Fort Worth Nature Center Protects Lake Worth Shoreline and Prairie

On the northwest edge of Fort Worth, where the West Fork of the Trinity River meets the north end of Lake Worth, the city set aside 3,621 acres as the Fort Worth Nature Center and Refuge. It is one of the largest city-owned nature preserves in the country, and the U.S. Department of the Interior named it a National Natural Landmark in 1980.

About 20 miles of natural-surface trails wind through forest, prairie, and wetland, and a quarter-mile boardwalk crosses a backwater marsh of the Trinity. The refuge keeps a small bison herd and an active prairie dog town, so this is a different kind of Fort Worth park — less ballfields and playgrounds, more quiet trails, water, and wildlife.

Naturalists at the Hardwicke Interpretive Center lead guided hikes and classes. Check the Nature Center and city pages for hours, the entrance fee, trail status, and program details before you go.