FUNDED: Bachman to Campion Connector Analysis!

Campion, Campión or Champion? Where is this trail?

The Campion Trail is a master-planned, 22-mile greenbelt along the Elm Fork and West Fork of the Trinity River. The Campion Trail system is Irving's initiative to develop a local greenbelt trail that will connect to the regional trail system linking cities within the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area. The master plan was approved in 1995 and the project was initiated in 1996. There have been incremental expansions of the 12-foot wide concrete primary trail each year. There are two segments of Campion Trail open to the public at this time. There are 8.5 miles available in the Elm Fork (north) section and 6.5 miles available in the West Fork (south) section.

The 5.5-mile 'unification' project will connect the northern segment of the trail in Las Colinas to the southern portion at Trinity View Park. The unification project will eventually allow residents and visitors to travel to Coppell, Grand Prairie, Farmers Branch and Dallas — all from Irving’s trail system. The project also will include pedestrian bridges across the Trinity River. Dallas County will help fund half of the $12 million unification project. The unification project is expected to be complete in 2025.

Irving is not Dallas, why should we care?

Irving has one of the largest and most robust trail systems in North Texas. Once finished, Campion Trail will connect to Coppell, Dallas, Farmers Branch and Grand Prairie. The Irving trail system has become a major asset to the Fort Worth to Dallas Regional Trail system — an extensive project linking both North Texas cities. And get this, the Campion Trail is only a mile away from Bachman Lake Trail and is a key component of the regional trail system! Friends of Bachman Lake has admired the work in Irving and since Northwest Dallas is 'trail-poor' it seemed that the fastest way we were going to equalize the playing field was to tap into the overall regional investments.

As such, we had to work to convince the City of Dallas to not build a parallel trail on the east side of the Trinity, through industrial areas, but to rather help connect Bachman Lake Trail and its patrons/neighborhoods to the Campion through the Frasier Dam Recreation Area (or somewhere along there).

To that effect, working with Dallas County, Irving and the City of Dallas, we are please to announce full funding for an analysis to select the best connection option to the Campion, one of the premier trails in the region!

It's a start. But don't all great journeys begin with a single step? Let's make this happen!