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Print Friendly MapThe Arroyo Colorado Hike & Bike Trail offers a 4.6-mile paved route across Harlingen, which is situated in the heart of the Rio Grande Valley in southern Texas.
About the Route
The Arroyo Colorado Hike & Bike Trail runs between McKelvey Park (1325 S 77 Sunshine Strip) and Dixieland Road in Harlingen.
For the majority of its route, the trail meanders along a tree-lined waterway called the Arroyo Colorado. The trail crosses the water several times along the route via pedestrian bridges with boardwalk surfaces.
From its northeast end in McKelvey Park, the trail meanders west along the Arroyo Colorado. The park has a playground, covered picnic areas, restrooms, a drinking fountain, a bike rental station, outdoor fitness equipment, trail signage, and parking.
The trail passes under a railroad trestle bridge, which offers a picturesque scene against the Texas sky and landscape. It passes Harlingen Thicket, a 40-acre nature reserve and popular birding spot.
Continuing west along the trail, the route splits. The north fork (right) is a short spur that connects the trail to C.B. Wood Park (400 W Harding Ave), which is a family-friend spot with a playground, covered picnic shelter, parking, and a drinking fountain.
The south fork (left) crosses the waterway and runs west along the edge of a car dealership. The route splits again with the south fork (left) leading to a small parking lot dedicated for trail use on S Expressway 83. The north fork (right) crosses the waterway and continues west, passing under S Expressway 83.
After passing under the expressway, the trail crosses the waterway again and meanders southwest along the Arroyo Colorado. It crosses the waterway again before coming to its southeast end on Dixieland Road.
The Arroyo Colorado Hike & Bike Trail runs between McKelvey Park (1325 S 77 Sunshine Strip), where parking is available, and Dixieland Road in Harlingen.
From east to west, parking is available at
I rode an e-bike on this winding leisurely trail. My favorite part was going under several overpasses and a train bridge. There are also several pedestrian bridges as the path crisscrosses back-and-forth across the water. I saw several walkers, both individuals and families. It seemed like everyone felt safe. At the trailhead, there are restrooms, parking, and playground equipment. I also saw three e-bikes that could be rented, but I noticed they all had flat tires. It seems the trail is prone to flooding, and there were several places where standing water or dried mud covered the trail. At the points where spurs connected to the trail, it was not always obvious which fork to take and parts of it were a little overgrown and in need of some trimming and mowing. I would not say this is a “destination” trail, but if you’re visiting or live nearby, it was time well spent.
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