Fort Worth Nature Center & Refuge

Come Explore Nature

What makes it fun

The ultimate nature-filled date experience can be found at the Fort Worth Nature Center & Refuge. The Fort Worth Nature Center & Refuge is a great escape into nature with its scenic hiking trails, natural wildlife, and serene lakeside spots that are perfect for a picnic with your sweetheart. Enjoy a leisurely walk on the wooded trails or unwind while paddling the peaceful waters in a canoe. Don't miss the opportunity to check out the majestic bison.

Google Reviews

4.7

Based on 1662 reviews

Amy Dondalski

20:24 27 Jul 24

We had a friendly gate attendant who greeted us. Based on reviews, I thought it was cash only, but she informed us that they definitely accept cards. Don't fret if you don't have cash.

We walked around with three adults and a two year old. We braved a path with a jogging stroller, and my toddler walked for a bit. It was steep, just as the description said, so I don't recommend bringing a stroller unless you are sticking to the road and the boardwalk path. I decided to go for it anyway.

The bathrooms in the refuge center were clean, cool AC, and a small gift shop along with very cool animal exhibits. I loved the turtles and the hawks the most.

We took a little sidewalk circle path to the left upon exiting the center (10 minute path, maybe) and saw 4 creatures back to back! First was a bunny, a lizard, and then a writing spider and two walking stick insects. The next creature we saw after that was a fawn and its mom upon exiting the park. Unfortunately, we did not see any bison like the pictures. Maybe we will try again in the fall!

We had a great adventure here and really enjoyed spending time in nature. It was peaceful to be among the big trees and away from crowds.

Chibbs.E

21:08 25 Jul 24

Jason Brown

23:47 23 Jul 24

Alyssa Michelle Smith

23:35 22 Jul 24

One of my favorite places to hike and walk in DFW. It's so peaceful and a variety of things to do and see!

Roger Smith

17:06 21 Jul 24

Great place to kayak or take a day hike.

Alexandro Garcia

12:38 16 Apr 24

Great find! My wife and I hiked almost every trail. Didn’t see the bison but we saw and heard a lot of other wildlife and native plants. The visitor center staff was very friendly and knowledgeable about the park.

Rebecca Metcalf

14:03 12 Mar 24

I had a great day there with my dog. They need more trash cans. They charge $1/dog but don't have poop bins. I enjoyed the lake and how green it was in March. I didn't see any bison from the road.

Aditya Mishra

02:43 04 Feb 24

There is a small island which is beautiful. No bison in winter though. Small museum with snakes and toads. Great for kayaking but no fishing. Too many hiking places. Not a lot of picnic area or restrooms.

Donny Hacker

19:08 14 Nov 23

Really nice refuge and nature center. I didn't see any buffalo, but I saw plenty of deer and other wildlife. Definitely worth a stop if you are in the area.

Kristina H

01:55 04 Jul 23

We had such a great morning hiking the trails! It was super humid though, I would recommend bringing a towel for your neck/handheld fan and lots of water. I really felt for the lady at the gate taking payment, she was very snippy but I could tell she was hot. I didn’t have extra water bottles or something to offer. Please just be kind to her, she’s got a rough job on these scorcher days.

The visitors center is cooled, there are animals and exhibits inside. When we visited today, there were snakes, a scorpion, tarantula, toad, hawk, owl and a few other animals. My kiddos LOVED it! We ended up taking a hiking trail down to the paddle boat dock and saw a deer and bison when we were driving out! So interesting. We plan on coming back and exploring a different section of the trails :)