Hiking the 380 Greenbelt in Denton County
The 380 Greenbelt is a hike and bike trail in Denton County, TX. The main trail is about 11 miles total in length. There is a $7 entrance fee to use the trail, unless you have a Texas State Parks Pass, which I highly recommend if you live in Texas and love being outdoors. If you have a pass, be sure to check in at the Ranger’s Station at the nearby State Park.
This out-and-back trail used to be a road, and is paved in some places and gravel in others. It is quite flat and should be a relatively easy hike from a terrain perspective. However, be sure to wear comfortable shoes with a thick sole if you will be walking or running on this trail. The gravel will get to you after a while if you are wearing a thin-soled shoe. I generally wear hiking boots on this trail for this reason, even though there are no appreciable ups and downs to this trail. You can probably manage to navigate the trail with a jogging stroller, but your baby will probably hate you for it after a while.
The trail itself will provide you with a nice walk. It reminds me of taking a walk on a nice gravel road in the country, which is essentially what you are doing while walking along this trail. In my opinion, this trail is better suited to biking than walking, due to the length and the presence of the gravel, which can get uncomfortable to walk on after a few miles, even with thick-soled shoes.
Also, the scenery is beautiful, but not particularly varied. If you are in love with the prospect of walking along an old road, you will enjoy this walk. If this sounds like something that will get boring after a few miles, then don’t be afraid to turn around and go back after a couple of miles. You won’t be missing much.
This trail runs along the Elm Fork of the Trinity River, and is located in the floodplain of the creek. It can easily be flooded after a heavy rain event. As of today (Aug. 2017,) the portion of the trail between US 380 and FM 428 is closed because it has been damaged by recent heavy rains. You will not be able to access the trail from US 380 for this reason, but the entire trail is not closed. To access the trail, I recommend parking at the north end of the trail, across from the Lake Ray Roberts-Isle du Bois State Park, along Fm 455. You can also access the trail from FM 428 and head north, but I like going south- it feels like going downhill. Both access points have restrooms and water available in rough, outdoor, spigots. It is 4.5 miles between FM 455 and FM 428, which will still give you a pretty good out and back hike, at approximately 9 miles.
There is one very interesting spot you should not miss when hiking this trail. If you start at the north end of the trail, about 1.25 miles in you will see a trailhead marker leading down toward the creek. You can take this trail a very short distance, mostly downward, and actually access the creek from here. The water is usually clear and cool, and makes a great place to play or take a rest on a hot day.
You will also find that there is an old bridge here that is crumbling and falling apart. It is pretty interesting and makes for a good picture.
This bridge is, apparently, a Pratt Through Truss Bridge. I’m not an engineer, so this doesn’t mean a lot to me personally, but this means, very basically, that the bridge is supported by triangular trusses. The bridge you will see here is known locally as the Old McKinney Bridge. It is thought to have been built around 1911, to connect the communities of Green Valley and Belew. Local legend says that the famous outlaws, Bonnie and Clyde, used this bridge as a getaway after robbing a bank in Pilot Point. I can’t prove that this is true, but it’s an interesting story. The bridge has been out of use since 1960, but you can still see the supporting structures here. It’s also a fun place to let your dog run around and play, if you have a dog that likes water.
This trail can be fairly busy at times, so don’t expect to be the only one out there unless the weather is bad. As a reminder, the trail does flood, so if it’s raining heavily, don’t bother heading out to this location. If the weather is nice, this is a great trail for those who are new to hiking, or are not up for something overly challenging.
