Attention, kayakers: North Texas leaders are mapping future of Trinity River paddling trail

by Haley Samsel, Fort Worth Report

Before he became a co-founder of a nonprofit group dedicated to the Trinity River, Steve Smith wasn’t aware that the river flowed through nine North Texas cities, or that canoe and kayak launch sites stretched across 130 miles of riverbank.

“There’s a magical river with a bike trail up on the bank that is just spectacular recreation (and) because it goes through various cities, it wasn’t being promoted,” Smith, board chair of the Trinity Coalition, said.

With the encouragement of the North Central Texas Council of Governments, Smith and other Trinity Coalition leaders decided to integrate all 21 existing canoe and kayak launches, plus three planned sites, into a single paddling trail.

Their efforts were rewarded in October 2020, when the Upper Trinity River Corridor became one of 33 U.S. rivers — and the only in Texas — to be designated as a National Water Trail by the National Park Service. Beyond supporting tourism to the river, the designation helps build community behind ecosystem restoration and water health, according to the park service.

More than two years later, the project’s supporters, including the Trinity Coalition, council of governments and representatives of cities like Fort Worth, are eager to cement the paddling trail’s future. A task force first formed in 2021 is now developing a master plan to determine the trail’s future funding needs and expansion plans.

There’s a sense of urgency behind the process, which kicked off June 29 and is slated for completion by fall 2024. While the council of governments has given the task force $150,000 for coordinating activities on the trail, that funding is temporary, said Daniel Snyder, a senior transportation planner with the council.

“We’re basically able to help the task force get on their feet and try to walk on their own,” Snyder said. “The master plan is going to be able to identify a lot of strategies and steps to sustain those efforts over the long term.”

To keep its national recognition, the Trinity Coalition must meet maintenance requirements at launch sites and reduce the number of miles between each launch. Since the coalition doesn’t own the land, it must work with government partners to ensure the launches are accessible and functional.

That was the reasoning behind forming the task force two years ago, Smith said. Representatives meet quarterly to discuss trail usage, opportunities for expansion, upcoming events and areas where paddlers are reporting maintenance issues.

Now the Trinity Coalition must determine a financial path forward to support the paddling trail. Their first step to expand beyond donations is winning a contract to rent kayaks, stand-up paddle boards and canoes at Panther Island Pavilion.

Starting in May, under the name TC Paddlesports, the Trinity Coalition took over a location previously operated by outdoor retailer Backwoods. The facility at 480 North Taylor St. offers classes and rentals six days per week, weather permitting.

Smith expects revenues to be higher than expenses, allowing the coalition to fill the gap left by the council of governments withdrawing financial support after 2024.

“One of the purposes is, of course, to see if we can make some money to support the paddling trail, but the other purpose is really to increase awareness of the paddling trail,” in Fort Worth, he said.

The master plan will increase signage near canoe and kayak launches and provide more expansive maps including points of interest and nature trails along the paddling trail, said Jai-W Hayes-Jackson, who is coordinating the master plan for the council of governments. Representatives are looking to previous trail master plans for ideas, he said.

Marine Creek Collegiate High School Green Club members kayak back to shore after cleaning up the Trinity River on March 26, 2022. (Cristian ArguetaSoto | Fort Worth Report)

The coalition is also exploring additional grant funding, including support from a Texas Parks and Wildlife program to help cities buy land for easements near the river.

Tarrant County is already home to 11 launches on the trail, and is slated to include new launches at Riverside Park in Fort Worth and Viridian in Arlington, according to a June task force presentation. Smith wants to see the paddling trail maintained and expanded to meet the needs of a booming population of tourists and residents eager to explore the outdoors.

“If we stand out, we not only enhance the usage of it for people who live here, but people will fly into DFW or drive their kayaks down,” Smith said. “People here take their kayaks all the way up to the Great Lakes and kayak around there. So why not do it here?”

Haley Samsel is the environmental reporter for the Fort Worth Report. You can reach them athaley.samsel@fortworthreport.org.

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This article first appeared on Fort Worth Report and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.