Kiest Park has endured through the ups and downs of Oak Cliff. In 2017, it was recognized as a Lone Star Legacy Park, indicating its special prominence and historic legacy.

Families with children living in Kiest Park enjoy the Dallas Independent School District, which scores a B on Niche and offers robust school choice through Innovation schools that adjust their attendance boundaries and Transformation schools that offer specialized academic programming. You’ll be glad you read this!

Amenities

Kiest Park is a paw-some outing for you and your furry friend in the city of Dallas. The trails are paved and dog-friendly, and the park offers outdoor restrooms and drinking fountains.

In 2017 Kiest Park was designated a Lone Star Legacy Park by the Texas Recreation and Parks Society, recognizing the park for its distinctive design, historic significance, and unique natural features.

It is also a great place to enjoy sports. The park houses 16 hard tennis courts, a baseball field, a soccer complex, and volleyball courts. It also has a pro shop, recreation center, and stone field house.

Students in the neighborhood attend Moreno STEAM Academy, Holmes Middle School, and Kimball High School. They are part of the Dallas Independent School District, which scores a B on Niche and offers robust school choices with innovative schools that adapt to the community while maintaining attendance boundaries, and transformation schools that offer specialized academic programming with no attendance boundaries.

Trails

Kiest Park trails are pleasant, easy walking through a surprisingly varied landscape. Dogs are allowed on the trails as long as they are leashed.

The 2.8-mile loop trail runs through the entire park and connects playgrounds, athletic fields, formal gardens, natural areas, and a recreation center. It is moderately trafficked and is good for all skill levels.

Located within the old-growth forest of the Kiest Park Conservation Area, the trail features a natural footing and is a great place to explore the wildlife of Dallas. This trail is accessible year-round and offers a beautiful scenic experience.

In 2009, the Friends of Oak Cliff Parks received a Loving My Community Grant to clear the entrances to the southern portion of Keist Park and open the main trail, put benches and bilingual signage on it. This was a large volunteer effort and involved many organizations and companies such as Century Air Conditioning, Sunset High School Key Club, North Dallas Adventist Academy, Lassiter High School Honor Society, Active Network, and neighborhood associations. Here is another spot to visit.

Picnic Areas

The paved paths at Kiest Park are great for walking or biking, and there are lots of picnic areas. The trails are also dog-friendly.

The park was donated to the city by Edwin J. Kiest, publisher of the Dallas Times Herald, in memory of his wife. It includes two acres of formal gardens. During the Depression, the Works Progress Administration built a series of stone structures including a pavilion, a field house, a pergola, and a 350-foot water rill.

Today the park thrives. The paved trails are busy with walkers and runners, the playground is a magnet for happy kids and the ball fields are packed on weekends and evenings. In 2017 it was named a Lone Star Legacy Park by the Texas Recreation and Park Society, an honor given to parks that hold special prominence in their communities. The Friends of Oak Cliff Parks are continuing to improve the park. In 2018, the formal rose beds were replaced with a variety of perennials including cestrum, heucherella, and salvia along with pollinator species.

Sports Facilities

Kiest Park is the largest City of Dallas park in Oak Cliff and a center of activity. It has a walking trail, tennis courts, basketball and volleyball courts, and a multi-purpose recreation center. In addition, there are baseball, softball, and soccer fields, a playground, and a picnic area. It is also home to several Works Progress Administration-era structures, including stone gates at three entrances and a historic water mill in the formal gardens.

A 2.8-mile loop, the Kiest Park Trail is great for stretching your legs. It is paved and dog-friendly. Weekends and evenings can be crowded with runners and walkers, but the park is well-maintained and has plenty of parking.

The neighborhood is served by the Dallas Independent School District, which scores a B on Niche. Students attend Moreno STEAM Academy, Brashear Elementary, Holmes Middle School, and Kimball High School. This area has more people living with Mexican ancestry than nearly any other neighborhood in America. Click here for the next blog post.

 

 

Driving directions from TJ’s Professional Painting to Kiest Park

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