HomeTexasDallas › Joppa Preserve - Dallas County Nature Preserve

Joppa Preserve - Dallas County Nature Preserve

4.4 ★★★★☆ 289 Google reviews · Running trail in Dallas, Texas · Posted hours

Runner's snapshot

Surface
Paved
Distance
Not reported
Shape
Not reported
Shade
Tree cover
Access
Posted hours

Confirmed from Joppa Preserve - Dallas County Nature Preserve's own listing, the park or land manager's website, and runner reviews. Blank cells mean we could not verify that fact — we would rather say "not reported" than invent one. There is no Easy / Moderate / Hard rating on this page on purpose: a one-word difficulty score tells you nothing about whether a trail suits your run. Surface, distance, shade and hours do.

PavedShadedScenicFlat & fastRestroomsTrailhead parking

Park featuring a wooded trail for walks & bike rides, plus picnic tables & a pavilion.

What runners say about Joppa Preserve - Dallas County Nature Preserve

Pulled from public reviews of this trail (289 of them) — the things people bring up again and again, in their own words. Nothing here is written by us.

well-maintained 3 mentions

“If you want to do something here, you need to bring it with you as there is no playground or much else aside from the paved trail, but it did seem pretty well kept.”

🏞️ beautiful scenery 6 mentions

“Very scenic, never crowded.”

🏃 great for running 2 mentions

“The Joppa Preserve is a favorite place to run, and connects to the Audubon Center, for about a 7-mile out-and-back run.”

🌳 shaded & cool 5 mentions

“Very quiet very long path that drives through very tall and shady trees almost like a jungle.”

The Joppa Preserve is a favorite place to run, and connects to the Audubon Center, for about a 7-mile out-and-back run. Very scenic, never crowded. Only problem can be that a train track crosses the only entrance/exit. Last visit, we waited 15 minutes for a train to get out of our way so we could leave.

★★★★★ — Stephen , Jan 2024

Cool park. Nice and open space. Connects with the trinity forest trail

★★★★★ — Eric , May 2021

The park seemed pretty basic - just a parking lot with some open fields, water access, and woods with a few picnic tables. If you want to do something here, you need to bring it with you as there is no playground or much else aside from the paved trail, but it did seem pretty well kept.

★★★★☆ — Andrew , Oct 2018

Perfect place for biking. Very quiet very long path that drives through very tall and shady trees almost like a jungle. Be very careful there are copper head snakes. Saw 2 on the trails. Also lots of mosquitos especially in the evening.

★★★★★ — B , Aug 2017

Excerpts from public Google reviews. Read all 289 reviews →

Trail conditions & character

What this trail is actually like underfoot and overhead, taken from its own listing and from reviews. Each one links to every other trail with the same character. Busy or quiet is reported as a plain fact, not a plus or a minus — a runner heading out alone at dawn often wants company on the path, and someone running intervals wants an empty one.

🅿️ Trailhead parking 12 mentions

“The park seemed pretty basic - just a parking lot with some open fields, water access, and woods with a few picnic tables.”

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🌳 Shaded / tree cover 7 mentions

“It’s a cool spot because the trees are taller and older, and looks and feels more like the more wooded areas of East Texas.”

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🏞️ Scenic views 7 mentions

“Very scenic, never crowded.”

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🛣️ Paved surface 6 mentions

“If you want to do something here, you need to bring it with you as there is no playground or much else aside from the paved trail, but it did seem pretty well kept.”

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Flat & fast 3 mentions

“Its a flat paved terrain with plenty of forest offerings along with the river snaking through the preserve.”

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🚻 Restrooms 2 mentions

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Plan your run at Joppa Preserve - Dallas County Nature Preserve

The practical stuff

  • AccessPosted hours — posted hours below; park gates sometimes close earlier than the listing says
  • SurfacePaved — asphalt or concrete. Fast and predictable, runnable year-round, and fine with a stroller
  • DistanceNot reported. Trail systems often quote total path mileage rather than a single loop, so measure the route you actually want before you drive out.
  • ShadeRunners describe real tree cover here — it makes a summer afternoon workable
  • At the trailheadparking, restrooms — reported by runners
  • Websitedallasparks.org
  • Phone(214) 671-0234
  • Social Instagram · Facebook

Hours

Monday 5 AM–11 PM
Tuesday 5 AM–11 PM
Wednesday 5 AM–11 PM
Thursday 5 AM–11 PM
Friday 5 AM–11 PM
Saturday 5 AM–11 PM
Sunday 5 AM–11 PM

Posted hours for the park or trailhead. Gates and parking lots often close earlier than the trail itself, and seasonal hours change — worth a check before a pre-dawn or after-dark run.

Where to find Joppa Preserve - Dallas County Nature Preserve

5400 Simpson Stuart Rd, Dallas, TX 75241

Get directions

Running trails near Dallas

Other trails within easy driving distance — useful when this one is flooded, gated, or just not the run you had in mind today.

Trinity Forest Trail

4.5 ★★★★★ 214 reviews

Dallas, TX

LoopPavedShadedScenic

Long paved, tree-lined trail that winds through forestland, past lakes and over the Trinity River.

under a mile away

Trinity Forest Trail North

4.4 ★★★★☆ 19 reviews

Dallas, TX

under a mile away

Texas Buckeye Trail

3.8 ★★★★☆ 15 reviews

Dallas, TX

PavedScenic

2.5 miles away

Great Trinity Forest Gateway And Horse Trail

4.5 ★★★★★ 122 reviews

Dallas, TX

Park featuring a lake with fishing, plus trails, picnic tables, and grills.

3.5 miles away

Gateway Park & Horse Trail

4.5 ★★★★★ 338 reviews

Dallas, TX

Scenic

Park featuring a pond popular for fishing and jogging, plus picnic areas.

3.6 miles away

Crawford Memorial Park

4.4 ★★★★☆ 1,596 reviews

Dallas, TX

Paved

Large metropolitan park includes gardens, paved trails, a playground & athletic fields & courts.

4.0 miles away

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Nearby towns

Listing verified July 2026 from public records, the trail's own website and runner reviews. Trail conditions change — paths flood, gates close at dusk, and shaded woods stay muddy for days after rain. Something out of date? Report a correction. Manage this trail? Send us the details — it is free.