2019 Conservation Wrangler Trinity Coalition has big news to share! On October 22, 2020 U.S. Secretary of the Interior David L. Bernhardt announced 30 new national recreation trails in 25 states, adding more than 1,275 miles to the National Trails System — one of the designated trails being Trinity Coalition’s Trinity River Paddling Trail.
The Trinity River Paddling Trail is located in the middle of America’s fourth largest metro area with a population of 7.5 million people. Traversing peaceful countryside and the bustle of world-class cities, this Texas-sized paddling trail covers 130 river miles, spanning nine cities and three counties. Twenty-one official launch sites along its length allow access to three major river tributaries, the Clear Fork, West Fork, and Elm Fork, as well as 40 miles of the main stem of the Trinity River. The paddling trail is now listed on the National Recreation Trail’s website.
7.5 million people in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex depend on the Trinity River water supply for domestic, industrial, and agricultural use. In addition, the downstream population of 6 million people, including the city of Houston, depend on this water source and are directly impacted by the actions of upstream users.
With the support of local municipalities, Trinity Coalition’s contiguous 130-mile Trinity River Paddling Trail provides countless recreation and education opportunities and foster stewardship by increasing public awareness about the importance of the Trinity River and its associated ecosystems.
“This section of the Trinity River is in the backyard of 9 municipalities and 7.5 million people – getting it open as a recreational river is a boon to the local paddlers as well as those visiting the DFW area”
– Dale Harris, Board Member, Trinity Coalition and Trinity River Paddling Trail Chairman
Across the paddling trail’s 21 launch sites, Trinity Coalition is working with cities along the Trinity River to install informational kiosks at each launch site, create additional launch sites to shorten the paddling distance between existing launch sites, and make launch sites accessible for more users.
Want to get involved with others passionate about paddling and the Trinity River? Trinity Coalition hosts regular paddling events in Dallas Fort Worth, check out their upcoming events on Meetup.
The mission of the Trinity Coalition is to transform the Trinity River Corridor into a nationally-recognized conservation and recreation area.
“This designation, which we have worked towards for so long, will make it possible to finally share our river and it’s wonder with the rest of the world. “
– Teresa Patterson, Paddling Trail Manager, Trinity Coalition
Learn more about Trinity Coalition on their website and stay-tuned to their Facebook page for regular updates.