Looking to get outdoors during your next visit to Dallas? Use these fun events, activities, and happenings to create your next outdoor adventure!
Updated June 2024
Spending time under the sun guarantees you a wealth of benefits, from improving your sleep to lowering your stress levels!
TIP: The best times to enjoy the outdoors are during the spring and fall months. Stay hydrated and wear plenty of sunscreen!
Southeast Dallas
This hidden gem brings smiles with its seven acres of ziplining, ropes courses and other exhilarating activities! The courses, which are strategically designed to get you in the zone, challenge you to complete lower levels before advancing to higher levels. Also check out Groupworx, a program dedicated to team building and individual leadership development.
Trinity Groves
Searching for an excellent view of the Dallas skyline? The iconic Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge boasts a free and hard-to-beat skyline photo opportunity. This 1,197-foot-wide phosphorescent mammoth falls within the boundary of the proposed 200-acre Harold Simmons Park which will be the largest urban park in the United States once completed (ground breaking is scheduled for 2022.) When you visit, use your imagination and the park design images to envision the future!
North Dallas
This award-winning mini-golf course features 54 holes surrounded by a well-designed landscape filled with waterfalls, streams and shade trees. Admission to one of the best courses in America is affordable for all ages and free for children six and under. When you arrive, expect your friends to stare in bewilderment at this enormous wonderland!
Turtle Creek
Feel a sense of serenity without leaving the city center at Turtle Creek Park. This green spot presents enough open space to get comfortable and a creek to enjoy the sounds of nature.
Uptown
Weave your way through 3.5 miles of urban attractions on a path that once followed the old Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad! In addition to Turtle Creek Park, the prominent trail traverses Reverchon Park and highlights several photogenic overlooks and rest stops. You'll also encounter worthwhile restaurants with patio seating, including Katy Trail Ice House!
South Dallas
The largest zoological experience in Texas displays tigers, penguins, gorillas and dozens of other fascinating animals! On April Fools' Day, Dallas Zoo will introduce flex pricing to let visitors create an itinerary based on their budget (no fooling here, this is really happening). Tickets cost just $8 on the first Tuesday of each month, also known as "Tiger Tuesdays".
East Dallas
Wander through the whimsical environment of Dallas Arboretum & Botanical Garden. Sprawling with vibrant beds of flowers and vivid greenery, this outdoor spot is a must-visit location for all nature lovers. Capture Instagram-worthy pictures of the diverse plant life. From azaleas and roses to tranquil ponds and a natural tunnel, the arboretum is a walkable work of art.
With more than 350 parks and 160 miles in hiking and biking trails, Dallas visitors can count on mild weather year round and 284 days of sunshine each year to enjoy the outdoors.
Greet the morning with stroll through Klyde Warren Park. The urban park, perched atop an eight-lane freeway, is the city's living room and has a terrific view of the Dallas skyline. (1.5 hours)
Fuel your body at Sloane's Corner, a New American bistro in the Trammel Crow Center. Enjoy a lemon and cranberry muffin, smoked jalapeno cheddar croissant kolache, or the Sloane's Breakfast. (1 hour)
Take your love for the outdoors to trees at the Trinity Forest Adventure Park, located in the nation's largest urban hardwood forest, the Great Trinity Forest. Bring the kids too! (2.5 hours)
Relax in Adirondack chairs on the shady patio before dining at Holy Crust. This pizzeria offers traditional and unique pies like BBQ chicken and chicken & bacon alfredo.
After dinner, take a walk across the Trinity River on the Ron Kirk Pedestrian Bridge. The bridge runs parallel to the Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge and offers views of Dallas' skyline. (1 hour)
Head to BuzzBrews for a hearty breakfast. This eclectic spot is open 24 hours and features a flavorful menu of omelets, pancakes, veggie sausage and all you can drink coffee.
Head to East Dallas for a visit to White Rock Lake. Called "The People's Playground" in the 1930s, it is surrounded by leafy neighborhoods, offering a dramatic view of the skyline. (2.5 hours)
Head to the lake's eastern shore for Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden. Get a picnic lunch at one of the restaurants on Garland Rd, or grab a table at DeGolyer House. (3 hours)
Stop at HG SPLY CO on Lower Greenville for a dinner focused on hunted and gathered foods. Their rooftop bar is perfect for enjoying the HG Mule or the Cucumber Smash. (1.5 hours)
Get outside and enjoy the best zoos, gardens, and parks Dallas has to offer with these fun events for the whole family and every budget events in Dallas.
