The Woodlands Township broke ground Friday on a $3.2 million expansion at the George Mitchell Nature Preserve. The project adds four miles of new trails to the 1,700-acre preserve on the community's western edge, plus dedicated mountain biking paths, accessible walking trails, and two new trailhead parking areas on FM 1488.
The preserve, named for Woodlands founder George P. Mitchell, has seen visitor numbers jump more than 40 percent since 2020. The existing trails and parking lots weren't built for that kind of traffic. In the township's 2024 Parks and Recreation Master Plan, residents ranked trail access as their number one priority.
Construction should wrap up by fall 2026. Existing trails will stay open during the work. Environmental consultants mapped the new routes around sensitive habitat areas. The preserve has bottomland hardwood forest, upland pine, and several seasonal creeks.
The project is paid for out of the capital improvements budget with no tax rate impact. New signage, emergency access points, and wildlife viewing platforms are part of the plan.
