Denton HWY380 Greenbelt Park Reopens
TPWD PRESS RELEASE
DENTON— Ray Roberts Lake State Park will be reopening the Highway 380 access point to the Greenbelt Unit at 8 a.m., Oct. 27. This will reopen about four miles of multi-use trail and allow for hiking, biking, and equestrian access. The kayak launch and designated equestrian trailhead at the highway 380 access point will remain closed until further notice.
“We are excited to be able to reopen this portion of the Greenbelt unit to visitors in time for them to enjoy the cool fall weather on the trail,” said Robbie Merritt, Superintendent of Ray Roberts Lake State Park.
This portion of the Greenbelt Unit has been closed since 2015 due to significant flooding along the Elm Fork of the Trinity River. These periodic floods, caused by several large log jams in the river channel, have caused damage to large sections of the multi-use trail, the equestrian trail and the parking area at the Highway 380 access point over the years. In addition, the log jams have closed off approximately 2.5 miles of paddling trail along the river channel.
The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) has made several attempts to repair the trails and the Highway 380 access to their original condition over the years. Each of these attempts were disrupted by subsequent flooding events causing the area to remain closed.
“In the future, TPWD plans to perform the basic clean up necessary after each flooding event in order to reopen the Highway 380 access as soon as possible, providing a primitive trail experience for hikers, bicyclists, and equestrian riders along the multi-use trail,” said Merritt.
Park staff are currently working with our partners with the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers, the Greenbelt Alliance, and the City of Denton to develop a more long-term solution to the flooding issue at the park.
News Release
Media Contact: TPWD Press Office, 512-389-8030, [email protected]
Oct. 26, 2021
Category: Denton Trinity River Greenbelt Corridor
