HLSR Trail Riders Visit Memorial Park

Howdy folks! It’s almost time for the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, and you know what that means — Trail Riders! For more than 70 years, Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo Trail Riders have camped overnight in Memorial Park, and they’ll be back here again for 2025!

Memorial Park Conservancy asks the public to be aware of the following impacts:

• Trail Riders will begin arriving to Memorial Park on Friday, February 28. While Memorial Drive will remain open, drivers should expect traffic delays throughout the weekend.
• Please note: the following areas of Memorial Park will be closed starting the morning of Thursday, February 27, and will remain closed until 4 p.m. on Saturday, March 1, to accommodate Trail Rider groups:
  • West Memorial Loop Drive
  • Commuter Trail
  • Living Bridge
  • Entire Running Complex Parking Lot
  • Entire Picnic Loop
• The Cullen Running Trails Center will be closed to the public from Thursday, February 27 – Saturday, March 1. The Visitor Services team will still be available by email at comments@memorialparkconservancy.org.
• Please keep in mind, there will be limited access to the southern side of the Park due to closures and increased traffic.

View the map below for more details on the closures and to see the best spot to watch the HLSR Trail Riders pass by!

Frequently Asked Questions:

• What time do HLSR Trail Riders arrive to Memorial Park on Friday? 

  Each year, the HLSR Trail Riders are scheduled to arrive at Memorial Park between 12:30pm – 4pm on the Friday before the Downtown Rodeo Parade. They best time to see the trail riders on Friday is between 2pm – 3pm. 

• What time do HLSR Trail Riders leave Memorial Park for the parade on Saturday? 

  The HLSR trail riders start lining up in Memorial Park around 8:00am Saturday morning for the Downtown Rodeo Parade, but they don’t start leaving the Park until closer to 9:30am. 

• Is Memorial Park open during this time? 

  YES! Memorial Park remains open to all users, but keep in mind certain areas are closed, including certain parking lots.

Preserving a Piece of History:

The Houston Trail Riders tradition began in 1952 when riders traveled from Brenham to Houston to promote the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. Now, there are 11 Trail Ride groups that come from across Texas and converge in Houston to celebrate and commemorate Texas history.

All 11 groups meet along the historic trail route in Memorial Park to camp and wait for every rider to arrive. Then, the groups ride together in one processional parade to the rodeo fairgrounds.

More event information is available on the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo Trail Riders page.