Just 25 miles from downtown Dallas, Parker is a town with lots of green space and an easy commute by bus, car, or DART. In City Park, you’ll find the Preserve – sometimes called the “Blackland Prairie” — the soil has a gray/black surface and lies in the flood plain of Maxwell Creek. Normal rainfall is 30 to 40 inches per year. The Preserve is home to a variety of animals including ducks, cardinals, coyotes, and armadillos.

Also in City Park is a nature trail, Maxwell Creek, and remnants of a gristmill and cotton Gin named for William C Parker. The gin was initially powered by mules and later a steam engine. When cotton production slowed after World War II, many farmers moved to cities.

Today residents like having the best of both — rural living with city access — and highly rated schools. Don’t miss Parkerfest in October, in front of city hall. The annual fall festival is open to everyone and includes live music, food, and drinks.

You can also step back in time at Southfork Ranch where J.R. Ewing and his family lived in the 1980s … on the popular CBS television show, Dallas.