By Brandt Mannchen

On Thursday, January 1, 2026, I had a great time as I started the New Year with a hike in the 2,800-acre Sheldon Lake State Park (SLSP), Northeast Harris County, that has a 1,230-acre lake on Carpenters Bayou.  This is part of Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s effort to get people outdoors each New Year’s Day.

My buddies, David, Brandon, and Michael, accompanied me and we all enjoyed walking through wooded areas, viewing ponds, seeing the vista of the park from the observation tower, and strolling through restored coastal prairie and native freshwater wetlands.

We saw a great diversity of birdlife, from Anhingas, Double-crested Cormorants, and Northern Shovelers and Ring-necked Ducks, to American Coots and Pied-billed Grebes, to Yellow-rumped Warblers and Great Blue Herons.  The weather was beautiful and started chilly but soon warmed in the bright sunshine.  Many other people also came and visited trails and other sights in SLSP.

I particularly enjoyed the view from the observation tower of native tallgrass prairie, on the east side of SLSP, compared to the view of Sheldon Reservoir, with Bald Cypress trees, on the west side. A great example of the diversity that exists in this wild, but urban, state park.

I certainly recommend getting outdoors in 2026! Prepare yourself for next New Year’s Day so you can begin the year hiking and seeing the beauty of Nature.