 January 2025 Recap!Happy New Year! Wow, what a month! And let me just clarify, I have never said this about January before (sorry I'm not sorry)! January has always been that long month that is cold, gray, and honestly a bit depressing. I usually want January to go by as fast as possible, but now that I live in a state that is full of life in the winter my perspective has totally changed. I've never been so busy in winter and I'm not mad about it at all! Utah has offered us skiing, snowshoeing, snow tubing, winter hiking, hot springs, and soon I am going to try xc skiing. Every week, Nick and I have been doing something so fun, active, and NEW! We have been learning and experiencing all that winter has to offer and we couldn't be more thrilled. We can see why certain people are winter lovers over summer now. This past month, I completed 12 hikes, skied 3 times, snow tubbed once, and visited a hot spring! I almost forgot to mention but some of the hikes I went on led to some of the most beautiful frozen waterfalls I have ever witnessed! This month will definitely be remembered and I can't wait to keep these activities up next month. I hope the new year has been a great start for you too! Get out and explore your surrounding area and try something new this year. Make some goals and go after it. Recreate responsibly and leave no trace. You got this! XOXO Kimmy
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 Review of Loyd Park in Grand Prairie, TXLocation: Grand Prairie, Texas off of Joe Pool Lake Lodging Options: Campsites, Yurts, Cabins, or Lodge On-Site Attractions: Boat Ramp and Dock, Beaches, Fishing areas, Hiking and Biking Trails, Equestrian Trails, Watercraft rentals, and Playground Amenities: Bathrooms, Showers, Charcoal grills, Fire rings, Concrete Pads, Picnic Pavilions, Water, 30-amp and 50-amp service, Full hook-up sites, Free Wi-Fi, Camp store, and Golf cart rentals Fees: Check the park website for all the different fees for entry and accommodations (loydpark.com) Personal Notes: If you live in the DFW area and are looking for a great little getaway, Loyd Park is a wonderful option. We camped at Loyd Park for a weekend and we were really impressed by all the amenities. The campsites were well kept, spacious, cozy, and had all the amenities and hook ups that we needed. We enjoyed hiking the Joe Pool Lake Trail, kayaking on Joe Pool Lake, and hanging at our campsite with our friends. The only downfalls I had about this park is that I could hear a lot of car traffic from the highways, and there was a lot of light pollution since it's still in the DFW area. Overall, I was very happy that it was so close to home and still felt like a great weekend out in the woods! I would recommend checking out this park and adding it to your bucket list for places to camp in DFW. *Check out my pictures below from our weekend camping trip at Loyd Park!* Top 10 Hikes in Dallas-Fort WorthIf you know the Dallas-Fort Worth area, you know we don't have any mountains or canyons, or crazy elevation changes that make for an epic hike. It was a challenge at first to find any hikes I really liked, but when I stepped out of the downtown just a little bit I found some favorite hikes that I still continue to go to today. Most people that live in this area will tell you to go to White Rock Lake, Arbor Hills Nature Preserve, or Trinity skyline trail but there are way better trails than those! Here are my favorite DFW hikes that have great views, they are not paved, and can be challenging based on the distance. 1. North Shore Trail Location: Flower Mound, Texas Trail Type: Loop Distance: Up to 18 miles Difficulty: Moderate to Hard Activities: Hiking and Mountain biking Attractions: Lake views, wildlife, forest views, marina views, Texas wildflowers and foliage, camping *Dogs are allowed but must be kept on a leash at all times.* 2. Marion Sansom Park Location: Fort Worth, Texas Trail Type: Loop Distance: Varying distances based on which trails you do Difficulty: Moderate Activities: Hiking and Mountain biking Attractions: Waterfall, wildlife, forest views, lake views, Texas wildflowers and foliage *Dogs are allowed but must be kept on a leash at all times* 3. Fort Worth Nature Center and Refuge (There is a small fee to go here) Location: Fort Worth, Texas Trail Type: Out and Back and Loop Distance: Varying distances based on which trails you do Difficulty: Easy to Moderate Activities: Hiking Attractions: Lake view, wildlife, forest views, historical markers, nature center, Texas wildflowers and foliage *Dogs are allowed but must be kept on a leash at all times* 4. Horseshoe Trail Location: Grapevine, Texas Trail Type: Loop Distance: 4.4 miles Difficulty: Easy to Moderate Activities: Hiking and Mountain Biking Attractions: Lake views, forest views, wildlife, Texas wildflowers and foliage *Dogs are allowed but must be kept on a leash at all times* 5. Eagle Mountain Lake Park Trail Location: Fort Worth, Texas Trail Type: Loop Distance: 7.5 miles Difficulty: Moderate Activities: Hiking and Mountain Biking Attractions: Lake views, wildlife, forest views, Texas wildflowers and foliage *No Dogs allowed* 6. Pilot Knoll Trail Location: Argyle, Texas Trail Type: Out and Back Distance: 7.9 miles Difficulty: Moderate Activities: Hiking and Horseback riding Attractions: Wildlife, lake views, Old Alton bridge, forest views, ponds, Texas wildflowers and foliage, camping *Dogs are allowed but must be kept on a leash at all times* 7. Cedar Ridge Preserve Location: Cedar Ridge, Texas Trail Type: Loop Distance: Varying distances based on the trails you go on Difficulty: Moderate Activities: Hiking Attractions: Wildlife, pond view, forest views, Texas wildflowers and foliage *Dogs are allowed but must be kept on a leash at all times* 8. Erwin Park Full Loop Location: McKinney, Texas Trail Type: Loop Distance: 8.9 miles Difficulty: Moderate Activities: Hiking and Mountain Biking Attractions: Wildlife, pond views, prairie views, forest views, Texas wildflowers and foliage, camping *Dogs are allowed but must be kept on a leash at all times* 9. Clear Creek Wetlands and Prairie Trail Location: Denton, Texas Trail Type: Loop Distance: Varying distances based on the trails you go on Difficulty: Easy to Moderate Activities: Hiking Attractions: Wildlife, pond views, prairie views, forest views, river views, Texas wildflowers and foliage 10. Llela Nature Preserve (There is a small fee to go here) Location: Lewisville, Texas Trail Type: Loop Distance: Varying distances based on the trails you go on Difficulty: Easy Activities: Hiking Attractions: Wildlife, pond views, forest views, prairie views, river views, Texas wildflowers and foliage, great area to photograph wildlife, landscape, and foliage, visitor center, camping *Dogs are allowed but must be kept on a leash* Also, all of these hikes are kid friendly and since most are by the water you could even do kayaking, stand up paddle boarding, boating, or fishing! These are my favorite hikes in DFW that I keep going back to over and over again throughout the year! To help you book mark these trails, I recommend downloading the "AllTrails" app. It can help give you directions to the trail, read up on reviews, see photos of the trail, show you weather conditions, trail type, gps map while you hike, and bonus it's FREE to download. I know there are other apps like this, but this is my preferred one that I use every time I go out on a hike. Happy hiking y'all! Photos from the top 10 DFW Hikes Leave No Trace 7 PrinciplesIf you are in the hiking and camping world, you probably have heard of the "Leave No Trace 7 Principles" that every person should follow to protect our environment and show respect to others. If you are new to these principles, keep these in the back of your mind to follow every time you go into the outdoors. You will have a much more pleasurable experience, and it will keep you coming back for more. I wanted to start with these principles because not everyone follows them, but it really makes a huge difference if you do and it helps preserve our beautiful parks and recreational sites for generations to enjoy. So here are the "Leave No Trace 7 Principles" to apply to your hiking and camping guides. 1. Plan ahead and be prepared
Sources: Leave No Trace Seven Principles © 1999 by the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics: https://www.nps.gov/index.htm |
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