Exciting news for Houston-area joggers, walkers, and everyone who simply loves Memorial Park. The beloved park fixture known by locals as the “SLT” — Seymour Lieberman Exer-Trail — now boasts a new trail segment that leads to some of Memorial Park's best vistas.
This new, .36 mile trail segment officially opened on October 7 and replaces a now-closed SLT connection. Users now are diverted off of the endlessly busy Memorial Drive and instead sent to shaded, forest areas and three new bridges that traverse over ravines and connect with Buffalo Bayou.
Specifically, run along the north side of the land bridge and prairie area and veers away from Memorial Drive.
Two and four-legged fans stroll on the ravine bridge.
A little about these bridges, which are always a park-lover’s favorite: They span 260 feet and feature the familiar crushed granite seen in the park, according to a press release.
The SLT was formed initially in 1978 was completed in 1981 and was named for Houstonian Seymour Lieberman, a passionate jogger who popularized the sport. Over the years, the SLT has been named Houston’s most popular jogging trail and even a national favorite.
Data from Memorial Park Conservancy and Eco-Counter reveals that up to 7,000 people use the SLT per day, which makes it one of the top public destinations in Houston.
Some of those 7,000 users include President George H.W. Bush and beloved wife Barbara, and Houston hip-hop icon (and frequent CultureMap Tastemaker Awards host) Bun B.
So popular is the SLT that it even inspired a book, titled People of Memorial Park: Stories from Houston's Favorite Trail. Stacey Holden’s 2016 tome tells the stories of those who frequent the trail and includes their personal stories and community benefits the SLT provides to all.
Work on the SLT is part of Memorial Park’s ongoing Master Plan and its accelerated Ten-Year Plan component, much of which has been bolstered by a massive, $70 million infusion by park benefactors Rich and Nancy Kinder.
A view of the SLT from above.
As CultureMap has reported, Memorial Park is in the midst of a renaissance. Drivers now frequent the game-changing land tunnels, which protect humans and wildlife from the thousands of cars on Memorial Drive.
The new Eastern Glades, meanwhile, offer a respite from the city with ponds, walkways, and more in our park, which for bragging rights, is around double the size of New York’s iconic Central Park.
