Dallas isn’t known for its abundance of green space, but the city boasts several nature and walking trails to help urban dwellers and visitors get a taste of the great outdoors. Most outlying communities have suburban parks, but the following sites offer hiking trails in relatively remote natural surroundings near downtown for jogging, biking, strolling, or people watching.

Boulder Park (3200 W. Redbird Ln., 214/670 4100) includes more than six miles of trails through trees and hilly terrain along Five Mile Creek southwest of downtown. Most of the trails have been created for bike use, but there is a soft-surface hiking trail for nature lovers.

Maintained by the Dallas Off-Road Bicycle Association, this park is conveniently located near I-20 and Highway 67. Hosting approximately six miles of bike trails, Boulder Park offers the perfect ride for everyone. There are sections for beginners and others for advanced riders. Most of the trails have been created for bike use, but there is a soft-surface hiking trail for nature lovers. Here you’ll find open sections, wooded areas, rocks, and water. This is truly fun for the entire family.

The L. B. Houston Nature Trail (between Dallas and Irving at Wildwood and California Crossing, 214/670-6244) is a good place to spot wildlife among native plants and trees. The 300-acre area offers four unpaved hiking trails in a dense wilderness area along the Elm Fork of the Trinity River. The trails are in slightly flatter terrain than the hike and bike trails, but the natural surfaces render them virtually impassable after heavy rainfall.

White Rock Creek Greenbelt (Hillcrest and Valley View, 214/670-8895), northeast of downtown is one of Dallas’s natural gems. A seven-mile paved hiking, bicycling, and jogging trail connects to a similar nine-mile trail that circles picturesque White Rock Lake.