Fort Worth's stellar parks have been named the sixth best in Texas, and have soared among the top 100 nationwide, according to the just-released ParkScore Index.

Every year, land conservation nonprofit Trust for Public Land rates the park systems in the 100 largest American cities with regard to their accessibility, equity, acreage, investment, and amenities.

Fort Worth's No. 58 ParkScore ranking is a major improvement after landing in the No. 72 spot last year, and it was No. 91 in 2024.

Trust for Public Land attributes much of the city's progress to recent agreements with Fort Worth ISD to transform 77 schoolyards into after-hours parks, which will dramatically increase the percentage of residents that live within close proximity of a park — a crucial metric in the report's methodology. Currently, about 73 percent of all Fort Worth residents live within a 10-minute walk of a park, compared to the 76 percent national median, and about 6.4 percent of land within the city limits is dedicated to parks.

“Fort Worth’s continued rise in the ParkScore rankings reflects our commitment to building a park system that serves every neighborhood,” said Mayor Mattie Parker in a release from the City of Fort Worth. “Through partnerships, long-term planning and targeted investments supported by our Good Natured framework, we are creating more opportunities for residents to connect with nature, recreation and each other.”

The city currently invests less money to maintain its park system — about $122 per resident — than the national median of $154 per resident, but that will also soon change for the better, according to Trust for Public Land.

"Fort Worth is poised for further improvement due to the passage of Proposition B, the $185 million parks and open space bond, which was approved by voters on May 2," the report said.

Fort Worth has worked closely with the Trust for Public Land to better identify and document recreation assets, including qualifying HOA-owned parks, says the release from the city.

“Over the last few years, we have become much more intentional about how we measure and document public access to recreation and park amenities," said Dave Lewis, director of the Fort Worth Park & Recreation Department, in a statement. "These efforts helped ensure the national rankings reflected the full picture of what Fort Worth already offers residents.”

Elsewhere in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex
Trust for Public Land determined Plano and Frisco have the best park systems in the state for 2026. Plano set a new record as the 13th best park system in the U.S., and Frisco jumped seven spots and now ranks 30th. Arlington moved up one spot as No. 45, and Garland ranked 64th (up from No. 67).

Another North Texas city that deserves high praise is Irving, which Trust for Public Land said was the nation's biggest gainer this year. Irving's park system jumped 28 places, from No. 99 last year to No. 71.

"Irving’s rise was driven by increased investment from the 'Let’s Play Irving' initiative, which funded several important projects scheduled for completion in 2026 and 2027," a release said.

Dallas proper ranked 38th this year after previously ranking 34th in 2025.

"Over the past 10 years, Dallas has connected an impressive 330,000 residents to a park, trail or greenspace within a 10-minute walk of their home, and the city is poised to make further progress next month, when it opens the Bushmills Neighborhood Green as part of the Dallas Greening Initiative," the report said.

Molly Morgan, the Texas State Director and Associate Vice President of Trust for Public Land, said in the release that Texas' high-scoring performance in the annual index has proved that it is making park accessibility a statewide priority.

"Cities across the Lone Star State are making serious investments, opening new parks, partnering with school districts, and closing gaps that have existed for decades," Morgan said. "They’re showing what’s possible when Texas gets serious about parks."

Morgan added that there's still more work to be done to increase park accessibility to the 9 million Texans that don't have a park within a 10-minute walk of their homes.

Here's how the rest of Texas stacks up in the national ranking:

• No. 47 – Austin
• No. 61 – El Paso and San Antonio (tied)
• No. 69 – Houston
• No. 72 – Corpus Christi
• No. 77 – Laredo
• No. 96 – Lubbock