Neighborhood guide

White Rock Lake area guide

Last updated October 26, 2026

White Rock Lake is East Dallas's big backyard. Dallas Park and Recreation describes a lake of about 1,015 acres (the whole park covers about 2,200 acres), about five miles northeast of downtown, circled by a 9.33-mile hike and bike trail. Homes in several neighborhoods sit near its shores, including Lakewood to the west and Casa Linda to the east.

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Why the lake is here #

Dallas built White Rock Lake for drinking water. The City's population more than doubled between 1900 and 1910, and a long drought hit the area from 1909 to 1912. In 1909, an engineer recommended damming White Rock Creek, and voters approved bonds to buy the land.

• Building the dam. Work began in 1910. The Texas Water Development Board says the dam was finished on June 24, 1911.
• Filling up. A Texas Historical Commission marker says the lake did not fill until April 1914.
• A city park. By 1926, Dallas had outgrown the lake as a water source. In 1929, the land around it became a city park.
• The CCC years. From 1935 to 1942, a Civilian Conservation Corps camp worked at the lake. The City says 11 historic CCC buildings and structures are still in use today.
• Still a backup. The lake is still kept as an emergency water supply.

In 2024, the Texas Recreation and Parks Society named White Rock Lake a Lone Star Legacy Park, its highest honor for a park.

Things to see and do #

• The loop trail. The 9.33-mile hike and bike trail circles the lake. The park is open from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m.
• Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden (8525 Garland Road). A 66-acre garden on the lake's southeast shore that opened in 1984. It includes the DeGolyer House, a Spanish Colonial Revival home built around 1940, and the 1938 Alex Camp House.
• Bath House Cultural Center (521 E. Lawther Drive). Built in 1930 as the lake's bath house, in the Art Deco style. It closed in 1953, when swimming ended. It reopened in 1981 as the first of four planned neighborhood cultural centers.
• Winfrey Point (950 E. Lawther Drive). A historic hilltop building that overlooks the lake and can be rented for events.
• Big Thicket (430 E. Lawther Drive). A small historic building in the trees, with a fireplace, also available to rent.
• White Rock Lake Dog Park (8000 Mockingbird Lane). Also called Mockingbird Point, it was the first dog park in the Dallas park system. It has a large-dog area, a small-dog area, and a spot where dogs can go in the water.
• Flag Pole Hill Park (8015 Doran Circle). A 107-acre park near the north end of the lake, with a playground, trails, and grills.
• On the water. The park has piers, boat ramps, and a kayak concession.
• The spillway. The dam's spillway sits at the southeast corner of the lake, near Garland Road and Winsted Drive.
• White Rock Pump Station (2900 White Rock Road). A Renaissance Revival building from 1911, built at the new dam. It is a Dallas landmark.

Trails that connect #

• White Rock Creek Trail. A 9.2-mile trail that runs north from the lake along the creek. It links several parks, including Flag Pole Hill and Harry S. Moss Park, and connects to the Cottonwood Creek Trail.
• Santa Fe Trail. A 4.7-mile trail on an old railroad line. It runs from near Deep Ellum and Exposition Park to the west side of the lake.

Homes near the lake #

Homes around the lake vary by street. Near the west shore, the newest section of the Lakewood Conservation District is mostly Tudor, Spanish Revival, French Eclectic, and Colonial Revival houses from the mid-1920s through the 1930s. To the east, the Casa Linda area was first laid out in the late 1930s, and some of its homes are in the Spanish Colonial Revival style.

Homes near lakes and creeks can be in mapped flood zones. You can look up any address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center. Texas law (Property Code section 92.0135) also requires a signed floodplain notice with residential leases of 30 days or more.

Getting around #

By train. Two Blue Line stations are near the north end of the lake:

• White Rock Station (7333 E. Northwest Highway, near West Lawther Drive). It has free parking for nearly 500 cars and connects with bus Route 20.
• Lake Highlands Station (9393 Whistle Stop Place), farther north near Walnut Hill Lane. Bus Routes 17 and 242 stop there.

By bus.

• Route 20 (Northwest Highway) runs along the north side of the lake. On weekdays it comes about every 20 minutes.
• Route 214 (Lindsley) runs along Garland Road on the southeast side, past the Arboretum.

No DART bus stops on Lawther Drive, the road that circles the lake. Buses stop on nearby Garland Road and Northwest Highway.

Routes and schedules change. Check dart.org or the GoPass app before you ride. See our neighborhoods page for fare basics.

By car. Garland Road runs along the southeast side, Northwest Highway along the north, and Mockingbird Lane reaches the northwest side. Lawther Drive circles the lake.

Schools #

Schools are assigned by address. To see the Dallas ISD schools for a home, enter its address in the Dallas ISD School Finder. Dallas ISD suggests calling the school to confirm before you enroll.

Homes for rent near White Rock Lake #

Browse the homes for rent. Each home's page shows its neighborhood, its rent and terms, and whether it is a lease or a short stay. Questions? Ask on the home's page, or contact us.

Photo: "An old house in Old East Dallas" by Matthew T Rader, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped; this version is licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Photo: "Swiss Miss" by Matthew Rutledge, CC BY 2.0, via Flickr. Cropped; yard sign and curb number removed. All photo credits