Patrioticpatriot1
We visit every year for a dinner that is sponsored by my husbands company. This place is beautiful and the owner is a delightful person. Love this place and they have my full support.
840RobertN
Connemara Conservancy offers regularly-scheduled birding walks, wildflower walks, nature hikes, and other outdoor activities. The conservancy was created through the donation of a family farm for preservation. The park features open fields with wildflower and riparian woodlands. Though members can obtain park access year-round, the best thing for visitors to do is to check the park website for the scheduled walks and events. They happen most weekends. I really enjoy Connemara, which is a taste of rural Texas placed between suburbs Allen and Plano.I go from time to time for the free bird walks held on a Saturday or Sunday morning the first weekend of most months. The birding is good, the guides are excellent, and the spirit is very friendly to long-time and new birder alike.
12Coffee
A nice patch of nature in suburban Allen/Plano.If you're a member of Connemara Conservancy, you will given a gate code and you can visit the area at anytime. For public, you can only enter it when they have open house or certain events, I.e. bird walk or astronomical walk. A tranquil walk during the morning time.You can cover the whole patch in less than an hour. They have a nice meadow and pool. Beware of chiggers. :)
PhotoTripper_10
This is a nice natural area on the southeast corner of Alma and Bethany RD. You can access it from the Alma side if the gate is open. The best time of the year to enjoy this park is in the Spring when the wildflowers are in bloom. There are two wildflower walks held on weekend around that time too. It's also a good place for local birding. There is a bird walk usually held on the first Saturday or Sunday of each month at 8 am (but verify this before you go). It's geared toward beginners but even regular birders would enjoy it. Most of the area is natural with a walkway and paths--except for one area that faces a large residential area. Also, there are no bathroom facilities.
GP594
This is a several acre nature preserve with a few short dirt trails, a stream, and prairie land. Many neighborhood locals have used it as a place to allow their dogs to run free (and go to the bathroom). Don't let that scare you, however --- I've never stepped in feces or even felt like I had to watch out for it. It closed for a year or two to allow the natural ecosystem to recover, and it recently re-opened.I give it a rating of 3 because it has no facilities. It is literally intended to serve animals and plants, and it is excellent for that purpose. It is not really intended to serve people. A 15-minute walk across it is about all there is to do.