Last week, the Dallas City Council approved a $16.1 million construction award for phase III of the Trinity Forest Spine Trail, fully funding the marquee segment of the trail and moving us one major step closer to completing a continuous nine-mile connection between White Rock Lake and the Trinity River Audubon Center.
The significance of this milestone has already resonated across Dallas. News outlets have highlighted the approval as an important step toward completing one of the city’s most ambitious and transformative trail projects.
Click the article image below to read The Dallas Morning News ‘ coverage and what it means for Southeast Dallas.
This project has been years in the making. Since 2019, The Loop Dallas has worked alongside public and private partners to secure the land, funding and approvals needed to bring this vision to life. Phase III and access to Parkdale Lake have always been the key pieces needed to complete the corridor. Today, with all right-of-way secured, there is certainty that all five phases of this transformative project will move forward.
The approved segment will extend the trail toward Parkdale Lake from both the north and south, closing a critical gap between the Lawnview DART Station and the existing trail near Samuell Boulevard. Once complete, residents will have safe walking and biking access through some of Dallas’ most remarkable natural landscapes while connecting neighborhoods, parks, transit and recreation opportunities.
Opening Access to Parkdale Lake
Perhaps most exciting is what this means for Parkdale Lake.
The 110-acre Parkdale Lake property — the largest urban parkland dedication in Dallas history since 1937 — was donated to the City of Dallas by Oncor and will become one of Dallas’ newest public parks. This public-private effort transformed a former utility site into a future destination for recreation, outdoor access and community connection while making the full trail alignment possible.
For decades, this extraordinary natural space has remained largely inaccessible. Soon, residents and visitors alike will be able to experience Parkdale Lake through direct access from the Trinity Forest Spine Trail.
NBC DFW recently featured the new trail connection, highlighting how this project will open one of Dallas’ hidden natural treasures to the public for the first time. Click below to watch the full story.
As the longest continuous trail of The Loop Dallas network, the Trinity Forest Spine Trail will create a vital north-south corridor linking White Rock Lake, Southeast Dallas neighborhoods, Parkdale Lake and the Trinity River Audubon Center. The trail will expand access to parks, nature, transit and recreation while helping close longstanding connectivity gaps for surrounding neighborhoods.
This milestone represents more than trail construction. It is the culmination of seven years of persistence, partnership and problem-solving — and proof that Dallas can successfully tackle complex infrastructure challenges through collaboration.
D Magazine recently recognized the Council’s approval as a major advancement for The Loop Dallas and the city’s broader vision for connectivity. Click below to read all about it.
With funding and right-of-way now secured, the path forward is set to complete the Trinity Forest Spine Trail and fully connect Dallas to Dallas.
Thank you for your continued support as we build a more accessible and vibrant city for generations to come.
See you on the trails,
Philip Haigh
Executive Director
The Loop Dallas
