map from Google Maps

Places are arranged geographically, not alphabetically. Click on the Yellow Names above to learn more. We made up some names; took others from common usage over the years; and some are official.

NOTE: Everything on the east side from Parrot Bay north to Mockingbird is one-way while extensive construction is working to save shore-line and close all the parking lots and walking paths. Begun in late 2007. The City is still starting new shoreline reclamations, so who-knows when it will be completed.

White Rock Trail is a continuation of the Walking/Biking Path around White Rock Lake. It starts north, across Mockingbird Lane, on the corner of Mockingbird and Lawther, the street that goes almost all the way around the lake.

White Rock Creek - from at or just north of Mockingbird Bridge to just north of LBJ. See Up the Creek with a Paddle, continuing south of the Spillway and Spillway Steps through the dark green area on the map that is the golf course, under I-30 and beyond.

Mockingbird Bridge - There used to be a wide bicycling path marked in yellow with road humps across the south side of the bridge. I suspect there were many accidents. Bicyclers are not known for following prescribed rules, stopping at stop signs or lights, going the right way, yielding or those other traffic nicities. Now walkers and some bikers take the Singing Bridge. Others risk suicide against the sometimes bizarre auto traffic there in the name of independence. Back to map.

Singing Bridge

Singing Bridge - The biking and walking bridge immediately south of Mockingbird Bridge. Called "singing," because in any wind, the whole thing hums — you can feel the wood boards and metal braces vibrating. Not to be confused with the rhythmic but mostly silent, queasy-uneasy shaking most of the suspension-type walking bridges experience during and just after joggers or heavy walkers cross the bridge. Makes stomachs queasy and careful photography impossible. The only White Rock Walking bridge that does not waver is the Garland bridge, although the Bent Bridge is not as shakey. map

Although there's usually not many birds there, sometimes Great Blue Herons (big gray) stand under the trees on the far side left in the photo above, and very often there's a Great Egret (big white) fishing under the car bridge, especially on the west side. map

Pelican Island - small island under and protruding south from Mockingbird Bridge. It's been called that for many years. Probably, at one time, Pelicans hung out there. Now they spend most of their social, preening and rest time in Sunset Bay, scouting out in all directions. The island disappears in high water, but I've never seen a pelican there, although they sometimes fish that area in large swimming groups. map

Dog Park - stinky protrusion where we're most likely to find dogs off leashes, although it's normal, albeit illegal, all around the lake. Few doggers pick up their poochy poop, and through design or neglect, loose dogs are ocassionally seen chasing birds in the water. map

Thistledown Road in 2001

Thistledown Road - The walking path around the Dog Park area was once publicized for its "natural" meadows. Not no more. The City destroyed all the Thistle and other tall plants the place was ripe with. It smelled better before and was colorful and wildly beautiful with a remarkable variety of plant life. I once saw Passion Flowers (the rare squat ones that puff out from the ground) growing there. But since it became a dog park with normal and continuous implementation of the City's Habitat Destruction Machines, the plant life along that shoreline have been normalled down to deadly boring with a concrete path. map

Bent Bridge - on Lawther south of the so-called Biker's Parking Lot (one of only two on the lake you have to drive over gravel to get to). Unlike all other lake walking bridges, it's gray and incorporates a bend in the middle. It was intended to keep heavy walking traffic from further destroying the shore, which has got seriously thinner over the years. A park bench still sits on the west, land side of the bridge, though it is much less used now, since mostly what you can see from there is the bridge. map

Cormorant Bay - All winter, hundreds (perhaps thousands) of black Double-crested Cormorants perch in the trees around the upper edges of the bay. They basically do two things up there, dry their wings from swimming and diving into the lake, and scat.

When it's cold, that area has the pungent stench of white cormorant scat, which turns the sidewalks, grass and trees so white it looks like snow. Especially noticeable at night, there's a loud hiss as the stuff falls through the airs and trees and splats on the ground. Wear a hat or walk fast, and hold your nose. map

Tilley's Point - is called something else by the City, according to a plaque there. But we like Tilley's. Probably the best thing about our name for the point closest to the Bath House across the lake is that there is no and has never been anybody we know named Tilley. It is also the intermittant home of the "Free Advice" blanket, worth every penny.

Parrot Bay - mistakenly named for the green Monk Parakeets that fly across the bay every morning, this area has been called that for at least a dozen years. map

Boat House and Lagoon from Garland
Road near Bent Bridge Across the Lake

Boat House Lagoon - The Boat House used to be a boat house, where fishermen and others parked their boats. Then for decades it was a favorite (but kinda dangerous) fishing area. Now it's an all-White enclave for rich people with fancy rowing boats and one conspicuous motorboat, whose motor is probably larger than the horsepower limit for use on White Rock Lake. map.

The Pump House - used to be where Dallas water got pumped out of the lake. Most of our potable water now comes from much further away, and the Old Pump House building has become exclusive offices for civil servants. Closed to the public and lately policed by rentacops who prohibit overt photography of the dam for Homeland Security reasons.

The Dam - holds back a lot of water, letting a controlled amount sluice through the wide Spillway Area, then turning a sharp right angle south into White Rock Creek. map.

The Old Fish Hatchery Area - (Anna calls it "The Fitchery" for short) used to be a fish hatchery comprising large rectangular "pans" of water for raising fish (the black rectangles on the map above). It's probably the best area around the lake to find wildlife — both animals — including beaver, foxes, rabbits, some middle-sized cats — and a wide variety of birds. It's where Audubon Bird Tours start. It's gorgeous. Only trouble is the paths don't necessarily go where you want, and some don't go anywhere at all. Poison Ivy grows wild all over the place. And there's all those trees blocking our views. map.

The Spillway - spills water along a long concrete apron between land areas. After it sluices down the spillway, water splashes down the Spillway Steps and empties into White Rock Creek (the south end) that escapes over a couple of picturesque water falls through the golf course and out under I-30. map.

Water Subbliming from the
Spillway Steps (on the lower left)

Spillway Steps - directly west of the Spillway, where water courses down a series of concrete steps to exit into White Rock Creek (See above.) In spring and when the City's not dawdling about fixing the Spillways "retaining walls" that fell in the spring of 2006's 100-Year-Flood (after they let the area between dirt and concrete to repeatedly fill up with water. The City blamed the flood. I blame the City which lamely filled up the obvious sink holes with dirt, while the water sluiced down into the so-called retaining walls.), it's the best and most accessible area for photographing birds — except maybe around the pier in Sunset Bay. map.

Yacht Club Bay - Boat Clubs along this area of shoreline. Usually not many birds, although egrets and Great Blue Herons, wild gooses and others stray into there sometimes. map.

The Big Thicket - thick with trees along and extending from the Yacht Clubs north toward Mockingbird Lane.

The Bath House Culture Center - an official art and theatre building sponsored by the City of Dallas, with extensive parking areas for their and other purposes. map.

Dreyfuss Point - One of two social buildings along the edge of the lake. Many weddings and other parties were held there till it burned down in the autumn of 2006.

Sunset Bay - in addition to the year-long presence of the Nine Gooses Running clan (grown by August 2007 to 29 liberated domestic gooses) and multitudes of ducks, it's where the Egrets Sleep (hundreds of them, well away from shore), and it is winter home to our annual 6-month winter vacation for our Pelican population, starting in mid-October. map.

Winfrey Point - The other social building, also offers a high point for photographing and viewing the lake, especially during storms. Several festivals are held in the largish parking lot.

Duckfia Point - named for a cadre of a half dozen ducks — many quaffed (ducks with do's) who stop traffic in their more recalcitrant moments. map.

Garland Bridge

Garland Bridge - a small walking bridge of the high, rusted iron sides variety, the only one at the lake that does not heave queasily when joggers run over it. Back to map.

top