Take a Social Distancing Walk in a Plano Park

Plano Park Adventures

Updated: 05/22/2020

Plano parks, playgrounds, open space, and trails are currently open for use. The City of Plano wants you to continue reaping the benefits of our 85 award-winning parks and nature preserves. But it’s going to take a little help and cooperation from everyone. As you may be aware, some North Texas cities are threatening to close their parks because people are not following the need to practice social distancing. Many of you have expressed your concerns about those among us who choose not to follow social distancing guidelines at our parks during the COVID-19 crisis.

In an effort to keep every park open, the City of Plano is redeploying Parks and Recreation and Library staff members to every major park in Plano. They will also send them out to smaller neighborhood parks on a rotational basis. These “friendly monitors” will remind park patrons about the City’s emergency declaration, which recommends social distancing. The monitors will wear City of Plano shirts and will have City identification badges.

We need a respite in these trying times. We need places like our beautiful parks where we can feel normal. We know how important it is to spend quality time outdoors when the circumstances necessitate we separate ourselves socially and physically. If we don’t follow the rules, the City will need to restrict access. No one wants that. We are all in this together, Plano. We all need to do our part. Our hope is with your cooperation in following social distancing guidelines, we can flatten the curve of this horrific virus, while reaping the benefits of the great outdoors.

Plano Parks & Trails

The 800-acre Oak Point Park and Nature Preserve has 3.5 miles of concrete trails and 5 miles of soft trails along Rowlett Creek.

If you’d rather take your adventure above ground, check out Go Ape! Go Ape is still operating during COVID-19 with fewer people per group. Go Ape’s is made up of numerous rope ladders and 39 exciting crossings; including the Pirates Crossing, Fisherman’s Trap, Bosun’s Chair, two Tarzan swings and five zip lines! Each section takes you higher into the forest canopy, finishing with a zip line experience that is undeniably the highlight of this outdoor treetop adventure.

Arbor Hills Nature Preserve is a 200-acre park with hike and bike trails, a two-mile walking trail, and stunning views of the prairie and forest.

Other notable parks in Plano include Haggard Park, Jack Carter Park, Russell Creek Park, and Bob Woodruff Park. Haggard Park is a beautiful backdrop to the Downtown Plano Arts District complete with a gazebo, playground, and pond.

Jack Carter Park is a community park with an inclusive playground designed to allow children ages 2-12 of all abilities to play together and engage a range of movement, climbing, tactile, visual, and auditory play equipment. Other park amenities are a pond, pavilion, picnic tables, sand volleyball, trails, and restrooms.

Russell Creek Park is a large community park with a small lake, hike and bike trails, a pavilion, and a playground. Bob Woodruff Park North has a pavilion, playground, fishing pier, sand volleyball court and hard surface trails.

View a complete list of City of Plano parks here.

Plano has more than 82 miles of recreational trails; chances are there’s a trail near you! Get trail information here including downloadable trail maps. Biking is also a great way to see Plano. You can even find the routes on Google.

Due to a partnership between the City of Plano, Toyota, American Park Network and Time Warner Cable, free Wi-Fi is available at City parks, so you can take your work outdoors and get some fresh air.

Follow the latest COVID-19 updates from the City of Plano here.
Follow the latest blog posts from Visit Plano here.

Cover photo credit: Colleen Pence


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