Dallas hides a piece of the Texas Hill Country inside its own city limits. At Cedar Ridge Preserve in southwest Dallas, the land suddenly climbs to 755 feet, the trees thicken, and the city noise gives way to birdsong — all just 20 minutes from downtown, according to the Dallas Park and Recreation Department.
The preserve protects 600 acres of natural habitat, with about 9 miles of trails winding through native trees, grasses and wildflower meadows. Formerly known as the Dallas Nature Center, it is cared for day to day by Audubon Dallas, which has managed the preserve since April 2003 under a charter from the Dallas County Park and Open Space Program and the City of Dallas.
Every season brings its own reward. In late winter, whole woodland slopes blush with white trout-lilies, among the earliest wildflowers in Texas. Butterfly gardens hum through the warmer months, and the trails are shared with the preserve’s wild residents — mammals, birds, insects and reptiles that thrive in this protected corner of the escarpment. Shaded picnic spots invite a slower pace between hikes.
For walkers, birders and families alike, Cedar Ridge Preserve is the happiest kind of surprise: a real hike, with real hills, without ever leaving Dallas. Bring water, wear good shoes, and let the trails do the rest.
Photo: sonnia hill via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)
