Easy Hike at Acton Nature Center

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If you enjoy the peace and quiet of nature, an easy hike at Acton Nature Center is for you. Last week I went there for my hike #2 of the 52 weeks 52 hikes challenge, and I was one of the three people who were there. A guy with his dog came from one side of the trail and they left while I was studying the trail. A lady with her dog arrived when I just started hiking and I felt guilty because I didn’t bring Snoopy with me.

Tug between Acton and Granbury in North Texas, this Nature Center is not that big. Only 74-acre, but it has over 5 miles of trails for hiking and biking, a butterfly garden (seasonal), amazing wildflowers in the spring (Master Gardeners and Master Naturalists have spread over 100 lbs. of wildflower seeds in this area), a bird blind, and if you like geocache, this is a playground for you.  

Staff hosts at Acton Nature Center are all volunteers, but they offer you interesting events throughout the year. There are a monthly guided Bird Walk every first Saturday, annual Feather Fest, Reptile Day, Monarch Tagging, Star Parties, and S’mores with Santa. All the fun stuff for the whole family. Not to forget their annual Acton Nature Run in the month of April.  

 

Easy Hike at Acton Nature Center 

On the day I was there, the temperature was at 46 degrees and it was windy. Only one car at the parking lot, and when I was studying the trail map, the owner came from one side of the trail with his dog. 

As you can see from the picture, the trails lead visitors into the center. I decided to go to the Educational Facility to see if they have a paper trail map there. But first, I snapped a picture of the map, in case they don’t have it.  

As I walked to Educational Facility, the guy with his dog left. When I got there, it was closed and there’s a sign saying the facility only open during events. No wonder, because it runs by volunteers. And, there’s no trail map. Glad I snapped a picture of it.  

I looked around the area a bit. There are windmill and restrooms in one corner, and a showcase garden next to it, called Elizabeth Crockett Memorial Butterfly Garden and Hummingbird Garden. Part of a .5 miles Elizabeth Crockett Butterfly Trail circling the garden. I took that trail to Old Road Trail, passing the bat houses. 

Arrived at Old Road Trail (.16 miles), I turned north and hiked through juniper trees. From a far I saw a lady walked with her dog to Educational Facility area.  

I tried to listen for birds chirping, but I didn’t hear anything. Maybe it’s too cold for them to sing for me.

When I hit the end of road, I turned to west, decided to explore that area first. The trail started going down and it was still wet from the rain a few days ago. Juniper trees and oaks were found on both sides of the trail, and most part of the trail were covered by them. 

Then I came to a fork, and I followed the one along the property border, the Stephen Austin Trail (.29 miles). The trail here was pretty much wet. At the corner I saw a large Live Oak Tree and walked around it. Then I saw a lean-to shelter, but there’s no information on site that tells who built it. 

Here the trail changed to William Travis Hiking Trail, zigzagging for 1.3 miles. The trails on the ground was different from the map I snapped at the parking lot. I think people made their own trails here. So, I decided to follow the trail by the property border again until I hit the Natural Pond.

  

This Natural Pond supposed to be filled with croaking toads, but I didn’t hear anything. Again, too cold? There’s a bird blind at the other corner of the pond for bird watching. 

Before I went back to my starting point by the parking, I hiked part of William Travis Trail, and the sun started to appear in the sky. 

Back to the starting point, I continued hiking to the east, to Jim Bowie Bike Trail, 2.3 miles. Here the terrain is relatively flat, wide open, with tall grass on both sides. When I was crossing a creek, suddenly I heard a sound. My first thought, “Motion sensor? But why?” So, I stopped and looked around, and captured a video. I couldn’t see anything until it stopped. I think it was a bird somewhere. I wish my husband was there with me so he could tell, but he was camping with our son’s Boy Scout troop that weekend. Later I showed the video to my husband. He said it’s a tree frog. 

Jim Bowie Trail also goes along the property border. At one point there’s a pass leads to the showcase garden. I took that pass, San Jacinto Pass Trail (0.11 miles) to take more pictures of the windmill. Then I went back to where I came and continued on Jim Bowie Trail.  

Finally, I hit the intersection where I came from Old Road Trail in the beginning of my hike. I kept going and hit the fork. This time I turned to the other trail, which is the Jim Bowie Bike Trail loop.  

On this trail, the terrain changed to what appears to be a bed of rocks. When I stopped and looked to the ground, I realized they were fossils. Or, most of them were fossils. Shells and gastropod fossils were easily seen from where I stood. If I searched around, I would probably find different kind of fossils. But I kept going because the sun was disappeared behind the clouds and wind started to blow again. The cold air was back. 

My car was the only one left by the time I got to the parking. I climbed and started my car right away. It’s getting cold, and that’s a wrapped for my hike #2 of the year. An easy but peaceful and quiet hike.

Visiting Acton Nature Center in the Spring

Come spring Acton Nature Center is blooming with wildflowers and monarch butterflies dances around the Butterfly Garden. Like I mentioned above, the Master Gardeners and the Master Naturalists spread over 100 lbs. of wildflowers seeds in the center.

It was the third week of April when we visited, but I didn’t know if it’s the beginning, mid, or end of the wildflowers season in the center. Volunteers were not around, so I couldn’t find information.

All I know colorful wildflowers were blooming around the open area  near the parking, all the way to the Butterfly Garden. You can also see them along Jim Bowie Bike Trail, San Jacinto Pass Trail, Old Road Trail, and around the pond.

Before you start the hike, go to the information board near the entrance. There’s a poster of wildflowers that you can find in the center. Take a picture and use it as your guide. You will find Foxglove, Dawny Paintbrush, False Dandelion, Milkweed, Indian Paintbrush, Texas Star, Guara, and many more. Also, we still saw patches of Bluebonnets here and there.

A visit to Butterfly Garden in the middle of the center is a must. We stopped there first, but we didn’t see any butterfly at all. After the hiked we stopped there again, and this time they were abundant. Probably because the sun was out at the same time. I do not know if that’s the reason, but it’s a pretty sight for sure.

Park Location & Hour 

6900 Smoky Hill Road, Granbury, TX 76049. Right at the end of the street. If you come from Ft. Worth, it’s about an hour to the southwest.

The Nature Center is open to the public 7 days a week, from dawn to dusk, and always FREE.

Also, there’s a gazebo with picnic tables by the parking. I don’t recall seeing the tables the first few times I went there, but it’s a good place to have a picnic lunch. To have a picnic lunch at the Butterfly Garden is even better, but there’s only one picnic table there.

Click here for more information about the park.

After you leave the center, be sure to stop at Acton Historic Cemetery across Methodists Church on FM Rd. 167. A quick stop will take you to a monument built on Elizabeth Crockett’s burial site. She’s the second wife of Davy Crockett, Texas pioneer and patriot killed at the Alamo in 1836. This place is also the smallest state historic site in Texas.

As always, please share this post on your social media to help people want to go outside more. Thank you!