Hmm, where would you be moving from?
In my opinion, if you're into those sorts of things and move here, you're going to have a bad time.
I too bombarded these boards when I first moved back here 5 years ago trying to find some good places to appreciate the outdoors. Unfortunately, they just don't exist in the immediate area. (I'm posting this rant in hopes of someone pointing out a park I've been overlooking for 5 years!)
As others have said, Lick Creek Park is the closest thing to a nice place you can take your kids or dogs, but it's not terribly great. For one, it isn't that large. It certainly feels large in comparison to any of the city's other "parks", but I assure you that you will have seen all of its trails and features within three visits. Any time it rains the park turns into a swamp; probably part of the reason the city "preserved" it (that is, they couldn't sell the flood plain to a developer). Finally, the creek that runs through the place is pretty nasty and TAMU Wildlife and Fisheries researchers have warned that it is heavily polluted with runoff from the Pebble Creek golf course. That said, I don't want to totally bash LCP--it is the best I found in my 5 years here and I take my dogs there every chance I get. I just wish either Bryan or CS had preserved more land for parks like LCP closer to both cities' centers and on more suitable land/topography. My guess though is that poor city planning and "lucrative" offers from private developers always won the day--particularly in a region like this that doesn't afford municipal governments many other revenue streams (e.g., industry, income tax, etc.).
In my opinion, the Brazos Valley in general is pretty second-rate when it comes to topography, vegetation, soil, bodies of water, and climate. I often think that the principal reason that the city began as a train station, and nothing more, was because few people would ever want to stop here. That may sound harsh, but I'm describing the place where I have spent almost 1/3 of life, cumulatively, so hear me out. The piney woods are a few hundred miles east. The Gulf is a few hundred miles southeast. The Hill Country is a few hundred miles west. From a historical perspective, there just aren't many reasons to set up shop here. If it weren't for TAMU and air conditioning, I would argue this would be a sparsely populated area of the state, no different than the surrounding eight counties. Our own ag scientists 'boast' that if you can get something to grow in the Brazos Vallye's poor soil, hot weather, and salty water, you can probably get it to grow everywhere else in the world (thus, Norman Borlaug). Unfortunately, these same issues prevent the region from being terribly enjoyable for nature-loving people like us. Take a look at Google maps. You might find it alarming the paucity of state and (God-forbid) national parks in the area. Sam Houston National Forest will jump out at you, but the portion of the park closest to B/CS doesn't have much to offer. The portion of the park that does have nicer trails (further east) is almost two hours from B/CS. Otherwise, you're left with Somerville State Park, which is @ one hour's drive (+/- depending which shoreline you're driving to).
Some have mentioned Lake Bryan. Yes, it's a body of water. On some days, its water will exceed 1/2" of visibility (the same cannot be said the Brazos River). However, any local that gives Lake Bryan a good grade simply hasn't visited enough other lakes. In my opinion, Lake Bryan gets an "A" for bike trails, an "F" for cleanliness (those aren't trot lines, it's just floating trash), a "C-" for overall appeal, and a "D" for charging park-goers to enter such a sub-par park (I'm not against paying to enter a park, but said park needs to be well-maintained and reflect its entrance fee).
Finally, and a lot of what I'm about to say entirely depends on where you currently live, but the weather here really does stink from June until late September. After the past five years here, I have come to terms with the lack of outdoor things to do in the area, mainly because I just don't want to be outside for 1/3 of the year. Primitive camping during those four months can be an exercise in insanity: bugs, high humidity, and overnight "lows" of 80 degrees are par for the course.
The area does have nice people though.
