A sea of winding dirt roads, honking semi-trucks, and a beeping concrete crushing facility surround Goat Island Preserve. But local naturalist Amy Martin leads me into the trees. “We’re not in the road anymore,” she says. “Take a deep breath and notice how different it smells.” I did. Once I got past the waft of bug repellent, the air was fresh and light.
“You and I are going to have a much better week because we started it with this,” Martin says, gesturing to the surrounding preserve. This slice of wilderness is just 22 minutes south of downtown Dallas, one example of the amazing nature that can be found amid the concrete jungle of Dallas, she says.
It’s early June, and we’re here to wander the preserve, which is featured in Martin’s new book, Wild DFW. The perfect regional field guide, the book highlights the 25 best wilderness spots to explore in North Texas. Publishing July 11, the book recounts the history and ecology of the region, beyond the urban sprawl.
We continue down our path along the Trinity River Greenbelt, shaded by thick pecan trees and bur oaks, before stopping near the water. A little white egret flies by us, landing atop a rock in the middle of the rapids looking for lunch. The sound of water rushing over rocks lilts up the river embankment where Martin and I sit. Nearby, butterflies get drunk on the sap-filled trunk of a young tree, and spiders hide in their webs waiting for their next meal.
What is now a maze of skyscrapers, suburbs, and freeways used to be sprawling Blackland prairie and hardwood forest, says Martin. But tucked away in the corners of Dallas are preserves, like Goat Island, waiting to host your next adventure. “We’ve kind of come to see nature as something over there,” Martin says. “You go to Colorado, you go to these places, and we have this Cinderella nature right here.”
We spend the rest of our hike discussing the hidden gems in her book—wildlife preserves, nature reserves, family-friendly hiking trails, and all the critters you’re bound to meet.
5 Adventures to Try with You Family
Martin’s 25 adventures cover four North Texas counties: Collin, Dallas, Tarrant, and Denton. Out of those 25, here are our favorite five—each featuring a different ecosystem and varying difficulties for your next outing.
Spring Creek Forest Preserve
Easy to moderate
With a mix of paved and dirt trails, Spring Creek offers a great day trip for the family to explore an old-growth forest north of Garland. While hiking along Spring Creek, you might find signs of armadillos digging in the soil. Or, if you veer onto the dirt trails, you can hear robins and kinglets singing in the canopy of bois d’arcs and oaks.
1700 Holford Rd., Garland. 972-205-2750
Parkhill Prairie
Moderate
This 436-acre preserve of blackland prairie is surrounded by ranches, making it a perfect place to escape the noise of the city. The adventure here is small but mighty, offering only 1.5 miles of dirt trails. From the trails, you can safely spot Arkansas Yucca, milkweed, and Maximilian sunflowers. For a thrill, go off-roading to catch a glimpse of a cottontail or western rat snake in the waist high Indiangrass.
County Rd. 668, Blue Ridge. 972-548-3727
Goat Island Preserve
Moderate to challenging
Discover the history of the Trinity River at Dallas County’s second-largest preserve. Whether you’re hiking, biking, or fishing in this reclaimed hardwood forest, you can take a peek at the half-built lock and dam system built in the 1900s to channelize the Trinity. While you won’t find any goats roaming around Goat Island, it is one of the best birdwatching spots near Dallas, Martin says.
2800 Post Oak Rd., Hutchins. 214-653-6653
Clear Creek Natural Heritage Center
Moderate to challenging
The 2,900 acres of bottomland hardwoods and wetlands along the Elm Fork of the Trinity are home to all kinds of wildlife. While hiking the 10 miles of trails, a roll of armadillos may trod by in the bottomlands, or a beaver might scuttle past in the wetlands. The upper prairie trails are great for a family outing to spot wildflowers or woodpeckers, too.
3310 Collins Rd., Denton. 940-349-7275
Fort Worth Nature Center and Refuge
Easy to challenging
This 3,621-acre refuge is an entire day of fun with over 20 miles of trails. Canoes and kayaks float down the West Fork of the Trinity with American alligators. Hikers and bikers pass 200-year-old oak trees. For $6 per adult, $3 per child, and $1 per dog, there is room for everyone to discover their wild side.
9601 Fossil Ridge Rd., Fort Worth. 817-392-7410
Get Your Gear
When exploring the wilderness, it’s best to be prepared. Here are a few things Martin recommends you bring on your next adventure (besides the water, sunscreen, and bug spray).
- A Towel
- A Plastic Bag or Container
- Soapy and Clean Water
- A Change of Pants and Shoes
- Portable Charger
Not only is a towel important in case you have an up-close encounter with water, but it can also be used as a pillow in case of a heat stroke.
Martin recommends this for your hiking shoes in case they get muddy. A plastic bag doubles as a trash sack to keep the trails clean.
Dirt is well…dirty. Some soapy and clean water can help you clean up before you bring the outdoors indoors.
These are good to have on hand in case you find yourself covered in chiggers or poison ivy after your hike.
While you might have brought the family out to get away from technology, your phone is more valuable outdoors than you think. Not only can you map out your trails, but you can also download apps like INaturalist to track native species.
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