Saunders Park has been compared to San Antonio’s Riverwalk, albeit much smaller and less well-known. Saunders Park must be sought out to discover it. The park is located along Marine Creek, south of East Exchange Avenue and between the buildings facing the east side of North Main Street and the west side of the Horse and Mule Barns in the Fort Worth Stockyards. Marine Creek flows beneath Exchange Avenue.
The approximately half-acre park has hike-and-bike trails.
With the assistance of federal funding, the creek bed was paved and the banks lined with field stone. Walkways and terraces form a stage overlooking the creek. The land for the park was acquired in 1977 and the improvements were completed in 1980 just in time for Pioneer Days. At the request of the North Fort Worth Historical Society, the half-acre park was named for T. B. Saunders, an early Fort Worth cattleman. Additional improvements were initiated in 1997.
The park lies within ancient Pleistocene and Holocene river terrace deposits. The deposits were laid down over the course of time through the meandering a streams. Sand, silt, clay and gravel with calcium carbonate (caliche) deposits are dominant.
The park soils are of the Frio series which constitutes slowly permeable calcareous loamy and clay alluvial deposits.
The park is a narrow linear park that follows Marine Creek through the Stockyards. The bank of the stream is rock-lined with a cement trail providing access to shops and venues at the Stockyards. Some wading aquatic birds and turtles may be spotted in Marine Creek.
View animal, plant and insect species observed at Saunders Greenbelt Park and make some of your own observations through iNaturalist. See link under the "Related information" Section.
Reserve this park on ActiveNet
2401 Mule Alley, Fort Worth 76164 View Map
2401 Mule Alley , Fort Worth 76164
Saunders Park Trail
Saunders Park Riverwalk Trail
Saunders Park in Stockyards
Saunders Park Sign
Saunders Park Trail in Fall
Saunders Park Trail with natural seating
Saunders Park Geology
Saunders Park Historic Sign