Festive Fresh Air

12 of Dallas-Fort Worth's best hiking trails to traverse this December

Escape to the outdoors.

Photo by Mint Images/Getty

Though hiking might not be the first thing that comes to mind in December, it's deceptively appropriate, especially in Texas.

The weather is still tinged with the crisp autumn air that began in November, with ice and freezing temps on their way but not here yet.

Tummies are likely full and bodies a little sluggish from Thanksgiving, and holiday shopping only provides so much cardio.

And family might be in town, which means you either need a creative way to entertain them or a soothing place to escape to when you need a little alone time.

Ergo: Hiking.

Not sure where to start? Lace up and learn about some of DFW's best places to get your hike on with this updated list.

Arbor Hills Nature Preserve
Located in Plano, this 200-acre park has three miles of paved hiking trails (plus a 2.8-mile off-road bike trail, if that's more your thing). One of your best bets is to follow the Outer Loop Trail, which starts off in a serene meadow and then meanders along the clear-water tributary of Indian Creek.

Boulder Park
Located north of Duncanville, at Highway 67 and Red Bird Lane, this beginner-friendly trail has five loops that cover 12 miles. Though popular with mountain bikers, hikers also love to explore the fields, woods, creek crossings, and several climbs and twists.

Cedar Ridge Preserve
You don't need to go to the Texas Hill Country — a good dupe can be found south of Dallas in Cedar Hill. Formerly the Dallas Nature Center, this preserve cover 600 acres with nine miles of walking trails that range from easy to difficult. Pack a picnic and rest near one of the picturesque butterfly gardens.

Eagle Mountain Park
Four hundred acres of green space await just outside Fort Worth, with a scenic overlook of Eagle Mountain Lake. Families can hike the five miles of trails together, as the loops vary in difficulty, or athletes can really get their hearts pumping by running the hills and steeper trails.

Fort Worth Nature Center
Traverse more than 20 miles of trails spread across 3,000 acres near Lake Worth, spanning the banks of the lake, through an ancient cross timber forest, and even across to a small island. Be on the lookout, as this is the only park in the DFW area that's home to a herd of buffalo.

LBJ National Grasslands
These 70-plus miles of trails northwest of DFW are popular with equestrians for the mix of prairie and forest, but you'll certainly see hikers along with horses. Be sure to bring a map and GPS, as cell phone service can be spotty and the trails are long.

North Shore Trail at Lake Grapevine
This is the most popular of the eight different trails found here, with moderate difficulty that's worth it for the beautiful views of the lake. All told, there are more than 67 miles of trails to explore, and you can even bring your dog as long as they are leashed.

Oak Cliff Nature Preserve
A treasure that Cliff-dwellers are happy to share, this 121-acre preserve includes woodlands, prairies, and even fields of wildflowers in the spring. Hikers and bikers can choose from six loops spanning eight miles, and be sure to keep an eye out for trail markings — but when in doubt, just keep turning right.

Spring Creek Nature Area
A paved, suburban trail that's excellent for beginners or those who like to leisurely stroll rather than huff and puff. Across the 2.3-mile loop you might spot heron, hummingbirds, and egrets, as well as coyotes (so be sure your pups are on a leash!).

Trinity River Audubon Center
Did you know that we have the largest urban hardwood forest in the United States, right here in Fort Worth? The Trinity River Audubon Center is smack in the middle of those 6,000 acres, with just under four miles of trails that wind through the open-space park. Be sure to pause a moment to take in the undisturbed wetlands, wide variety of birds, and scenic overlooks of the Trinity River.

WFAA Nature Trail at Kiest Park Conservation Area
Original Daily Times Herald owner and publisher Edwin Kiest left 263 acres to the city of Dallas when he passed away in 1917, and it later became Kiest Park. In celebration of its 75th anniversary, WFAA recently donated $75,000 to build a nearly three-mile trail dotted with educational kiosks and interactive markers. The trail's official opening was November 16, 2024.

White Rock Lake Trail
It's almost like a right of passage to complete this 9.4-mile paved loop around Dallas' iconic White Rock Lake. It takes an average of three hours to circle the reservoir, and you won't be alone — the trail is popular with bicyclists, joggers, families with strollers, and even rollerbladers, especially when the weather is lovely.

exercise fitness health hiking hiking trails trails promoted

Death Penalty

Tarrant County man gets death for murder of convenience store owner

Tarrant County Sheriff's Office

Christopher Turner

A man received the death penalty for his 2020 cold-blooded execution of a convenience store owner.

According to a release from the office of Tarrant County Criminal District Attorney Phil Sorrells, a Tarrant County jury sentenced Christopher Karon Turner, 48, to death on November 20 for executing convenience store owner Anwar Ali during a robbery. Tarrant County Assistant District Attorneys Charles Boulware and Allenna Bangs represented the state.

On March 27, 2020, at around 6:15 am, Turner, a convicted felon, wore a surgical mask and a glove and entered the Super Big Country Mart in an unincorporated area of Tarrant County south of Fort Worth. There, he held a gun to the back of Anwar Ali, the 62-year-old store owner, and walked him through the store.

Ali did everything Turner demanded, including opening the cash register to give him money. And yet Turner forced Ali into the bathroom and onto his knees, and shot him in the neck. Ali was discovered, dead in the bathroom, about an hour later.

Turner fled the store in Ali's Toyota minivan with the money from the register and Ali's wallet. In the van, he found more than $50,000 cash in a black bag. Over the next few days, Turner went on a shopping spree, buying cars, jewelry, drugs, clothes, and more. He and others used cash and a credit card that belonged to Ali.

Turner fled to Colorado where U.S. Marshals arrested him. On his body they found a firearm which was determined to be the murder weapon.

"This was a premeditated, cold-blooded murder," Boulware told the jury. "From the moment he was charged with this crime, he has tried to escape responsibility."

Bangs noted that before this trial began, Turner obtained the names of jurors and their telephone numbers, and gave them to an inmate charged with murder. At the trial on November 20, as Bangs addressed the jury, Turner tried to hold up a sign to the jury but was handcuffed by Sheriff's deputies who removed him from the courtroom, while he yelled out "she lied."

Ali came to the United States from Pakistan decades ago to pursue the American dream. Ali's son, Hussein, spoke in the courtroom after the death penalty was announced. "Thank you for giving us justice," Ali said. "I hope there are no more devils like this person."