Centuries ago, the railroad helped contribute to the birth of Dallas—and now it’s playing a part in keeping the city green. Built over abandoned Missouri-Kansas-Texas line railroad tracks that once bordered the downtown core, the Katy Trail is a 3.5-mile-long green space with landscaped pedestrian areas, drinking fountains (for humans and pets), benches, and trails for jogging, cycling, and in-line skating. Lined with native trees and plants, the adaptive-use space offers a car-free link from the American Airlines Center in downtown’s Victory Park all the way to the Mockingbird Station retail complex near SMU’s campus. Since launching in 2000, the trail has also elevated the property values of neighborhoods along the trail, and transformed the lifestyles of area residents, who now have easy access to fitness trails—and can even bike home from a Mavericks game at the American Airlines Center.
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A Bit of Green in the Concrete Jungle
No trip to Dallas would be complete without a walk or run down the Katy Trail. Inside the concrete jungle of Dallas sits the Katy Trail, a bamboo-lined pedestrian walkway that spans three and a half miles from the American Airlines Center to the SMU campus. The Katy Trail is also the perfect place for people watching in Dallas. You will see people out and about of all ages and walks of life running, walking, biking, and rollerblading to start or finish out their day.
