About
Fort Worth Nature Center & Refuge Programs include activities such as Canoe/Kayak Tours, summer camp, and staff-guided hikes. Families can also attend programs with specific themes, including A Monarch's Journey, Backyard Birding, Bison on the Brink, Endangered Texans, Gator Talk, Lone Star Bats, Nature's Pollinators, Neighborhood Wildlife, Radical Reptiles, Reading the Wild, Skullduggery, Texas Scavengers, Texas Wildlife, and Turtles are Terrific. Staff members offer many programs throughout the year, and online registration is available for programs and events.
• Schedule: Refuge open daily with seasonal hours; October–April from 8 a.m.–5 p.m. and May–September from 7 a.m.–5 p.m., with no entry after 4 p.m.
• Price: $6 Adults (13–64); $2 Children (3–12, under 3 free); $3 Seniors (65+); $1 discount per person with active or retired Military ID; $1 per dog, with dogs free with Friends of the Fort Worth Nature Center & Refuge (FONC) membership.
The Fort Worth Nature Center & Refuge is a natural area made up of forests, prairies, and wetlands, covering 3,621 acres and including over 20 miles of hiking trails, and it is described as one of the largest city-owned nature centers in the United States. The site includes the Hardwicke Interpretive Center, which is open from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The area is home to many native habitats and is managed by resource management staff who promote land stewardship practices such as managing a bison herd and using prescribed burns so wildlife have a sustainable home. All professional photography at the refuge requires a permit, and dogs are allowed with a fee, must be kept on leash at all times, and their waste must be disposed of appropriately and not left on trails.
The mission of Fort Worth Nature Center & Refuge Programs is to enhance the quality of life by enrolling and educating the community in the preservation and protection of natural areas while standing as an example of these principles and values in North Central Texas. The refuge began when land was purchased around the West Fork of the Trinity River in 1914 to protect the quality of drinking water for the Fort Worth community, and in 1964 the Park Board designated some of this land as a wildlife sanctuary and nature preserve, creating the Fort Worth Nature Center & Refuge. In 1980 it was designated a National Natural Landmark by the U.S. Department of the Interior, and in 2009 it received a Lone Star Land Steward award from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. The refuge was created with persistence from local citizens, particularly the Fort Worth Audubon Society, and it is a division of the City of Fort Worth Park and Recreation Department, with additional financial support from The Friends of the Fort Worth Nature Center & Refuge (FONC), a 501(c)3 organization that funds projects, staff professional development, and other operational needs. Membership in FONC includes an annual pass to the Nature Center and discounts on programs.
Last updated July 22, 2026.
• Schedule: Refuge open daily with seasonal hours; October–April from 8 a.m.–5 p.m. and May–September from 7 a.m.–5 p.m., with no entry after 4 p.m.
• Price: $6 Adults (13–64); $2 Children (3–12, under 3 free); $3 Seniors (65+); $1 discount per person with active or retired Military ID; $1 per dog, with dogs free with Friends of the Fort Worth Nature Center & Refuge (FONC) membership.
The Fort Worth Nature Center & Refuge is a natural area made up of forests, prairies, and wetlands, covering 3,621 acres and including over 20 miles of hiking trails, and it is described as one of the largest city-owned nature centers in the United States. The site includes the Hardwicke Interpretive Center, which is open from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The area is home to many native habitats and is managed by resource management staff who promote land stewardship practices such as managing a bison herd and using prescribed burns so wildlife have a sustainable home. All professional photography at the refuge requires a permit, and dogs are allowed with a fee, must be kept on leash at all times, and their waste must be disposed of appropriately and not left on trails.
The mission of Fort Worth Nature Center & Refuge Programs is to enhance the quality of life by enrolling and educating the community in the preservation and protection of natural areas while standing as an example of these principles and values in North Central Texas. The refuge began when land was purchased around the West Fork of the Trinity River in 1914 to protect the quality of drinking water for the Fort Worth community, and in 1964 the Park Board designated some of this land as a wildlife sanctuary and nature preserve, creating the Fort Worth Nature Center & Refuge. In 1980 it was designated a National Natural Landmark by the U.S. Department of the Interior, and in 2009 it received a Lone Star Land Steward award from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. The refuge was created with persistence from local citizens, particularly the Fort Worth Audubon Society, and it is a division of the City of Fort Worth Park and Recreation Department, with additional financial support from The Friends of the Fort Worth Nature Center & Refuge (FONC), a 501(c)3 organization that funds projects, staff professional development, and other operational needs. Membership in FONC includes an annual pass to the Nature Center and discounts on programs.
Last updated July 22, 2026.
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