Explore the best rated trails in Gainesville, TX. Whether you're looking for an easy walking trail or a bike trail like the Little Bear Creek Linear Park and Big Bear Creek Greenbelt. With more than 57 trails covering 221 miles you’re bound to find a perfect trail for you. Click on any trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.
_0_st.jpg)
_0_st.jpg)
The Lone Star Ranch Trail runs through the tree-dotted greenway between the upscale houses that flank Blazing Star Road and Hidden Creek Lane in Frisco, a northern suburb of Dallas. Near its...
The Beaver Bend Trail begins in the southwestern corner of Frisco, off 4th Army Memorial Road, and provides easy access to the Stewart Creek Estates and Heritage Green neighborhoods as it travels east...
The Cottonwood Creek Greenbelt is a part of the City of Plano trails system. This trail is comprised of two unconnected segments. The north segment extends from Coldwater Creek Ln to Oxbow Creek Ln.,...
_0_sc.jpg)
At nearly 4 miles, the Lakefront trail connects Beard Park to McCord Park via scenic lakeshore route. The trail is a combination of crushed granite and boardwalk over wetlands. It was officially...
_160632_sc.jpg)
The Santa Fe Trail is a part of the City of Plano trails system. This linear trail extends west of Bob Woodruff Park to Avenue P. It connects to the Bob Woodruff Park Trail, as well as Schell Park,...
The Prairie Creek Trail follows an open corridor through suburban back yards in Lewisville. The trail passes through a linear greenway, offering access among neighborhoods and parks.
When complete, the A-train Rail Trail will span 19 miles, connecting the northwestern Dallas suburbs of Denton and Lewisville along an active commuter line operated by the Denton County Transportation...
The Oak Point Park & Nature Preserve Trail is a jewel in Plano's park system, offering more than 800 acres to explore and many recreational amenities, including a recreation center, amphitheater, a...
_160528_sc.jpg)
The Preston Ridge Trail (Dallas) is a part of the City of Dallas trails system. This 6.3 mile trail extends through north Dallas and connects the City of Plano with the City of Richardson, as well as...
The Preston Ridge Trail is a part of the City of Plano trail system. This north-south trail though the City of Plano connects a number of other trails, including the Bluebonnet Trail, the Preston...
The Shady Brook Trail is a part of the City of Plano trails system. This system of trails connects to the western end of the Bluebonnet Trail.
_0_sc.jpg)
The Cottonwood Creek Trail provides a north-south route through Allen, a northern suburb of Dallas, spanning 7.5 miles in two disconnected segments. The northern section begins at Ridgeview Drive,...
Mills Run Trail provides a short, easy and well-shaded route with glimpses of the creek on one side and neighborhood views on the other. It skirts the Grapevine Golf Course and ends at the Grapevine...
_0_sc.jpg)
City Trail is tucked away in the city of Highland Village. City Trail offers tremendous connectivity, both to shops, schools, neighborhoods, and other trails. Highland Village City Trail is a part of...
The Arbor Hills Trail lies only 20 miles north of downtown Dallas in the northern suburb of Plano. The paved pathway loops through a 200-acre wooded nature preserve and offers access to unpaved hiking...
The Preston Meadow Trail is a part of the City of Plano trail system. This short trail system loops around Preston Meadow Park, and connects to the Preston Ridge Trail, as well as Daffron...
_162224_sc.jpg)
The Legacy Trail is a part of the City of Plano trail system. This trail consists of three disconnected segments. The northern most segment connects to the Preston Ridge Trail.
The Caddo Trail follows Stewart Creek, providing a picturesque, tree-lined pathway through upscale neighborhoods. It also provides a safe and convenient route for children as the trail ends at Otis...
The Coyote Creek Park Trail is a part of the City of Plano trails system. This trail consists of a loop around Coyote Creek Park, with a number of short spurs, for just under one mile of total trail...
The Russell Creek Greenbelt is a part of the City of Plano trail system. This greenbelt trail has two courses parallel to Russell Creek for a total of 2.5 miles of trail, and connects to Andrews...
The Russell Creek Park Trail is a part of the City of Plano trail system. This loop trail within Russell Creek Park consists of both a short inner loop and a longer outer loop for a total of 3.4 miles...
The Coyote Creek Park Trail is a part of the City of Plano trails system. This trail consists of a loop around Coyote Creek Park, with a number of short spurs, for just under one mile of total trail...
_165819_sc.jpg)
The heavily wooded Spring Creek Trail offers a natural retreat through Richardson, a northern suburb of Dallas, as it winds along the picturesque creek for which it's named. The eastern half of the...
When complete, the A-train Rail Trail will span 19 miles, connecting the northwestern Dallas suburbs of Denton and Lewisville along an active commuter line operated by the Denton County Transportation...
The Little Bear Creek Linear Park is a popular community amenity in the northern Texas town of Keller. The trail begins by paralleling Rapp Road before veering south as it approaches Willis Lane. The...
The Serenity Park Hike and Bike Trail winds through western McKinney, a fast-growing community about 30 miles north of Dallas. The trail begins in its namesake park and follows a tree-lined route...
The Rowlett Creek Trail matches the course of its namesake waterway. The trail starts at Bolin Park and head west, the begins to meander north before coming to a fork. The west branch winds along West...
The Willow Creek Trail is a part of the City of Plano trail system. This short trail system consists of 1.3 miles of loops and spurs within Willow Creek Park in the eastern part of the City of Plano....
The Haggard Park Trail is a part of the City of Plano trails system. This short loop-and-spur trail winds its way though Haggard Park within the city of Plano. The total trail length is approxmately...
The Chase Oaks Trail is a part of the City of Plano trails system. This short neighborhood trail parallels Chase Oaks Blvd. and Oak Ridge Dr. within the City of Plano.
The Cotton Belt Trail follows the former St. Louis Southwestern Railway, nicknamed the Cotton Belt line, which began running in the late 1800s and was discontinued in the 1970s. Today, it is part of...
The Prairie Creek Trail follows an open corridor through suburban back yards in Lewisville. The trail passes through a linear greenway, offering access among neighborhoods and parks.
The Santa Fe Trail is a part of the City of Plano trails system. This linear trail extends west of Bob Woodruff Park to Avenue P. It connects to the Bob Woodruff Park Trail, as well as Schell Park,...
The White Rock Park Trail is a part of the City of Plano trail system. This short trail connects the Steeplechase Trail to the Old Shepard Place Trail within the city of Plano. The trail also connects...
Big Bear Creek Greenbelt follows the picturesque, tree-lined banks of its namesake waterway as it traverses east-west across Keller, a northern suburb of Fort Worth. The trail offers access to...
The Shady Brook Trail is a part of the City of Plano trails system. This system of trails connects to the western end of the Bluebonnet Trail.
Less than two miles in length, Furneaux Creek Orange Trail is a short paved paradise that proves everything doesn't have to be bigger in Texas. The Furneaux Creek Orange Trail's smooth concrete...
The Old Shepard Place Trail is a part of the City of Plano trails system. This trail parallels Park Blvd. and Winding Hollow Ln. for much of its length and includes a short loop around Old Shephards...
The Beaver Bend Trail begins in the southwestern corner of Frisco, off 4th Army Memorial Road, and provides easy access to the Stewart Creek Estates and Heritage Green neighborhoods as it travels east...
Allen is a city just north of Plano, Texas within the Dallas-Fort Worth metro footprint. The city is home to over 60 miles of paved share-use pathways. The Mustang Creek Trail is one of these, a trail...
Plano's Chisholm Trail extends from Harrington Park on its southern end to Jack Carter Park on its north side. Along the way, the trail connects to the Plano Senior Center, Copper Creek Playground,...
The Chase Oaks Trail is a part of the City of Plano trails system. This short neighborhood trail parallels Chase Oaks Blvd. and Oak Ridge Dr. within the City of Plano.
Big Bear Creek Greenbelt follows the picturesque, tree-lined banks of its namesake waterway as it traverses east-west across Keller, a northern suburb of Fort Worth. The trail offers access to...
This is an example of a rail-with-trail, sitting as it does within the right-of-way of the DART light rail through Richardson, Texas. It derives its name from the Central Expressway, parallel to the...
The Taychas Trail is located in Frisco, a fast-growing suburb of Dallas named after the St. Louis-San Francisco Railway that was built here in the early 1900s. The trail begins at Rolater Road and...
City Trail is tucked away in the city of Highland Village. City Trail offers tremendous connectivity, both to shops, schools, neighborhoods, and other trails. Highland Village City Trail is a part of...
Furneaux Creek Blue Trail offers a picturesque 4.5-mile route through Carrollton, a northern suburb of Dallas. The paved pathway offers views of ponds, lakes, and fields of wildflowers with several...
The Preston Ridge Trail is a part of the City of Plano trail system. This north-south trail though the City of Plano connects a number of other trails, including the Bluebonnet Trail, the Preston...
The Little Bear Creek Linear Park is a popular community amenity in the northern Texas town of Keller. The trail begins by paralleling Rapp Road before veering south as it approaches Willis Lane. The...
When complete, the A-train Rail Trail will span 19 miles, connecting the northwestern Dallas suburbs of Denton and Lewisville along an active commuter line operated by the Denton County Transportation...
The Caddo Trail follows Stewart Creek, providing a picturesque, tree-lined pathway through upscale neighborhoods. It also provides a safe and convenient route for children as the trail ends at Otis...
The heavily wooded Spring Creek Trail offers a natural retreat through Richardson, a northern suburb of Dallas, as it winds along the picturesque creek for which it's named. The eastern half of the...
The Bob Woodruff Park Trail is a part of the City of Plano trails system. This trail, composed of a loop and several spurs within Bob Woodruff Park, also connects to the Santa Fe Trail as well as the...
The Cotton Belt Trail follows the former St. Louis Southwestern Railway, nicknamed the Cotton Belt line, which began running in the late 1800s and was discontinued in the 1970s. Today, it is part of...
The Gaylord Texan Trail offers woodland views as it loops around the southern tip of Grapevine Lake, a popular camping, fishing and boating destination. Also adjacent to the trail is the Gaylord Texan...
The Cottonwood Creek Trail provides a north-south route through Allen, a northern suburb of Dallas, spanning 7.5 miles in two disconnected segments. The northern section begins at Ridgeview Drive,...
The Old Shepard Place Trail is a part of the City of Plano trails system. This trail parallels Park Blvd. and Winding Hollow Ln. for much of its length and includes a short loop around Old Shephards...
The scenic Campion Trail offers an eclectic mixture of natural and urban views as it travels through the Dallas suburb of Irving. Currently, the trail is comprised of separate north and south sections...
Less than two miles in length, Furneaux Creek Orange Trail is a short paved paradise that proves everything doesn't have to be bigger in Texas. The Furneaux Creek Orange Trail's smooth concrete...
The Legacy Trail is a part of the City of Plano trail system. This trail consists of three disconnected segments. The northern most segment connects to the Preston Ridge Trail.
Went with the kids today. They are ages 13, 12 and 10. They had a blast. The majority of the trail also has a forested trail we took instead. That was a lot more fun than staying on the paved trail. As an extra bonus, we doing 2 of the 6 geocaches hidden close by!
I really had high expectations for this trail ... I really did. After looking at the photos posted here, I thought, wow, up my alley! They forgot to post the two huge dumps you pass, the industrial sections. The smell from both dumps .. shaking head here. We chose this because it was a longer trail, just rained and a paved trail would be perfect. However .... right off ... you have to cross multiple major busy intersections, also, quite a smaller intersecting streets where vehicles may come from either a curve or a hill and it's difficult to see them. I almost got hit, within a foot of the car, it really rattled me. There are some nice stretched, you get your momentum going and then ... then you have to cross another busy street. Waiting almost 5 mins at Hwy 121. I wish I would've been able to just ride the entire way without these inconveniences, it was rather annoying ... not to mention a bit more detrimental to your health due to high traffic areas.
The trail is minimally manicured until you get to the Oak Grove Park portion, where the trail is heavily manicured. Being close to home gives my wife and I the opportunity to ride to the park's picnic pavilion and watch the sunrise most every weekend. Pedestrian traffic is light during the week and moderate on the weekends. Overall, a nice ride for those not wanting to do the MTB trails.
With the high volume of pedestrians and dog walkers using the concrete paths, riding a bike at anything over a casual pace will be a rare occasion. Since most of the off-road trails are "pedestrian only", except for the small patch of DORBA trail on the southern border of the park, most of the scenic areas of the park are off limits, unless you are willing to hoof it. That's a shame, because the "pedestrian only" trails are lightly manicured and would make for a great, low-impact ride for those not wanting to ride the rougher DORBA trail.
Again, nice park, but I don't see myself going back for another visit.
It's a beautiful nature walk or bike ride. Paved, bridges, rest areas, location signs and a very unique looking river. You can walk the concrete trail or walk the nature part up in the trees.
Rode this trail the other day on my Townie. The ride was fantastic. Wide sidewalks and beautiful scenery! Lots of trees and the creek plays a huge presence!
Thoroughly enjoyed this ride today! The historic dam in Allen is along the trail. Really cool to stop and look at. The trail had wide sidewalks. It wove through the trees and in some places you can see houses. It went under Exchange Parkway, Highway 75, and Stacy Road. The trail started in the historic section of Allen and ended at Lake Forrest and Sam Rayburn (hwy 121). Easy and such an enjoyable ride!
Great scenery, Nice wide lanes and Plenty of shade throughout the entire length.
BUT...
I probably ate at least 5 of whatever flies out near that water, A few flew in my eye and then there are all the bugs plastered all over my body stuck to the sweat. And when bugs hit you at 15mph... it hurts!
I say all that to say: BE PREPARED! Wear a mask and eye protection if you're going to be training. If you're out for a casual stroll... I think you'll be just fine.
Trail is partially paved, partially dirt but a smooth enough ride. It’s nice and long and makes you feel like you’re out of the city.
I commute on this trail. It has undergone some recent re-construction...but that is all complete. I start in North Richland Hills on the John Barfield trail and link to the Cotton Belt trail. I have seen many bunnies while riding this trail, as well as coyotes. I ride all the way into Grapevine on the trail and then, from Grapevine, on to Coppell where I work.
I rode from DCTA station in DENTON 10.5 miles to just before it starts to cross The lake. I like it except for the cattle guard-style gates and the places where you have to navigate down the street in order to cross at a crosswalk. There are some nice long stretches, too. It’s shady most of the way (early morning). I think the planners did well to take advantage of the commuter train corridor and I applaud their support of cycle commuters.
Get Your 2018 RTC TrailNation Jersey!
Download the TrailLink mobile app and take TrailLink with you!
Donate and Get a FREE 2019 RTC Guidebook!
TrailLink is a free service provided by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (a non-profit) and we need your support!
Map Search
_0_st.jpg)
_162224_st.jpg)
_160528_st.jpg)
_160632_st.jpg)
_165819_st.jpg)
