The Armand Bayou Hike and Bike trail runs parallel to Red Bluff in Pasadena, just south of Houston. How to get there? Heading south or north on Hwy. 146, turn west on Red Bluff. The trail begins just on the other side of Bay Area Blvd.
If heading north or south on I-45, turn east on Bay Area Blvd. At Red Bluff, hang a left. The largest parking area is the Kipper Mease Sports Complex, left at the red light approximately 1 mile from the Bay Area/Red Bluff intersection.
See an Armand Bayou/Holly Bay trail map.
There are a couple more parking areas located along the trail. Look for the fishing areas where the bayou flows through. These are smaller parking lots, but shaded.
Ideal for summer running
No doubt about it; summer running here in Texas is hot as the proverbial Hades. The prime benefit of this trail is that it's 
shaded for the most part, especially during the afternoon hours. The nearby located Seabrook trails are longer, but a great deal of the route leaves runners and walkers vulnerable to the scorching sun.
The Hike and Bike is roughly 4 miles long where it follows Red Bluff. There are some side trails which I have yet to investigate. Running from the Bay Area end of the trail, where it ends it hangs a sharp left and at that point becomes the Holly Bay Trail. This portion offers some gradual hills and ends at Holly Bay Park. This section adds approximately 1 mile to the route.
The surface of the entire route is crushed gravel and is well maintained so it's easy on the knees. Don't worry about crowds; I've never seen more than 2 or 3 runners, 4 walkers, and 2 mountain bikes on any given weekday afternoon. Frankly, the baseball fields at the sports complex and the fishing piers on the bayou get more business. Memorial Park, with its thundering hords, this is not.
Bring your own water bottle
Even in the shade, the heat and humidity is rampant this time of the year. What's that mean? Bring your own water bottle, water belt, or sports drink to rehydrate. For the most part, this trail is strictly self-support. There is water available at the sports complex, but like most non-chilled city park water fountains, it's neither guaranteed to be operational and certainly less than palatable.
The bottom line? This trail ranks an 8 out of 10 during the summer months. Give it a visit.
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Comments
The Holly Bay Trail has alot of singletrack trails off the main course. Lots of fun, but not technical.
It's an awesome trail and the protection from the sun during the afternoon is definetly a plus, it's 8 miles one way for me leaving from Kirby and riding to the very end by the school. Only issue that I have is with the crossings at the intersections. The city came in and painted a few lines but it's just a bandaid. Poorly managed by not actually making a sidewalk access to connect properly to the paths. Specifically, the Bay Area Blvd at Red Bluff needs major restructuring to connect the sidewalks along with the Genoa Red Bluff at Red Bluff intersection. Lots of kids riding right now and I would hate to see anyone get hurt because of confusion with cars, bikes, and runners. We've got a real gem here, let's do it right! Safety First! BTW the trail was actually busy over the weekend with lots of bikes and runners. Nice to see people using it.
I have riding on this trail several times and there are actually more off-road bike trails that run along both sides of the creek banks and Armand Bayou bike path. Read my full trail review at www houstonbiketrails com
I rode my mountain bike on the trail today. Not too technical but it was fun and not as busy as the Seabrook trails so I didn't have to dodge pedestrians, dogs, strollers, and the like. I'll ride on this trail again!
Agree with Cycling_girl that there need to be ramps and better crosswalks. All-in-all a good experience with some potential upgrades to make it great!
I enjoy the trail very much and I feel very safe and protected from the commute. It is so much easier than Memorial Park. As I was riding I noticed the tree limbs have really grown and need some trmming before it really intercedes with the trail. No matter what season we are in this is the weekend get-a-way!!
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