White Rock Creek

Intermittent in its upper reaches, the creek flows south, generally parallel to and between the Dallas North Tollway and Preston Road (State Highway 289).

Its upper stretch flows from Frisco east of Preston, crossing under the Sam Rayburn Tollway State Highway 121.

From Belt Line Road to White Rock Lake, the creek's lowland flood plain is a park and a popular bicycling and running venue for Dallas residents.

The creek (and the lake it feeds) takes its name from the weathered-white Austin Chalk which lines its bed and banks, thus revealing its place geologically within the Balcones Escarpment.

Wildlife includes river otter, mink, bobcats, coyotes, red fox, ducks, raccoons, skunks, opossum, armadillos, gray squirrels, mice, rats and eastern cottontails.

Forbs are encountered in the drier areas, whereas species more adapted to flooding are found where the banks are lower, such as cottonwood, black willow, American elm, sycamore, hackberry, chinquapin oak, and Texas buckeye.

Berry-producing trees along the creek include yaupon holly, cherry laurel, fruiting mulberry, rusty blackhaw, and American sweetgum.