What a great way to spend a day! Just an hour and a half outside of Dallas, you can immerse…read moreyourself in the time when dinosaurs ruled the earth! There's actual dinosaur tracks preserved in the rock at Dinosaur Valley State Park, and that just adds even more fun to the experience! We went for the day and the entrance fee was $8 per adult. They accept cards and cash at the Ranger Station. Prior to arriving I tried to buy tickets online, but I kept only seeing tickets for overnight camping. Nonetheless, we were still able to pay at the entrance and we were even able to get out and use the restroom facilities at the entrance. Once you pay your entrance fee, a ranger will give you a trail map. There is ample parking inside the park, so there are lots of possibilities on where to start your adventure. We started on the Pawluxy River trail and crossed over to the main track site where the dinosaur prints are very clear. The river crossing has slightly protruding rocks that you have to navigate on foot to get across the river. I wore hiking boots and I think this was ideal for the environment. From there we switched to the overlook trail where the elevation is 850 ft, so you get a great view of the whole Pawluxy River Valley. From there we descended to the Black-capped Vireo Trail, then crossed the Pawluxy River to make our way back to our car. While there's endless combinations of hikes you can take, ours took about 3 hours. Along the way there were lots of people. Mostly gathered at the river and at the tracks. The rest of the trails were actually very quiet and peaceful. In addition to hiking, there are other points of interest. There are dinosaur models, a swimming hole and of course multiple dinosaur track sites. Overall, Dinosaur Valley is a great state park with something for everyone!

What a great park! We crossed the river and played where dinosaurs once walked!…read more The water was a fair depth and cool but not too cold and not too high. The footprints are easy to spot and so cool along with the gently cascading falls of the river as it rolls along the path. We enjoyed the big "mascots Dino near the gift shop and the gift store,

Merry Christmas! Didn't want to waste the day by staying secluded at the apartment all day. I…read morewanted to go hiking and to enjoy a cigar next to a campfire. All accomplished...woohoo! The only drawback is I had to rent a campsite for the day in order to get a fire blazing. Kind of sucked since I wasn't planning on spending the night. Oh well! It was all still worth it as I supported nature and TPWD. The hiking trails were challenging and invigorating. Thankfully they were also very clearly marked. They were a challenge with all the natural rock and rock cliffs. Penitentiary Hollow was the main attraction of the hike. Wow, Lake Mineral Wells rocks with awesomeness! Please camp here!

Really pretty lake. Had a picnic lunch played some Frisbee. Watched several folks successfully…read morefishing. Nice slot canyon walk/climb at Penitentiary Hollow. I am older and have less than great knees so I sat out the trip down into the canyons. But the views at the top were breathtaking. The family had a great trip.

I'm going to agree with Annie N. and say calling it a hike is a stretch, but calling it a walk…read morewould be 100% accurate. It is a multi-use sidewalk, so you do have to watch for bikes, and hope they are watching for you. There are several things to see a long the way, most notably a skate park ( https://www.granbury.org/749/Granbury-Skate-Park ), a Frisbee golf course ( https://www.granbury.org/746/Disc-Golf-Course ), a dog park ( https://www.yelp.com/biz/granbury-bark-park-granbury ), a play area for children, and a memorial for Granbury's military and first responders ( https://www.granbury.org/931/Memorial-Lane-Jim-Burks-Firefighters-Mem ). It's not very long "hike", but does make for a nice walk. Especially if you just had a big meal on the square. The water features in Shanley Park ( https://www.granbury.org/740/Shanley-Park ) are especially nice. Bottom line: If you've got some "time", do check it out. PS. Next time I do, I'll add to the pictures. Had no idea there was a Yelp! page.

The city of Granbury does such a phenomenal job of ensuring that both local citizens and tourists…read morehave clean and well maintained attractions. This walking and bike trail is no different because you can easily take a stroll and see the lake or turn this into a very serious exercise trail to burn up the miles both on foot or bike. I walked the majority of this and was shocked at how long these trails actually are and how nice and well-maintained they are.

Is it Colorado? No, but these are some of the best trails for a "hike" you will find close to…read moreDallas. It's a great place to go for a walk in the woods with some elevation change up hills (don't expect mountains) that will provide some challenge without being defeating for those of any ability level. There are some pretty views, and you get the feeling of being out in nature and more connected with the earth. It's pretty crowded; on a Sunday at 8, I had to wait in a line to get in. Go early to secure a parking spot. They let people in as others leave, so the whole time you're there expect to see plenty of others out on the trail. No issues with bugs on March day. I especially love Cedar Ridge for trail running because it's challenging and perfect for training without destroying your legs. This is a hot spot for trail runners for sure. Definitely a must see for nature lovers in the DFW area. Temper your expectations if you've hiked out of state, but just remember it's really nice relative to more limited opportunities to "get outside" (in the words of REI) we have in this region.

Came here with my boyfriend, since the weather's been so nice. We had to wait for a few minutes to…read moreenter the park, since they let the same amount of people go in as those exiting. It's so nice to be surrounded by nature and to see such great views. Make sure to wear comfortable shoes and maybe bring a hiking stick if you have an issue with balance, since there are lots of uneven paths and steps. Overall, it was a really nice park and we walked the entire area. Will definitely visit again!

Except for the previous two years, I usually come here every New Year's Day for the First Day Hike…read more It was incredible, as usual! Angela Bright was the Ranger for the more challenging hike versus the other more moderate hike. There was a story-telling hike afterwards, but I ran out of steam. The pace of the hike was fairly easy-going; however, there plenty of ups and downs on the hiking path. On my way out to go home, I shopped at the park store. If you live in the area, please become a patron of this particular park.

A pretty nice State Park. We stayed three days and did some hiking and mountain bike riding both of…read morewhich were very nice. Trails are well groomed and well easy to follow. Some of the sites are a little bit small for larger campers with overhanging limbs that can actually damage your air conditioning, so be careful when backing in. Overall, we had a good short three day vacation at the State Park and Wood return again.

Nice park with boat dock, playground, play area and easy access to the City Beach and Moments in…read moreTime hike/bike trail. Also a few restaurants nearby too. If there's an event at the beach, this is a good parking option. There's also a running group group that meets here on the weekends. The name is "Running Bear Running Club" You can find it on Facebook, or https://runningbearrunclub.info/ Bottom line: There's also a restroom here!

The was the first playground we visited. Daughter needs her play time! Hewlett Park has a decent…read moreplayground sheltered by a large, sun-blocking tarp. Mush needed to keep the kids and parent cool. This park came up as the first listed by Yelp but I'd highly recommend the Grandbury City Park over this one.

Benbrook Lake is an artificial lake in the Trinity River basin ten miles south of Fort Worth. It's…read moreabsolutely beautiful!! There are six public parks located within the forty miles of shoreline. Each one offers something different, like picnic areas, camping, boating, fishing, and swimming. This was our last stop for our 2022 Challenge! We went out for a Christmas Day hike after all the festivities and decided to explore the Benbrook Lake Horse and Nature Trails near Whiskey Flats. We saw the remnants of several old stone buildings, including a huge double chimney. Bald Eagles are known to nest in this area, but we didn't spot any this time.. We will definitely go back and explore more of that area.

Great place for fishing. Loved going out to this lake. People at the marina were so friendly too…read more Great place for fishing. Loved going out to this lake. People at the marina were so friendly too.

Best day ever Sunny n sound weather wooow great place to hike we had real fun we loved it n scared…read morewe will loose our way whoa wild

This is one of my favorite trails to visit, especially during the Texas heat because the area is…read morevery well shaded. I always bring my dogs here, and they absolutely love it. The last few times I visited during weekends or holidays, it was pretty crowded with teenagers running around and a lot more activity. But this time it was quiet and you could hear the birds, so peaceful. Everyone around the trail was very respectful. There were people cycling, walking their dogs, hiking, and just enjoying the outdoors. I also love that there are different trail options depending on how long or challenging you want your walk to be. There's a nice mix of uphill and downhill sections, which makes it even better. Plus, the nearby dam area is perfect for taking a break and cooling down. One thing I really appreciated this visit was how clean everything looked. Previously, I had noticed quite a bit of littering, especially broken glass bottles, which can be really dangerous for dogs. Thankfully, this time around the trail looked much cleaner and better maintained.

This place is beautiful. They used wood chips on the playground and there's a lot of shade for the…read moreplay area. There's a bridge there's some hiking area there's some asphalt for a riding little tricycles for scooters. They have water fountain picnic tables and even a barbecue. What they didn't do was shade the bench areas. There's no place to sit in the shade if you can't slide on the slides. Trying to watch my granddaughter play but I would have to walk too far away to get shade so that's going to stop me from coming on warm days. There are a few walkers out here. So it's a good place to walk for your health. I'm thinking my daughter will bring the grandkids out here. But I'll only come if it's fairly cool outside.

It's pretty pretty here, very nature-y. Very "am I still in the mid-cities?" There's even steep…read morerocky hills (are they hills? Cliffs?) that make your park experience extra scenic. Tons of big gorgeous trees and plenty plush, green lawns for frolicking, a little babbling stream with a walking trail bridge that goes over it. Like a storybook, for real. Rickel Park has 1.5 miles of walking and jogging trails, a picnic area with tables, a couple pavilions, and a great playground that's relatively shaded. There's nothing particularly novel or modern going on here, but this park actually transports you out of suburbia for a second and into the woods. Especially if it's not too crowded. With the right weather it's honestly so peaceful and enjoyable and feels like you're on a little trip. Bring a picnic and play and hike and enjoy.

This place is soooo cool !!…read more We did have trouble just trying to find the place, our stupid GPS took us to some sewer pace. SMH BUT when we finally did get there the lady that works the entrance booth (Betty ?) was soooo sweet !! I'm just barely getting back into walking and wanted a nice easy "hike" and we found just that! We also found the houses that are all located in one section. Was fun to explore that.

I found it strange that this place charges a $5 entry fee but does not take cash, and does not even…read moretake all major cards. This is probably solvable for most visitors, but still is not a good way to run anything. Setting that aside, it was a nice little space. I came knowing rain was around the corner, but I got in a nice little hike and absorbed some sights. You know it's Texas because there's still cacti embedded amongst the greenery. There weren't any views of the lake immediately available, but it was a decent spot for some peace and quiet.