This past week, city officials, Dallas Parks and Recreation staff, and excited citizens of Dallas all attended the official ribbon-cutting ceremony to open the Honey Springs Cedar Crest Trail.
After several years of construction, the five-mile trail and park are now open to walkers and joggers, as well as anyone else who wants to enjoy nature and the views of the Dallas downtown skyline.
The Honey Springs Cedar Crest Trail utilizes land previously used by the utility company Oncor and Dallas Park property that runs east to west. The trail was constructed inside of an old interurban rail corridor, according to WFAA. Walkers can also access Cedar Crest Golf Course and the South Oak Cliff Renaissance Park as the trail connects to both.
“When people relocate to a community, they look for these kinds of park amenities,” Dallas County Commissioner John Wiley Price shared.
“A five-mile park in the southern sector was just unheard of. We didn’t think we were going to be able to do it,” Price said.
The project was scheduled to be completed in 2020 but was most likely delayed due to the pandemic. The trail and park construction cost $7 million, with Dallas County contributing $6 million towards the project. While Dallas supplied the land, Dallas County designed the trail and was responsible for the construction.
As pointed out by Councilwoman Carolyn King Arnold, the trail and park is also another way to connect smaller communities within Dallas and help facilitate mental and physical health for citizens. Many in the community are happy to see the connection between North and South Dallas.
“[The Honey Springs Cedar Crest Trail is] just an investment in the people in terms of quality of life, health being the number one priority,” Arnold explained.
