Map courtesy of the Circuit Trail Conservancy.
The Dallas City Council authorized the acquisition of Parkdale Lake from Oncor, which takes the city one step closer to completing The Loop.
Oncor’s donation of 110 acres of natural park allows for the completion of the Trinity Forest Spine Trail, which is the largest portion of The Loop, the 50-mile circuit of trails around Dallas. It is the largest parkland dedication in Dallas since 1937.
“Parkdale Lake is less than three miles from White Rock Lake and because of this land donation, and public funding from the City of Dallas, County of Dallas, U.S. Department of Transportation and funds privately raised by The Loop, these neighborhoods can now be connected,” says Philip Hiatt Haigh, an Oak Cliff resident and the executive director of The Loop.
Dallas Park and Recreation Director John Jenkins says his department is looking for a partner to fund a Parkdale Lake Master Plan.
Because Parkdale Lake is not accessible by car or bike, Hiatt Haigh says, the Trinity Forest Spine Trail will be the first opportunity for neighbors to visit the new park.
“Iconic parks and trails define cities, and this park — so rich in nature and so close to our urban core — will be defining for Dallas,” says Preston Hollow resident Arun Agarwal, the president of the City of Dallas Park Board. “There is nothing like it in our city. Parkdale Lake will allow Dallas residents to safely walk and bike in an area of natural beauty, and create a connection point between neighborhoods and the rest of Dallas.”
