June is National Great Outdoors Month – something right up our alley! It’s a great opportunity to encourage children and adults alike to get outside and support a healthy lifestyle. Remember, one of the Power 9® principles for longevity is Moving Naturally. In the original Blue Zones areas of the world, people don’t exercise by going to the gym or running marathons; movement is built into their daily lives through gardening, walking, and other chores.
While there’s no shortage of places to enjoy the great outdoors in and around Fort Worth, we asked the experts – our staff – for their recommendations for celebrating National Great Outdoors Month. Here's our shortlist for outdoor fun!
- The Fort Worth Zoo is such a fun place to be outside, especially feeding the giraffes. The new petting zoo and splash pad is a blast!
- Have you ever tried disc golf? Fort Worth has not one but two great courses: Z-Boaz Disc Golf Course and Gateway Disc Golf Course.
- Dogs (and their owners) will love Z-Bones Park and Fort Woof.
- The Forest Park Train is really fun and there’s usually a breeze.
- So many great outdoor restaurants and patios along the river at Clearfork, Waterside, or Westbend.
- TCU is such a pretty campus to explore, especially during the summer when it’s less crowded.
- You can’t go wrong anywhere on the Trinity Trails. Grab a BCycle and you can explore for miles.
- The Farmers Market on the Benbrook Traffic Circle or at Clearfork is a great way to get in steps while finding fresh, locally grown produce.
- Walking around the shops at University Park Village (or any outdoor shopping area) can be fun. Drop your car off at the car wash behind the shops then walk over and shop while it’s being cleaned.
- The 6-mile loop around Marine Creek Lake is a hidden gem.
- The Fort Worth Water Garden was a childhood favorite, and still is.
- There’s so much to do at the Fort Worth Nature Center & Refuge: hiking, canoeing, nature programs, children’s activities. It’s a great place to see bison, prairie dogs, turtles, and maybe an occasional alligator.
- Try mountain biking or hiking at Sansom Park or Eagle Mountain Lake Park.
- There are so many great parks in Fort Worth. Trinity Park has the new Dream Park accessible playground, but there are plenty of amenities throughout the city in places like Cobb Park, Gateway Park, Bluestem Park in Alliance, and now the new Bunche Park in Stop Six.
- Walk around the Fort Worth Botanic Gardens to see the fish in the pond and all the different flowers.
- So much to do in Sundance Square downtown! In addition to the fountain, there’s free yoga and Zumba (rotating) every Saturday, and free movies every Thursday night through July 25.
- Who says you need to be by the ocean to have fun? Panther Island’s Rockin’ the River and Sunday Funday events are sure-fire ways to keep cool and active.
With so much to see and do in Fort Worth this month, what are you waiting for? Get out there and get going!