Hitting the Trails, Dallas Style
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Walkers, cyclists, and runners venture into some fascinating places in the Dallas Region. These including former outlaw hideouts, abandoned rail beds, and suburban oases. Of course, not all 442 miles of off-street paths in the region offer such adventures. So, the “Say Yes” crew has cobbled together a list of trails.
In assembling our “Hidden Trails” list, we stuck with our methodology of avoiding well-known destinations and avoided the well-worn paths. (Disclaimers: Trails are open to both pedestrians and cyclists unless otherwise noted.)
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Arbor Hills Nature Preserve
6701 W Parker Rd, Plano, TX 75093
Passers-by might see lights dancing through this park after dusk. Those are just bike- and helmet-mounted lights of the bike riders taking night rides through the Arbor Hills Nature Preserve’s 2.8-mile off-road cycling trail. Roughly 2.6 miles of paved trails ramble along blackland prairie, riparian (river), and upland forests. The preserve has three miles of unpaved, pedestrian-only trails that roll along ponds, lowlands and creeks (pedestrian trails are open from dawn to dusk). Aside from having a shaded playground and a section of groomed grass for Frisbee and picnicking, the 200-acre park is known for its observation tower, which overlooks Plano’s suburban skyline.
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Santa Fe Trail
Southwestern access at 400 South Hill Ave., Dallas, TX 75223
The Santa Fe Trail was built for urban explorers on an abandoned Santa Fe rail line. This trail extends roughly four miles southwest from the White Rock Lake spillway and weaves to the Deep Ellum neighborhood. The trail is popular with early-morning cyclists, who hear the roosters of East Dallas crow at sunrise, and who use the trail en route to cruising the relatively quiet streets of Downtown Dallas on weekends. The trail is also a hit with cyclists who are known to ride just for the excuse of grabbing a brew and a bite at establishments near or along the trail.
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Prairie Creek Park
Address: 200 block, Fall Creek Drive, Richardson, Texas, 75080
Aside from being a Rough Rider and taking some hill in Cuba, Teddy Roosevelt was renowned for taking friends, family and even the French ambassador on scampers through the brambles. We’d like to think that Roosevelt would feel right at home in Prairie Creek Park, with its large, sun-covered stones, covered bridge, fields of wildflowers and a mossy waterfall. “Oh, that lovely, relaxing waterfall,” writes Yelper Ali G. “What more can I say? The beautiful patch of wildflowers is enough to make me visit.”
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Cottonwood Trail
Southern terminus at White Rock Creek Trail, near Vanguard Way, Dallas, TX 75243
This 3.1-mile trail provides another paved pathway for bikers, walkers and runners, while still connecting them with nature. At its southerly terminus, the Cottonwood Trail spurs off of the White Rock Lake Trail and meanders past some wetlands, eventually leading up to a fairly elaborate waypoint before it crosses under Interstate 635 along North Central Expressway. At its northern terminus, the trail runs into residential and commercial neighborhoods and resumes northward as the 6.1-mile Preston Ridge Trail into Plano.
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McCommas Bluff Preserve
7222 Fairport Road, Dallas, TX 75217
For centuries, the Trinity River has twisted and turned through this 120-acre stretch of wilderness in southeastern Dallas County, creating striking, canyon-like topography. The sections of land are so remote that in the 1880s, outlaw Belle Starr and a criminal gang were said to have camped out there to avoid capture. Dallas County recommends that the preserve is best-suited for nature study, hiking, fishing, and informal picnicking. While trails are sporadic on the property, the county reports a two-mile natural surface road that provides a pleasant walk.
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Erwin Park
4300 CR 1006 McKinney, TX 75071
This 212-acre plot of land in McKinney offers seven miles of trails (also maintained by the Dallas Off-Road Bicycle Association), overnight camping, and large expanses of open spaces. “If you try this, we suggest you wear hiking boots instead of running shoes, and be prepared to yield to the cyclists,” writes the host of the Visit McKinney Texas blog. Cyclists, meanwhile, rate the trail as one of the best off-road trails in the Dallas Region. It doesn’t hurt that large swaths of prairie are covered with wildflowers.
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Campion Trail
Trailhead at California Crossing Park
5198 Riverside Drive, Irving, TX 75039
Some trails are measured in miles and others are measured by views. Campion Trail falls into the latter category. Campion Trail connects three of Irving’s 43 parks, as it winds along the Trinity River, from north to south. The trail gets extra kitsch points for its lion-statue waypoint/trail marker at 1601 TX-348 Spur. For extended rides, the southerly terminus of Campion Trail connects to Lake Carolyn in the Las Colinas development. Measured conventionally, the trail is 10.5-miles in length, with plans for expansion.
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Big Cedar on Prayer Mountain
7532 Saddleridge Drive, Dallas, TX 75249
The Mountain Creek Church generously opened its land for use by the Dallas Off-Road Biking Association (DORBA), pending a completed waiver by trail users. “Big Cedar Wilderness Trails is located atop one of the most breathtaking escarpment areas in North Texas,” writes DORBA, in its description of Big Cedar. The trails span roughly 8 miles and have colorfully named loops like “Dragonfly,” “Pitbull” and “Man Bites Dog.” Hence, the hardy riders of DORBA issue this disclaimer in their trail description: “BCWT (Big Creek Wilderness Trail) also has some dramatic Downhill Areas and a Trials Area. THESE AREAS ARE DANGEROUS AND ARE DESIGNED FOR … EXPERT RIDERS ONLY.”
The Trails (and Tales) Go On and On
For more exhaustive listings visit:
- Walk & Roll page
- The North Central Texas Council of Governments’ comprehensive trail page
- Cyclists can visit the DORBA page
- Joggers/runners can visit North Texas Runners
Visit our Hidden Gems page for more of the Dallas Region’s best-kept secrets.