This post is the next in our series, Hidden Gems, where we visit places hidden in plain view, in and around Dallas, that we have explored this summer and in the past. You can access that series of posts here.

In the southwest corner of Dallas County, across from Cedar Hill State Park, lie 600 acres of land. Home to Cedar Ridge Preserve, this hidden gem is filled with towering trees, flowering meadows, leaves starting to turn color, trails that climb up and slide down, those that meander left, right, and center. As its website states, a nature preserve’s “primary focus is to maintain and/or restore natural ecological conditions to protect native plants and wildlife.” As may be self-evident, preserves provide hiking and educational opportunities but not as many recreational activities or amenities as parks. Audubon Dallas, which manages Cedar Ridge, runs on the backs of volunteers, their time and commitment. From what I learned of its history, this area started as a cattle ranch in the 1960s to 1970s that became an environmental center, then was the Dallas Nature Center from the 1980s to when Audubon Dallas took over in 2002.