Need a shady place to exercise? The loop around Rice University is that place, and one of
the most beautiful places to exercise in the loop to boot. Rice University is
one of our go-to walking places in general because the campus is so lovely and
they have a gem of a modern coffee shop for post-walk chatting. If however, you never
set foot inside the campus, the tree lined track around the outside of the
campus, known as Rice Loop, is representative of the possibilities of Texas
beauty. The old growth oak trees, never let up, and line the entire trail,
providing unrelenting shade and awe inspiring beauty. 
This packed gravel trail is 2.9 miles long, and is
comfortably wide enough for two single joggers/walkers to pass one another. If
two people are walking next to one another it does make it difficult for
joggers to pass. We always try to be courteous and keep to the right (driving
rules), however, I noticed some joggers commit the faux pas of passing,
unannounced, on the right, which makes everyone uncomfortable, but it's also an
indicator that they find it difficult to pass on the left. Because it's not a
wide trail, I would say this trail is more for the serious exerciser, not for
groups looking to socialize shoulder to shoulder, small kids wandering slowly,
bikes, etc. Health seeking individuals, looking to surround themselves with
beauty and get lost in their workout, would be most comfortable on this trail. 
Guest parking may always be purchased at Rice (not sure the
prices) - there are several access points around the campus. Not much free
parking is available in the neighborhoods around the school because it's a
really busy area (medical district/school/residential) and some of the
residential portions are dedicated to the school or gated. Free parking may be
found at Hermann Park, just adjacent to Rice Univ. and is connected to the Rice
loop trail via a crosswalk at the intersection of Main St and Sunset Blvd. Free
parking is sometimes worth the extra effort and this is one of those times.
It'll just add a couple of minutes onto your route and round out the distance
to an even 3 miles. Perfect.
Rice Loop - put it on the short list of shady exercise
trails for the hot months in Houston's summer. Listen to some music on your
electronic device and soak up the beauty that is Rice.
Happy Houston Trails
Hi! Nice blog. I work at Rice and the parking rates vary by lot. Here's the link to the current rates: http://parking.rice.edu/Content.aspx?id=177
ReplyDeleteThe Greenbriar lot is behind Rice Stadium, closest to Rice Village. It's easily accessible and the cheapest option! Hope that helps. :)
I walk here and I love it!
ReplyDeleteRice should give people one hour of free parking at the Greenbriar lot so that runners can complete their run. It's outrageous that if you run everyday, you have to pay for parking. With the obesity epidemic in this country, Rice could be more enlightened and offer this as a community service. It wouldn't be hard to set up. It would be hard for students to park there for free, as you couldn't even attend one class and be able to beat the one-hour time limit, so the only people who would benefit from this would be runners and walkers who use the trail regularly. The rest would pay like they do now. Come on Rice, please do something for your community.
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ReplyDeleteHi Tamara! You have an excellent blog that promotes an active lifestyle in Houston, Texas. Do you have any suggestions for walks near Pearland? I have two orthopedic offices near Pearland, Texas so I'd love to see walking trails that I can recommend to my patients. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteThis is a wonderful blog. Thank you for putting it together.
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