Little Elm Lakefront Trail – McCord Park Trailhead
Trail: Lakefront – From McCord Park
Last hiked: February 6, 2022
Trail Type: Hiking & Biking
Distance We Hiked: 5.06 miles
Amount of Time it Took Us: 1 hrs. 36 min.
Our Elevation Gain: 32 ft.
Park Rating: easy
Mike & Elaine’s Rating: very easy
Our Notes:
The Lakefront Trail is about four miles one-way, partially paved with a good portion also made of crushed granite. It is a very flat trail that connects McCord Park to the Hula Hut/Hydrous Wake Park. There are no restrooms in this area. Parking is right off Hwy 423 in a gravel parking lot located across the street from McCord Park.
We began our hike at the McCord Park area, which is a very nice 38-acre wooded park located along the Cottonwood Creek floodplain. It has a creek, fishing pond, an 18-hole disc golf course, a very nice playground, and lots of open space to picnic and relax. The first part of the trail through the park is paved until you get past the fishing pond and out of the park itself. You will follow the creek for a bit and pass a fenced-in area where sometimes you will see goats. We didn’t see them this time, so maybe they were relaxing in their enclosures located on the property. As you continue down the paved trail, you will pass under a bridge, then come to an area where the trail will change to crushed granite. The trail then follows the lake pretty closely on your left, and you have very nice views along the way. You do hear road noise as the road is not too far off to the right, but the trees and lake almost make you feel like you are not in the city. At one point, though, you will pass a small neighborhood, which of course reminds you that you are not really out in the country after all. Oh well.
If you continue down the trail to the other end, you will end up in a nature park that is heavily wooded, and if you walk a short distance through that, you will end up on the other side at the Hydrous Wake Park and Hula Hut. This is a great place to stop and have a snack or have a meal at the restaurant or a drink at the bar before turning around and heading back down the trail to where you started at McCord Park. You can actually park at this end of the trail as well and hike in the other direction if you would rather take that route instead.
We actually like this trail for a nice bike ride, but a little walk down this trail is not bad for a lazy day. It is not amongst our favorite trails, as it has absolutely no elevation and, in our opinion, is not overly exciting. But it will do in a pinch if you want something easy and close by, and especially if you have kids. They will love the park!
Links to trail below:
https://www.littleelm.org/1278/Lakefront-Trail
https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/texas/little-elm-lakefront-trail