Chaparral Trail - Section 1: Farmersville to Merit

Dogs Off-leash

This trail is a former railroad bed. As such, it is long, flat, and pretty straight. However, there are a few trestle bridges along the route that are well planked and add a nostalgic flair. The trail rarely has any standing water in this section which makes it a great go-to route after a Texas rain (If you have ever plodded along in the North Texas mud, you'll appreciate this!).

This section is paved with asphalt while in the city of Farmersville and later paved with concrete (10 ft. wide) for approximately 2.5 miles. Afterwards it turns to crushed granite which is hard packed. So, you get nearly the durability of concrete but the drainage of sandy soil. Also approximately every 0.5 miles on this segment, there are benches and trash cans. There are also four exercise stations spaced at 0.5 mile increments.

Cedar, oak, and hickory line the trail and will provide some shade except at high noon in the summer. There is NO WATER anywhere along the trail; however, there are tasty treats not far from where it crosses through the towns. As typical with railroad right of ways, the trail abuts farms, ranches, and private residences.

Traffic is light, but the trail is used, and you'll most likely encounter someone at any time of day throughout the year.

Armadillos are common.