Spend a Day in Cullinan Park

Where do Imperial residents go when they want to fish, hike or just get away from the hustle and bustle of urban life? Cullinan Park, a natural oasis in the heart of Sugar Land.

Joseph S. and Lucie H. Cullinan Park at Oyster Creek spans 750 acres along Highway 6, just north of Highway 90A. Visitors can enjoy hikes along Oyster Creek and Red Gully, as well as fishing at White Lake and Pumpkin Lake. Picnicking is allowed and bird watching encouraged.  

The park was created in 1989 by the Houston Parks Board through donations from the estate of Nina Cullinan, the Brown Foundation, Texas Parks and Wildlife and the City of Houston. It is one of the largest nature parks in the Houston area.

What makes Cullinan Park special is the diversity of habitats and vegetation that can be found there. Nature lovers can enjoy Katie Prairie grasslands to the north and Columbia bottomlands to the south. Forested areas are filled with Water and Shumard Oaks, Pecan, Sycamore, Shagbark Hickory and Bur trees.

Numerous birds make their homes among the different habitats and on any given day visitors can spy Great Blue Heron, Whistling Ducks, Little Blue Herons, White Ibis, Tricolored Heron, and the park mascot, the Anhinga. There’s even a bird checklist to help you identify them.

Improvements to the park are made all of the time due to the hard work of The Cullinan Park Conservancy, a non-profit organization that promotes, enhances and protects the park. This year, funds raised by the conservancy will be used to add 1.3 miles of trails as well as creating new trailheads, building new benches and increasing available parking. The conservancy continues to raise funds for the addition of a nature exploration and play area for children.

If you’ve never been to Cullinan Park at Oyster Creek, now is the perfect time. It’s open daily from dawn to dusk and there is no fee for admission. Interested in living closer to the park? Visit us at Imperial today.