College Station, outdoors
Gary Halter Nature Center (Lick Creek Park)
The nature centre at the Lick Creek Park trailhead (formerly the Lick Creek Nature Center): a meeting room, outdoor classroom, amphitheater, native-plant displays, and a monarch butterfly garden in a 523-acre park with five miles of trails. The city has run instructor-led ecology field trips here for school and homeschool groups — wildlife, water cycle, plants, ecosystems — and runs paid nature classes for ages 7–13.
- Getting in
- Book ahead — this one is by request only.
- Cost
- Contact the centre to confirm.
- Address
- 13600 Rock Prairie Rd, College Station · Directions
- Parking
- Free lot at the trailhead on Rock Prairie Road. Trails are dirt.
- With little ones
- Restrooms on site; a stroller will struggle.
- Groups
- Homeschool groups welcome.
- Booking
- Call 979-764-6216 (office Mon–Fri 8 a.m.–1 p.m.) to ask about a group field trip: current grades, group size, cost, and dates aren't published. The centre is open daily 8 a.m.–5 p.m.; card only, no cash or checks. Outdoors: dress for weather, bring water, sunscreen, and insect repellent, and wear closed-toe shoes.
Checked 2026-09-23. Call ahead if it matters — hours and prices change.