Spring Creek Forest Preserves an Older Garland Woods

Tucked into Garland along Spring Creek, the Lee F. Jackson Spring Creek Forest Preserve is 92.4 acres of heavy, old woods, the kind of forest that feels genuinely settled-in rather than recently planted. A one-mile paved trail makes an easy loop, with soft-surface trails branching off into the trees, plus a pavilion, restrooms, and parking.

It's the side of Garland the retail strips and subdivisions tend to hide: a real shaded creek forest hanging on in the middle of a built-up part of the county.

The entrance is on the east side of Holford Road, and that road is the thing to watch. When Spring Creek runs high, Holford can close, so a flooded approach is what's most likely to turn a visit around here.