White Rock Lake Park is almost 2,000 acres including White Rock Lake, hiking and biking trails, blackland prairie, picnic areas and event spaces.
White Rock Lake was formed by damming White Rock Creek. The creek widens to become White Rock Lake. From the spillway the lake empties into the Trinity River. The lake covers 1,254 acres (5.1 km²) in east Dallas. The park is home to a wide variety of plants and animals.
White Rock Lake Park is one of the most heavily used parks in the Dallas Park system and is the location of many special events and runs. It offers a variety of active and passive activity options. It is one of the best places to experience natural areas and wildlife in Dallas.
White Rock Lake Park Features
9.33 mile hike and bike trail
Winfrey Point
Big Thicket
White Rock Lake Museum
Bath House Cultural Center
Dallas Arboretum
Audubon Society bird watching area
Wetland
Celebration Tree Grove
Dog Park
Picnic areas
Pavilions
Piers
Boat ramps
Kayak concession
To rent any of the park facilities including pavilions, Winfrey Point and Big Thicket contact the Dallas Parks Department.
Wildlife
White Rock Lake Park is home to 33 types of mammals, including squirrels, rabbits, skunks, raccoons, possums, bobcats, red foxes, and minks. There are 54 varieties of reptiles, including rattlesnakes, turtles, lizards, and horned toads. 20 kinds of amphibians call the park home including salamanders, toads and frogs. There more than 217 species of birds, including swans, pelicans, sea gulls, loons, and all kinds of ducks. 19 kinds of fish swim in the waters of White Rock Lake, making it an angler’s paradise including bass, crappie, and catfish.
Plant Life
White Rock Lake Park includes 49 types of trees including oaks, pecan, sweet gum, and cottonwood.
Blackland Prairie
The blackland prairies are a temperate grassland ecoregion located roughly 300 miles from the Red River in North Texas to San Antonio in the south. Less than one percent of the once vast prairie remains. Making it the most-endangered large ecosystem in North America. White Rock Lake Park contains about 250 acres of original blackland prairie (formerly a dairy farm) in 15 unmarked parcels on the eastern side of White Rock Lake.