Brazos Bend State Park, approximately 28 miles southwest of Houston, covers roughly 5000 acres, with an eastern boundary of 3.2 miles fronting on the Brazos River on the southeast border of Fort Bend County. This was the area of Texas' first Anglo colonization. It was purchased by the state in 1976-77 and was opened to the public in 1984. In recent times, the land on which the park is located was used for cattle grazing, pecan harvesting, and as a private hunting preserve. Today Brazos Bend State Park offers visitors a unique view of Upper Texas Coast wilderness, with all of the critters that accompany the native habitat.