Cypress Waters Trail

Review: A “loop” around North Lake in Coppell, the Cypress Waters Trail is next to the The Sound and other Cypress Waters properties. Theree are some nice amenities along the trail, and seeing cows wandering near the trail was fun, but not the most scenic of trails in the area. The trail is actually NOT a loop (at least in Feb 2025), as for some reason they have closed off the trail at one end, requiring you to backtrack the entire way around to get back to to your starting point. This is definitely a safety issue for those unprepared, especially if they are sensitive to the heat, didn’t bring enough water or are on foot. Combine that with the extremely steep section by the dam, I can’t really recommend this place unless you live here.

Distance: It is supposed to be a 6 mile loop trail, but with the end of the loop closed off, it’s really a 12 mile out and back. I don’t know if this is permanent or temporary, but use caution if you visit.

Area of Town: Coppell, north of LBJ

Facilities: There are some water fountains near the Cypress Waters facilities. Multiple benches and areas to sit and take in the lake view.

Suitable for: Running, Walking, Biking

Type of Trail: Both paved and gravel

Shade: Don’t look for any shade here, it’s fully exposed to the sun

Where to Park:  I parked off some pull in spots on Olympus Blvd, around HERE. You could also find parking around the complex, like HERE.

Official Website: Friends of Cypress Waters

Nearby Trails:  Grapevine Springs, Coppell Nature Park

Oh Boy! Whenever I explore a place I plan to write about on this site, I’m always thinking about what I’m going to say as I’m going along the trail. I try to think of any details that I want to point out, or wildlife that I spotted, or key features to let readers know about. So for this post I was going to mention how it’s not that scenic, BUT if did have a nice mix of gravel and paved trail, nicely placed art and other decorative elements, and how novel it was to see cows along the trail. Then I got to the end of the trail and had a very bad experience, which ruined my entire visit. Read on!

So let’s back up, Cypress Waters Trail is a 6 mile ‘loop’ trail that lies along the shoreline of North Lake, in Coppell. It is just north of LBJ out towards DFW Airport, on Olympus Blvd. Along the SW side of the lake is a large complex of retail, office and apartments (i.e. the Cypress Waters location). It’s a cool mixed use development, with nice touches like a Rodeo Goat restaurant that extends out onto the lake on piers for great patio times. This trail is a nice amenity for those who live and work nearby. Across the lake appears to be grazing land for cattle for another property owner who is allowing access to the area (there are multiple signs saying to stick to the trail, that the area is private property).

When planning my trip, I wasn’t exactly sure where to park via Google Maps. I found a parking spot I was aiming for, but I also noticed a trailhead, so kept an eye out for that. As I drove up Olympus Blvd, near the trailhead were several pull-in sections perfect for trail access. There weren’t that many though, so if you can’t find parking along the road, there is a large parking spot in the complex. Links above in the parking section.

The trail itself is a mix of paved and gravel, so you will want to make sure to bring a gravel or mountain bike if you plan to bike the path. From the trailhead, the path is gravel, but as you get to the lake it turns to pavement. I went towards the Cypress Waters buildings once I hit the main paved trail. That pavement will last you through the Cypress Waters complex as you weave through the buildings. You’ll find several art installations on the lakes edge, including some whimsical frogs along one of the bridges. In fact there are quite a few nice decorative touches around the trails, including some decorating seating areas, benches, statues, and stone monuments with various quotes. There was also quite a bit of wildlife in the lake, I spotted a Great Egret, lots of American Coots and other ducks, and a ring-bill gull sitting on top of a statue.

Once you get past the bridge with the musical frogs, you’ll hit the gravel section. At this point you’ll start to see evidence of the cows on the path, so watch where you step or cycle. You’ll also pass through some cow gates, with reminders to walk your bike vs ride over the open face gates. If you don’t see cows, you’ll certainly smell them! When I went in February, it was a beautiful day, but none of the surrounding vegetation had really green’d up, so I can’t say this was a beautiful trail at all, but seeing cows along the route was fun and a high point. It’s not something you see every day.

You’ll get to the dam, and then the trail takes a very steep downward trajectory, where you’ll go along a bit more behind the dam, and then an EXTREMELY steep climb back up to the other side. I remember thinking, “I’m glad I only have to do this once”. Famous last words. At the top of the hill I saw Turkey Vultures, some more cows, and rode along for a little bit longer, expecting to get to the exit so I could pack up the bike and head home.

This is where my entire visit got soured. After a bit more biking, the way forward was blocked. There was a wire barrier that I could not get through, blocking my way to where I parked. I backtracked a little, and saw that there were some signs on the ground that seemed to indicate I should go around on a natural ‘path’, and then I noticed a trail marker at the top of this ravine / mound of soil. That was confusing, but it looked like a gate was on the other side of the ravine, so my bike and I went down this soft soil ravine, and back up the other side, and then to the gate, where it was also locked off. On the other side of that gate, was right near where I parked. I went back down and up the ravine again, and noticed there was NO way out of this section. It was surrounded in barbed wire. I could see Olympus Blvd, but I couldn’t get to it.

I called to ask what the hell was going on out here, and after talking to a few people, was finally told, “oh, you can’t get through there. You just need to go all the way back around” (6 miles).

This is a serious safety hazard. Nowhere on the Cypress Waters Trail website do they say that the loop is closed either permanently or temporarily, the map clearly shows a connection, and there is no alert that you should be careful if you go all the way around. I didn’t have enough water for a longer excursion, but luckily was on bike vs foot (a six mile ride is a very different story than a six mile walk). With barbed wire surrounding this section, you had no safe way to exit and get out. So I had to retrace my journey, including that ridiculous steep incline.

I was going to say that the Cypress Waters trail was decent, and if you want some gravel and live in the area it’s worth a visit. The cows were fun, and while the views were not exciting, it was a decent place with wildlife viewing opportunities. I also had thought to come back in the spring to get photos when everything had green’d up, to show it at its best. But advertising a loop trail, which takes you into a barbed wire sectioned off area right next to the exit, with no way to get out except backtracking, is careless and reckless. I’m assuming this is a temporary issue, but to not put up any signage warning people that the loop was blocked, shows a lack of judgement. They had signs all over the place indicating not to go into the lake, even a handwritten sign saying the way was blocked would have been nice.

So I’d say use at your own risk, but know there are better alternatives out there, which offer safer and more scenic experiences.