Colony Shoreline Trail

Review: The Colony Shoreline Trail follows the shores of Lake Lewisville, using a mix of gravel (decomposed granite) and paved surfaces. This is a wide path, suitable for walking, running, or exploring on a bike (stick to mountain or gravel bikes though!). About half of the trail is more ‘nature’, and then the northern half extends through a neighborhood. There is also an extension you can take, for an extra mile including a short dirt trail.

Distance: 3.5 miles of gravel / paved trail, one way. You can do an additional one mile ‘add on’ into Stewart Creek Park which also has a short nature trail, for approximately a 9 mile round trip.

Area of Town: The Colony, north of Dallas

Facilities: There was a portable restroom at one of the parks, and if you extend your visit into Stewart Creek Park you’ll find picnic tables and full set-up bathrooms. Along the trail you’ll also find some benches, informational plaques, and trash cans.

Suitable for: Walking / Jogging / Biking

Type of Trail: Mix of Gravel and Pavement; optional short dirt trail in Stewart Park

Shade: This is a very sunny trail with very limited shade. Bring sunscreen and plan appropriately.

Where to Park: Multiple spots, I’d advise either parking at Ridgepointe Park or Stewart Creek Shoreline Creek Parking. While there are other access points, they are in neighborhoods so you’d be parking along residential streets

Official Site: Colony Shoreline Trail

Nearby Trails: Tribute Shoreline Trail, Arbor Hills

Along the banks of Lake Lewisville, you’ll find the Colony Shoreline Trail. A mix of gravel and pavement, this wide path is very similar to the Tribute Shoreline Trail, also in The Colony. I tried to visit back in July, but when I got to RIdgepointe Park, the trail was closed due to all the heavy rains causing the lake levels to be too high. I came back a few months later, and it was open!

There are a few spots to pick up the trail, but I’d suggest starting at either of the endpoints: Ridgepointe Park to the southern end, or the Stewart Creek Shoreline Trail Parking at the northern end. There is an extension you can take into Stewart Creek Park itself, but I would avoid parking there due to the fees they charge (biking or walking in is free). There are a few off-shoots of the trail into the local neighborhoods, as you can see from the map above, but those are residential areas, so you’d be parking along the street.

I set out from Ridgepointe on a mountain bike, and if you do plan to bike the path I’d highly recommend either a mountain bike, gravel bike, or hybrid bike. The gravel can be deep in areas, and a road bike isn’t going to work out too well for you on the path.

The first part of the trail is very natural feeling, in that the houses are far from the path. To one side you’ll see the lake and scrubby shrubs between the path and the shores. To the other side, you’ll see a mix of larger trees and bushes, or more flat scrubby plants. You’ll pass over several bridges which take you across several creeks in the area. It’s very pretty, and feels a tad remote if you don’t look too closely for the rooftops across from the lake. You’ll also find several informational placards talking about the local wildlife and ecology, and park benches and trash cans. The trail is well maintained, but there were several sections where the gravel was deeper, and it was harder to pedal through (hence why I don’t recommend going through on a road bike).

Once the path starts to bend to the west, the path will continue to have lake views on one side, but you’ll be going past a residential area on the other side. The views of the lake are still pretty, and aside from the dogs barking at me from their backyards, it was still peaceful and pretty here.

The Colony Shoreline Trail will end at the Stewart Creek Shoreline Trail Parking, but that doesn’t mean you need to stop. I highly recommend you continue on, and explore Stewart Creek Park itself. To get there, follow the sidewalk / path to the right after leaving the parking area, go down Colony Blvd till you get to the stop sign. Then, cross over to the other side, and head back to the left towards the lake. You’ll keep following the path, past the toll gate where cars pay to enter, and into the park itself. This is where you can find bathrooms with plumbing, picnic areas, a dock, and the nature trail! You can even rent kayaks here!

I don’t want to oversell the nature trail, but it’s located on the northwestern edge of the park, by the bathrooms. You can ride your bike through here, or walk. The path here is again, wide and well maintained, and will eventually drop you out to a driving range. At this point I turned around and headed back the way I had come. The Colony Shoreline Trail is 3.5 miles one way (7 miles round trip), and if you include the Stewart Creek Park add-on, that’ll give you another mile of distance (or 9 miles round trip).

I’m sure on the weekends and evenings this trail gets quite a bit of traffic, although when I was there it was mid-day on a weekday, so I didn’t encounter too many people. There were a handful of joggers. I did encounter a coyote who crossed the path near the residential areas, but was unable to snap a photo in time, as it was hiding in the scrubby shrubs looking at me suspiciously. I also saw some herons in the lake, too far to get a great photo, so keep your eyes out for wildlife as you experience the trail!

This is a great trail if you live in the area, or want to get some gravel riding in. You could also visit the Tribute Shoreline Trail if you want to add on to your gravel adventure, but you’ll probably want to drive over since the two trails aren’t that close (maybe 30 minute bike ride from Stewart Creek Shoreline Trail Parking to Tribute Shoreline, and that looks to be on a busy road).