For such a large state, Texas seems to have few well-known waterfalls. Many of the “advertised” waterfalls are found in and around Austin (Upper McKinney Falls, Gorman Falls, Pedernales Falls, and more) or in/near Big Bend National Park (which I have yet to visit). I did a bit of research and couldn’t find many other waterfalls, especially near big cities. Near Dallas/Fort Worth, two searches results consistently show up…Kickapoo Falls and Airfield Falls. I wanted to visit Kickapoo Falls, but realized it was even further outside of Dallas than I expected, and I’ve also read that not much water flows there now. So instead, I headed to Airfield Falls, which is not far outside of Fort Worth.

Airfield Falls doesn’t seem to be advertised as much currently, though the falls were busy when I visited. There’s just not a lot written about them yet, nor is there even an extremely clear map to find the falls. It’s so named because it’s near an airfield associated with the Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base in Fort Worth. I believe there may be a way to get to the falls by heading toward the entrance to the base. I instead parked along Westworth Boulevard.

After a bit of confusion about which direction to head to find the falls, I finally was on the right track, and came upon the falls after walking for 10-15 minutes. I was pleasantly surprised to find the falls looking like they were natural falls. (I had just visited waterfalls in Oklahoma that seemed more man-made than expected.) The cliffs on the side have clearly been altered, but that doesn’t detract from the overall perception. If I were looking for a short trek to a beautiful waterfall not far outside of the Dallas/Fort Worth metropolitan area, Airfield Falls is a great choice.

Directions:

1. From I-35W or I-30, head onto TX-183. If you are on I-30, you’d head heading north (then east) on TX-183, while you’d be heading west (then south) if you get off I-35W.
2. The road seems to change names a number of times. You’re looking for the middle stretch near the airfield where the road is referred to as Westworth Boulevard.
3. Looking at Google Maps, it appears you can turn onto Pumphrey Way and head north to the Airfield Falls Conservation Park, which has some interesting items there. From this park, you would head east along the paved trail to the falls. I instead parked on the shoulder of Westworth Boulevard, where there was a sign for the trail to the falls. I parked on the right (north) side of the road. From there, I connected into the trail. You want to head UPSTREAM, and when you reach the side-creek to your left, veer along that trail to the falls.

Accessibility: 10/10 (easy)
Height: 8′
Length of Hike: 0.6 miles round-trip from the Conservation Park on Pumphrey Way; 1.2 miles round-trip from Westworth Boulevard

Airfield Falls in March 2018

Where in the World is Airfield Falls?