As a new bike rider (one speed Schwinn) riding about 10 miles around my neighborhood each morning, I am wondering if the White Rock Creek Trail will be too much for me. Is it very hilly? I guess I could turn around at any point, but if it is just one hill after another, I would like to save myself a drive from Carrollton. Can anyone help?
Thanks, Boddie.

After a near-death experience on Katy Trail (I am NOT kidding) I decided to avoid that kind of congestion and the proliferation of headphone-wearing joggers, and stick to the road less traveled. This trail affords over 20 miles round trip; from it's northern parking lot, south around White Rock Lake, and back. It's far from crowded, and has the additional side trip of the almost-open (April 2011) Cottonwood Creek Trail, which joins this trail south of Forest, just north of the DART bridge. Cottonwood has the added distinction of riding under the High Five (!) and offers a great way to clock some extra miles if you want them.

While the amenities on WRC don't compare to the lush Katy, neither do the crowds. And it's roughly four times longer. You can hum along at 20 mph for mile after mile. White Rock Lake, which can attract crowds, is always a visual treat and well maintained.

A codicil: Summer of 2011 they are rebuilding the surface of this trail between Forest and Greenville. It won't be shut down, but it will have a blacktop temporary trail on the side while they widen and rebuild the concrete one. This is in the general area of the connection to Cottonwood.

I think of downtown trails like Katy as short & high density, and these Northern routes as long open spaces. You'll find plenty of creek views and no hills to speak of, while ducking under an occasional overpass to remind you that you are, indeed, still in the city. It's a fun way to rack up some miles.

I'm concerned about the parking lot problem with break-ins. I park on the street, on Vanguard Way. It has a trail head and parking spots in that development. Vanguard Way is located between Royal and Forest, near Orbiter Park.

I was at the small satellite parking lot at the Valley View Park entrance on Monday, April 11, 2010 when my car, and another vehicle was broken into. When the police arrived we were informed that on a daily basis this occurs there. They break your front window, climb in through the window, and steal electronics and valuables. This left an unsafe taste in my mouth given the officer's excuse for not finding the criminals was that, "tax payers dollars are not equipped to provided 24/7 police presence over crimes of opportunities." Needless to say we were also informed by passer by's that there had been 17 break in that week alone. BE CAREFUL where you park there. They refuse to allow signs to be posted warning patrons of this situation, and so I came to TrailLink hoping to get the word out. BE SAFE! This happened at 10:30-11am in the morning BROAD DAYLIGHT! They are brazen thieves!!