Each month leading up to The Woodlands 50th Anniversary celebration, content is created to honor the past, present and future of our community. During July, The Woodlands Town Center and Public/Private Partnerships will be highlighted.
By Annierose Donnelly
One of the prime benefits of living in The Woodlands is the seamless connection between everyday
life and the great outdoors. With a focus on recreation, the range of activities offered has allowed residents and visitors alike to enjoy a plentiful outdoor life in ways that few other communities can match.
Whatever you love to do in your spare time, The Woodlands’ ever-growing community’s lively recreation
scene will likely have a fit. Its diverse lineup of activities continues to evolve with time and trends.
Let’s take a closer look at what’s available:
Parks and Pathways
The Woodlands recreation initially centered around The Woodlands’ extensive network of parks and trails and neighborhood parks — something community developer and visionary founder George Mitchell insisted on, and Howard Hughes has continued to develop to date. It was not until the early 1990s that a full robust recreation program began to take shape.
In fact, the community’s recreation department was simply known as the Parks and Pathways Department for years, The Woodlands Township chief operating officer Chris Nunes notes. With more than 220 miles of trails winding through the community, The Woodlands is a wonderland for hiking, biking and strolling in nature. Everyone lives within at most a 10 minute walk to a park. Well-maintained playgrounds, sports fields and picnic areas abound.
Tennis stood out as one of the first sporting programs to spark an interest in The Woodlands. Partly due to George Mitchell’s own love of tennis, the sport has always been at the heart of this pioneering master planned community’s recreational offerings.
“That’s one of the reasons why a community of 123,000 has 80 tennis courts, with 18 contracted instructors and another six pickleball instructors,” Nunes says.
Investments in infrastructure and the development of new facilities has allowed the recreation scene in The Woodlands continue to thrive as this groundbreaking master planned community approaches its 50th anniversary this October.
Key Dates
The Bear Branch Recreation Center opened in 1994. It is now a hub for summer camps, soccer
and youth programs.
The Rob Fleming Aquatic Center opened in 2008. With a 500-foot lazy river, water slides,
splash pad and lanes for swimming, it sets the pace for an array of excellent swimming facilities in
The Woodlands.
Since its opening in 2009, Riva Row Boat House has offered visitors and residents a memorable way to enjoy The Woodlands’ scenic waterways.
Texas TreeVentures is a challenging aerial adventure course nestled opposite the leafy expanse
of the George Mitchell Nature Preserve. Owned and operated by The Woodlands Township, it first
opened in 2019 and expanded by adding 100 additional elements in 2023.
Award-Winning Recreation
The commitment to enhancing the quality of life for the people within the community has not gone unnoticed. The Woodlands has earned numerous awards for its recreational programs, including the 2019 Gold Medal Award Grand Plaque for Excellence in Parks and Recreation Management from the National Recreation and Park Association. The award is one of the highest recognitions in the United States awarded for the management and administration of parks and recreation.
“Everything we do has been about leveraging the beautiful assets that we have in The Woodlands,” Nunes says.
The president of Visit The Woodlands Nick Wolda has seen the positive reputation of The Woodlands spread nationwide in the recreation world.
“It’s a very active outdoor community here,” Wolda says. “Many other destinations around the country want to be like The Woodlands.”
A Place To Discover New Passions
For the team at The Woodlands Township, it’s about creating relevant opportunities to pique the
interest of the community. Sometimes, inspiration is sparked from further afield.
Besides some of the more common sporting activities (including pickleball), you will also find Futsal, a five-player-a-side soccer spinoff. Originating in Uruguay, this unique fast-paced sport can be played at Bear Branch’s soccer pitch and there is a growing interest in it around The Woodlands. Other international sports that are popular around the world, including cricket and netball, are also gaining momentum.
A wide range of other recreational interests beckon beyond sports too, including STEM and LEGO engineering specialty camps for kids, gardening workshops and special events for all ages to enjoy.
Summer Perks Are Calling
Plenty of summer fun can still be enjoyed in The Woodlands this year. At Riva Row Boat House, you can make the most of the extended opening hours and special events, including Moonlight Paddles and Starlight Swans, which run through September.
Texas TreeVentures opens at 8 a.m. through August 11, so everyone can get on the course at the coolest time of the day before school starts. Also shorter slots are available to book in the middle of the day.
Don’t miss some special events at the community pools either. Gather the family together for a Finding Nemo movie night at Bear Branch Pool on August 10 or challenge the crew to the Lazy River 5K at Rob Fleming Pool on September 7.
If you want to try a fun new activity, learn a skill, or make friends, check out the Summer
2024 Action Guide. If you have questions about any of the programs, you can visit a recreation center or call (281) 210-3800 to talk to a member of The Woodlands Recreation Department.
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Many thanks to The Woodlands 50th Anniversary Sponsors:
FOUNDING – Howard Hughes
PRODUCER – The Woodlands Township
LEGACY – Woodforest National Bank
HERITAGE – Waste Connections Inc.
GOLD – Entergy Texas, Houston Methodist The Woodlands Hospital
SILVER – SVN/JBeard Real Estate, The John Cooper School