: in 2016 Rice planted a "half-moon" loblolly pine near Main Street, grown from a tree whose seed flew aboard Apollo 14. The arboretum also publishes a self-guided walking tour map with three proposed routes and its trees of special interest marked.

Don't miss: the Harris Gully Natural Area, across Alumni Drive from Wiess College, where Rice is restoring riparian woodland, coastal prairie and post-oak savanna. Rice suggests watching the work from the Johnson Owl Deck next to it.

Parking: Rice's Greenbriar Lot, on the Village side of campus, typically charges $4 a day for each exit, and the gates take cards only. Check Rice's parking page for current rates. More on the school in our Rice University guide.

West University Place parks

2. Wier Park

East West U, 3012 Nottingham St · playground, tennis, basketball

Wier Park is one of the handiest West U parks for a stop after the Village shops, and at 0.88 acres it packs in a lot: a playground, picnic tables, two lighted tennis courts and a basketball court. The Friends of West University Parks Fund dates it to 1939, which makes it one of West U's oldest parks.

Best for: a family stop after a Village lunch. Our Rice Village restaurant guide has the lunch.

3. Friends Park

West U, 3771 Rice Blvd at Auden St · seating arbors and clock tower

Friends Park is a 0.17-acre passive park, built for sitting rather than playing, with landscaping, a paved walkway, seating arbors and a signature clock tower. Bring a coffee from our Rice Village coffee shop guide.

I didn't know that: West U bought the lot in 1995 from the heirs of Thelma and Allison Sanders. The city says Mrs. Sanders was the first librarian of the West University Branch of the Harris County Library and served for thirty years.

4. Colonial Park

West U, 4130 Byron St · walking track, playground, tennis, pool

Colonial Park, established in 1937 and 3.16 acres, is West U's most complete park. The city lists a concrete walking and jogging track (7 laps make a mile), a playground, a Youth Fitness Challenge Course, a pavilion and two lighted tennis courts, and the Friends group adds a sand volleyball court and a Little Free Library. The West End, entered from West Point Drive, has decks, picnic tables and grills, and opens when the pool is out of season.

Water play: Colonial Park Pool has a zero-depth area, a lily-pad crossing, foam features, a play structure, a climbing wall and a diving board. It runs on memberships and day passes, and the city says non-residents must be accompanied by a resident. The concession take-out window doesn't require a membership.

Best for: laps before work, or a full afternoon with kids.

5. Judson Park

West U, 4201 Judson St · tennis, playground, GaGa ball

Judson Park is a 0.73-acre neighborhood park with a lighted tennis court, a playground, a walking path, a rentable picnic deck, a grill, game tables and a GaGa ball pit. Its roots go deep: the city says the original developer set the land aside for recreation and built a tennis court, and play equipment arrived in 1940.

6. Huffington Park

West U, 6204 College Ave · playground and swings

Huffington Park is a 0.61-acre playground park with a rubber-capped sidewalk, expression swings, picnic tables, benches and a bottle-filler fountain. West U bought the site in 1989 from a former grocery store chain, and it was redeveloped in 2009 and 2021.

7. Jennie Elizabeth Hughes Park

West U, 6446 Sewanee Ave at Pittsburg St · front porch and push-button stream

Jennie Elizabeth Hughes Park is our favorite third of an acre in the neighborhood (the city lists it at 0.34 acres). Behind an 8-foot cedar fence you'll find a covered front porch with rocking chairs, open lawn, log seating and a stream bed with a button-activated water feature, which is the closest thing West U has to a splash pad.

I didn't know that: the city says resident James M. Hughes left his property and $200,000 to create a quiet park honoring his mother, and the Friends group added $300,000. It opened on October 30, 2018.

Best for: toddlers, and grown-ups who want a rocking chair.

8. Whitt Johnson Park

West U, 6540 Wakeforest Ave · basketball, playground, GaGa ball

Whitt Johnson Park, 0.52 acres, has lighted basketball courts, a playground, a GaGa ball pit, a spinner and picnic facilities. It's named for a longtime West U city manager and former mayor and was dedicated in 1973.

Best for: older kids who have outgrown the swings.

9. Edloe Street Pathway

West U, east side of Edloe St between Albans and Georgetown · paved walk

The Edloe Street Pathway is West U's soft-surface trail: roughly a third of a mile of pervious recycled-rubber path along Poor Farm Ditch, with fencing, three pedestrian bridges, benches and a drinking fountain with a pet station. It's a soft, quiet surface for a short walk or an easy jog.

10. West University Place Recreation Center playground and trail

South West U, 4210 Bellaire Blvd · playground, walking trail, fields

The 5-acre grounds of the West University Place Recreation Center include a playground, athletic fields, outdoor exercise equipment and a walking and jogging trail that the city measures at 4.5 laps to the mile. The indoor recreation center itself is for members, and memberships are for West U residents only.

Save this: a two-hour Rice Village park loop

Park once, walk a lot, and end with food. You'll want comfortable shoes and water in summer.

1. Park in Rice's Greenbriar Lot and walk the live oaks of the Rice University campus, using the arboretum's self-guided tour map.
2. Walk back into the Village for a coffee or a taco from our Rice Village breakfast guide.
3. Cross into West U and sit a while under the clock tower at Friends Park on Rice Boulevard.
4. Bring the kids to Wier Park on Nottingham for the playground, or swing south to Jennie Elizabeth Hughes Park to press the stream button.
5. Finish with 7 laps (one mile) on the Colonial Park track.

Before you go: a quick checklist

• Leave the dog at home for West U parks. Pets are prohibited, and the fine can reach $500.
• West U parks typically open 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.
• Want to reserve a party spot? Only the Colonial Park Pavilion, the Colonial Park West End decks and the Judson Park deck take bookings.
• Rice parking gates take cards, not cash, and you exit with the same card you entered with.
• Colonial Park Pool and the Recreation Center building have resident rules; check West U's site first.
• For a full splash pad, see our Houston public pools and splash pads guide; for off-leash play, our dog parks in Houston guide.

More to do in Rice Village

Make a day of it with our things to do in Rice Village guide, then see how these compare with our best parks in Houston guide.

Last verified: November 2026.

Frequently asked questions

Are there dog parks in Rice Village?

No. West University Place bans pets in its parks, with fines up to $500. Nearby off-leash dog parks listed by Houston Parks and Recreation include Levy Park in Upper Kirby and Ervan Chew Park in Montrose.

Is there a splash pad in Rice Village?

Not a full one. Jennie Elizabeth Hughes Park in West University Place has a stream bed with a button-activated water feature, and Colonial Park Pool has a zero-depth area for members and resident-accompanied guests. The nearest public City of Houston sprayground is in Hermann Park.

Can the public walk on the Rice University campus?

Yes. Rice University's visitor page invites people to walk the 300-acre campus on their own, and its Lynn R. Lowrey Arboretum covers the whole campus. Visitor parking is paid, for example at the Greenbriar Lot.

Where can I walk or jog a measured mile near Rice Village?

Colonial Park at 4130 Byron St in West University Place has a concrete track where 7 laps equal a mile. The West University Place Recreation Center grounds at 4210 Bellaire Blvd have a trail the city measures at 4.5 laps to the mile.

What time do West University Place parks open?

West University Place parks and tennis courts are typically open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., according to the city. Alcohol, tobacco and pets are not allowed.

Can non-residents use West University Place parks?

West U's park pages don't restrict the parks themselves to residents, and most spaces are first come, first served. Colonial Park Pool, the Recreation Center building and tennis court bookings do have resident rules.