Field notes
- Cedar Hill State Park sits on 7,500-acre Joe Pool Lake, just outside Dallas.
- At Dinosaur Valley State Park you can walk in dinosaur tracks in the Paluxy River.
- Waco Mammoth National Monument shows mammoth fossils still in place.
Key takeaways
- Cedar Hill State Park is the closest big outdoor escape.
- Fort Worth’s Stockyards are reachable by train via the Trinity Railway Express.
- You do not need a fishing license to fish from shore or pier in a Texas state park.
Dallas sits in the middle of North Texas, with lakes, rivers and small towns within easy reach. These trips are chosen from official sources, mostly Texas Parks and Wildlife and the National Park Service, and arranged roughly from closest to farthest.
Cedar Hill State Park
Texas Parks and Wildlife says Cedar Hill State Park is a short drive from the Dallas-Fort Worth area yet feels a world away. It sits on the shore of 7,500-acre Joe Pool Lake, with a swimming beach, fishing jetties, boat ramps and 350 developed campsites. The DORBA Trail crosses 1,200 acres for bikers and hikers and closes when wet. You can also take a self-guided tour of Penn Farm, a working farm from the mid-1800s to the mid-1900s.
Call ahead about the DORBA Trail after rain; the park closes it when it is wet.
The Fort Worth Stockyards
The Fort Worth Stockyards describe themselves as a National Historic District with Western shopping, live music, rodeos and a daily cattle drive. The Stockyards Championship Rodeo is held in the historic Cowtown Coliseum. Without a car, DART connects to Fort Worth by the Trinity Railway Express, and the Sixth Floor Museum notes that Union Station in downtown Dallas connects to the TRE.
Dinosaur Valley State Park
At Dinosaur Valley State Park, Texas Parks and Wildlife says you can put your feet in actual dinosaur footprints in the bed of the Paluxy River, left in the mud at the edge of an ancient ocean. The park is a short drive from Fort Worth and has campsites, 20 miles of trails, river swimming and paddling and an interpretive center. The park’s Mapping Dinosaur Tracks page has maps you can download to a phone.
Cleburne State Park
Cleburne State Park is about 30 minutes southwest of Fort Worth, on the northern edge of the Hill Country. It surrounds the spring-fed 116-acre Cedar Lake, has nearly 13 miles of trails and a hand-carved three-tiered spillway that looks like a large waterfall after rain. The park points visitors to the handiwork of the Civilian Conservation Corps. No fishing license is needed at the park, and it lends fishing gear.
Lake Mineral Wells State Park and Trailway
About 45 minutes west of Fort Worth, Lake Mineral Wells State Park has a 640-acre lake, a rock climbing area, 12.8 miles of park trails and the 20-mile Trailway between two towns, with flat grades suited to cycling and walking. Six fishing piers line the lake, and no license is needed.
Waco Mammoth National Monument
Farther south, Waco Mammoth National Monument is managed by the National Park Service, the City of Waco and Baylor University. Visits start at the Welcome Center, and guided tours follow a 300-yard paved path to the Dig Shelter, where mammoth fossils remain in their original position in the bone bed. The site is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Central Time.
| Trip | Best for | Official source |
|---|---|---|
| Cedar Hill State Park | Lake day, biking, camping | Texas Parks and Wildlife |
| Fort Worth Stockyards | Rodeo, Western history | Fort Worth Stockyards |
| Dinosaur Valley State Park | Dinosaur tracks, river | Texas Parks and Wildlife |
| Cleburne State Park | Quiet lake, trails | Texas Parks and Wildlife |
| Lake Mineral Wells | Climbing, long trailway | Texas Parks and Wildlife |
| Waco Mammoth | Ice Age fossils | National Park Service |
Before you go
- Check each park’s page on the Texas Parks and Wildlife site for current hours, closures and trail conditions.
- Some counties around Dallas are under an emerald ash borer quarantine; buy firewood where you burn it.
- Bring more water than you think you need in summer.
Fishing and riding
Fishing is one of the easiest ways to enjoy these parks. At Cedar Hill, Texas Parks and Wildlife lists largemouth bass, crappie and catfish in Joe Pool Lake, two lighted fishing jetties and a perch pond for kids. Lake Mineral Wells lends rods, reels and tackle boxes through a loaner program. Riders can bring their own horses to the 100-acre South Primitive Area at Dinosaur Valley, where there is no potable water and horses drink from the river, so bring a bucket.
Camping turns a day trip into a weekend. Cedar Hill offers 350 developed campsites, all with water and electricity and 150 with sewer hookups, and Lake Mineral Wells has 20 equestrian campsites as well as screened shelters.
For outdoor time without leaving the city, see Dallas Parks and Trails: The Best Walks, Rides and Nature Paths in the City, and for a family plan, Dallas with Kids: Museums, the Zoo, Gardens and Parks Families Love.