Things to Do in Seabrook, TX: Pelicans, Trails and Bay Seafood

At a glance

• Where: City of Seabrook, on Galveston Bay and Clear Lake along SH 146, between the Clear Lake area and Kemah
• Distance: About 30 minutes from Hobby Airport, per Visit Seabrook
• Hours: Most city parks typically 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. (11 p.m. Fri and Sat); Pine Gully Park 7 a.m. to sunset. Check the city site before you go
• Cost: Most parks and the Pelican Path are free; Pine Gully Park charges non-residents a per-vehicle fee, cash and exact change only
• Parking: Free street parking and a public lot at 1202 3rd Street for Main Street and Bayside Park
• Time needed: Half a day; a full day with Kemah or Space Center Houston
• Good for: Birders, cyclists, families, seafood shoppers, Kemah add-ons

Seabrook is the bay town you drive through on the way to Kemah, and that is exactly why it's worth stopping. It's a small Harris County city on the shore of Galveston Bay and Clear Lake, built around boats, seafood markets, bayfront parks and a crushed-granite trail system that links woods, marsh and water. Nothing here is a theme park. It's a place to walk, look, eat and watch the boats go by.

Here's the line to remember: Seabrook is a city that's mostly water. U.S. Census figures put it at about 21 square miles, and roughly three-quarters of that is bay and lake.

This guide covers what to do in Seabrook, the city parks and trails worth your time, where to buy and eat seafood, the annual event to plan around, and a simple route you can save for a half day on the bay.

Where Seabrook is (and how we define it)

For this guide, Seabrook means the City of Seabrook's limits: the strip of bayfront between the Clear Lake channel and Kemah to the south, La Porte to the north, and the Clear Lake area to the west along NASA Parkway. State Highway 146 (Bayport Boulevard) runs through town, and the bridge over the channel drops you straight into Kemah.

The older part of town, around Main Street, Waterfront Drive and the bayfront, is where most visitors spend their time. Pine Gully Park and the nature parks sit a little north along Todville Road.

Five things even locals don't know

• There are 56 painted pelicans around town. The Pelican Path public art project started with six fiberglass birds and has grown into a citywide scavenger hunt.
• One of those pelicans spent a summer in Chicago. "Sailing into Seabrook" was picked for a City Critter project at Chicago's Lincoln Park Zoo, then represented Seabrook in Beaufort, South Carolina. It's still in town; find it on the official pelican list.
• Hester Garden Park used to be a plant nursery, which is why it's full of trees and shrubs, many of them evergreen, so it stays green year-round.
• Friendship Park has the city's only merry-go-round, plus a tire swing and monkey bars, according to the city.
• You can buy live Gulf blue crabs on Waterfront Drive most of the year, straight from a seafood market a short walk from the bay.

Things to do in Seabrook

1. Hunt down the Pelican Path

The Pelican Path is Seabrook's signature: larger-than-life fiberglass pelicans, each painted by an artist and sponsored by a business, a family or the city. The project began in 2000 to give the town an identity, and the city now counts 56 pelicans on display. You'll find them outside City Hall, along Main Street, in parks and at restaurants and marinas.

The Marcy Fryday Pelican Path park, next to the Community House at 1210 Anders Avenue, gathers several birds in one spot. For the full hunt, download the trail and pelican map from Visit Seabrook and tick them off as you go. Kids love it; so do adults with a camera.

2. Walk or bike the Seabrook trail system

Seabrook's hike and bike trails connect most of the city's parks. Visit Seabrook says the city has 18 parks and more than ten miles of trails, and the surface is crushed granite, which is easy on knees and wide enough for strollers. The interactive Seabrook Trail and Park Map on the Visit Seabrook site is the best way to plan a loop.

3. Spend a morning at Pine Gully Park

Pine Gully Park is the city's big bayfront park: 52.27 acres of woods, restored wetlands and Galveston Bay views. It's the starting point of the trail system, and the Pine Gully Trail Loop runs about 6 miles. There are picnic areas, cabanas, a playground and restrooms.

Two things to know before you go. The fishing pier has been closed for reconstruction, so check the city's park page for its status before you bring a rod. And non-residents pay a per-vehicle entry fee in cash, exact change only, with higher rates on weekends and holiday weekends. Seabrook residents get in free.

4. Go birding on the Great Texas Coastal Birding Trail

Seabrook sits on the Clear Lake Loop of the Great Texas Coastal Birding Trail, and Visit Seabrook says five city parks are featured. Texas Parks and Wildlife's trail guide is a good road map:

• McHale Park on the bayfront: flotillas of American white pelicans fish nearshore in winter, and brown pelicans are around year-round.
• Hester Garden Park on Todville Road: bridges, ponds and a butterfly garden in a former nursery.
• Robinson Park: about 20 acres of old oaks, linked by trail to Pine Gully, Hester Garden and the refuge.
• Seabrook Wildlife Refuge and Park on Red Bluff Road: a 40-acre refuge kept in a natural state, with a perimeter trail along Pine Gully Bayou. Look for egrets, herons, turtles and the occasional alligator. Parking is limited.

Spring and fall migration are the busy seasons; winter is pelican time.

5. Sit on the bay at Bayside Park and the Bay Area Veterans Memorial

Bayside Park on Main Street is Seabrook's front porch: a long waterfront sidewalk, benches, a gazebo and people fishing from the bank. Right next to it, the Bay Area Veterans Memorial was built because, as the city tells it, the Clear Lake region had no veterans' memorial of its own. A pelican stands guard there too. Park on Main Street or in the public lot at 1202 3rd Street.

6. Shop Waterfront Drive for fresh seafood

Seabrook's seafood markets line Waterfront Drive near the bay. Rose's Seafood at 415 Waterfront Drive sells fresh and frozen shrimp (head-on, headless or peeled), whole fish and fillets, Gulf oysters, crabmeat, live blue crabs and, in season, live crawfish. If you're cooking a boil at home, this is the stop. Call ahead around holidays, as the market itself suggests. More crawfish ideas are in our Houston crawfish guide.

7. Eat seafood at Tookie's

Tookie's Seafood at 1106 Bayport Boulevard is a Seabrook staple for Gulf seafood, oysters, shrimp and fish, with lunch, dinner and dessert menus. It's open daily for lunch and dinner; check the official site for current hours.

8. Get a Liège waffle at Seabrook Waffle Company

Not everything in Seabrook comes out of the bay. Seabrook Waffle Company at 1402 5th Street has been making Liège waffles, the dense, caramelized Belgian kind, since May 2012, with an Italian-style espresso bar. It's a morning-and-lunch place most days, open later on Fridays and Saturdays. Pair it with the Pelican Path; there's a pelican out front.

9. Watch the boats from Wildwood Park

Wildwood Park is less than half an acre on a cove of Clear Lake, off Oceanview Drive and NASA Parkway. The playground is old-school, the benches are shaded, and the view across NASA Parkway is a parade of masts. It's the right size for a sandwich and a sunset.

10. Take in the marinas and sailing scene

Seabrook is a boating town, and you feel it the moment you see the masts. Seabrook Marina and Shipyard sits by the channel, and the Seabrook Sailing Club runs races, junior sailing and sail and windsurf training on Galveston Bay for members. Visit Seabrook's "On the Water" page lists fishing charters, pedal boats, party barges and sailing outfitters if you want to get out yourself.

11. Play disc golf at Miramar Park

Miramar Park on Hammer Street has a nine-hole disc golf course that winds through woods and wetlands, with tight shots through the trees and a few open holes longer than 300 feet. Next door, Rex L. Meador Park has a skate park, sand volleyball and covered basketball courts.

12. Let the kids loose at Friendship Park and the splash pad

Friendship Park on Red Bluff Road is a ten-acre sports park with soccer fields, a Gaga ball pit and that rare merry-go-round. In warm months, the free Monroe Field Splash Pad next to Brummerhop Park on Repsdorph Road typically runs from April 1 through October 31, closed Mondays. Check the city's page before you go.

13. Run (or cheer) the Seabrook Lucky Trails

Seabrook Lucky Trails is the city's big race weekend, held in mid-March on the trail system, with a marathon, half marathon, quarter marathon, 5K and a kids 1K. It's a good excuse to see the bayfront trails at their busiest and greenest. Dates and registration are on the official race site.

Save this: a half day in Seabrook

1. Breakfast at Seabrook Waffle Company on 5th Street.
2. Walk Main Street and the Pelican Path; count how many birds you can find.
3. Sit on the bay at Bayside Park and the Bay Area Veterans Memorial.
4. Drive up Todville Road for a trail walk at Hester Garden Park or Pine Gully Park (bring exact cash for Pine Gully).
5. Stop at McHale Park for pelicans and bay views.
6. Buy shrimp or live crabs on Waterfront Drive for dinner at home, or eat seafood at Tookie's.
7. End with sunset over Clear Lake at Wildwood Park, or cross the bridge to the Kemah Boardwalk.

Tips and best time to visit

• Fall through spring is the sweet spot. Trails are shaded in places but exposed in others, and Gulf Coast summers are hot. Winter brings the white pelicans.
• Go early for birds, late for sunsets. Most city parks are typically open from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. (11 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays); Pine Gully runs from 7 a.m. to sunset.
• Carry small bills for the Pine Gully entry fee.
• Bring bug spray and water for the nature parks, and keep a respectful distance from alligators.
• Check the city calendar. Visit Seabrook lists community events such as a costume dog parade in Rex L. Meador Park and a Veterans Day ceremony.

Getting there and parking

Seabrook is on State Highway 146 on the west shore of Galveston Bay, and Visit Seabrook puts it about 30 minutes from Hobby Airport. From central Houston, most drivers take I-45 south and head east on NASA Parkway, or take State Highway 225 east to Highway 146 south. There's no direct METRO service, so plan on driving.

Parking is easy and mostly free. For Main Street, Bayside Park and the veterans memorial, use street parking or the public lot at 1202 3rd Street. Pine Gully Park charges non-residents per vehicle. The Seabrook Wildlife Refuge lot is small.

Food nearby

Seabrook is part of the Clear Lake dining scene. For more options, see our guide to the best restaurants in Clear Lake and our citywide best seafood restaurants in Houston.

Nearby attractions

• Kemah Boardwalk, just across the bridge: rides, restaurants and bay views. See our Kemah Boardwalk guide.
• Space Center Houston, a short drive west on NASA Parkway. See our Space Center Houston visitor guide.
• Armand Bayou Nature Center, one of the attractions Visit Seabrook recommends nearby, for more trails and wildlife.
• The rest of the Bay Area: our things to do in Clear Lake and things to do in League City guides, plus Clear Lake area neighborhood coverage.
• Make it a longer coast day with our Galveston day trip guide or more day trips from Houston.

Last verified: October 2026.

Frequently asked questions

What is Seabrook, Texas known for?

Boating, seafood markets on Waterfront Drive, bayfront parks and birding, and the Pelican Path, a citywide collection of 56 painted fiberglass pelicans.

Is Seabrook the same as Kemah?

No. Seabrook and Kemah are separate cities. Seabrook sits just north of Kemah across the Clear Lake channel, connected by the State Highway 146 bridge.

Does Pine Gully Park charge an entry fee?

Seabrook residents get in free. Non-residents pay a per-vehicle fee in cash with exact change, higher on weekends and holiday weekends. Check the city's park page for current fees and fishing pier status.

Where can I buy fresh seafood in Seabrook?

Seafood markets line Waterfront Drive. Rose's Seafood at 415 Waterfront Drive sells shrimp, fish, oysters, crabmeat, live blue crabs and seasonal live crawfish.

Is Seabrook good for birdwatching?

Yes. Seabrook is on the Clear Lake Loop of the Great Texas Coastal Birding Trail, with sites including McHale Park, Hester Garden Park, Pine Gully Park, Robinson Park and the Seabrook Wildlife Refuge.

How far is Seabrook from Houston?

Visit Seabrook puts the city about 30 minutes from Hobby Airport. From central Houston, drive I-45 south and NASA Parkway east, or SH 225 east to SH 146 south.