Cottonwood Creek Trail - Allen, TX (7.5 miles)
The Cottonwood Creek Trail provides a north-south route through Allen, a northern suburb of Dallas, spanning 7.5 miles in two disconnected segments.
The northern section begins at Ridgeview Drive, just south of the Sam Rayburn Tollway. From there, this 3.4-mile section follows the tree-lined Cottonwood Creek south along residential neighborhoods. At Stacy Road, travelers will come to a park with a playground, tennis court and parking area. Shortly after crossing under US 75, the trail passes the Old Stone Dam, built in 1874 by the Houston and Texas Central Railway Company to provide water for steam locomotives. The final leg of this paved pathway traverses Allen Station Park, which offers athletic fields, a playground, skate park, BMX track and roller hockey rinks.
The southern section begins at E. Main Street, between the Allen Cemetery and S. Greenville Avenue. The 4.1-mile pathway winds southward, largely skirting a residential area. It also connects two schools, Ford Middle School and Vaughan Elementary School, and two parks, Ford Park West and Heritage Park.
