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Brookhaven Trail / Vitruvian Park

Review: Brookhaven Trail / Vitruvian Park is a well maintained trail near LBJ and Tollway, where you can get in a good run / hike with plenty to see.  The two mile loop around the college lets you go as far as you want, but the recent connection to Vitruvian Park is beautiful addition bringing in extra miles as well as great views!  This may not be worth a drive from across the city, but if you are in the area, this is worth checking out.

Distance: 2 miles Brookhaven loop; .85 miles in the Vitruvian Park, ~3.3 miles combined via attaching path for single loop

Area of Town: Northwest Dallas

Facilities: No Restrooms / Some Water Fountains / Some Benches

Suitable for: Walking / Jogging

Type of Trail: Mainly blacktop, some concrete

Shade: Some shade, but limited. This path is mainly exposed to the Sun

Where to Park: You can easily park in Brookhaven college parking lot. I tend to park near the Marsh and Alpha corner of the campus, in the SW corner, as it’s easy to park close to where the path is. You can also park in the Vitruvian section, in a lot near the bridge over the creek. If you take Vitruvian Way off Marsh, you will turn in by the retail area, and the parking lot is just before the roundabout, on the left hand side.

Official Site:  Vitruvian Park

Nearby Trails: Bachman Lake, Northaven Trail, Katy Trail

Located just north of LBJ Expressway, between Marsh Lane and Midway, lies Brookhaven Community College. It’s one of the campuses in the Dallas Community College system, and location of a conveniently located running path in the middle of Dallas.

The main track is 2 miles and mainly blacktop,  although there are some sections that are concrete that weaves around the blacktop.  The track circles the college and athletic fields around the campus perimeter, and is tree lined in places on the eastern path, borders a creek on the north side, and is exposed to the sun on the western and southern sections.

One of the nicer perks of this location is that you never have to cross a street. The path goes underneath the road in two locations, so users of the path are not inconvenienced by having to stop and wait for traffic to pass. The underground tunnels are lit, so you aren’t in total darkness while out of sight.

Located along the path through the campus, you’ll find several sections that go under the canopy of trees, but for the most part this track is fully exposed to the sun. Take care on hot summer days, this is not a shady place! While you will find some spots along the trail with water fountains, they aren’t plentiful so bring your own water! There are also some fitness stations at two locations on the track, but they definitely are showing their age (pictures below).

One of the fitness stations

Going underground

In the last few years, the Vitruvian complex just north of the college has connected their trail to the Brookhaven path, which extends the approximately 2 miles of paved path at Broookhaven, to around 3.3 miles for a combined round trip. You can easily add in more distance by doing the Brookhaven path twice or three times, to add up the miles.

The Vitruvian path is around .85 miles in total. This area is quite pretty, with a bridge over a scenic creek, and a red bridge that spans the path. This section of that trail extends through the Vitruvian apartment complex, and takes you around several ‘islands’ in a dammed up area of the creek. It really is a beautiful space, with the water and the well manicured lawn. It’s not a long path, but definitely worth it for the view!

Grabbing a beer after: Vitruvian Park has more than just apartments, there is a place to grab a drink or snack here as well!  The Addison Ice House would make a great place to stop off after working up a sweat!

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A long time native of North Texas, I love to hike and mountain bike in my spare time. I’m always looking for some place new to explore, which is why I’m doing this site.

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