Parks

Sandy Lane Neighborhood Park

Dedication

1967

Size

28.7 acres

Additional amenities

Backstop
Basketball court
Bench
Bleachers
Drinking fountain
Electrical box
Grill
Park lighting
Parking lot
Playground area
Restroom
Soccer field
Softball/baseball field
Stand alone swing
Table
Tennis court
Trash receptacle

Fun facts

Sandy Lane Park was acquired in 1967 and contains 28.7 acres. In 2000, Teague, Nail and Perkins, Inc. executed design and construction documents for creek channel improvements, erosion repair, and ball field improvements. Other improvements occurred with funding from the 2014 bond program. They included a new playground, basketball goals, tennis court nets, benches, picnic tables, and a paved trail that loops through the park. These amenities were dedicated on March 4, 2017.

Recreation

A 0.4 mile cement loop trail circles the tennis courts and playground. Beyond the playground is a baseball diamond. There's nearly 15 acres of park that remain in a natural state.

Geology

The geology of the park is entirely within the Woodbine Formation, of the late Cretaceous (95 million years ago). Long ago, the sediment eroded from Paleozoic rocks of the Ouachita Mountains and deposited in near shore environments along the margins of the eventual subsidence of the basin towards what is today the Gulf of Mexico.

Soils

The soils along Cottonwood Creek are the Pulexas series consists of very deep well drained, moderately rapidly permeable soils formed in stratified loamy alluvium found along floodplains. Crosstell series soil is in the wooded natural area of the park and consists of deep, moderately well drained, very slowly permeable soils that formed in clayey residuum derived from claystone. It lies within the Eastern Cross Timbers ecosystem and has post oaks growing in soils that post oaks don't typically grow in (sandy iron-rich soils). The soils at the baseball diamond are of the Gasil series, which consists of very deep, well drained, moderately permeable soils formed in deeply weathered loamy residuum derived from sandstones typically found on sloping uplands. The front portion of the park is on Crosstell series soils of deep, moderately well drained, very slowly permeable soils that formed in clayey residuum derived from claystone. These nearly level to strongly sloping soils are on shoulders and backslopes of ridges on hills.

Ecology

The park lies within the Eastern Cross Timbers ecosystem. The east, back end of the park remains in a natural state with some post oaks and native understory. Cottonwood Creek runs along the southern border of the park. Cottonwood Creek flows into Village Creek, into the West Fork of the Trinity River. Due to the adjacent woodlands and stream, there is an abundance of wildlife. The stream acts as a travel corridor for mammals. Bird such as spotted towhee, ruby-crowned kinglet, yellow-rumped warbler, white-throated sparrow, great crested flycatcher, song sparrow, Mississippi kite, and several species of woodpecker can be found at the park. An impressive diversity of dragonflies and damselflies can be found at the park including Aztec dancer, desert firetail, blue dasher, powdered dancer, dusky dancer, great spreadwing, and Autumn meadowhawk. Butterflies include gulf fritillary and fiery skipper. Check out the park's iNaturalist page to see the abundant diversity of lesser-known insects.

View animal, plant and insect species observed at Sandy Lane Neighborhood Park and make some of your own observations through iNaturalist. See link under the "Related information" Section.

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