California Crossing Park — Attraction in Dallas

If you plan on fishing, you will be competing with some pretty aggressive gar fish.

If you plan on kayaking or canoeing, you will have to contend with a narrow ledge of soft, deep mud and a sharp drop-off into, you guessed it, gar-infested waters. (The gar hang out around the waterfall looking for a meal to "drop in".)

If you plan on paddling a SUP, please go elsewhere for your own safety. The water moccasins and the gar will make short work of you. (I have paddled the Trinity North of this area many times and rarely see snakes and gar. Apparently all the dangerous wildlife go over the breakwater and congregate at the California Crossing area.)

If snakes and gar scare the crap out of you, keep in mind there are no restroom facilities available at this park (none that I could find, anyway.)

Finally, if you are paddling, you can only go South from this location. There is no easily accessible means of putting in above the waterbreak to head North on the Trinity from this park. (...not that the muddy patch of earth used to access the South side of the river is very user-friendly.)

Why bother? If you can haul your kayak around the road barrier surrounding the parking lot and down the slope, across the mud and safely into the water...you can enjoy some beautiful river. Again, keep and eye out for snakes crossing from one side of the river to the other and ignore the occasional friendly, inquisitive "bump" on the underside of your water craft from the local, neighborhood gars. (I cannot reiterate emphatically enough that I do suggest SUP paddlers do NOT visit this site.)

Anyway, nature is nature and should be respected...always. If snakes and gar and mud do not bother you, there is some beauty to behold further downstream. It can be a placid place (just don't fall out of your boat) and I can almost promise you there won't be a huge crowd.

One final note: If you are approaching the park from the North on the Trinity and aren't paying attention to your proximity to the waterbreak, you can be potentially injured. Take a look at the photo I posted with the duck swimming from right to left. Ten feet beyond that duck is the rush of water going over the break. YOU CAN'T SEE IT APPROACHING FROM THE NORTH! If you go over that thing in a boat, you better have a little whitewater experience...and gar repellant.

Just being honest. I hope this helps...

It’s ok… lots of other people fishing I’ve have caught some bass gar and a giant drum haven’t see anyone caught a gar even though they’re always jumping. There’s better place though Edit: it’s full of trash fish guts dead baitfish all over fishing line and piss bottles it if was cleaned up and taken care of then it wouldn’t be to bad went for maybe 20 minutes and caught a small bass no playground and restrooms and no picnic area unless you want to sit...

Absolutely beautiful place to go. I took my wife their 3 days ago at 8:00 at night and she hates fishing and we stayed there till 3:00 in the morning and have the best time...