Fort Worth Finds A Waterfall


   Update:  After years of delay, the Trailhead officially opened on April 22, 2017.  You are free to explore again. 



One might wonder how this waterfall could lay undiscovered for so many years, right in the middle of Fort Worth.

   The waterfall was actually part of Carswell Air Force Base until 1998. When the Base closed, the facility was divided between the new Naval Reserve Base and the city of Westworth Village. Most of the land that went to Westworth Village has been used for housing and shopping (such as new Walmart and Lowe's on Alta Mere). About one tenth of the public parcel, coincidentally the part with the waterfall. was left in its natural state.

    Even after the land became public, few people knew of the falls, mainly due to the fact that access to it was very difficult. Basically, you had to trespass on private land, or walk thru Farmer's Branch Creek to find it. One person who did find it was George Shannon, former president of the Tarrant Regional Water District. Shannon was aware of the waterfall for years and wanted to open access to the public. The Water District spent over $250,000 extending the Trinity Trail to the waterfall. Before that the TRWD spent almost ten years on an erosion control project to preserve the falls.

 

TO FIND THE WATERFALL:
     The easiest way to access the waterfall is from Pumphrey Drive off 183 (Pumphrey Drive is more commonly know as the road to the Carswell Front Gate). Turn on to Pumphrey off White Settlement Road or Alta Mere and head toward the Carswell Front Gate. The trailhead parking lot is on the right.

     At the far edge of the lot, you will see a new footbridge and the beginning of the trail. It is about a ten minute walk to the waterfall. You'll actually approach the waterfall from the top, so you pass it before you actually see it.

 Google Map to Trailhead



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9 comments:

  1. thanks for posting this.

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  2. I want to thank you so much for posting this. We had my son's senior pictures taken there yesterday. I wanted somewhere unique and this was the perfect place. Our photographer didn't know about this place. She asked her photographer friends and they didn't know about this place either. They all wanted to know where this place was. Thank you once again for posting this so my son could have the most gorgeous senior pictures...EVER!!!

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  3. Great article, lots of smart tips. I am going to show my buddies and ask them what they think.

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  4. We came across this water fall today when horseback riding. I have lived in FW 48 yrs and was totally shocked to find it. I thought, "How could I say I'm from FW and never knew about this gorgeous water fall?" When I got home I found your info on it and now I don't feel like a stranger in my home town! Thank you Mr. Shannon for opening this up to us!

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  5. I didn't know that this was " undiscovered "! I've fished that creek in a tube several times and either climbed up and down, or went around it every time. It's beautiful back in that creek and the farther you go, the better it gets.

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  6. Can anyone please help me find it. I just want to make sure I was walking in the right direction. Do I counintue through the golf course walking the trail. I got nervous and didn't want to walk to far & get lost. I'm going to try again soon.

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  7. My daughter and I found it yesterday. Keep walking, you will find the falls!! Well worth. Take someone with you to encourage you to continue. :)

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