Erwin Park – McKinney
Trail: Park Trail
Last hiked April 3, 2022
Trail Type: Hiking & Biking
Distance We Hiked: 6.16 miles
Amount of Time it Took Us: 2 hrs. 16 min.
Our Elevation Gain: 313 ft.
Park Rating: none
Mike & Elaine’s Rating: easy to moderate
Our Notes:
Erwin Park is a 212-acre park with 10 miles of hiking and biking trails in large open spaces and beautiful natural wooded areas. It is free to get in and there are several parking areas, as well as picnic sites and playgrounds. There are two restroom facilities as well as campsites available for those who wish to stay the night.
We parked in the second parking lot as you enter and headed toward the back of the park. This parking lot is the closest to the trailhead. When you hop on the trail, make sure to pay attention to the signs, as hikers are required to hike counterclockwise and bikers are to ride clockwise. This really made a difference in our hike, and we appreciated it because it was easy for us to see oncoming traffic and share the trail in plenty of time before being “run over.”
The entire trail system is pretty much a loop around the park. This is a great time to go as we got to see some of the first signs of spring as the trees were blooming and a few wildflowers were already poking their heads up. One of the things we noticed on this trail right away was how some of the trees here grow in some very unusual formations. It was incredible to see some of the sizes of these trees, and then to note that their branches grew in so many different directions! You’ll have to experience it for yourself to see what we mean.
There are several spots on this trail that provide good elevation and some huffing and puffing to go up, but there are also areas where the trail levels out and opens into some absolutely stunning open spaces as well. We would like to return in a few weeks because we suspect there will be some gorgeous wildflowers to see there soon.
One surprise along the trail was an old cemetery, called Horn Cemetery, where the remains date all the way back to the late 1800’s. If you have time to step off the trail and read the sign, it is an interesting and quiet little place to explore.
We continued down the trail and as it was getting later in the day, we decided to step off in a place where we could actually see where we parked across an open space and thin forested area. We only made about 6 of the 10 miles, but plan to return to “section hike” the rest. This really is a very nice little place to hike and enjoy some unusual sites in nature. We really enjoyed ourselves and recommend this one to those of you looking for a nice hike with variety.
Links to Trail Below:
https://www.mckinneytexas.org/885/Erwin-Park
https://www.mckinneytexas.org/DocumentCenter/View/16992/Erwin-Park-DORBA-Trail-Map