The Trinity Forest Spine Trail will span nine miles to connect White Rock Lake and the Great Trinity Forest, uniting two of Dallas’ most iconic natural landscapes. As a multi-phase project unfolding in five distinct stages, the trail reflects a long-term vision that extends far beyond recreation—it’s a bold commitment to equitable access, active transportation and the use of intentional design to connect communities.
The Path Forward: Building the Bridge
After more than five years of collaboration with Union Pacific Railroad (UPRR), the last major stakeholder, we’re excited to share that we’ve cleared the path forward to allow the trail to cross their active rail line. Working hand-in-hand with the City of Dallas and UPRR, The Loop Dallas is now pursuing a $12 million TxDOT grant to build the dedicated Trinity Forest Spine Trail bridge, which will safely carry users over the tracks.
Parkdale Lake Comes to Life
This final segment of the Trinity Forest Spine Trail, phase 5, marks one of the trail’s most meaningful connections yet. It will connect neighbors south of I-30 to the green space surrounding Parkdale Lake and create a gateway into the Great Trinity Forest. Once completed, this segment will open new, direct connections to nature and transit for Southern Dallas residents.
The City of Dallas Park and Recreation Department is making our TxDOT grant application possible by committing $3 million to this effort—jumpstarting the development of Parkdale Lake. The Loop Dallas is grateful for this opportunity and looks forward to helping the city fulfill the forthcoming Parkdale Lake master plan.
Parkdale Lake is set to become a premier outdoor destination for Southern Dallas, offering water, woodlands and recreation—all within reach of nearby neighborhoods and part of the delivery of The Loop Dallas.
Over the Rails, Into the Future
Crossing an active rail corridor is no small feat. We began working with UPRR in 2019 on a way to cross their tracks. After two years, we found that going under an existing trestle would not work due to flood constraints (crossing at-grade was never a safe option) —but that didn’t deter us.
We worked closely with UPRR for another year and identified a viable solution: a trail bridge over the active line, roughly the size of the Northaven Bridge over US75, designed to prioritize safety, connectivity and long-term impact for both trail users and the railroad.
This builds on a precedent from our first phase of the Trinity Forest Spine Trail, where we made history by successfully passing under an active Kansas City Southern rail line—a first in North Texas. We’ve shown it can be done, and now we’re doing it again, this time above the tracks.
What’s Next?
The grant application is in motion and is a critical component of our final fundraising effort to complete The Loop Dallas. We are on track to raise $15 million from private partners, which will allow us to pursue and unlock an additional $30 million from the public sector, half of which would be accomplished with this application.
With continued support from our public and private partners, we’re not just bridging gaps in the trail—we’re building a better, more connected Dallas.
Thank you for being a part of the journey.
See you on the trails,
Philip Hiatt Haigh
Executive Director
The Loop Dallas
