Big Island Slough Activity Center

Growing up in SE Texas in the 1970s & ‘80s, I remember plenty of negative associations with Pasadena due to its heavy industrial (chemical, oil, & gas) industry, the related pollution, and and its supposed blue collar ruffian citizenry (see the film Urban Cowboy for caricatured examples). My only experience with the town was driving past it on the way to somewhere else prettier and holding my nose for as long as possible to avoid breathing in the odors of that industry. A few decades later and perhaps that reputation is still applicable, but there is also plenty for an avid outdoors person & environmentalist to enjoy here. Case in point, Big Island Slough (BIS).
What the heck is a slough? Well, according to hydrology experts it’s a «wetland, usually a swamp or shallow lake, often a backwater to a larger body of water; water tends to be stagnant or may flow slowly on a seasonal basis.» And according to birders, fisherman, canoers, and kayak enthusiasts, BIS is a great place to enjoy that type of environment while just blocks away from the hustle of the Houston metro area.
At this free public recreation area off Red Bluff Road (just north of the Kipper Mease softball fields), you can park your car and have a creekside picnic, or maybe go fishing off the banks or piers. You can also follow the gravel trails into the wooded areas to the bird blinds to see some of the 220 bird species who make their home in or pass through the Armand Bayou watershed (of which BIS is a part)
. Finally, you can put in your kayak or canoe and go for an epic paddling trip that may encounter, among other living things, alligators up to 10 feet in length. One company that provides guided and self-​guided paddling tours from this location is Pinky’s Rentals
; another is Captain John’s Southwest Kayak
.
I looked everywhere on the interwebs and could not come up with any government agency taking responsibility for maintaining the BIS Activity Center (aka Recreation Area aka Park), but it seems that it was funded with the very same grants that built the Armand Bayou Hike & Bike Trail
, so that made me think the City of Pasadena is in charge. Sure enough, they have budget line items for maintenance of this facility since 2009 (just call me Nellie Bly). There are gates to both of the parking lots on Red Bluff, and there are reports online that they do get locked at dark each night, so make sure you read the signs near the porto-​johns and get back to your car in time to exit. You can also try calling the City Parks Department at 713−475−7048 for more information (since their website is less than informative).