Crystal Canyon Natural Area — Attraction in Arlington

Excellent for pretending you live in a serene country side instead of a concrete jungle hellscape. Take a walk through the shaded trails and hear the beautiful chirps of various birds. Don't forget to check out the crystal mound near the entrance where you can find some pretty neat talc crystals.

But wait, because you have seen the real reason to check out crystal canyon. If you're brave enough to go off the beaten path, then you will soon find off shoots on the main trail that lead to SECRET PATHS. Boots are recommended as you will be traveling over streams, scaling steep hills, and traversing a mini marsh. With enough determination, you might even find the fabeled TIRE MOUNTAIN (MOUNTAIN-MOuntain-mounta) Be on the look out, there's plenty of larger crystals to be found ...

One of the prettier & less populated walks in town, so 3 stars. Like every other Arlington park, though, there's plenty of weird litter, no police activity preventing overnighters, and given all of this, if you stray too far off the main path (even on a small offshoot path) you're likely to find something strange if not disturbing. I would not share some of the things I've seen here on such a public forum that kids might use, so definitely don't let your kids run too far ahead at any Arlington park.

I'm from Arkansas. I can't believe this is my standard for 3 stars, but the truth is this is my preferred walk in the area because most city park paths are way worse here. I have to have...

Short gravel loop with two small bridges and a few unmarked side trails that disappear into the trees — wasn’t sure where they led tbh.

The main path is easy to follow and well-maintained, but I did notice quite a bit of litter tucked in the brush, which takes away from the experience a bit.

The walk is pretty short. In fact, my commute here took longer than the trail itself. That said, there are a few infographics along the way if you’re into local geology, flora, or environmental facts.

Giving it 4 stars out of respect for the City of Arlington’s upkeep, but I’ll probably bring my dogs to longer trails...