Fort Worth Sierra members on an outing at Brazos Bend State Park

Fort Worth Sierra Outings

Apr. 29 (Tues) Newsletter Folding Party at 6 pm.
Braum's Restaurant, 6770 Bridge St at Loop 820, Fort Worth. Have a few minutes to donate your time to the club to label newsletters. No skill required, just a willingness to help

May 4 (Sun) Sierra Club Sustainable Sunday Lunch.
Thai plant-based buffet at Thai Jasmine, (817) 283-8228, 3104 Harwood at Hwy 121, SW corner, Bedford. This all-you-can-eat buffet is served from 11:30 am to 2:00 pm. $9 for adults, $5 for children. Separate Sierra Singles table. Organizer: Terry Jensen

May 15 (Thurs) Sierra Club Daytime Discussion meeting in Arlington.
We will focus this year's meetings on discovering a sense of place.  These meetings will be a combination of discussion based on the Northwest Institute course "Discovering a Sense of Place", visits with local experts, and occasional visits to special places in Arlington.  Join us at 3 p.m. at Tin Cup, 1025 W Abram St, Arlington 76013.  For more information call 817-266-8569 or bfbg@tx.rr.com.

May 15-18 (Thurs-Sun) OUTING Canoe a section of the Buffalo National River in central Arkansas
Canoe Fri and Sat for a total distance of < 20 miles over 2 days on this national wild and scenic river where no motorized boats are allowed. A celebratory dinner at the Riverside Inn is planned for Saturday night and a potluck for Friday evening. Camp each night at Tyler Bend Park located at the midpoint of the canoe trail. You must leave on Thursday by noon due to the 7 hour drive to the campsite. Shuttle service and canoe rental must be arranged in advance by contacting the outfitter at 870-439-2888 or 870-439-2386. The number of canoes available is very limited. The website is www.gilbertstore.com. Shuttles for personal canoes may be provided by the contacting the canoe outfitter to arrange this. This trip is open to experienced canoeists and requires approval of trip leader. This is not a technical river, but there is a current and prior canoeing skills are needed. Leader: Marilyn Turnage, (214) 533-2481 (e-mail marilynturnage@msn.com.

May 18 (Sun) OUTING Day Hike at Lake Mineral Wells State Park
Hike 2.5-miles (each way) on the natural surface Cross Timbers Back Country Trail. The trail head has steep grades the first 1/2-mile. Difficulty level is moderate. Please no dogs or strollers, but children welcome. Meet in the Cross Timbers parking lot inside the park at 9:00 AM. Hike cancelled if raining at the State Park.  State park entrance fee required. Bring water and snacks. Directions: Lake Mineral Wells State Park is located 4 miles east of Mineral Wells on US Highway 180 or 14 miles west of Weatherford on US Highway 180.  Please contact Scott Carpenter at adventureman1@hotmail.com or 817-253-0158(H) to confirm that you will be joining us.  Phone calls before 8 p.m.

May 21 (Wed.) OUTINGS MEETING, 5:30 PM
Join outings leaders and trip participants to discuss and plan upcoming trips and to enjoy a quick meal at Spiral Diner, Magnolia and 6th, Fort Worth. Order your food early at 5:30 PM, and meeting will finish by 6:30 PM in time to attend the Sierra Club general meeting at 7 PM at the Botanic Gardens. For more info, contact Claudia Blalock, 817-924-6242.

May 21 (Wed) General Meeting of the Greater Fort Worth Sierra Club, 7 PM
Brief business meeting followed by speaker, Susan Haney who will discuss her recent travels to Africa. Location: Ft Worth Botanic Gardens, Moncrief Garden Center, 817 871-7686, 3220 Botanic Garden Boulevard at University, north of I-30, Fort Worth.

May 27 (Tues), Mid-Suburban Sierra Club shows "The True Cost of Food" followed by a discussion of food production (including genetically-modified foods) and food consumption from an environmental perspective.
Food issues are heavy and often emotional. This animated video takes a light approach to explaining the hidden costs of mass-produced food and about alternatives that are kinder to the planet. Join us at 7 pm in the community room of Healthy Approach Market, 5100 Hwy 121, Colleyville 76034. On the west side of freeway between Hall-Johnson and Glade. Terry Jensen, 817 545-0140

June 1 (Sun) Sierra Club's Sustainable Sunday Lunch.
Thai plant-based buffet at Thai Jasmine, (817) 283-8228, 3104 Harwood at Hwy 121, SW corner, Bedford. This all-you-can-eat buffet is served from 11:30 am to 2:00 pm. $9 for adults, $5 for children. Organizer: Terry Jensen, 817 545-0140

June 7 (Sat) OUTING River Legacy Dayhike, Arlington
We'll hike 4-5 miles on a paved trail to observe the Trinity River bottom forest, wildlife and open areas east of River Legacy Park. Bring water and sunscreen. Optional restaurant lunch afterwards. Directions: From I-30 in Arlington, exit Collins and take Collins north past Green Oaks Blvd. After crossing Green Oaks approx. 400 feet, turn left into the new River Legacy Park east entrance and park at the south section. Meet on the bridge near the parking lot at 8:30 AM. Early meeting time is preferred due to heat. Please no dogs. Hike cancelled if raining in Arlington. No reservations, just show up for hike. Leaders: Claudia Blalock 817-924-6242(H) and Judy Cato 972-238-5738(H) 

June 15 (Sun) Sierra Club's Sustainable Sunday Lunch.
Plant-based, all-you-can-eat buffet from 12 noon until 2 pm. Regularly $9, $1 off for Sierra Club. New Start Garden, (972 243-0507) 2330 Royal Lane, ste 900, Dallas 75229. Just west of I-35 on the south side of Royal. Organizer: James Bisby 469  371-1938.

June 19 (Thurs) Sierra Club Daytime Discussion meeting in Arlington.
We will focus this year's meetings on discovering a sense of place.  These meetings will be a combination of discussion based on the Northwest Institute course "Discovering a Sense of Place", visits with local experts, and occasional visits to special places in Arlington.  Join us at 3 p.m. at Tin Cup, 1025 W Abram St, Arlington 76013.  For more information call 817-266-8569 or bfbg@tx.rr.com.

June 18 (Wed) General Meeting of the Greater Fort Worth Sierra Club, 7 PM
Brief business meeting followed by speaker, Jarid Manos, author of the Ghetto Plainsman. Jarid has almost singlehandedly worked to protect remnants of our native prairie in the metroplex through his work with Great Plains Restoration Council. Location: Ft Worth Botanic Gardens, Moncrief Garden Center, 817 871-7686, 3220 Botanic Garden Boulevard at University, north of I-30, Fort Worth.

June 20-21 (Saturday-Sunday) OUTING Birds, Bats, and a beautiful river.
Car Camp at the South Llano River State Park near Junction, Texas. The South Llano River is spring-fed, flowing over limestone rocks, with great scenery. The river is great for swimming or tubing, or for just keeping cool. We will camp in the walk-in area, and reservations should be made well in advance for this heavily used park. The park is 250 miles from Ft.Worth, down Hwy 377, and should take about 4-5 hours of driving. We will tube the river on Saturday morning, and go to Mason for the Bat flight at the Nature Conservancy's Eckert James River Preserve in the evening. The scenic drive to bat caves does require high clearance for fording the rivers, but we can car pool as needed. More tubing on Sunday morning or hiking the great trails. There are some of the finest bird blinds in Texas (or the country) at South Llano. Website: www.tpwd.state.tx to access the South Llano River SP site and Contact Marilyn Turnage at 214-533-2481 or marilynturnage@msn.com to sign up for trip or for more info.

June 24 (Tues), Mid-Suburban Sierra Club shows  "Fighting Goliath--Texas Coal Wars" followed by a discussion of where Texas is today.
Narrated by Robert Redford and produced by Alpheus Media, the film follows the story of Texans fighting a high-stakes battle for clean air and centers around the unlikely partners- mayors, ranchers, lawyers, cities, citizens, green groups, and CEO's-that came together to oppose the construction of 18 coal-fired power plants that were slated to be built in Eastern and Central Texas and being fast-tracked by the Texas Governor. Join us at 7 pm in the community room of Healthy Approach Market, 5100 Hwy 121, Colleyville 76034, on west side of freeway between Hall-Johnson and Glade. Terry Jensen, 817 545-0140.

June 24 (Tues) Newsletter Folding Party at 6 pm.
Braum's Restaurant, 6770 Bridge St at Loop 820, Fort Worth. Have a few minutes to donate your time to the club to label newsletters. No skill required, just a willingness to help.

July 6 (Sun) Sierra Club's Sustainable Sunday Lunch.
Thai plant-based buffet at Thai Jasmine, (817) 283-8228, 3104 Harwood at Hwy 121, SW corner, Bedford. This all-you-can-eat buffet is served from 11:30 am to 2:00 pm. $9 for adults, $5 for children. Organizer: Terry Jensen, 817 545-0140

July 27 (Sun)  OUTING Dayhike in the shade at Gateway Park in Fort Worth.
Hike about 2.5-miles on concrete trail. Difficulty level is easy. Dogs welcome on 6 foot leash or shorter. Meet at 2:00 PM.  No reservations needed, just show up. Bring mosquito repellent, water for you and your dog and pick-up bags. Directions: From I-30, exit Beach Street and go north to 1st Street. Turn east on 1st street and go to park entrance on right.  Turn right into park and go to the end of the road.  We will gather in the pavilion. Hike cancelled if raining at park.  Leader: Bonnie Bowman 817-265-0008(H) or bfbg@tx.rr.com

Oct 11-13 (Fri-Sun) OUTING Sierra Celebration for whole state of Texas
Sponsored by the Lone Star Chapter of the Sierra Club will be at Caddo Lake State Park, near Marshall, TX. Join other Sierrans from across the state as we meet to hike, camp, and canoe at the lovliest state park in east TX on our state's only natural lake. Call immediately to reserve your cabin or campsite by contacting the TX State Park reservations office: www.tpwd.state.tx or (512) 389-8900. Organizer: Tolbert Greenwood, (817) 737-8698 or tol@greentol.com

How Outings Work

The Sierra Club has almost 800,000 members and part of our mission is to explore, enjoy, and protect the wild places of the earth.  Our volunteer-run outings program supports the Sierra Club’s conservation mission by connecting people with the natural world and with the Club. We follow the example of John Muir, the father of our National Park System and Sierra Club founder, who led others to these wild spaces.  By taking others on Sierra Club outings, we hope to impart our love of these special places and a commitment to protect them. 

The Greater Fort Worth Sierra Club offers many types of outings (trips) to local areas as well as to surrounding states. Outings may be as short as several hours to a multi-day trip. The types of outings may include urban day hikes, bicycle rides, canoe trips, wilderness backpacks, sea kayak tours or overnight car camping in established campgrounds such as a state park. Our leaders volunteer their time to receive training, plan trips, and to lead these outings. These outings are not-for-profit and support the mission of the Sierra Club. All Sierra Club trips are conducted in accordance with the National Sierra Club Outing Program. 

Our outings are open to members and nonmembers. A list of upcoming outings is provided above and includes pertinent information about each event and a contact person for the event. Most trips require pre-registration and leader approval as indicated in their description. Other outings such as many day hikes do not require prior approval or registration; you just show up. Please contact the leader for details about each trip. 

PLEASE NOTE: All participants on Sierra Club Outings are required to sign a standard liability waiver. Children must be accompanied by a parent or guardian and a liability waiver must be signed by the parent or guardian. If you would like to read the liability waiver before you choose to participate on an Outing, please go to: http://www.sierraclub.org/outings/chapter/forms/, or contact the Outings Department at (415) 977-5528 for a printed version.

Also, it is noted that Outings Leaders may limit the number of participants on a trip, and may choose to screen potential participants for experience, conditioning, and suitability for participation. The Outings Leaders' decisions are final. Depending on the strenuous nature of the trip, not all interested people have the necessary skills and conditioning to have an enjoyable trip.

Each outing officially begins at the trailhead. The trip leader cannot assign carpooling for trip participants, but may help to coordinate ridesharing. Some outings to state/national parks or wilderness areas may require an entrance and/or camping fee; each participant will be responsible for paying his own expenses. No radios or firearms are allowed. Pets are not allowed unless indicated in the trip description. 

The Fort Worth Sierra Club does not provide camping equipment such as tents, clothing, backpacks or watercraft for any outing. Each participant is responsible for providing his own equipment. The trip leader will provide details about the equipment and supplies needed for each outing. (provide links to list of equipment). Classes such as map reading and compass instruction, beginner backpacking, and canoeing may be offered by the Outings Committee or listed in our publications to assist members in increasing their outdoor skills. All Fort Worth Sierra Club outings encourage and practice “leave no trace” and low impact to the environment outdoor practices. 

In general, overnight trips or outings to wilderness areas are usually limited to approximately 12 persons and require reservations. This small number helps to minimize our impact to wilderness areas and to provide better opportunities for fellowship. If you must cancel, inform the leader as soon as possible. Urban day hikes are usually not limited to 12 persons. 

If you have questions about the Fort Worth Sierra Club Outings Program or wish to become an outings leader, contact the chairperson at 817-924-6242.