Bachman Greenbelt Trail

Review: Bachman Greenbelt Trail is another successful grass roots project, made possible via a partnership between Friends of Bachman Lake and Greenspace Dallas. While Bachman Lake is a popular spot to get outside, the greenbelt had not seen the same level of love by the city. The restoration work that has been done is amazing, transforming this neglected greenbelt and turning it into something beautiful.

Distance: .8 miles

Area of Town: NW Dallas, close to Bachman Lake at intersection of NW Hwy and Lemon

Facilities: None, although there are some benches along the trail

Suitable for: Hiking, Biking (although it is short)

Type of Trail: Natural trail

Shade: The southern part of trail by Bachman Branch is shaded, the northern part of trail is more sunny.

Where to Park:  You have a few options. If you start at Bachman Lake, you can just walk under the Lemon Avenue Bridge on the north side of the path, and get to the GreenBelt. You could park by the Embassy Suites off Northwest Highway, and then walk on the east side of the hotel and walk back to the greenbelt. Alternatively, you could park at the end of Cochran Chapel road, and start from that side.

Official Website: Official Website (there isn’t one, this is to Friends of Bachman Lake)

Nearby Trails: Bachman Lake, Northaven Trail, Fraser Dam Recreation Area

(Official Map)

(Using Apple Watch, to show streets)

I remember the first time I heard of the Bachman Greenbelt. A friend and I were looking for geocaches in the area, and we saw some that were in this green space that I never knew existed. I live in the area, so I was excited to check it out. We parked down at the end of Cochran Chapel road, and went exploring. There were a few trails back here, not at all maintained, and we also found a homeless encampment. We left, and I remained curious about the spot, and how it fell into disrepair, especially next to such a beautiful neighborhood.

A few years later, Friends of Bachman Lake formed, and have been doing critical and meaningful work in the area. Not just with the lake, but also across the area by working to improve the resources for this underserved area. One of the projects that they’ve been fundraising and organizing has been to revitalize the greenbelt. Through a partnership with Greenspace Dallas, the Parks Department and Gables Residential, the revitalization back here has been amazing. The privet has been beaten back, the trails are re-established and easy to follow, informational signs have been placed about the local flora and fauna, two bridges and even some benches have been added. Future work includes wildflower zones and adding more native species to bring the area back to its original state. This is an area transformed!

The trails are dirt, wide and easy to navigate. Strollers should not have any issue navigating the greenbelt, nor would people with mobility issues. This is not a challenging trail, just an easy stroll through nature. As you venture through the greenbelt, you’ll see signs talking about the kinds of trees here, or the kinds of birds or mammals living in the greenbelt. The teams who designed and did this work knew what they were doing.

The mileage here is short, but I can see this spot being great for birdwatching. Ducks were flying and quacking when I was just out there, and you’ll often see birds of prey circling in the sky. I’ve seen egrets and other birds in the creek, especially in the winter, especially on the Shorecrest side of the creek, which offers some up close access to the creek. This area is a wonderful spot to sit back and observe nature!

Another idea is to combine the greenbelt trail with the Bachman Lake trail, which adds another 3+ miles to your journey. Bachman is a paved trail, that also offers views of planes landing and taking off from Love Field. While we were picking up trash, I saw some guys biking through the green belt, I assumed using it as a way to get over to the lake.

I read a recent article in Candy’s Dirt, about future plans to turn this spot into an Environmental Learning Center. Check out the article for more on that, plus the overall beautification going along Lemon Avenue, and plans to link Bachman Lake to the broader trail system being built through DFW. This is all exciting news!

This is just another example of how partnerships have been able to secure funding and work together to create something beautiful for the areas they serve. If you live nearby, you should come and check out the Bachman Greenbelt Trail!