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Print Friendly MapThe 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, just south of the Sam Rayburn Tollway. From there, this 3.4-mile section follows the tree-lined Cottonwood Creek south along residential neighborhoods. At Stacy Road, travelers will come to a park with a playground, tennis court and parking area. Shortly after crossing under US 75, the trail passes the Old Stone Dam, built in 1874 by the Houston and Texas Central Railway Company to provide water for steam locomotives. The final leg of this paved pathway traverses Allen Station Park, which offers athletic fields, a playground, skate park, BMX track and roller hockey rinks.
The southern section begins at E. Main Street, between the Allen Cemetery and S. Greenville Avenue. The 4.1-mile pathway winds southward, largely skirting a residential area. It also connects two schools, Ford Middle School and Vaughan Elementary School, and two parks, Ford Park West and Heritage Park.
For the northern section: Parking is available in the park at Stacy Road and Starcreek Parkway, as well as in Allen Station Park (1120 N. Cedar Dr.).
For the southern section: Parking is available in Ford Park West (632 Park Place Dr.).
A really easy ride through nature, history, and amenities of Allen. Who knew? Allen Heritage Village. Hydrous (wake board training facility). Historic water station, railway, and bridges. Recreational facilities.
This place is really pretty. The pathways are clean and the scenery is refreshing.
Nice ride with plenty of curves. A little easy to get off trail which makes it fun. I suggest this trail hands down.
Great 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!
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!
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