This is a very suburban paved trail. The trail itself is well maintained. It's wide enough for…read morebikers and walkers to share and when we went, the grass on either side of the trail was recently mowed. There are a few areas where the trail crosses over the creek and in these places we did see a good amount of trash (come on, people!) but those were the only areas looking anything short of pristine. You could probably walk this entire trail in one day, but having kids who like to stop and explore every 10 feet, we split the walk over two days, the first day walking from the trailhead at the fire station off Davis to Smithfield Rd. and the second day covering Smithfield to Creekridge Dr., which is about where the John Barfield trail ends and the Little Bear Creek trail begins. We did not explore the trail East of Davis Blvd. so I cannot comment on that. From the starting point of the fire station, heading west, the trail is bordered by foliage on one side and houses on the other. There are large power lines lining the trail. It might as well be a walk down a neighborhood sidewalk. West of Smithfield, the trail does escape the housing developments for a bit and is lined by dense trees on either side. It offers very little shade, but it nevertheless a pretty walk. If it had been that way the for the entire trail, I would have given John Barfield 4 stars, but the other portions of the trail are just too suburban and sterile. It's a place to exercise, but frankly, this is no nature walk. This trail is a great feature for those who live within walking distance, but others will likely not find it to be worth the drive. FYI: the google app on my iPhone led us to a neighborhood near the trail off Davis. The correct location for the main trailhead (which is actually in the center of the trail) is at the fire station at Davis and Shadywood Ln.

So in Keller, North Richland Hills, Hurst, Colleyville, Grapevine, Southlake and Fort Worth there's…read morea pretty good network of trails. These trails are typically wide sidewalks, suitable for walking, running or cycling. While I'm fond of the Keller trails, they lack (peaceful) connectivity to the larger system of trails in Tarrant Co. I say peaceful, because while Rufe Snow Blvd has a wide sidewalk that can get you to the John Barfield Trail, it's not the most pleasant of of routes (I take Cat Mountain to North Tarrant Pky to get off Rufe Snow). That being said, once you get on the trail (you can pick it up near Rufe Snow and North Tarrant Pky (or near Keller-Smithfied Rd and North Tarrant Pky if you use the Cat Mtn bypass) it is quite peaceful. On the Barnfield Trail you can walk or ride, in relative peace, (almost) all the way to Grapevine (via the Cottonbelt) if you choose. On this day, I did. I started my walk on the John Barfield Trail, just south of North Tarrant Pky near Keller-Smithfield Rd. Very peaceful place to walk. A little lacking on facilities (water/restrooms), but those can be found further along the trail (Pleasant Run Soccer Complex in Colleyville) or at businesses near the trail. Do bring water though, as it's easier than detouring off the trail. The trail winds through neighborhoods, eventually ending up at the Cotton Belt trail (near Precinct Line Rd). From here, you can get all the way to Grapevine, but the trail peters out at Highway 26 (Coleyville Blvd). If there's a good trail into Grapevine (from here), I have yet to discover it. John Barnfield Trail url: http://www.nrhtx.com/Facilities.aspx?Page=detail&RID=46 NRH trail system: http://www.nrhtx.com/DocumentCenter/Home/View/593 Cotton Belt Trail : http://www.traillink.com/trail/cotton-belt-trail.aspx (map at URL) Bottom line: Once on the trail, it's a wonderful escape.

3 stars for pretty creek etc but wasn't enough playground to stop,get kids out for 45 min, then…read moreback for another school pickup. GPS took me on a winding drive. Was looking for playtime for a 2 and 5 1/2 yr old

A lovely little park with nothing very special about it. If you live in the neighborhood, it is a…read morenice place to walk just to have somewhere to walk, but if it's sights and nature you want, find a more legitimate walking trail. There isn't much lighting at night, so weigh on the side of caution.

Good grass, grass was green, grass felt good, grass was nice, grass no pokey, grass soft, grass…read morewarm.

This was my first time to the park; I went to the first Food Truck Friday event held here tonight…read more The park was a nice surprise! It seems to have plenty of parking, a nice walking path with multiple workout sets up along the way (monkey bars, pull up bars, and a bench that I noticed), and sports options and kid friendly play areas. I even saw someone riding a horse while I was sitting at a bench enjoying my food; there are houses, some with barns with horses near the park. Overall, good experience. I would definitely recommend the park.

This is a huge acreage, beautiful park. Quiet little roads where families can go picnic, walk,…read moredrive dirt bikes, and four wheelers, etc. Unfortunately, it gets such a low rating by me because the front gate is nearly impossible to consistently get through. The credit card machine frequently doesn't work, then it would only accept exact change of a five dollar bill, which is never received well by the machine. The amount of times that my family has driven here to try and go to the park only to have to return home because we could not gain entrance. Currently there are FIVE CARS all in line at the entrance trying to get it! The drivers are all out of their vehicles and very frustrated. Also, while there are a porta potties in many places, the only proper bathroom is at the entrance. The women's room door is broken, so you really just go to the restroom with the door wide open! All that to say, this is an amazing park that needs much better maintenance.

Great local place for your kids to get out and get some riding out of their system. Good for a few…read morehours but more then that would get redundant.

North Shore Trail has become one of my fave places to escape for a few hours. It was my first trek…read moreon these trails, and even though I'm used to climbing mountains when I hike, navigating a hilly terrain full of rocks and tree roots was its own kind of challenge. It definitely keeps you on your toes in a different way. I love how the trail winds through the trees, opens up to peaceful lake views, and gives you just enough difficulty to make the scenery feel earned. I usually start near Murrell Park, and that stretch has some of the prettiest spots. Lots of quiet coves, shaded paths and little pockets where you can stop and just listen to the water. You'll see plenty of wildlife, too. I've run into deer more than once. The trail can get rocky and narrow in places especially with mountain bikers flying through, so staying alert is a must. It will definitely keep you engaged instead of just strolling on autopilot. What I appreciate most is how peaceful the hike feels even when others are out enjoying the trail. North Shore Trail always delivers a sense of calm and connection to nature.

Where else are you going to find 22 miles of hiking trails in DFW? That alone gets a 5 star review…read morefrom me. Plus the well maintained trails and good amount of parking along the trails, this is a great spot if you're looking to get into nature without having to go too far. As a hiker, there are a lot of bikers along the path, so don't use headphones or you could get hit. Even when it's crowded with bikers, everyone shares the path well.

This is a great place to start your hike of the Trinity Trails. You can find it by car off of 183…read morejust west of Bryant Irvin and there's a good amount of parking and a water fountain. You can only head north from here along the river. The best way to navigate is to plan your trip ahead of time with the free app. https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/trwd/id527702848?mt=8

This is just another part of the very extensive Trinity Trails that goes throughout Ft. Worth. It's…read morea beautiful trail to run, bike or hike on especially in the early morning! Watch the sunrise right off of the river and enjoy the outdoors and nature. Whenever I venture out to this area I always love to give this trail a visit. There are maps online and info on how to navigate the area. Thank you city of Ft. Worth for making it easy and providing the navigation!

Great views of the Calatravas bridges and downtown! This…read moreimproved hiking and biking trail takes you past some of the most scenic parts of downtown Dallas. From the floodplain of the Trinity River, you can see all the bright lights of Big D. Downtown Dallas has two bridges designed by the internationally acclaimed architect, Santiago Calatravas. There's one at each end of the trail here. There's no restrooms here along this trail. No shade from trees. The area around the Trinity has been mowed to keep things visible, and a concrete path to follow. There's a map at the trail head that walks you through the features of the Trinity river valley. This place is generally pretty sketchy at night- there's a place you can pull off the road and park and make out or whatever those people are doing in their cars. It seems like a fantastic place to meet some shady characters late at night. I wouldn't hike past sundown. I went walking alone through the trail, and I'm pretty sure I made some of the other joggers uncomfortable when there was nobody else around... I'd have felt much more comfortable on a bike.

From what I understand based on the trail maps, the Trinity Skyline trail itself is a little less…read morethan 5 mile loop, but it connects to another trail which could lengthen it. On our first trip out, we only walked the half mile leg of the trail between the Trinity Overlook and the Ronald Kirk Pedestrian Bridge. Street parking was easy at the Overlook. There weren't a lot of spaces but there also weren't a lot of cars. I think most people start from one of the other trailheads. The views from the overlook are nice, but not as nice as the views from the pedestrian bridge. It would probably be more exciting at night. From the overlook we descended down a steep hill to the trail. The path is a little rocky but still adequate for running, assuming you have good shoes. This definitely isn't a trail for you barefoot runners! I can't speak for the rest of it, but this portion of the trail was NOT LIT, so it wouldn't be an early morning or night run option without a flashlight (and a taser). It is roughly a flat half mile from the overlook to the bridge and it is beautiful. There are views of both the Margaret McDermott and Margaret Hunt Hill bridges, the Trinity River, and the Dallas Skyline. Walking the trail in early April, everything was vibrantly green and absolutely stunning. We hopped off the trail to walk down the Ronald Kirk pedestrian bridge. On a Friday mid morning in the midst of Coronavirus quarantine, the bridge was sparsely populated - just a few people here and there running, biking, or walking their dogs. I see from previous reviewers that it is normally quite lively, which will be a fun thing to go back and experience, but it was also nice to have the bridge mostly to ourselves and peacefully take in the 360 degree views. The Trinity Skyline trail and the Ronald Kirk Pedestrian bridge come together to make a true urban oasis. Go check it out!

A place you can walk, jog or bike. More of a nature preserve than a park. There are table/benches…read moreand grills through out and a creek adjacent.

Coyote. A large coyote ran across the trail near the beginning and before the creek area during a…read morebright sunny afternoon. We were not the only humans at the park. Please be careful! He was large, fast, and had his teeth showing like he was on a mission to eat. Hate writing this because this trail is so beautiful. Stay safe!