North Richland Hills Hiking and Biking Trails
Walking, jogging, bicycling and in-line skating continue to grow in popularity
as favorite leisure and fitness activities for people of all ages. The North
Richland Hills Parks & Recreation Department has responded with the
development of a comprehensive citywide system of on and off-road trails and
bicycle routes. These important transportation and recreational amenities
compliment our rapidly growing system of parks and open spaces. Funding for
development of the NRH Trail System has included $7.9 million in federal grants
and $2.5 million in local funding from the city's half-cent sales tax for Park
Development.
The North Richland Hills Trail System is a part of the larger Veloweb Trail
System. The Veloweb is a 400-mile trail system that is being developed across
North Texas. One hundred miles of the Veloweb is already complete. By 2025 the
Veloweb is expected to connect Fort Worth, Denton, Dallas and communities in
between. For more information about the Veloweb and trails in North Central
Texas, please visit the North Central Texas Council of Governments Web Site at
http://www.nctcog.org/trans/sustdev/bikeped/.
Off Road Trails (Click
here for map)
The City of North Richland Hills is developing a 19-mile off-road trail system.
Existing trails include:
- Cottonbelt Trail, 4 miles, adjacent to the Cottonbelt Railroad
Tracks. Begins at Browning Drive with our portion ending at Precinct Line Road.
This trail will eventually link to the Cities of Hurst, Colleyville and
Grapevine to the northeast and Haltom City and Fort Worth to the southwest. Trail access
is provided by parking facilities at the municipal complex located immediately west of Iron
Horse and south of Dick Fischer and parking facilities located within Dick Faram Park adjacent
to Amundson.
-
North Electric Trail, 2 miles, begins near Richland High School and
ends at NRH2O. Trail access is provided by parking facilities located on the east side of Holiday
immediately north of Dick Lewis Drive and parking facilities located within Walker's Creek Park.
-
Walker's Creek Trail, 2.8 miles, begins on Emerald Hills Way at
Boulevard 26. The trail bisects Walkers Creek Park and NRH20 then continues
through HomeTown and ends at the Cotton Belt Trail. Trail access provided by parking facilities located
within Walker's Creek Park, parking facilities located at Smithfield Middle School and parking
facilities located within Dick Faram Park adjacent to Amundson.
- JoAnn Johnson Trail:
This is a 1.9 mile, 10-foot wide multi-purpose trail located within the TXU Easement between Suncrest Court and
Boulevard 26. Trail access is provided by on-street parking within the TXU easement on Rendondo, Vance and Cummings.
Please Note: Coyotes have been observed recently along some of the trails in North
Richland Hills. Please click here for more information about these animals.
Future Trails
- Little Bear Creek Trail, 3 miles, starts at Little Bear Creek Park and extends southeast connecting to Northfield Park. Will connect to Keller to the west.
- Calloway Branch Trail, 4 miles, will connect to Little Bear Creek Trail and North Electric Trail, passing through Cross Timbers Park and Richfield Park.
- Boulevard 26 Trail, 0.75 miles, near North Hills Hospital.
We encourage you to enjoy the NRH Trail System. Respect your fellow users and extend appropriate
courtesies to other walkers, joggers, bicyclists and in-line skaters. Always
use the appropriate safety gear when cycling or skating.
On Street Bike Routes (Click
here for map)
Bike route signs are posted on streets and thoroughfares throughout the City of
North Richland Hills. The signs provide cyclists a means to determine where
they are, to plan where they want to go, and to communicate their travel plans
and location with others. The on-street bike routes are intended for avid high
speed cyclists and commuters who have experience dealing with traffic and
roadway conditions. Slower speed cyclists and those who prefer to avoid traffic
should use the off-road trails listed above. Parents should also encourage
children to use the off-road trails, rather than the on street bike routes.
How to Read Bike Route Signs
The on-street bike routes are numbered in the same manner as the Interstate
Highway System; odd numbers are assigned to north-south routes and even numbers
are used for east-west routes. Numbering begins in the southwest corner of
North Richland Hills and increases in increments of 10 as the system extends
north and east. Criteria used to determine route locations were:
- Landmarks and points of public interest such as schools, parks,
shopping centers and libraries.
- >Street accessibility and conditions. Avoidance of dead-ends or other
obstacles.
- Recognition of proposed routing of thoroughfare additions and
modification.
- Respect of current land use.
Safety on the Road
The City of North Richland Hills encourages motorists to watch for cyclists,
especially on streets that have been designated as bike routes. Cyclists should
always wear safety gear and obey traffic laws.
- Stop a stop signs and red lights. Yield to cross traffic on the
street and any pedestrians in the crosswalk. Stop at red lights; wait for the
green light unless you're turning right.
- Go with the flow of traffic. Bicyclists must ride with traffic.
Pedestrians are the only ones who should travel against traffic.
- Use lights and reflectors at night. The law requires a headlight
visible from 300 feet to the front and a red rear reflector or taillight
visible from 200 feet to the rear.
- Keep right if you are going slow. If you are going slower than the
speed limit, ride in the right through lane or as close to the curb as
practicable. You can move to the left to avoid hazards, to make a left turn, or
pass another vehicle going the same direction.
- Don't ride on Interstate Highways.
- Watch for cars passing unsafely. On narrow roads, glance in your
mirror occasionally to watch what's going on.
- Watch for turning or crossing cars at intersections. Know where turn
lanes, busy driveways and tough spars are ahead of time.
- Watch cars on side streets. Be ready to hit the brakes if drivers
pull out in front of you.
- Look before passing parked cars. Leave 3 feet of clearance to avoid
any car doors that may be opened.
A Guide to NRH Hiking and Biking Trails is available at the Parks &
Recreation Office. For more information, please call 817-427-6620.
