Arbor Hills Nature Preserve

I was impressed with Plano's Arbor Hills Nature Preserve for keeping a unique natural area so close to the city. I went with little expectations. I was expecting a small urban park but it was so much more.

When you first get on the trail, it's amazing how close to concrete you still are because the trail is quite beautiful and as pristine as it could be for an urban setting.

The parking lot was filled and yet there was plenty of space. There were signs everywhere but they mingled in so well with the landscape you don't mind. The first trail I took was on a hillside that meandered through a upland hardwood forest.

As you get down the trail and closer to a ravine you can hear the sound of a stream that rushes through along the trails dotted with pedestrian bridges. There were people everywhere but we all seemed to have our own space.

Lots of Poison oak and ivy

It was nice to see people out walking, families with children, couples and people taking advantage of the hiking and bike trails. I was very surprised how well kept the landscape is and how much it felt like an escape from the busy hectic traffic nearby.

It was harder to stay immersed in nature as the concrete path connects many of the dirt paths and there were many bridges and signs of different trails. It was still everything an urban park strives to be, enough people as not feel too remote and yet quiet with enough space for a feeling of being out in nature.

There were several other parks nearby that I plan on checking out in the future but Arbor Hills was a perfect way to wrap up my day of exploring.