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Many Texans who love hiking head to places like Colorado in the spring or summer. But you don't have to go far for a great hike in DFW. No, they're not too short or lack picturesque views. Quite the contrary. You'll find DFW hiking trails filled with beauty and different levels of difficulties. Here are five awesome DFW hiking trails. Cedar Ridge Preserve 7171 Mountain Creek Pkwy., Dallas, Texas 75249 This place tops many people's and publications' favorite DFW hiking trails list for its un-Dallas-like hilly nature. It's as close as you can get to feeling like you're in the Texas Hill Country without for hours. In just a 20-minute drive from downtown Dallas, you'll find yourself in a different world in this 600-acre park filled with trees and birds to entertain birdwatchers for hours. With multiple difficulty levels, Cedar Ridge Preserve's 9 miles of trails takes you to different settings. One trail leads to a view of Joel Pool Lake and the valley around it. Another path travels through a butterfly garden. No bikes are allowed but dogs are welcome as long as they remain on a leash. Lake Lewisville Environmental Learning Areas 201 E. Jones. St, Lewisville, Texas 75057 Boasting more than 7 miles of trails inside a 2,000-acre area where the Blackland Prairies and Eastern Cross Timbers meet. You don't have to be a K-12 student to get the educational tour. LLELA offers a guided hike, tour of the 1869 Minor-Porter Log House, kayak tours, and bird walks. Birdwatchers will stay busy with more than 280 documented species of birds. The area's elevation changes are milder, which makes it an ideal spot to get your hiking feet wet. You can go for a hike in the woods, prairie, river, or wetland habitats. The choice is yours. This useful guide will help you decide which Lake Lewisville hiking trails to take. Fort Worth Nature Center and Refuge 9601 Fossil Ridge Rd., Fort Worth, Texas 76135 Possessing more than 3,600 acres and 20 miles of hiking trails on varied terrain, the refuge is located on the western shores of Lake Worth and the Trinity River's West Fork. The refuge has a cool interactive map of its hiking trails. Home to many native habitats that await, visitors can go on a self-guided or staff-guided hike to discover what hides in the habitats. The U.S. Department of Interior has designated it a National Natural Landmark as an outstanding example of biological and geological resources especially for its oak-hickory forest, prairie, limestone edges, and marshes. The Texas Recreation and Parks Society named it a Lone Star Legacy Park because of its prominence in the community and Texas. Oak Cliff Nature Preserve 2875 Piece St., Dallas, Texas 75233 Formerly a Boy Scout Camp and now a part of Texas Land Conservancy, the heavily wooded 120-acre preserve features 8 miles of trails. TLC is a non-profit with a mission to conserve natural areas in Texas to maintain their integrity. Elaborate hills, wildlife, and massive trees turn Oak Cliff Nature Preserve into a memorable hiking spot. Crossing two creeks, hikers enjoy lush views of wildflowers in the spring. Oak Point Park and Nature Preserve 5901 Los Rios Blvd., Plano, Texas 75075 Plano's largest park, Oak Point Park packs 800 acres with 3.5 miles of concrete trails and 5 miles of soft surface trails. The Trust for Public Land places Plano as No. 18 out of the nation's largest cities in determining how well a city meets the population's need for parks. The city continues to enhance the nature preserve to extend the recreational trails by almost 2 miles. And for days you'd like to do a little climbing and ziplining, visit the onsite Go Ape Tree Top Adventure Plano Park. Those new to hiking will like Oak Point Park and Nature Preserve as a starting point since it has a lower difficulty level and high facility and beauty rating. Its facilities feature an educational center, pavilion, indoor restrooms, and Wi-Fi. The DFW hiking trails in these places will please hikers of all levels. This list barely scratches the surface as more hiking destinations exist all over the Dallas and Fort Worth. An easy search will give you more options. Happy trails! Here are more ideas for things to do besides hike in DFW:

• Cool things to do in Fort Worth
• 10 free activities around DFW
• Get ideas for fun in Denton