Dallas may not be as well known for hiking as, say, Seattle or Denver, but that certainly doesn’t mean that there’s nothing here to enjoy!
There are a wealth of gorgeous hiking and walking trails all over Dallas that are tucked away in neighborhoods and along creeks, not to mention all the recreation the many lakes around Dallas have to offer!
If you’re anywhere near our Dallas apartments, then check out these parks and trails next time you’re itching to get outside in that Dallas sunshine!
8 great places to go hiking in Dallas
Arbor Hills Nature Preserve Outer Loop
Distance: 2.4 miles
Type: loop
Difficulty: easy
Neighborhood: Hebron
The Arbor Hills Nature Preserve stretches over 200 acres in the center of North Dallas between Plano and Hebron, yet the system of trails winding through the park feel like you’re a hundred miles away from the city. The Outer Loop Trail is the longest of all the trails in the preserve, clocking in at about 2.4 miles once you get off the main Arbor Hills Trail, and it gently winds its way through natural landscapes, under native trees, past fields of grasses and along bubbling creeks until visitors find themselves back at the pavilions and parking lots where they started.
Cedar Ridge Preserve
Distance: 0.25 – 5.5 miles
Type: loops, out-and-backs
Difficulty: easy – moderate
Neighborhood: Duncanville
The Cedar Ridge Preserve in southwest Dallas covers a total of 600 acres of quiet, lush natural area just east of Cedar Hill State Park. Run by the Dallas Audubon Society, this park offers visitors a sliver of the natural hill country surrounding the city, with over nine miles of trails winding through butterfly gardens, shady trees, fields of wavy grasses and so much more.
Katy Trail
Distance: 7 miles
Type: out and back
Difficulty: easy
Neighborhood: Highland Park, Uptown
With nearly eight miles of scenic pathway atop an old railroad line, the Katy Trail is an excellent trail for hikers, bikers and more looking to enjoy long strolls through greenery and alongside Turtle Creek.
The trail is dotted with native flowers, grasses, trees and ponds that invite both flora and fauna to flourish alongside the Dallas residents who enjoy the trail. Plus, you can stop at breweries and restaurants along the way as the trail winds through different neighborhoods in Dallas.
Fossil Ridge Trail
Distance: 4.1 miles
Type: loop
Difficulty: moderate
Neighborhood: Cleburne
Cleburne State Park has a host of hiking trails that satisfy hikers a little further outside the center of Dallas, including this popular out-and-back trail that traverses a variety of natural Texas landscapes.
Pass under trees and beside native shrubbery before reaching a large, grassy field that quietly catches any breezes floating through the park. It’s just the type of peaceful solitude one needs after a busy week in town!
North Shore Trail
Distance: 18 miles
Type: out and back
Difficulty: moderate
Neighborhood: Grapevine, Flower Mound
This popular Dallas trail runs nearly ten miles from Twin Coves Park to Rockledge Park, both located on the northern shore of Lake Grapevine. The trails aren’t difficult, per se, but the loops can be long and are scattered with roots and loose rocks in places. Otherwise, this beloved trail system is frequented by hikers and bikers alike, and the views of Lake Grapevine to the south offer unparalleled sunset hikes all year ‘round.
Oak Cliff Nature Preserve
Distance: 6.5 miles
Type: loop
Difficulty: moderate
Neighborhood: Oak Cliff
On the north shore of Five Mile Creek in southwest Dallas is a park that seems wholly out of place, especially as it's tucked among modern apartment complexes and suburban middle schools.
Oak Cliff Nature Reserve is a unique Dallas park that covers around 121 acres of land just north of the Dallas Executive Airport. Though surrounded by the Dallas metropolis, the park feels more like a mountain forest than a public urban park. Deciduous oak trees covered in Spanish moss shine red and gold in the fall and shimmer bright green in the spring, encouraging the hikers and bikers below their leafy canopies to pass through in stunned awe each season.
Trinity River Audubon Center
Distance: 2.5 miles
Type: out and back
Difficulty: easy
Neighborhood: Southeast Dallas
Birdwatchers will especially love this park’s many trails, as the Trinity River Audubon Center is one of the best places to go birdwatching in Dallas! Walk through the wetland preserve along quiet boardwalks, dirt trails and paved pathways as you take in the natural flora and fauna. You’re sure to see more birdlife than usual, too, so keep an eye out for the herons, hawks, kildeer, swallows and other species that call the Dallas wetlands their home.
Spring Creek Forest
Distance: 1.1 mile
Type: out and back
Difficulty: easy
Neighborhood: Garland, northeast Dallas
If you’re looking for something short and sweet for, say, a lunch break or quick stroll, then the Spring Creek Forest Preserve Trail is the park for you. Though just over a mile long, this scenic trail meanders alongside a babbling brook under a shady canopy of trees. Plus, this park is dog-friendly! Just keep them on a leash and you’re good to go!
Next time you’re dying for some nature and fresh air, why not give these parks and trails a go? There’s likely something pretty amazing close to where you live, so all you have to do is find it!
Enjoy!
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Featured photo courtesy Pixabay/smellypumpy
Colleen Ford is a South African who now lives on Oahu in Hawai'i. She loves to travel, camp, spearfish and hike. She's also part of a super cool canoe club and is pretty decent at it. Colleen enjoys Star Wars and also not being cold ever.
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