New ways available to see Tyler Azalea and Spring Flower Trail this year

TYLER, Texas (KLTV) - An annual Tyler tradition is nearing, and this year there will be new ways for visitors to Tyler’s Azalea and Spring Flower Trail to make the most of their visit.

The trail started in 1929 when the first azaleas were planted in the Lindsey Lane area of Tyler. 31 years later, in 1960, the first marked tour routes were established to help guide visitors to the most beautiful flower displays.

Other neighbors soon followed, and now the area is well-known for its springtime tradition which draws more than 100,000 visitors from around the country each spring to see the ten miles of flower trails.

This year there will be new ways to travel along the trail.

Susan Travis, Vice President of Tourism and Servicing for Visit Tyler, shared details about what visitors can expect.

“We have not had, in many years, horse and carriage rides,” she noted, but these rides will be available for the three weekends of the trails to take visitors through the area. She said they’ll probably be leaving from Bergfeld Park.

Another option will be electric bikes.

“It’s called Ride Tyler; they’re electric bikes so they’re powered, and they’re fun,” she said, noting guided and self-guided tours will be available for visitors on the trail and in downtown Tyler.

“So those are new things that are happening that we haven’t had in the past. I’m really excited about that because a lot of people, they don’t want to drive the car through the trail. They want to do it a different way,” Travis said.

The azaleas are not the only flowers on the trail, of course. There are tulips, daffodils, and blooming trees, such as redbuds, white and pink dogwoods, and Japanese maples.

For more information on where and when the events take place, visit the Tyler Azalea and Spring Flower Trails website.

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