| Houstonians have neither forgotten nature nor | | | | playgrounds, water sports, picnicking and nature study. |
| neglected the need for recreation. The city offers its | | | | Residents may enjoy gymnastics, square dancing and |
| residents numerous parks, resorts and indoor and | | | | round dancing. Children six years and up may learn |
| outdoor activities for adults and children. At present, | | | | judo, karate and self-defense in Houston parks and |
| Houston has 276 parks encompassing 6,133 acres of | | | | therapeutic recreation for the blind, deaf, |
| land, and 12,236 acres of water. The parks include 18 | | | | developmentally disabled and occupationally |
| hole golf courses, three tennis centers, 52 community | | | | handicapped is also available. |
| recreation centers, 85 neighborhood tennis courts, 38 | | | | Houston is particularly proud of its exercise-trails. The |
| swimming pools and 287 softball, baseball, football, | | | | Memorial Trail, a $100,000 three-mile, rotted pine bark |
| soccer, and rugby fields. Many of these recreational | | | | loop beginning west of the Memorial Tennis Courts, |
| facilities, available to the public, are utilized by the | | | | drew 879,000 exercisers in 2000. Recently completed, |
| Houston Parks & Recreation Department (HPRD) for | | | | the Braeswood Exercise-Trail runs from Hermann |
| classes in everything from arts, crafts, dance and | | | | Park to Bissonnet at the Southwest Tennis Center, |
| drama to sports for children and adults. | | | | and an additional ten miles to Mason Park is ready. |
| Park visitors may pursue independently such outdoor | | | | Unusually enough, Houston features an Exercise-Trail |
| activities as jogging, camping and biking, during the | | | | for the physically challenged in Hermann Park. |
| winter and summer. Many parks offer riding trails, | | | | |