How to Spend 4 Hours in Dallas: Vintage Trolley Rides and the Katy Trail
Updated October 6, 2026
Four hours in Dallas is enough to ride a free vintage trolley from downtown into Uptown, walk a shaded stretch of the Katy Trail and end with a cold drink on the patio at the Katy Trail Ice House.
Uptown sits just north of downtown, on the other side of Klyde Warren Park, and two slow ways of getting around meet there. The free M-Line runs restored vintage streetcars up McKinney Avenue past restaurants and apartment towers, and the oldest dates from the early 1900s. A few blocks west, the Katy Trail follows the bed of the old Missouri Kansas Texas railroad for about three and a half miles, and on a nice afternoon it fills with walkers, runners and dogs. Ride north to the stop at McKinney Avenue and Hall Street, walk about 400 m west on Hall Street to where the trail crosses it, and take the path up to the trail. The Ice House is about 0.8 km south along the trail, so wander north first if you want a longer walk, then come back and stop for a drink at the beer garden that grew up beside it. From there, the trolley line on McKinney Avenue is a few blocks east for the ride back downtown, and it runs every day.
Navi is a text-based AI assistant that helps you keep your trip on track
- Text this plan to Navi with the button on this page.
- Tell Navi your flights, or the day and time you start.
- Navi fits the stops to your real times and texts you when it is time to move on.
The 4 hour plan, stop by stop
Stops and travel: 2 hr 25 min to 3 hr 5 min of 4 hours
The McKinney Avenue Transit Authority began running the M-Line in 1989 with restored streetcars rather than replicas, and several have names, such as Rosie, Matilda and the Green Dragon. Board near St. Paul Station downtown and ride north through the Arts District and up McKinney Avenue into Uptown. Riding is free, though the nonprofit welcomes donations, and cars run daily, morning to late evening.
Tip: Cars come about every 17 to 20 minutes, so check the Live Trolley Tracker on the M-Line website before you walk to a stop. Wave as the car approaches, because operators may pass riders who are looking at their phones.
- Time here
- 30 to 40 min
- Website
- mata.org
NaviTime to head out from M-Line McKinney Avenue Trolley for Katy Trail. It's a 14 minute walk if you leave now. Here's the link
The Katy Trail follows the old Missouri Kansas Texas railroad bed through Uptown and beyond, about three and a half miles of paved path with a softer running track beside it in places. Union Pacific donated the abandoned line to the city in 1993, and a nonprofit friends group now builds and cares for it. Big trees shade much of the route, and its bridges look down on busy streets.
Tip: Walkers keep to the concrete path and runners often use the softer track alongside. Stay right and listen for cyclists.
- Time here
- 50 min to 1 hr 5 min
- Website
- katytraildallas.org
NaviTime to head out from Katy Trail for Katy Trail Ice House. It's a 1 minute walk if you leave now. Here's the link
This beer garden sits right on the trail at Routh Street, with a big patio of picnic tables, about 50 beers on tap and a menu of burgers, tacos and salads. Smoked barbecue joins the menu from Thursday to Sunday. Walkers, runners and dog owners stop here straight from the path, so the crowd is casual. It opens daily from late morning, and on warm evenings and weekends the patio fills fast.
Tip: Visit from Thursday to Sunday if you want the smoked barbecue. On a packed weekend afternoon, expect to share a long picnic table.
- Time here
- 50 min to 1 hr 5 min
- Website
- katyicehouse.com
Text Navi for navigation assistance
Navi can help you plan trips, monitor traffic and weather in real time, and get you from place to place on time. There's no app to download, just a number to text. There are many other everyday use cases for Navi that you can check on textnavi.com. The team has spent several months building Navi and we're excited to be launching in public beta. Please send any feedback you may have to feedback@textnavi.com.
Want Navi to run this plan for you?
More guides for Dallas
3 hoursHow to Spend 3 Hours in Dallas: Dealey Plaza, Longhorns and a Chapel
Three hours in downtown Dallas is enough for a free walking loop of three well known outdoor sites. Stand in Dealey Plaza, follow a bronze cattle drive down a hillside and step into a spiral chapel of stained glass.
6 hoursHow to Spend 6 Hours in Dallas: Streetcar to Bishop Arts and Lake Cliff
Six hours in Dallas is enough to cross the Trinity River by streetcar to Oak Cliff. Eat brisket in Bishop Arts, browse its shops and galleries and have pie, then walk to a historic lakeside park.
8 hoursHow to Spend 8 Hours in Dallas: The Arboretum and White Rock Lake
Eight hours in Dallas is enough for a full day outdoors in East Dallas. Spend a long stretch in the gardens of the Dallas Arboretum, walk the shore of White Rock Lake from Winfrey Point and finish with pizza at Cane Rosso.
6 hoursHow to Spend a 6 Hour Layover in Dallas: Love Field to Frontiers of Flight
A 6 hour layover at Dallas Love Field fits a visit to the Frontiers of Flight Museum on the edge of the airfield. Then sit down for Texas home cooking at Celebration, a Lovers Lane mainstay since 1971.
8 hoursHow to Spend an 8 Hour Layover in Dallas: Love Field to Deep Ellum
An 8 hour layover at Dallas Love Field leaves time to reach Deep Ellum by bus and train. Walk the old brick storefronts along Elm Street, where blues musicians once played, and eat Texas barbecue at Pecan Lodge.
6 hoursHow to Spend a 6 Hour Layover in Dallas: DFW to Grapevine by Train
A 6 hour layover at DFW is a tight fit for downtown Dallas, but Grapevine is one short TEXRail ride from Terminal B. Ride up the station's observation tower, eat in a food hall and taste Texas wine on a historic Main Street.