 |
| Ray Miller Park Sign - Harris County Texas Precinct 3 - Public Park with Playground and Amenities |
 |
Enclosed Kids' Playground at Ray Miller Park located in West Houston
at 1800 Eldridge Parkway South Houston, TX 77077 |
Ray Miller Park is a 15-acre park with a crushed rock trail
on Eldridge Parkway west of Crescent Circle, between Westheimer Rd. and Briar
Forest Dr. By comparison with other parts in the area, it is small, but
nevertheless offers an array of amenities and thus greatly adds to the quality
of life in the immediate neighborhood.
Ray Miller park features two enclosed playgrounds with
equipment for small children (tot lot and intermediate play area), a large gazebo/pavilion with benches lining the perimeter on the inside and restroom facilities nearby,
and a smaller gazebo in a separate grove
with benches (Denise’s playground in memory of Denise Edwards Eads.). Drinking
water fountains are available at both locations. The restrooms have running
water, lighting, and hand dryers.
 |
| Denise's Playground with Gazebo at Ray Miller Park on Eldridge near Briar Forest |
The granite-covered trail runs a roughly circular course for about 0.64 miles total, most of which is exposed to the sun during the day. The trail is lit in the evenings. Closing time is 10 pm.
A small wooded area with a boardwalk is found at the center of the rectangular-shaped park.
The elevation is slightly lower here, which permits rainwater to collect and seep into the ground, creating a wetland habitat at least for part of the year. Also of seasonal appeal is a designated Texas wildflower area located in the NW corner next to the wooden fence that separates the park from the neighborhood to the West. This quadrant of the park also features a number of birdhouses on tall stilts inside the loop trail on the open green-space.
 |
Birdhouses on stilts towering over the trail
|
The trail is lined with benches, and picnic tables and BBQ pits are available at several locations on the open green space. Alcoholic beverages are not permitted on the grounds.
 |
Ray Miller Park with walking trail and picnic table and grill pit - park's center with boardwalk in the background
Dogs and other pets are not allowed, even on a leash. There are, however, designated dog parks in the area (Millie Bush Park and Bill Archer Dog Park), and leashed pets are also allowed on Terry Hershey Trail.
Ray Miller Park is mostly frequented by people living and/or working in the neighborhood, many of them either foreign-born or foreign-looking. As such, it fits right into the picture of West Houston’s ethnic and multi-cultural mosaic, which also finds its expression in the rich diversity of cuisines represented on the local restaurant scene, not only on Eldridge Parkway and Briar Forest, but also farther afield.
Miller Park has its own attached parking lot, which at times gets filled to capacity. There is no other parking anywhere nearby. The closest comparable alternative to Miller Park is Terry Hershey Park on Memorial Drive, which not only has a much larger parking lot off Memorial at Langham Creek, but also a second one abutting the Katy Freeway inbound frontage road, from which the playground and other facilities can be reached over a couple of ped-bike truss bridges over Langham Creek. Terry Hershey Park at Memorial Drive also offers an enclosed playground with play equipment for small children, a gazebo, and restrooms, along with other features, such as kid-fit exercise area, a sun dial, and wildlife such as squirrels and birds. The ducks call a pond on a corporate property next to the park home, but they also visit the park, and can be observed through a wire-mesh fence on the Western edge of the park.
Ray Miller Park is a county park. It is patrolled by officers with the Harris County Constable Precinct 3. It was named to honor the late Ray Miller, a legendary Houston TV man and author of a number of Texas-themed books, who also took an active role in improving the quality of life in West Harris County.
|
 |
Ray Miller Park on the Google Map - 1800 Eldridge Pkwy - Houston Texas 77077 USA
(between Westheimer Road and Briar Forest on the West of Eldridge Parkway near Crescent Circle Drive and Plaza)
|
