Outdoors · Dallas · United States
7 best outdoor things to do in Dallas
Parks, viewpoints and open-air sights for the dry, bright days.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Photo: Andreas Praefcke, CC BY 3.0
Quick answer
Start with Nasher Sculpture Center, Klyde Warren Park and Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden. Together the 7 picks below take roughly 11–17 hours across 6 areas; 3 are free.
Key facts
- Places in this guide
- 7
- Free entry
- 3
- Time to see them all
- 11–17 hours
- Areas
- Arts District, White Rock Lake and East Dallas
Outdoors in Dallas
Gallery · Arts District
1.Nasher Sculpture Center
Leave time to sit in the garden; the sculptures change character with the light through the day.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Art
- Couples
- Outdoors
Park · Arts District
2.Klyde Warren Park
Grab lunch from the food trucks along the park's edge and eat on the lawn facing the downtown towers.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Kids
- Outdoors
- Food
.jpg){kind=link}
Garden · White Rock Lake
3.Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden
Visit on a weekday morning during Dallas Blooms; spring weekends get very busy.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Outdoors
- Kids
- Couples
- Photo spot
Nature · East Dallas
4.White Rock Lake
Rent a bike and ride the loop clockwise, stopping at the spillway and the Arboretum side of the lake.
- Time needed
- 1–3 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Outdoors
- Active
- Nature
Aquarium · West End
5.Dallas World Aquarium
Go early on weekends; the narrow rainforest walkway gets congested by late morning.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Rainy day
- Nature
Zoo · Oak Cliff
6.Dallas Zoo
Ride DART's Red Line straight to the Dallas Zoo station and visit in the morning before the heat.
- Time needed
- 3–4 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Outdoors
- Nature
Park · Uptown
7.Katy Trail
Walk or run it early on a summer morning, then have breakfast in Uptown.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Outdoors
- Active
Grouped by area
| Area | Places | Time needed |
|---|---|---|
| Arts District | Nasher Sculpture Center and Klyde Warren Park | 1–1.5 hours + 1 hour |
| White Rock Lake | Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden | 2–3 hours |
| East Dallas | White Rock Lake | 1–3 hours |
| West End | Dallas World Aquarium | 2 hours |
| Oak Cliff | Dallas Zoo | 3–4 hours |
| Uptown | Katy Trail | 1–2 hours |
Booking and timing
Of these 7, 3 free, 4 mid-priced. None needs booking far in advance. The longest visit is Dallas Zoo; group the rest by area to save travel time.
How to fit them into 5 half-days
Grouped by area and kept to about four hours each, so you walk more than you ride.
- Half-day 1 (Arts District): Nasher Sculpture Center → Klyde Warren Park, at least 2 hours.
- Half-day 2 (White Rock Lake and East Dallas): Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden → White Rock Lake, at least 3 hours.
- Half-day 3 (West End): Dallas World Aquarium, at least 2 hours.
- Half-day 4 (Oak Cliff): Dallas Zoo, at least 3 hours.
- Half-day 5 (Uptown): Katy Trail, at least 1 hour.
The best months to be outside
- April: highs of 25°C (77°F), about 7 rainy days, busy crowds. Warm and green, with bluebonnets along highways; storms with hail are possible.
- October: highs of 26°C (79°F), about 7 rainy days, busy crowds. One of the best months: warm, sunny and full of events.
- March: highs of 21°C (70°F), about 8 rainy days, moderate crowds. Spring flowers and pleasant days, with the first severe storms of the season.
The neighbourhoods they are in
- Downtown and the Arts District — JFK sites, art museums, Klyde Warren Park and converted office towers
- Uptown and Victory Park — Patios, the Katy Trail and vintage trolleys on McKinney Avenue
- Lower Greenville — Bungalow streets, patios and a long-running bar strip
More of Dallas
Questions travellers ask
+Where should I start in Dallas?
Nasher Sculpture Center. A Renzo Piano building with a glass-vaulted gallery opening onto a walled sculpture garden, showing modern and contemporary sculpture by Rodin, Matisse, Picasso, Calder, Henry Moore and others.
+Which of these are free in Dallas?
Klyde Warren Park, White Rock Lake and Katy Trail.