Nelson Farms Preserve

Why Visit Nelson Farms?

Want to experience the legacy of rice farming that helped shape the Katy Prairie? Start here.

Nelson Farms is a 1,727-acre guided-access preserve and home to the last working rice farm in Harris County. Flooded rice fields provide essential habitat for millions of migratory birds, demonstrating how agriculture and conservation have worked together on the Katy Prairie for generations.

Through guided tours, volunteer workdays and educational programs, visitors experience why working lands are wildlife lands.

 

  • Help us protect wildlife and sensitive habitats by following preserve guidelines:

    • Access is by guided tour, volunteer event, or special program only.

    • Stay with your guide and remain in designated areas.

    • Leave no trace. Pack out all trash.

    • Do not feed or disturb wildlife.

    • Dogs and pets that are not service animals are prohibited.

    • Smoking, alcohol, firearms, and loud music are prohibited.

    • Closed-toe shoes, drinking water, and weather-appropriate clothing are recommended.

    • Fishing and hunting are not allowed without permission by CPC.

    • Minors under 18 must be accompanied by an adult.

Visitor Information

Hours

Guided Access Only

Experience Nelson Farms through:

  • Guided tours

  • Volunteer workdays

  • Educational programs

  • Special events

Location

Address

28417 Sharp Road

Katy, TX 77493

Located on the south side of Sharp Road near the Harris/Waller County line in west Harris County and east Waller County.

Visitor Notes

  • Guided access only.

  • Parking information is provided upon registration.

  • No public restrooms available.

  • Terrain may be uneven or muddy depending on weather conditions.

  • Closed-toe shoes, drinking water, and weather-appropriate clothing are recommended.

Explore the Preserve

Explore Key Features

  • Rice grown at Nelson Farms is part of the Honestly Texas Rice brand, connecting consumers to locally grown Texas rice.

  • Flooded rice fields closely mimic the seasonal wetlands that once covered the Katy Prairie. During migration and winter they provide critical habitat for ducks, geese, sandhill cranes, shorebirds, wading birds and countless other species traveling the Central Flyway.

The Story of Nelson Farms Preserve

 

The story of Nelson Farms is the story of the Katy Prairie.

Historically, the Katy Prairie was a vast mosaic of tallgrass prairie, wetlands, and streams that supported enormous numbers of migratory waterfowl. During the twentieth century, much of the landscape transitioned to rice production. While agriculture transformed the prairie, it also created seasonal wetlands that continued to provide critical habitat for ducks, geese, sandhill cranes, shorebirds, and other migratory birds. Rice farming became one of the primary reasons the Katy Prairie remained one of North America's most important wintering grounds for waterfowl.

Recognizing the importance of preserving both this working landscape and the wildlife it supports, the Coastal Prairie Conservancy (then the Katy Prairie Conservancy) began conserving Nelson Farms in 1997, its first conservation project. Over the following decade, additional neighboring properties were permanently protected, creating the preserve visitors experience today.

Today, Nelson Farms is still a rice farm, where rice production, conservation grazing, wetland restoration and prairie stewardship continue to demonstrate that agriculture and conservation are lasting partners on the Katy Prairie.

Help Us Steward the Prairie

Most opportunities to experience Nelson Farms take place through guided tours, volunteer workdays, and birding tours.

Every stewardship project helps preserve both the ecological and agricultural heritage of the Katy Prairie while supporting the millions of birds that depend on it each year.

Volunteer with CPC

Frequently Asked Questions

  • No. Nelson Farms is a guided-access preserve and can be visited during scheduled tours, volunteer workdays, educational programs, research activities, and special events.

  • Nelson Farms is home to the last working rice farm in Harris County and demonstrates how agriculture and conservation can work together. Rice production, wetland restoration, and conservation stewardship support both local agriculture and one of North America's most important migratory bird flyways.

  • Flooded rice fields provide critical roosting habitat and an abundant food source for millions of migratory birds, including ducks, geese, sandhill cranes, shorebirds, and wading birds. They closely mimic the seasonal wetlands that historically covered the Katy Prairie, making them an essential part of today's wildlife habitat.

  • Honestly Texas Rice is a brand of rice grown by the last three rice farming families in Brookshire, including on Nelson Farms. It celebrates locally grown Texas rice while supporting the stewardship of the last working rice farm in Harris County and preserving the agricultural heritage of the Katy Prairie.

  • Managed grazing is an important conservation tool that helps maintain healthy prairie vegetation, improve habitat diversity, reduce invasive species, and preserve the working lands heritage of the Katy Prairie.

  • Yes! Volunteers regularly assist with prairie restoration, wetland stewardship, invasive species management, native planting, and other habitat improvement projects throughout the preserve.