Trinity River Audubon Center

You've heard the saying, "One man's trash is another man's treasure." Well, before this 120-acre nature preserve and environmental education center opened in 2008, the area was home to the largest illegal dumping site in the state. Nowadays, the center (located ten miles south of downtown) serves as a gateway to the 6,000-acre Great Trinity Forest, the largest urban bottomland hardwood forest in North America. The area is home to a variety of wildlife and over sixty species of birds which can be viewed along five miles of hiking trails that meander through forests, blackland prairies and thriving wetlands. In addition to hiking trails and picnic areas, there is a butterfly garden and a discovery garden for children, as well as a state-of-the-art visitor's center filled with hands-on exhibits. While there is normally an admission fee ($6 adults; $3 children), you can visit for free on the third Thursday of each month from 9 am-4 pm.