Bellaire, TX Outdoor Activities

With the sound of fast-approaching engines roaring in your ear, you jam your foot down even harder on the gas pedal and narrow your eyes at the upcoming left-hand turn, determined not to let up even for an instant. If you do, there’s a good chance that your new view will consist of your competition gloating triumphantly while they zip past you on the track. You may only be driving a GT-5 Sodikart, and not a tricked-out racecar, but you absolutely refuse to let any of the other adult or—gulp—junior drivers beat you.

Track 21 lets speed-demons careen around one of three indoor go-kart tracks at speeds of up to 40 mph as they try to edge past other karts, competing with fellow birthday partiers or coworkers to reach the finish line before it decides to become a finish wall. In case competition gets too fierce, the karts are surrounded by heavy nylon bumpers and rubber blocks designed to absorb impact from all sides.

Friendly rivalries continue on foot inside Area 21, a two-story laser-tag battleground beset with fog, obstacles, and space-age scenery. Sharpshooters zap each other's targets in pursuit of a grander mission, such as capturing the opposing base or stealing the enemy's supply of light, before matches end and scores are tallied on a stats sheet. Glowing decor also illuminates a jungle-themed nine-hole mini-golf course, where gorilla and lion statues bask in the black lights. Track 21’s arcade demands timing and button-smashing dexterity from gamers, and a track-side casino sets up rounds of blackjack, poker, and craps.

Crawling through sand dunes, diving into bunkers, charging over wooden bridges—this is what it takes to overthrow Normandy's two-story French house at Survival Game of Texas. This World War II-inspired expanse is one of the facility's many outdoor fields spread across their 47 acres of terrain. On courses designed for beginners, guests duel among wild west-style buildings, navigate a jungle maze, and duck into the huts scattered amid a realistic Vietnamese village. They can also ward off opponents from twin three-story castles featuring spiral staircases, a catwalk, and a napping ogre. Under the watchful eyes of referees, visitors 12 and over duke it out seven days a week, including during Survival Game of Texas's special events, which include seven-hour scenario games.

Sam Houston Race Park's multifunctional grounds crawl with up to 30,000 spectators reveling amid horseraces, concerts, and private events. Quarter horses, thoroughbreds, and arabians kick up dust as jockeys maneuver them around the course, cheered on by race fans placing bets based on their stats, the weather, and the size of the horse's toupee. Spectators can also watch and wager on races outside the park's grounds, as monitors air simulcasts of the big races, including the Arlington Classic Stakes and Los Angeles Handicap. In two restaurants under the supervision of executive chef Hugo Gomez, the racetrack treats guests to panoramic views of the competition as they dine on seafood, gourmet pastas, and brunch fare. Guests may also entertain up to 100 friends, employees, or colleagues in luxury suites equipped with a private bar and an in-room centaur butler.

Each year, the Spring Home & Garden Show gathers home-design experts into one location so that enthusiasts of home decorating and outdoor living projects can catch a glimpse of the latest in domestic products and design. Visitors peruse booths hosted by professionals occupying cozy niches that span the home-improvement spectrum, from landscaping and gardening to organizing garages and building a custom home. While attendees bounce from booth to booth, a lineup of notable industry sages take the stage to discuss the year’s best ideas and products and answer any embarrassing questions that fairgoers might have about where houses come from.

Stone Moves Indoor Rock Climbing's multicolored crags rise from padded floors, creating a safe environment for top ropers, lead climbers, and boulderers alike to practice their vertical virtuosity. Each climbing and lesson package includes rental equipment such as a harness, helmet, climbing shoes, and chalk bag, but does not come with any Spiderman webbing. During the one-hour private sessions, instructors tutor wall scalers on the basic techniques of climbing and belaying, and also cover safety tips before pupils test-climb their new skills. Bouldering walls rise at gradual and sharp angles, allowing novice climbers to achieve their dreams of being stalactites for a day and membership holders to gain unlimited access to the gym's challenging crags.

In its 12th year of fear, The Haunted Trails breed chills and shrieks while daring explorers to tiptoe across acres of mortifying scenes. Nightfall casts a blackened veil over every visit, during which guests grope through darkness and past plumes of fog in search of an end to the madness. Along the route, bloody limbs dangling from branches and scenes mummified in cobwebs set a morbid tone, and grotesque creatures lurking among the trees wait patiently to pop out and politely inform you of an untied shoelace. This season, the terror has spread to a newly established attraction, Nature's Nightmare, and both sights remain open through November 3rd to grant visitors their Halloween fix.