White Rock Lake & White Rock Creek Greenbelt

Some of the most enjoyable and scenic running in Dallas can be found in the White Rock Lake area. The reservoir, located about 5 miles from downtown, is a popular recreation area. Note it’s possible to get run here from downtown using the Santa Fe Trail. Running options in this area:

White Rock Lake Trail. The perimeter trail follows about 9.6 miles around the 1,200-acre reservoir. Numerous other activities are enjoyed in White Rock Lake park, such as boating, kayaking, and disc golf. There’s also a cultural center, Audubon preserve, Arboretum, and the White Rock Lake Museum. There are numerous access points for White Rock Lake. It’s not that easy to make the route shorter if you want to do the full loop. Best to pick “a section”. The most scenic spots are toward the northern end of the lake. There are also numerous spur trails off of the main White Rock Lake Trail. Bathrooms, water, parking, and overlooks are well interspersed.

White Rock Creek Greenbelt Trail.  Trail through a greenbelt that begins at the northern end of White Rock Lake, at Mockingbird & W. Lawther Dr. Some 7.5 miles of woodsy, shaded terrain, connecting several parks. Also connects to the Cottonwood Creek Trail.

Lakewood Neighborhood. A wonderful, hilly residential area on western side of lake off W. Lawther that has many pleasant streets for running.

SoPac Trail. This paved multi-use path runs from the White Rock Lake Trail north to Harry Moss Park, paralleling the White Rock Creek Greenbelt for much of the way. Just north of Mockingbird Ln., you can connect to the University Crossing Trail, which heads west for 2.7 miles to the SMU campus and the north end of the Katy Trail.

White Rock Lake Map