River Legacy Park, Arlington, TX

The River Legacy Park in Arlington, Texas shows what can happen when a partnership between the private sector and public sector is accomplished.This area was founded in 1988 and continues to educate and preserve the area along the Trinity River. Guests of the River Legacy Park can take part in many events throughout the year. Some of the exhibits that have been there or will be coming include: a dinosaur exhibit, fossil exhibit, scavenger hunt, field investigations for school children, and snake feedings.

The address is 701 NW Green Oaks Blvd, Arlington, TX 76006. There is also an entrance at 3020 North Collins Street near the canoe launch that is by the pedestrian bridge. The third entrance is at 1651 NE Green Oaks Blvd which lets visitors into a separate park that has the soccer fields, picnic tables, playground and paved trails. All of the parks are open from 5:00 am to 10:00 pm every day. There is no admission charge to get into any of the parks.

These parks encompass approximately thirteen hundred acres. Visitors to the park can traverse more than eight miles of hiking trails which takes them through heavily wooded forests and beautiful green belts. Wildlife loves this area so it is possible to see many different species of birds and animals. Besides the hiking trails and picnic areas there is a meditation area, river overlooks, restrooms, a canoe launch and water fountains.

Visitors can not take motorized vehicles on trails or unpaved areas in the parks. There is ample parking in designated areas and dogs are allowed as long as they are on a leash. Twenty miles per hour is the speed limit on any of the trails and inline skates, roller skates and bikes can ride only on the concrete paths or a path that is designated for mountain bikes. Golf, horseback riding and firearms are not allowed in River Legacy Park. No alcohol can be brought into the park, fires are only allowed in the grills at the Pavilion and trash needs to be put into the trash bins.

Children are welcome in River Legacy Park and to prove it they have a wealth of programs for them. There are programs for children as young as three which encourage them to enjoy the outdoors and learn how to protect it for themselves and others. Some of the programs that the park has include: Living Science Center Field Investigations, Junior Naturalist Club, Nature School, Living Science Center Self Guided Tours and different summer classes.

Teachers and other adults can also learn from River Legacy Park. There are many professional development programs offered in the form of teacher workshops and seminars. Interactive education programs are designed with adults that wish to learn more about their environment. GEMS is one such program that helps teachers incorporate math and science in their classrooms. The program helps teachers instill independent learning in their students and promote critical thinking. It also helps students better understand math and science concepts.?