Keegans Bayou Trail

Keegans Bayou Trail is my gateway to Brays Bayou Greenway Trail.  The current trailhead is at Kirkwood and Keegans Bayou, just North of West Bellfort.   The City's master plan for bikeways will extend this trail West to Synott.     Doing so will bring the trail through my neighborhood, but the $64 question is WHEN?   The current trail, according to Houston Parks and Recreation, is 4.04 miles from Kirkwood to Gessner, where it joins Brays.

Trailhead, Kirkwood, just north of West Bellfort.

If you enter Keegans from Brays Trail, you will go under Gessner and seamlessly start on your 4 mile journey West.   I have read that Keegans is an extension of Brays; it's really supposed to be a branch.   To continue on Brays Trail, take the upper trail and cross the bridge at Gessner, then turn left onto the North bank of Brays.   Don't get excited when you see the sign pointing towards Arthur Storey Park, the sign guy got his work done a little faster than the trail builder.   The trail ends abouit 2000 feet from Gessner, at Braeburn Glen Park.    Bus 65 crosses the trail here at Bissonnet.   More about trails and busses another time.   My point is that eventually (I'm 67 yrs old, don't have much more time) Brays Bayou Greenway Trail could follow the bayou all the way across Alief.   There are several parks built around detention ponds, including Arthur Storey Park, but right now, as they say in New England, "Ya cahnt get there from heah!"  Hopefully they will all become part of the master plan.

The vast majority of Keegans Trail is an eight foot wide ribbon of concrete.   Nice.   But the city must have run short of funds at some point, as there is a segment just east of Wilcrest that is crushed granite.   Still nice, but a little prone to ruts.   On the other hand (where I have 5 fingers) this little stretch is quite scenic, isn't it?   There are turtles and all manner of cranes, heron, etc.   Just try to look past all the trash in the bayou, and the bags someone left along the trail.   We Houstonians are a trashy lot.

The part that goes under Southwest Freeway is a little disconcerting:  it's a small homeless colony, but they have never bothered me, nor I them.  Just know you may see legs sticking out of a tent up under the roadway.   Also, this part of the bayou could really use a work day or two.

I read some past complaints about this trail; but I think the city has fixed it up pretty nice.   There can be a little mud on the trail after it rains, but keep in mind the primary purpose of this property is flood control.    The city has been fairly regular this summer about mowing.   If you want quiet, and not well traveled, you are home.   There is not much access to the trail from neighborhoods between Braeswood and Wilcrest, so most traffic will be those who are going more than 4 miles.  

There are four rest areas on the 4 mile long Keegans Trail.   Very quiet and restful.

About a mile into the trail from Gessner, is Riceville Cemetery.  When I first came across it several years ago, the trail was new and there was no fence arounc the cemetery.   There is a nice one today, and the gate across the way is locked.  This and Riceville Mt Olive Baptist Church seem to be about all that is left of Riceville.   This African American community, founded by Leonard Rice in the 1850s was annexed to Houston in the late 1960s.   As late as 1982, there were no city services, no public water or sewers.   There were about 300 residents.   -  Handbook of Texas

  My aunt and uncle lived less than a mile from here, and I never knew it existed.    The foot bridge moves the trail from one side of the bayou to the other.   There is also a minor trail to the South that ends in a neighborhood.

By the way, if you go all the way to Kirkwood, you might want to check out the El Rancho Grocery.  It's what we got when Randall's closed.   They have an extensive collection of prepared Mexican dishes.  In the same center is Boba.   They open at 11:00 and offer a real good Mango Smoothie with popping bobas.   Don't ask, my granddaughter told me what to order.