Fort Worth is one of my favorite cities in Texas. It’s a little more country than its neighbor, Dallas, and about 10x more laid back. It is a city though, so most people think any hint of hiking would have to be done in a city park or outside the area. As luck may have it, there’s an amazing little Nature Oasis full of hidden hiking in Fort Worth, Texas.

Just north west of the city itself sits the Fort Worth Nature Center & Refuge.
A nature preserve with 3,000 acres and most important, 20 miles of hiking trails.
With tons of trails through the woods, fields, along a marsh or the river, plus a ton of animals… there’s a little something for every hiker or skill level.

PARK DETAILS

Admission fee: Adults 13 and over $5. Kids, seniors, military all cheaper.
Trail Name: 12 or so different trails.
Trailhead Address: 9601 Fossil Ridge Rd, Ft Worth TX
Trail Length: Ranging from .21 miles to over 3 miles. (you can string them together for length, though)
Difficulty: Easy to moderate. Plenty of flat walks, while some have steps or elevation.
Elevation Gain: Not particularly enough to note.
Dogs: allowed on trails.
Restrooms: Yes. There is a visitors center with restrooms.
Parking: Multiple parking lots throughout.
Visited: April 2019

Since this was my first time at the Nature Center, I wanted to see as much of it as I could fit into half a day. I skipped the longer trails (they are on my list for next time) and opted for multiple shorter trails to cover more distance.

Caprock Trail. This one is a MUST! Gorgeous views from up there and automatically gets you right into the woods. To repeat, DO THIS ONE lol.

Limestone Ledge trail. Short paved trail. This one is also stroller and wheelchair accessible.

A small portion of the Prairie trail. Ehhh it was just walking through a field. I would have skipped this one if I had to do it all over again.

Marsh Boardwalk. Short. Paved to wood. Stroller and wheelchair accessible. Pretty view over the water.

Part of the Greer Island trail. We crossed over to the island and saw some of the structures around there. This was the last piece hiked and we were running short on time so it was cut short.

The next time, I hope to do the longer Crosstimbers trail, Riverbottom, or Canyon Ridge.

Outside the visitors center they keep a few birds you’ll see along your walk to the Caprock trail. There are Prairie Dogs. Bison as well, but sadly I didn’t get to see any on this trip.

Someone thought that they were hilarious with the graffiti. I usually roll my eyes and bitch about people not keeping things the way they’re intended… but, even I thought this one was a little funny.

Once you’ve hit your exploration limit, it’s time to head into Fort Worth proper to find a beer. Since this hidden nature oasis is right IN Fort Worth, it’s no trouble hopping right down to the city center.

CRAFT BEER STOP

Your number one stop should be Martin House (about a half hour drive from the Nature Center)

ALWAYS Martin House!

There is something here for everyone. Whether you want a light easy drinking beer, something sweet and sour, a heavily flavored barrel aged goodie… or something completely crazy like a pickle juice beer, this is the place to go.

They have a decent size taproom with plenty of tables and couches… but outside is where the magic happens! The building is situated right along Trinity River. If you hang out until sunset, you get to see the sun setting over the river and city. There is a HUGE outdoor hang out area where I’ve seen people bring footballs, frisbees, or just chill with their dogs.

Once you’ve had your fill there, another favorite area of mine is Magnolia Street.
You can urban hike yourself all up and down the street seeing all the little shops!!

I have been to Cane Rosso for dinner (multiple locations) and recommend it. Spiral diner is a fun and funky place to grab a meal. You can’t leave without getting ice cream at Melt. Brewed does a brunch that’s amazing. There is even a vinyl shop if you collect records.

The coolest little place I came across though? A freakin AIRSTREAM turned into a plant shop!!! “Grow” was the coolest use of a camper turned to store I’ve ever seen. How gorgeous is this place?!

Here is where I mention what I would avoid. We stopped into Fort Brewery for pizza and a beer. The service wasn’t great, the bartender wanted nothing to do with us, and we couldn’t even get a second round of beer (even after I wayyy over-tipped on the first round, he just never came back). It seems to have good reviews, but my experience there was lacking.

As for other breweries though, if you didn’t get your fill at Martin House… I’d recommend both Hop Fusion and Panther Island.
If you’re drinking or hiking your way through Texas, here are a few other stops I’ve loved.

I’ll end this with a slightly sad note. I loved visiting Collective Brewing Project. These guys were known for their crazy funky stuff. Lots of wild fermented sours with weird cool flavors. On my last trip there, I brought home a bottle of a Ramen noodle beer. RAMEN NOODLE haha.
This place has since closed down. Enjoy the last photo I took of this nice looking flight of beer.

Have you been to Fort Worth? Where’s your favorite stop? Hop over to Instagram and let me know!