World’s Biggest Nature Park Is Being Built In Dallas, Texas

Credit: Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates
Credit: Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates

They say everything is bigger in Texas, but who knew that stereotype could also apply to urban nature parks! According to Dallas News, three parts of the world’s largest urban nature park are being constructed independently, which is why very few know about its development.

The “Nature District” will comprise a whopping 10,000 acres, including 7,000 acres of the Great Trinity Forest. Designed by Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates, the urban park aims to revitalize a Dallas floodplain into a beautified recreation space.

Credit: Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates
Credit: Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates

The three parts of the project include a 1,000-acre section of the Great Trinity Forest, which includes a golf club, the Texas Horse Park, and the Trinity River Audobon Center. Additionally, seven or eight lakes (“wetlands”) exist thanks to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers which invested in a project ten years ago to help the floodwaters of the Trinity River move more efficiently downstream from the downtown Dallas area.

Another neat project includes the Trinity Strand Trail, which will connect 73 miles of trails. Reportedly, the first two and a half miles opened last year; plans are in the works to add more miles to the trail so it can connect to the existing Katy Trail, relays Inhabitat.

Credit: Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates
Credit: Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates

Thanks to a generous $50 million donation by the Harold Simmons’ family, the Trinity Park project received a massive boost in late October. According to Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings, the park will “redefine Dallas for the 21st century.”

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