What a neat place, even on a hot July morning! I did not plan ahead to see where exactly the trails lead since I was not expecting a huge area with several trails. I seemed to be the only crazy person walking, but I passed several people on bikes. So traveler beware of sharing the paths with the people on two wheels. I look forward to checking this place out again when the weather is not so hot! Plenty of parking on site. Also trail markers to let you know where to go, although I was still confused. Probably user error. lol read more

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Been on my bucket list for a while and so glad I came out here. Absolutely outstanding! The trails are very clearly marked and maintained. No excuse for getting lost. The only caveat is allowing plenty of time to thoroughly enjoy all four trails. Each of them are fairly lengthy and intersect at various times and places. The overall nature preserve may look small on a map, but there is A LOT compacted into the nature preserve. Imperative to bring water on the hikes. read more

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I See several people in trail riding bikes, parking there cars, and walking. I see cat going into the trail.

What a gem of a hiking & mountain biking area. Wedged amidst a large warehouse & condos, what feels like 30 miles of trails is more like 13 or so miles of some but m, mostly not marked trails that wind in & around each other. About 40% of the walk is in the shade. There are a lot of rock ledges, loose stones & exposed tree roots but it is mostly well maintained & not a hard walk; some parts are more suited for mountain biking. There are benches at the various entrances, fairly adequate parking & QR codes everywhere to guide you. read more

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This is what I'm talking about! On a scale of easy, moderate, to challenging. I would Rate this as moderate - which is VERY hard to find in Dallas. Nice trail systems - the marking could be improved, but you'll get by if you have a trail app on your phone as a backup. Heavily wooded, some slight inclines here and there, and occasional rocky areas. It's yet another one maintained by DORBA, but it's not over run with mountain bikers. Parking lot is small, quite a few cars there, but there are an abundant selection of trails, so I literally saw NO one on my first hike. I saw two mountain bikers going in as I was coming out, but that was it. read more

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I can see why some people felt a little unsafe upon arrival here. The trail map at the parking lot has many bullet holes through it to where you can't read/see the map or trail descriptions, and there are some bullet shells on the ground. But once you step past those, it's a whole new world out there to explore! I had no idea Dallas had trails like these at all until my friend organized a group to do a sunrise hike meet-up. We casually hiked along the white trail, which is a little over 2 miles and took us exactly an hour, walking at a slow and steady pace. No hills or steep inclines, so it's a pretty easy trail. There were plenty of parking spaces when we arrived in the early morning on a Saturday. Make sure to bring some water with you so you don't get dehydrated! And some bug spray and sunscreen! Also! We found a non-bulleted map along the trail. And we felt safe here. We even met another hiker who told us a whole story of his medical history and that of his friends and family. Some biking groups also passed by us along the trail. I want to come back to try some of the other trails! read more

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I hiked the purple, blue, and white trails. I thought the trails themselves were fun. There were wooden bridges, creeks, and steep climbs. At some point on one of the trails there was an area with like stuff hanging up and a christmas tree. Kinda quirky so I digged it. My problem with this trail is that it is not well maintained. The farther I got away from the trailhead the more I spotted large patches of litter deep inside of the bushes. For a nature preserve this is completely unacceptable. My next problem was that the trails were not blazed and marked effectively. There should be clear indicators ad to what trail is what, especially since there are so many paths that intersect. My last issue is that the sign has bullet holes on it. I'm not even kidding. read more

Oak Cliff Nature Preserve - Parks Near Me - Dallas, Texas

Pretty nice little spot I'll rank this 3/5 because the music from the street was so loud it snapped me back into reality.. it's an adventure if you add Tre and Dart travel thru Dallas.. Maps need little upgrading. It was pretty easy little beginner trail .. Bike Trail looked pretty cool we walked that instead.. read more

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I'm giving this two stars because I love nature walks but they need to get some signs out there for hikers for directions while on the trail. I normally for to Cedar Ridge which I might to stay at. read more

Ass trails horrible trash to many turns I recommend cedar reserve better views better trails but not on Monday tho ;)

I had no idea Dallas had hiking trails! I had the best time on these trails! There weren't any deep valleys and high cliffs but it was beautiful nonetheless. I went with a group of friends and we all had a beautiful time. The trails are all completely filled with trees that provide shade for summertime adventures. And because of all the rain this past month all the trees were bright green and lush. My only complaint was that the trails aren't adequately marked which led to us being lost a couple of times. Which was fine until you get hungry. Lol. But we found our way, and the preserve is wrapped around an apartment complex so you aren't too far from civilization. read more

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This was ok , following the white path abd you will be fine lol . Biking , runners, dogs it was cool made me fill more advanced read more

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This place is just...WOW. I am so glad I finally decided to drive here to do a trail run. My GPS took me to the entrance of the preserve where there is a gravel parking lot but cannot fit that many cars. I had to park on the side and was worried of being towed, but I saw a biker nearby and asked him, he seemed like he was a veteran of the park and he told me that should be fine! So I was happy, and started my run. First the weather alone was great but I can tell if the temperature was a bit higher, I would not have felt too hot, because all the trees were blocking the sun. This is a 7.8 loop but there are loops within loops in this trail. So easy to get turned around... but you won't get lost, because like I said it's a loop so eventually you will find your way back. I saw plenty of bikers, a few hikers, and then I was the only runner, hehe. Awesome place, can't wait to go back! read more

This is hands down one of my favorite places to run in the area. VERY runnable dirt trails perfect for trail running! I've been out there with my trail run buds. If you are new to running off the beaten path this is a great place to start. There are also some loops that have more of a technical terrain with rocks and roots if you are into that. It is also a great mountain biking type of trail. There's fun trinkets and treasures left by DORBA (Dallas Off Road Biking Association) who maintains the land if you feel like going on a scavenger hunt. Being here kind of makes you feel like you are also not really in the Dallas area which I love. It's like a staycation of sorts. Anyway, you will love it if you are active and want to try something different. They also had a few picnic tables out there if you want to bring hydration or whatever else for your trail running needs. Enjoy and hope to see ya out there! read more

Oak Cliff Nature Preserve - Beautiful trail path! - Parks Near Me - Dallas, Texas

Absolutely gorgeous. Kind of reminded me of hiking in Santa Fe. Rugged, serene, and beautiful. I only hiked for a while before getting tired in the summer heat, however the temperature wasn't bad in the shady, tree-covered parts of the trail. There's a little turn in on Pierce that leads to a small parking lot for the Trail as well as what looks like an apartment complex. Very unique and special refuge in the heart of Oak Cliff. Highly recommended. read more

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I did this preserve earlier today. This is the first time I've ever been here and it's nice. It's has several trails in it and it's really good for walking and running. (Jogging) It has hills but not a mountain worth of hills but enough to fan your breathing some. The signs are not either there or its not enough of them. It could be label better. Naming trails and informing people of which why to go if the want to go out. read more

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I must admit I arrived after a 30 minute drive and was immediately extremely disappointed and unnerved by the bullet holes in the trail signs. Garbage all over the parking lot and leading into the trail. The garbage bin was ironically empty. I felt too unsafe to walk the trails. read more

Oak Cliff Nature Preserve - Trail signs or Target Practice? - Parks Near Me - Dallas, Texas

Love it! It's a bit hard to find for first timers tho. Apple Maps takes you on the other side with no entry.

Long drive from Plano but worth it, flat and fast but technical sections to spice it up. I've been told your car will get broken into on a weekday afternoon.Bear Down Arizona! read more

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I gave them 4 stars back in 2014 due to lack of signage, but they've since remedied that! Now it's perfect read more

Oak Cliff Nature Preserve - Parks Near Me - Dallas, Texas

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Go Ride, OCNP is 121 acres of woods and wild flowers in the middle of a urban area of Dallas. The trails are maintained by NORBA and local volunteers. It's clean so pack out what you pack in. Aprox 8 miles of single track trails that are marked by color coded paint but it's still easy to get lost back in them woods. Loaded up the bike and went on a Friday afternoon only a couple other hikers but expect business to pickup on the weekends. These trails remind me of my beloved hill country trails around Austin. Awesome read more

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This trail has a lot of potential but there are too many things wrong w this place. For one, the trails are poorly marked. We tried to follow the map it provided but it proved to be little to no help, I think at one point we ended up in a hobo's lair, shoes and shirts were hung up on trees. We eventually found a hole in the fence that led us to some shady neighbor and googled our way back to our car bc we were so lost. A three mile hike turned into a six mile hike. Secondly, the amount of trash on the trials is saddening. Everything from a random office chair to old beer cans to a target shopping cart. The nail on the coffin was seeing four teenagers in their car rolling up their joints as we were exiting the parking lot. I'm glad we got a chance to check it out but with better trial options around, I won't be coming back to this one. read more

Oak Cliff Nature Preserve - Parks Near Me - Dallas, Texas

This place is really nice! It's beautiful with lots of tree coverage to help shade on those really hot and sunny days. There are no restrooms or water fountains so make sure to bring some water with you and maybe make a stop at the Jack in the Box around the corner for a restroom break before hitting the trails. I gave this 4 rather than 5 stars for three reasons: 1. It's not in the best part of town. 2. It's just a little too close to the roads and there are apartment complexes near by. You can hear the noise from the streets and from the local tenants. When I hike, I prefer the sounds of nature. 3. There are several different trails that are not clearly marked. We know what trail we started off on but we were completely lost after that. Better markings as to which trail you're starting on, would be very helpful. Those three reasons don't in any way deter me from going back! I feel like it's a beautiful gem in the middle of the city! The hikes aren't strenuous in any way... some small hills. You may break a little sweat walking but it's really not difficult. I don't recommend hiking past dusk. Lots of foliage and tree coverage... you catch my drift. Not safe! During the day though... it's a beautiful adventure! read more

My girlfriend and I visited this place at 12 PM on an overcast Tuesday afternoon. The GPS took us to a tiny run down Knights of Columbus building that was locked down and totally empty. The lot surrounding the K of C building was mowed but full of piles of trash and some weird shrines. The fence around the lot was topped with barbed wire. We got back in the car and went around the opposite side of the preserve (there was a strip mall along the way but we didn't feel like Baskin Robbins at the moment). Driving down the opposite side of the block we saw the preserve on the right and a giant, blocky, brutalist middle school on the left. There was no one in sight which was kind of odd but we eventually caught sight of a path right off the side of the road. there was a significant amount of trash on the ground and the opening into the preserve was just a small gap in the thick treeline but we parked on the side of the road and went in. The trail was nice with lots of diverse plant life. It was littered with interesting rocks and cool bits and bobs left behind by bikers. (I believe intentionally) We came to a small stream, and that's where the horror began. There was a giant, naked, dead rat floating slowly down the stream. It was probably as big as my westie if not bigger. We jumped across the stream and went left up a hill. Walking up the hill was pretty rough as it had just rained and the leaves were pretty oily. After going left we seemingly travelled in a straight line for a few minutes. We wandered onto a side trail for a few yards and turned once. We had travelled back to where we started near the body of the dead rat. It was extremely disorienting and we tried to figure out what had happened for a few minutes before realizing that we had absolutely no idea how it happened. We went back across the stream and walked quickly to the car. Along the way we realized we had somehow gotten on the wrong trail (we remembered only one) and we had to push through thick weeds and thorns for a few dozen yards to get to the exit. There's a 50% chance we stumbled on a tiny alternate dimension in Dallas Texas and a 50% chance we're really stupid. I'm pretty smart though so I think I'm going to go back to the preserve tomorrow and try to contact aliens with my EBT transmitter read more

Perfect place to escape the city while being in the city. We brought lunch to enjoy on the picnic tables then set out for the 1.5 loop. We made it back to the trail head 4.5 miles later, water bottles empty and dogs exhausted. Please work on trail head signs as we felt we had entered the twilight zone and could not escape the loops. read more

My fiancé and I decided to go to a closer trail and found this gem on Yelp. It is designed more for bikers but we still got a good run out of it. We did get lost and eventually found our way back. The trails are not very clear as to which direction to go- they really need to add more signs to make it easy to distinguish which trail you're on- and also for the exit.. The good thing about being lost for about an hour is that we found the hidden spot! read more

Oak Cliff Nature Preserve - The hidden randomness! - Parks Near Me - Dallas, Texas

I've only been here once, but it was extremely dirty with litter through out the trails. It was a prob for me because I like to walk trails for the scenery and to relax. The trails are NOT marked well at all!i got lost on the white trails and ended up on the blue and yellow trail and could not find my way out. Thankfully for GPS I did. I attend hiking trails often and this was on of the worst. The parking lot off pierce street is very small and was taking up by cars with bikers. Probably will not be returning. read more

I'm writing this as a mountain bike review. The trails are fantastic- especially in this part of Dallas. The neighborhood is located in a bit of a sketchy area, so leave no valuables in the car. The loops are all short w an average of about a mile a piece, but are moderate to very technical w some hellacious climbs! The trails are marked, but can be confusing. So tread with caution as you may collide w someone going the wrong way. Crazy homemade iron spider and cool rest area w ....well you just have to see it! read more

The Oak Cliff Nature Preserve is a beautiful natural park hidden deep in the 'hood. I had no clue this place existed and yet I grew up playing upstream along the same creeks that cut through the area. It reminds me of the raw parks I have become fond of here in Seattle, places where you can truly lose yourself and reconnect with nature while remaining inside the city. This isn't the type of park that has swing sets and picnic tables. It's a rare glimpse into what Texas probably looked like back before the land was clearcut for agriculture in the 19th century. Most of the park is made up of fields full of wildflowers and shrubs. There are a few wooded areas that offer cool shade during the summer. The aforementioned creeks are surprisingly clean and not overrun with bugs. If you stop you can listen to the mockingbirds sing. As true Oak Cliff residents they sometimes mimic car alarms and paleta cart bells--otherwise you wouldn't know you were so close to the city. If you ride your bike beware of the wild cacti that grow alongside the trails. Also, bring water because it's easy to get lost (which isn't a bad thing here.) read more

I was visiting Dallas for work and found this place to hike through Yelp. It was cool! So unexpected in the neighborhood where it's located. I had a hard time finding it at first. When the road turns, you'll see what looks like an exit gate to an apartment complex and to the right a gravel parking lot. The lot is to the nature preserve. Enjoy! read more

This is as good as it gets in the city of Dallas. The trails are in terrific shape and the signage is a little confusing at times for a first run. DORBA does an amazing job on directions and trail conditions. It smells like Hill Country once you are out on the trails. read more

My daughters and I hiked the white loop today. We all loved the trail and the fact that it was a bit of nature right in the heart of Dallas. The only part we were unhappy with was the fact that many people have ventured off the paths to create new trails which made staying on the correct trail confusing. read more

Best place for a hike anywhere near Dallas! We brought our dog the first time and seriously wore him out, and have made this a regular stop when we have a date weekend. Just bring plenty of water, especially in the summer. read more

Mostly mountain bikers...but trails were fine for hiking or biking. Not difficult to hike as the hills were small like all around DFW. A nice get out of the city feel while being surrounded by an urban and suburban jungle. Enjoyed the many different trails to spread out the people from all using the same path at the same time. Ran into a fellow Baylor Bear - Sic 'em! read more