Leon Creek (Rim) to Eisenhower Park Extension

This much anticipated extension connects the Leon Creek trail to Eisenhower Park and the Salado Greenbelt Trails and is now open!

I took a preview run, and they have done a great job on this trail!

You can start anywhere on the Leon Creek trail, of course, but I like to start at the Rim. There is plenty of parking behind the shops. On the trail you can go left toward Eisenhower, or right for the normal Leon Creek trail. The combined trail system is now about 40 miles end to end!

Heading left, you will exit the Rim and enter a trail between a quarry and farmland. This first section is relatively flat, but passes quickly. If you are looking for off-road, there is a parallel dirt track to the right of the main trail.

Then you will come upon the powerline, and the start of a climb. This one mile climb is not actually as steep as I expected (from some pre-construction reconnaissance). The grading of the trail is excellent. I did run past a few bikers on the way up, but they were obviously taking their time.

The climb is through trees, so you do get some shade.

There is an unpaved section on the hill to the right of the main trail. I saw a few mountain bikes doing descents there – in full gear, it looked serious. There is enough space for runners if you want to go off-road for the climb. There is a gate back onto the main trail at the top of the hill, on your left.

After topping the hill, there is about 3/4 mile of flat, and then you are in Eisenhower Park. I turned around at the summit, for a total of about 4 miles round trip from the Rim. The run back down the hill is fantastic, flying through the trees!