I decided to head out a bit farther from home for the day and went hiking at Benbrook Lake in Crowley, TX, this week. This reservoir is under the jurisdiction of the Army Corp of Engineers, and home to several small parks, boat ramps, and trails. At this time of year, many of the facilities are closed, but I enjoyed having the majority of the shoreline to myself on this warm, autumn day. The geology of the shoreline is visually interesting, and gives a hiker a different terrain compared to other trails in the area. And…did I mention the fossils?
I started my hike at Benbrook Lake at the boat ramp near Longhorn Park. The park is one of the few locations still partially open due to both seasonal and pandemic-related closures. I followed the shoreline for the majority of my hike, where there is a shelf in the limestone serving as a naturally-formed trail for much of the way. The trail isn’t always easy to follow – there are several places that it disappears and I needed to squeeze along the side of the water. Keep this in mind when you visit, as my trip was at a time that the water was already lower than normal.
Benbrook Lake is known as a hotspot for local fossil enthusiasts. I have to say I was surprised by just how large the ones I spotted are! I found several Ammonite fossils along the way, most of which were about the size of my hand. The rock that lies under most of Tarrant County (which is where Benbrook Lake is located, along with Fort Worth and much of the DFW metroplex) is approximately 70 to 85 million years old.
Benbrook Lake offers a nice change of pace to many of the other hiking spots around the Dallas / Fort Worth area. The sweet breeze over the water is reminiscent of days at the oceanside, and fossil hounding will keep you occupied for hours. My one real complaint was the amount of garbage strewn around the area – please, remember to pack out what you take in whenever you enjoy the outdoors!
Today’s hike count: 121.
AllTrails difficulty rating: N/A.