Sign up for a cool paddleboarding tour at Pilot Knoll Park. (Yvonne Ramos)
Explore DFW on the water by going to one of these cool paddleboarding locations, many of which offer board rentals.
With the sun in your face, wind in your hair, and a paddleboard under your feet, you can do anything! Stand-up paddleboarding (known as SUP) is one of the fastest-growing sports around the world, partly because you can do it anywhere. You don’t need an ocean like when surfing, or a motorized boat like in other sports. You just need a board, a paddle, and a healthy supply of balance, and you can explore local lakes and rivers. It’s the perfect summertime sport.
There are plenty of places to go paddleboarding in Dallas-Fort Worth, from popular beach-front lakes to smaller trails. Many locations offer SUP rentals, classes, tours, and other events for paddlers. It’s not just an exercise—it’s an experience!
Check out some of these awesome spots to paddleboard around DFW. And if you need any more locations, you can find more paddling trails at Texas Parks & Wildlife’s Paddling Trail Finder or the Trinity River National Water Trail.
Know Before You Go
Before you (metaphorically) set sail on your paddleboarding adventure, make sure you have everything you need. You’ll need to choose the type of paddle board that’s best suited for your needs—a planing hull for leisure paddling or SUP yoga and a displacement hull for fitness paddling and SUP touring—decide on a solid or inflatable SUP, and pick one that’s the right volume, capacity, and length for your body.
You’ll need a personal flotation device (PFD) as required by the U.S. Coast Guard. You may also want a leash to tether your SUP to you for extra safety. If you need help, you can talk to the experts at a local REI or another sports equipment store or paddleboard rental location.
Find 14 must-try paddleboarding spots below.
1. Beaver Pond Paddling Trail
Lewisville
Expect to encounter tons of wildlife on a trip down this peaceful, one-mile paddling trail, including herons, egrets, ducks, turtles, frogs, deer, and more. Water lilies and other beautiful aquatic vegetation make this a picturesque paddleboarding spot. Plenty of shady spots and the easy loop with 12 stops make this perfect for beginners and families with little kids. You can buy a paddleboard at the nearby Mountain Sports in Arlington.
2. 10-Mile Tour at Pilot Knoll Park
Highland Village
Join a paddleboarding tour (for experienced paddlers only) hosted by Bluet SUP. The 10-mile sunrise tour begins on Lake Lewisville, winds through to Hickory Creek, and ends at Old Alton Bridge. The 4-hour tour is $45, plus an additional $45 if you need to rent your SUP as well. By the way, Bluet also hosts beginner classes, private lessons, SUP Yoga, and more.
3. Paddle Point Creek Paddling Trail
Rowlett
Bring your SUP to Lake Ray Hubbard, where you can go on the 6.4-mile Paddle Point Creek Paddling Trail. Don’t be surprised if you come across great blue herons, bald eagles, and more wildlife. Kayak Crossing Output offers paddleboard rentals at Lake Ray Hubbard for $31 for one- or two-person SUPs for 2 hours (and $41 and $51, respectively, for all day).
4. Twin Peaks Park at Eagle Mountain Lake
Fort Worth
It costs $10-$20 to enter this park, depending on the day, plus an additional cost to rent a paddleboard from Trinity Paddle Co. Paddle on the beautiful Eagle Mountain Lake from Memorial Day through Labor Day. Rentals are $20 for one hour or $40 for three hours.
5. White Rock Lake
Dallas
Enjoy the beauty of Dallas from a new perspective on White Rock Lake. There are five different public access spots to get in the water at this gorgeous lake, and despite it being a popular spot, there is so much room to spread out and enjoy the peaceful wildlife that live here. You can rent SUPs from Kayak Power for $40 for four hours.
6. Dallas Trinity Paddling Trail
Dallas
The unique thing about this 10.2-mile paddling trail is that it combines a stretch in front of downtown Dallas and one through a wooded area, giving you the best of both worlds. There are several bridges on this trail as well, including the Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge, the Houston Street Viaduct, and the Continental, Commerce, and Corinth bridges. It’ll definitely keep your outing interesting.
7. Grapevine Lake Paddling Trail
Grapevine
After renting a paddleboard ($25 for one hour) from DFW Surf, glide across the waters at the beautiful Grapevine Lake. The Grapevine Lake Paddling Trail begins at Meadowmere Park, where you can travel 3.8 miles to 9.4 miles, depending on your chosen route, and see blue herons, great egrets, migratory waterfowl, songbirds, white-tail deer, and more natural beauties.
8. Little Elm Beach
Little Elm
Take paddleboarding to the next level with SUP Glow, hosted by DFW Surf for $55. This cool nighttime event features boards that light up the water underneath, plus music that turns it into a total paddle party. Beginner classes, yoga, and other events are also offered here, plus rentals are available for $25 for the first hour and $40 for two hours.
9. Joe Pool Lake & Walnut Creek Paddling Trail
Grand Prairie
Launch your paddleboard from Loyd Park, then explore the 4.9-mile Joe Pool Lake and Walnut Creek Paddling Trail that is easy for paddlers of all abilities. The best part? When you turn around at the HWY 360 overpass at the halfway mark, you can enjoy a lazy ride back as you go along the current. Rent your paddleboard in advance from Flatwater Kayak in Arlington or another local spot, then pay the $10 entrance fee per vehicle to the park.
10. Lake Arlington Paddling Trail
This beautiful trail begins at Richard Simpson Park (for a $5 entrance fee) and goes around Lake Arlington to Eugene McCray Park and Bowman Springs Park. As you go over the approximately 10.9-mile paddling trail, you’ll see many cool fish, birds, and plant life.
11. Oak Point Park & Nature Preserve
Plano
Bring your own paddleboard to this Plano park, where you can paddle from dawn to dusk. This picturesque area is a nature preserve, so you can expect to see numerous scenic spots and diverse wildlife. It’s such a special area, you’ll want to keep coming back.
12. Panther Island Pavilion
Fort Worth
Paddle board rentals, cool classes and activities, and more make Panther Island Pavilion a fantastic place to go. Grab a SUP for $20 for the first hour and $10 for each hour after from TC Paddlesports, with classes and tours available for an extra cost. Don’t miss the Full Moon paddle, where you can go out in the evenings to see a romantic sunset and then paddle along the light of the moon as the city lights glow in the background.
13. Hidden Cove Park & Marina
Frisco
Spend Friday night out on the water at Paddle and a Pint, hosted by DFW Surf at Hidden Cove Park and Marina for $55. At this event, you can enjoy the sunset, then listen to music and have a beer from 3 Nations Brewing halfway through. Afterward, turn on your board lights and head back. You can also rent one- or two-person paddle boards (starting at $25) and go out on your own, or sign up for different classes and tours to mix it up.
14. Lake Carolyn
Irving
Rent a paddleboard at SUP NTX at Lake Carolyn for $30 for one hour and $45 for two hours (note: bringing your own board is not allowed). You can also take lessons here to learn how to stand up, balance, and practice different paddleboarding techniques, or sign up for outings such as sunset paddles or SUP tours to the waterfalls.
This article first appeared on Good Info News Wire and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.
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