places i skate

Katy Trail
Katy Trail in central Dallas is my favorite skating spot for several reasons:

• it has good concrete that is relatively smooth (one section is just a tad bit rough)
• for much of the trail there are buildings or hedges on one or both sides that block a lot of the wind
• it’s lit (!!!) up until 10 in the evening
• there are water fountains conveniently located along the trail
• the flatness means water doesn’t get trapped in puddles and it dries quickly after a rain
• i also see a lot of the same people there from week to week
• and people are mostly courteous about staying to the right and keeping their dogs under control

Pegasus Flyers skate there from time to time; join their DFW-Inline-Skater mailing list for dates and times. Friends of the Katy Trail promotes the trail and organizes events there.  their biggest contribution was installing lighting along the length of the trail (major kudos!)

the trail is 3 1/2 miles following the tracks of the old Katy Railroad.  because trains don’t do hills so well, it’s quite flat except for the quarter-mile ramp starting at AA Arena.  it has a very slight uphill grade going east that you hardly notice, but you can feel a slight benefit on the downhill direction.  there are only two street-level crossings, at Knox, by Toulouse restaurant, and where Harvard & Cole merge.  there are crossing signs on the street and – though you need to be prepared to stop – people who drive there regularly will usually wave you on.  everywhere else it uses the old railroad bridges so you skate right over the traffic!

when there isn’t an event at American Airlines Arena you can park in parking lot F on the north side of the stadium.  when there is a game on, parking options are a bit trickier.  many of the business areas along the trail have restricted parking with tow-away signs for non-customers.  there is a small public parking area off Knox street and one tiny parking area along the way (these are noted on my Google map of the trail)