Katy is a Texas city to the west of Houston at the intersection of Waller, Fort Bend, and Harris counties. Population growth is on the rise, as the 2010 U.S. census counted just over 14,000 residents, but the 2020 census highlighted nearly 22,000. Katy's formal settlement dates back to the 1890s as a railroad town. It was a stop on the Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad when the MKT ran along a route that roughly became U.S. Route 90 and later Interstate 10, running right into downtown Houston. The Katy Heritage Society Railroad Museum celebrates this history in a restored depot with train exhibits, including an old caboose railroad car.
The Johnny Nelson Katy Heritage Museum offers free admission where you can learn about vintage farming artifacts and equipment alongside intriguing photos and antiques that highlight the pioneering and agricultural history of Katy. Visit the Katy Veterans Memorial Museum, where you can learn about every foreign conflict the United States has been involved in. If you're looking for some retail therapy during your visit, stop by Katy Mills. This indoor shopping mall has climate control and more than 175 stores and restaurants.
Katy is also home to some excellent local eateries. Da Vinci Ristorante Italiano is a fine-dining option created by chef-owner Alex Salmassi, who graduated from the Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Arts Institute in Paris and has owned restaurants in both South Africa and France. For genuine family-owned Middle Eastern cuisine, check out Ephesus Mediterranean Grill for one of the best lunches in Katy, where you can enjoy falafel, lamb chops, and kebabs. Antonia's Restaurant offers your family traditional Italian cuisine three meals a day with an outdoor patio.
Campgrounds Near Katy, Texas
Katy Lake RV Resort offers you full-service amenities in an environment that is friendly to pets and kids. Enjoy fishing in a stocked lake, take a relaxing stroll around it, or just chill in the pool and spa. Showers and full hookups are available as well as both back-in and pull-through RV sites.
Cinco Ranch RV Park isn't just a place to stay, as it's also somewhere you can enjoy vending machines, Wi-Fi, and laundry. The owners are known for creating a family-friendly atmosphere. Back-in RV sites come with full hookups and access to clean showers and restrooms. Many of the sites at this RV park are shaded by tree coverage.
Chappell Hill Luxury RV Resort was designed and built by professional specialists familiar with facility and resort construction. Entertainment options abound in this luxury RV park where you can enjoy an amenity center, lakes, a dog park, walking trails, a pool, food truck nights, game areas, outdoor movies, and even a music stage. RV sites feature big parking pads with high-end pedestals, free Wi-Fi, and full hookups.
State Parks Near Katy, Texas
Brazos Bend State Park is only 45 miles outside of Houston, and it's a nature haven that can offset the hustle and bustle of life in the big city. Keep your camera and binoculars handy in case you see some of the park's spectacular wildlife, including alligators. Locals enjoy fishing or taking a horseback ride in this state park. You can also go hiking or visit the observatory that's associated with the Houston Museum of Natural Science.
Huntsville State Park is close to Hunstville, just six miles to the southwest if you head down Interstate 45, and it is about a 90-minute drive from Katy. If you like seeing wildlife, then keep your eyes open for eastern gray squirrels, white-tailed deer, moles, and raccoons. Lake Raven is the center point of the park, where you can find alligators, crappie, and largemouth bass. Visit the bird blind overlooking both the lake and forest to see some of the more than 250 species of birds that call this park home.
Lake Somerville State Park dates back to 1970 when a dam was constructed several miles south of Somerville, Texas. Approximately 100 miles to the northeast of Houston, this park actually has four distinct sections filled with duck ponds, marshes, and bogs. The north side is the Birch Creek Unit, while the southwest side is the Nails Creek Unit. In both, you can go swimming, fishing, or boating. The 13 miles of the Lake Somerville Trailway are the third unit connecting other parts of the park. The Somerville Wildlife Management Area is the last part of the park, and you can find it on the north side of Yegua Creek in Lee and Burleson.
National Sites Near Katy, Texas
Big Thicket National Preserve highlights the biodiversity of southeastern Texas. Visit nine distinct ecosystems, ranging from arid desert spaces to longleaf pine forests and cypress-lined bayous. Enjoy seeing exotic mushrooms, vibrant wildflowers, turtles basking in groups, and almost 300 bird species. Hunting, hiking, and paddling are all permitted activities in this preserve.
El Camino Real de Los Tejas National Historic Trail has lots of history for you to learn and enjoy. During your visit, you can learn more about the once-thriving cattle ranching industry when this area of Texas was part of Mexico. You can also learn about Spain's difficulties involving missionary work with indigenous peoples and the independence of Texas after Spanish colonization.
Waco Mammoth National Monument is only five acres but has 100 parkland acres around it beside the Bosque River in the state of Texas. This monument includes fossilized remains of dire wolves, a saber-toothed tiger club, an alligator, a camel, and Columbian mammoths. More remains are thought to be just under the surface and waiting to be discovered. Columbian mammoths died off during the Ice Age more than 75,000 years ago, and this is the only place where a complete group was found together. How the animals died remains a mystery, but there seem to be two different groups that died thousands of years apart.
National Forests Near Katy, Texas
Angelina National Forest has more than 153,000 acres for you to explore across Angelina, Jasper, Nacogdoches, and San Augustine counties in the state of Texas. Seven developed areas are places for fishing or playing on the Sam Rayburn Reservoir. Many of these developed areas feature boat ramps you can use to access the biggest manmade body of water that is entirely in Texas. You can also enjoy water activities along stretches of the North Neches River. If you want to stay on land and get some hiking in, then you can find gorgeous trails that go over gentle hills in the shade of longleaf pine trees.
Davy Crockett National Forest is easy to access with your RV if you visit the Texas towns of Lufkin or Crockett. Enjoy over 160,000 acres of streams, woodlands, and wildlife habitat. This is where you can find the Ratcliff Lake Recreation Acre with a four-acre lake. Head here for camping, boating, fishing, and swimming.
Sam Houston National Forest is only 50 miles out of Houston if you head north. The Lone Star Hiking Trail has 128 miles of hiking, and some of it goes through this forest. The Double Lake Recreation Area has swimming available and a beach to play or relax on. You can also take advantage of many boat launches, and one of them is on Lake Conroe. Designated campground options are available, including primitive camping sites.
