Photo by Danny Fulgencio
The White Rock Lake and Katy trails were so heavily trafficked during the first weekend of countywide stay-at-home orders that the City of Dallas is threatening to close all parks and trails.
Don’t make them do it, Dallas.
This weekend promises cooler, wet weather, but there are bound to be many warm, sunny weekends between now and whenever stay-at-home ends. If you’re amid the throng on the city’s two most popular trails on quarantine weekends, then you should know, ya basic.
The City of Dallas has spent millions of dollars in the past several years improving our trail system, and there are many beautiful places to exercise in our city that aren’t named Katy or White Rock. Spread out, y’all, and visit a park that’s less familiar. And if you don’t need to use the trails on the weekends when they’re busier, stay home.
Otherwise, here are 5 Dallas trails to try any day of the week.
Photo by Danny Fulgencio
Trinity Skyline Trail
Get into the wide-open spaces between the levees, where Dallas has hundreds of acres of parkland. Just be wise in getting out there. The West Dallas pedestrian bridge is a popular entry point to the levee trails. There are less-traveled ways to connect at Trammell Crow Park off the Sylvan Avenue bridge, the northeast corner of Canada Drive at Westmoreland, the Trinity Overlook, the Houston Street Viaduct and near Eloise Lundy Park.
Moore Park
This is another entrance to the Trinity Skyline Trail, plus the Santa Fe Trestle Trail, which crosses over to South Riverfront Boulevard. Historic Moore Park itself is across the brutalist pedestrian bridge from the parking lot and consists mostly of ballparks — this was a segregated park and one of the only parks where black baseball teams were allowed play — and it’s a nice place to mosey around.
Photo of the Texas Buckeye Trail courtesy of the City of Dallas
Texas Buckeye Trail
This trailhead is near Bonton Farms, so you could pick up groceries while you’re there too. This park in the 318-acre Joppa Preserve was built on land that was at various times a golf course and an illegal dump, but nature is taking it back. There is about one mile of scenic paved trail.
Trinity Forest Trails
You know Dallas is home to the largest urban forest in North America, right? This 8-mile trail cuts through the 6,000-acre Great Trinity Forest. There are several places to enter: on River Oaks Road near Lemmon Lake, on Great Trinity Forest Way in the Joppa Preserve, on Pemberton Hill Road near the Texas Horse Park or near the Trinity River Audubon Center,
Runyon Creek Trail
This 60-acre nature preserve amid the Singing Hills neighborhood of Oak Cliff has about 2 miles of trail that will show you grassy meadows, creek views and a goat farm. Enter the trail at Glendale Park, at the very end of East Red Bird Lane near Lazy River Drive or at Singing Hills Park.
