The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) announced the official launch of five new paddling trails on Lewisville Lake in Highland Village. Scheduled to open June 25 with a grand opening ceremony at Lakeside Community Park, the addition expands the Texas Paddling Trails network to 96 trails statewide.
Developed through a formal partnership between TPWD and the City of Highland Village, the new routes add a combined eight miles of official waterfront paths to the state’s nature tourism portfolio.
According to a June 23 news release, the new trails are situated along the lake’s Hickory Creek Arm and offer highly adaptable routes for outdoor enthusiasts, ranging from quick 30-minute loops to comprehensive half-day excursions. The network features five distinct paths: the Pilot Knoll Loop, Lakeside to Copperas Branch, Pilot Knoll to Sunset Point, Lakeside Park Loop, and the Sunset Point to Lakeside Paddling Trail.
To maximize community accessibility, the system utilizes multiple local entry nodes, including Copperas Branch Park, Marauder Park, Pilot Knoll Park, Sunset Point Park, and Lakeside Community Park. Shelly Plante, TPWD’s nature tourism manager, expressed enthusiasm for the launch, noting that the layout offers paddlers diverse choices for loop or one-way travel alongside excellent vantage points for fishing and wildlife viewing.
In addition to recreational paddling, the Hickory Creek Arm offers rich opportunities for local anglers to target prominent sport fish, including largemouth bass, striped bass, white bass, channel catfish, and crappie. Wildlife watchers visiting the area can also expect to encounter a variety of native birds, such as great blue herons, great egrets, mallards, swallows, and belted kingfishers.
While the trails provide a peaceful environment, state officials advise paddlers to remain alert to shifting water levels, localized wind speeds, and motorboat traffic in high-density zones. Ultimately, TPWD emphasized that expanding the Texas Paddling Trails program plays a vital role in fostering habitat conservation through sustainable economic development while safely expanding public outdoor recreation.