About
Fort Worth Nature Center & Refuge Education Programs include topics such as A Monarch's Journey, Backyard Birding, Bison on the Brink, Endangered Texans, Gator Talk, Lone Star Bats, Nature's Pollinators, and Neighborhood Wildlife. Additional activities include Radical Reptiles, Reading the Wild, Skullduggery, Texas Scavengers, Texas Wildlife, and Turtles are Terrific, along with options for a self-guided hike or a staff-guided hike.
• Schedule: Refuge open daily with seasonal hours; October–April from 8 a.m.–5 p.m., May–September from 7 a.m.–5 p.m., with no entry after 4 p.m.; closed Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, and Christmas Day; Hardwicke Interpretive Center open 9 a.m.–4:30 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 Dogs, with dogs free with Friends of the Fort Worth Nature Center & Refuge (FONC) membership.
Fort Worth Nature Center & Refuge Education Programs take place in a natural area that includes forests, prairies, wetlands, and over 20 miles of hiking trails, and the area is one of the largest city-owned nature centers in the United States. The mission of the Fort Worth Nature Center & Refuge 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. Staff members offer many programs throughout the year, and resource management staff manage a bison herd and use prescribed burns as part of land stewardship practices. The Friends of the Fort Worth Nature Center & Refuge (FONC), a 501(c)3 organization, provides financial support for projects, staff professional development, and other operational needs, and membership in FONC includes an annual pass and program discounts. The refuge was created in 1964 after land around the West Fork of the Trinity River was originally purchased in 1914 to protect the local watershed, was designated a National Natural Landmark in 1980, and received a Lone Star Land Steward award in 2009. Visitors are required to keep dogs on leash at all times, dispose of dog waste appropriately off the trails, and obtain a permit for all professional photography.
Last updated July 22, 2026.
• Schedule: Refuge open daily with seasonal hours; October–April from 8 a.m.–5 p.m., May–September from 7 a.m.–5 p.m., with no entry after 4 p.m.; closed Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, and Christmas Day; Hardwicke Interpretive Center open 9 a.m.–4:30 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 Dogs, with dogs free with Friends of the Fort Worth Nature Center & Refuge (FONC) membership.
Fort Worth Nature Center & Refuge Education Programs take place in a natural area that includes forests, prairies, wetlands, and over 20 miles of hiking trails, and the area is one of the largest city-owned nature centers in the United States. The mission of the Fort Worth Nature Center & Refuge 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. Staff members offer many programs throughout the year, and resource management staff manage a bison herd and use prescribed burns as part of land stewardship practices. The Friends of the Fort Worth Nature Center & Refuge (FONC), a 501(c)3 organization, provides financial support for projects, staff professional development, and other operational needs, and membership in FONC includes an annual pass and program discounts. The refuge was created in 1964 after land around the West Fork of the Trinity River was originally purchased in 1914 to protect the local watershed, was designated a National Natural Landmark in 1980, and received a Lone Star Land Steward award in 2009. Visitors are required to keep dogs on leash at all times, dispose of dog waste appropriately off the trails, and obtain a permit for all professional photography.
Last updated July 22, 2026.
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