The land occupied by Precinct 3's Terry Hershey Park was acquired by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in the 1940s as part of the Addicks and Barker Reservoirs project. The Corps of Engineers later deeded this land to the Harris County Flood Control District. Harris County began planning to develop a park on the property in 1985 and eventually leased 500 acres along the banks of Buffalo Bayou and South Mayde Creek from the Flood Control District in 1987.

Development of the first section of the hike and bike trail here was started by Commissioner Bob Eckels and continued by his successor, Elizabeth Ghrist. The park was then known as Buffalo Bayou Park. Commissioner Ghrist's successor, Steve Radack, initiated a major expansion of the trail system after he took office in 1989. It was Commissioner Radack who proposed changing the name to Terry Hershey Park to honor the conservationist who led the campaign in the 1960s to derail a plan to pave the banks of Buffalo Bayou as had been done earlier to portions of the banks of White Oak Bayou and Brays Bayou.

Additions to the trail since 1989 have brought the length of the system, including side trails, to approximately 12-1/2 miles. The layout extends from the Barker Dam on the west to Beltway 8 on the east. There are ten bridges. There are five grade separations: at Highway 6; at Eldridge Parkway; at Dairy Ashford; at Kirkwood and at Wilcrest. Parking lots are provided at