enjoy the outdoors

Get in free to all Texas state parks on one day only this fall

Cedar Hill State Park is one of the many Texas State Parks that will have free admission on November 3.

tpwd.texas.gov/

Calling all outdoorsy Dallasites: Keep an eye the forecast for Sunday, November 3, because you won't want to miss out on free admission to all Texas state parks in celebration of Texas State Parks Day.

The free admission day is a new tradition after the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) celebrated its centennial in 2023. In a press release, Texas State Parks director Rodney Franklin said he hopes the event encourages Texans of all ages to explore and enjoy Texas' natural beauty.

"Any day in a Texas state park is a good day," said Franklin. "[All Texans] are invited to visit a park that is new to you, take a friend and try a new adventure."

Cedar Hill State Park is the closest park for residents in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. The park has about 1,200 acres of trails for hiking and biking, plus 350 campsites, the Penn Farm Agricultural Center, and more. Visitors are also welcome to fish in the 7,500-acre Joe Pool Lake, which is full of largemouth black bass, crappie, and catfish.

"We have two lighted fishing jetties and a perch pond for kids," the park's website says. "We also have two four-lane boat ramps and lighted boat trailer parking. You do not need a fishing license to fish from shore or pier in a state park."

Visitors can swim, boat, fish, and relax at Joe Pool Lake at Cedar Hill State Park.tpwd.texas.gov/

TPWD lauds Cedar Hill as an "urban oasis" and says the park feels like "a world away from the city" due to its location 20 miles from downtown Dallas.

"Relax by the lake, tour an old Texas farm, or explore our rugged limestone hills and rare prairie pockets," the website says.

For North Texans who are keen on a weekend road trip to take advantage of the free admission day, two parks should be at the top of the list: Garner State Park (360 miles southwest of Dallas) and Palo Duro Canyon State Park (about 380 miles northwest of Dallas). The two popular parks recently appeared among the top 10 best state parks in the nation, according to the 2024 HomeToGo State Park Index.

But if traveling long distances isn't in the cards for that weekend, there's always one of the many nearby state parks across North Texas, such as:

Dinosaur Valley State Park, Glen Rose
Cleburne State Park
Lake Mineral Wells State Park and Trailway
Fort Richardson State Park, Historic Site and Lost Creek Reservoir State Trailway
Ray Roberts Lake State Park, Pilot Point
Lake Tawakoni State Park, Wills Point
Purtis Creek State Park, Eustace

A full list of parks and a map of the closest nearby can be found on the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department website.

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Holiday News

Here's the holiday 2024 schedule for DART bus and trains in Dallas

The DART bus situation will be changing in 2022.

Photo courtesy of DART

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Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) Bus and Light Rail service will observe special hours over the Christmas and New Year's holidays for 2024, which unfortunately this year fall on a Wednesday. Is there anything worse than a Wednesday holiday?

Here's the schedule for December 24-25, and December 31-January 1:

DART

Tuesday, December 24, 2024

DART Buses and Light Rail: Operating on a regular weekday schedule
TRE: Normal Service

DART GoLink: GoLink is running from 5 am to midnight in all Zones. DART Paratransit: Operating a normal schedule.

DART Customer Relations Center (trip planning) will be open from 5 am–12 am. DART Customer Support Center (inquiries and complaints) 8 am–5 pm. DART Lost & Found, also 8 am–5 pm.

Wednesday, December 25, 2024

DART Buses and Light Rail: Operating on a weekend schedule
TRE: No service

DART GoLink: GoLink is running from 5 am to midnight in all Zones except the Inland Port Transportation Management Association Zone (IPTMA which includes areas in Lancaster, DeSoto, Wilmer & Hutchins).

DART Paratransit: All subscription trips for DART Paratransit will be cancelled except for those going to and from dialysis appointments on Wednesday, December 25. Riders can still call in and book demand trips for this day as needed. Reservations will remain open on December 25 from 8 am-5 pm. Customers can also schedule, view, and cancel trips 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at DART.org/paratransit.

DART Customer Relations Center and DART Lost and Found and Administrative Offices will be closed.

Tuesday, December 31, 2024

DART Buses and Light Rail: Operating on a regular weekday schedule

Free DART Rides on New Year's Eve

Coors Light and DART will once again help North Texas residents get home safely on New Year's Eve.

Free transportation will be offered the night of New Year's Eve on DART buses, light rail, Paratransit Services and the Trinity Railway Express (TRE) between EBJ Union Station and CentrePort/DFW Airport Station for everyone from 6 pm until the end of service.
Look for New Year's Eve schedules at DART.org and TrinityRailwayExpress.org.

Trinity Metro

Trinity Metro will have some service modifications for the Christmas holidays. If a specific service (such as Trinity Metro TEXRail) is not listed, that means it is operating on its regular schedule.

Tuesday, December 24, 2024

No bus routes will leave from Fort Worth Central Station after 7:15 pm.The last scheduled pick-up time for On-Demand paratransit will be 7:45 pm.

Wednesday, December 25, 2024

Trinity Metro bus and Trinity Metro On-Demand (including paratransit) will operate on a modified holiday schedule.

All buses, including Orange Line, will run on an hourly schedule, with the exception of Molly the Trolley, which will operate every 30 minutes.

Trinity Metro On-Demand in Alliance, Mercantile, North Side, Southside, Southeast and South Tarrant will operate 7 am-7 pm.

Services in TCC Northeast and Mansfield will not operate.

Trinity Railway Express (TRE), TRE LINK, and the CentrePort Shuttle will not operate.

Customer Support & Solutions team members will be available 5 am-5 pm at 817-215-8600. The ticket sales kiosk at Fort Worth Central Station will be closed.

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