One of my favorite places to hike in the DFW area is Dogwood Canyon in Cedar Hill Texas!

I love this place for so many reasons, I but I mostly love it for the steep climbs, several trail options and the beautiful wildlife and landscapes. Whether you have small kids with you , even in a stroller or you are just out for a strenuous hike, Dogwood Canyon can meet your need!

Let me get more specific!

What I found:

When you first pull up, you will see a long walkway that leads to a large building. Inside this building is an information desk, here you will be able to pick up a trail map and talk to someone behind a desk that can answer all of your questions.

Parents with young kids beware: There is also a little gift shop/nature store inside. They have some really neat things in there but if my goal is to get my family outdoors and avoid material things then I’d probably not want to fight this battle.

The friendly people at Dogwood Canyon like for people who use the trails to sign in. Everyone is very friendly and very passionate about their mission, which is “ to conserve and restore natural ecosystems, focusing on birds, other wildlife, and their habitats for the benefit of humanity and the earth’s biological diversity”.

Pretty fantastic right?! I think so!

So first stop: Sign in!

Cost:

FREE (my favorite price), but there are places to make donations at the front desk and the metal donation box near the trailhead. Donations help them maintain the trails, and supports their education programs. Which are pretty great as well!

Perfect for:

Families, hikers, nature lovers, joggers, field trips (put on by Dogwood Canyon).

Adventure Level:

Beginner to Intermediate

The Canyon Floor Trail is stroller friendly and perfect for parent’s with younger children.

Distance: ½ mile round trip

Difficulty: Easy

West Loop Trail is a steep climb at times and a great workout.

Distance 1.65 miles round trip

Difficulty: Moderate to Difficult

My kids are older now, so this is the trail that we like to hike (but sometimes they do get a little whiney ;))

Nature Play Area

If you’re really just looking for some easy outdoor fun and a neat place to have a picnic I would recommend their “Nature Play Area”. I would definitely call my other preschool mom friends and plan a meet up here! Check out my pictures, I mean com’on, how cool is this! We often think that our kids need fancy playground equipment, but really the world is their playground… to run, jump, crawl and explore!