Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
the stop sign turn right into the nature center entrance. Stop by the gatehouse to pay the
entrance fee and obtain a day pass and a trail map. Follow Shoreline Drive all the way
to the end. The trailhead is by the parking lot. GPS: N32 59.955' / W97 29.395'
The Hike
The Fort Worth Nature Center combines three major ecosystems—the Fort Worth or Grand Prairie, the
Western Cross Timbers, and the wetlands along the West Fork of the Trinity River. The park's most
famous residents, celebrated each spring with the annual Buffalo Boogie race, are its herd of bison,
easily viewable from several spots along the park's main drive—the aptly named Buffalo Road. The
park's Hardwicke Interpretive Center contains educational exhibits on the park's ecosystems and
provides the park's only bathrooms. It's open 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday and
noon to 4:30 p.m. on Sunday. Portable toilets are placed around major parking areas, but water foun-
tains aren't, so be sure to pack plenty of liquids before heading out.
Free trail maps are available at the main entrance gatehouse. It's worth pulling over to peruse the
varied choices among the center's more than 20 miles of trails. The Canyon Ridge Trail, the most chal-
lenging, connects a series of ridges in an up-and-down 3.25-mile trek. The 1.5-mile Greer Island Trail
travels over a narrow levee to the small island in the middle of Lake Worth, and the 1.13-mile Prairie
Trail leads to the park's prairie dog town.
The hike described here combines three of the park's trails—the Marsh Boardwalk, Riverbottom,
and Forked Tail Creek Trails—for a 1.8-mile trek. From the parking lot at the end of Shoreline Drive,
the trailhead is by a picnic table and two portable toilets.
Look for the path leading to the Trinity River and down to a boardwalk. Here the trail goes over a
large marsh and, depending on water levels, it's possible to view animal tracks on the sandy shoreline.
The boardwalk loops over the water and provides a great viewing spot for birds, including the occa-
sional hawk. Where the boardwalk meets the shore, veer left onto the Shoreline Trail and continue
along the river as the trail winds alongside Shoreline Drive. When the trail crosses the road, stay
straight and enter the woods.
The trail splits just inside the forest. Bear right to get on Forked Tail Creek Trail as it moves deeper
into the woods and the path becomes a boardwalk above the mucky soil. The trail surface alternates
between packed dirt and boardwalk, and a small stream joins up with the trail. This part of the trail is
not as well marked, so be careful to look for signs to make sure you haven't wandered off-trail.
The Forked Tail Creek Trail eventually loops back to join the Riverbottom Trail. Turn left at this
junction. The trail makes a right-angle turn and returns to the intersection with Shoreline Drive, where
you can return along with river—this time on the right side—back to the parking lot.
