84 replies to this topic

[Austin55]

I was recently out for a "sunday drive" to the SW of the City. In Cresson, I decided to take County Road 918 back towards town. To my surprise, the skyline is clearly visible from where the road crosses the FWWR tracks just outside of Cresson. The view is even visible on streetview. I measure the distance from this location to Burnett Plaza at about 22 miles. The altitue of this site is 1,046 feet according to freemaptools.com, which is about 400 feet higher than downtown. 

What other locations have surprising skyline views?

[John T Roberts]

I have ridden my bicycle on that road from my house to Cresson and back.  I do remember making note on seeing the skyline at that railroad crossing.

[Stadtplan]

Here's another cool view of the FW skyline....Trinity Blvd by the Garden of Angels memorial.  You get some very cool sunsets also especially April and September when the sun is setting closer to true West although the expanse of view is quite far here as well.

 

(Note to self...I wonder if other massive cell phone towers and various antennae are specifically perched in places with elevations that are ideal for spotting downtown skyline?)

[Doohickie]

Aledo Road, just outside Loop 820

 

4th Street a bit east of downtown... not that far out but I like this view.

 

I love taking people on bicycle into downtown from Rivercrest Country Club along W7th... some great vistas of downtown.

[Stadtplan]

Team Ranch Rd and West Loop 820

[John T Roberts]

Top of Nice Hill in South Holiday Park at Benbrook Lake.  You have to pay to get into the lake area, either by car or by bicycle.  From this hill, you can see the FW skyline if you look north, and if you look south, you can see Caddo Peak, the highest point in Johnson County.  There is no Google Street View on those park roads, but there is a photograph accessible from the site.  The quality of the photo is not great, and it is very hard to see the skyline in the photograph.

[Stadtplan]

Six Flags Oil Derrick

 

(Distance to Burnett Plaza = 15.32 miles (as-the-crow-flies))

[Austin55]

Aledo Road, just outside Loop 820

 

This one reminds me a bit of Mansfield Highway in Kennedale, where you can get a quick glance after cresting a hill. About 11 miles of distance.

 

Team Ranch Rd and West Loop 820

 

Love it!

I know this one because John has posted about it before, but Cattlebaron Rd has a view from about 13 miles. I believe this is where John has photographed both the Dallas and the Fort Worth skyline in the same photo.

I'm curious if Cedar Hill holds the furthest natural* location where the skyline is visible. It's just about 23 miles to Jasmine Circle, but there are probably other places in the State Park where you could see it. I have not explored there much.

*Natural in that it's on the ground, but the view is altered due to trees being removed and roads existing. 

Edit - I may have found one even further east, when coming down 303 towards DBU. 23.7 miles. Never been here personally but I believe that's the skyline on streetview.

 

[John T Roberts]

Austin, that is the skyline on the Streetview that you referenced. 

[Stadtplan]

 

Aledo Road, just outside Loop 820

 

This one reminds me a bit of Mansfield Highway in Kennedale, where you can get a quick glance after cresting a hill. About 11 miles of distance.

 

Team Ranch Rd and West Loop 820

 

Love it!

I know this one because John has posted about it before, but Cattlebaron Rd has a view from about 13 miles. I believe this is where John has photographed both the Dallas and the Fort Worth skyline in the same photo.

I'm curious if Cedar Hill holds the furthest natural* location where the skyline is visible. It's just about 23 miles to Jasmine Circle, but there are probably other places in the State Park where you could see it. I have not explored there much.

*Natural in that it's on the ground, but the view is altered due to trees being removed and roads existing. 

Edit - I may have found one even further east, when coming down 303 towards DBU. 23.7 miles. Never been here personally but I believe that's the skyline on streetview.

 

 

 

Austin, your Jasmine Circle find....that's awesome!

 

I'm trying recall if you can see our skyline from Prayer Mountain / Mountain Creek Community Church 5950 Eagle Ford Dr, Dallas, TX 75249.  Pretty sure you can but having trouble finding a photo to verify.

 

 

https://goo.gl/maps/grbkagWK91yu9c6YA

[John T Roberts]

I have ridden my bicycle all through those streets on the Cedar Hill Ridge, and there are multiple streets that give a distant view of the Fort Worth skyline.

[JBB]

It's not near as far away as some of yours (12 miles), but I posted a photo here one time of the skyline from the entrance of Bedford Boys Ranch Park, now Generations Park.  The Google view is bad because visibility was terrible when it was taken.  I'll look for the photo on the forum.

 

Edit: Here's the link to my photo.  I can't believe that was more than 11 years ago.  Visibility wasn't great the day I took it and it's a little overexposed.

 

http://www.fortworth...ic=3947&p=59046

[Stadtplan]

It's not near as far away as some of yours (12 miles), but I posted a photo here one time of the skyline from the entrance of Bedford Boys Ranch Park, now Generations Park.  The Google view is bad because visibility was terrible when it was taken.  I'll look for the photo on the forum.

 

Edit: Here's the link to my photo.  I can't believe that was more than 11 years ago.  Visibility wasn't great the day I took it and it's a little overexposed.

 

http://www.fortworth...ic=3947&p=59046

 

JBB, Here's your post...

 

[roverone]

I find these really fascinating.

 

Google Earth has a Viewshed function, but the radius it checks is not far enough.

 

I took a few minutes to see what it would take to pull it together in Mathematica since it has lots of data sources -- I'm sure it can be done, but not a middle-of-the-work-day project.

 

I expect that there are other sites out there that can calculate viewshed, or line of site, or estimated horizon.  None of them are going to have great accuracy since the elevation data grids are only so big and those errors magnify out, but it might interestingly provide some clues of unexpected locations to check out.

[John T Roberts]

Since I have ridden bicycles over many of the county roads in all directions from Fort Worth, I could probably come up with many more locations where the skyline can be seen.  There are numerous locations on several ridges in Parker County where you can see the skyline, and I think one of those locations is fairly far away.

[John T Roberts]

Intersection of Shelby and Banks in Southern Tarrant County with the Forest Hill Water Tower between.

[Austin55]

Austin, your Jasmine Circle find....that's awesome!

 

A popular HS hangout. Those "no loitering" signs are there for a reason!

 

Six Flags Oil Derrick

 

(Distance to Burnett Plaza = 15.32 miles (as-the-crow-flies))

 

This makes me thing, surely FW is visible from Reunion Tower? I've not been in years, and I can't find a photo that shows the Westward view.

 

Intersection of Shelby and Banks in Southern Tarrant County with the Forest Hill Water Tower between.

 

Ooh that's a good one. I lived in Rendon for a bit and there's a few funny gaps where you look over and think "Is that what I think it is?" That also reminds me of another, the overpass of Hidden Creek Pkwy over 35, which is nearly 16 miles away.

Speaking of 35, the view from the North side of town at Heritage Trace offers an almost completely unobstructed view. I've really not spent a lot of time that direction, so I'm sure there are more. 

Also to the north, but much more obstructed, is the view from the Eagle Mountain Lake dam. However, this is probably pushing the definition of "skyline" and is really more "tops of some buildings".

[JBB]

This makes me thing, surely FW is visible from Reunion Tower? I've not been in years, and I can't find a photo that shows the Westward view.

 
I can't remember which floor of the Omni this is from, but the FW skyline is in the middle of the photo with Reunion Tower in the foreground.  I completely forgot about this photo.  Right at 30 miles away.  You can also see a AT&T Stadium and the nearly complete Globe Life Field (photo was taken on 2/29/2020).
 

[John T Roberts]

The view from Reunion Tower is actually quite a bit better than this view from the Omni.  Many years ago, I attended a party on the roof of the Kirby Building in Dallas.  From there, you could see Downtown Fort Worth.  It is 17 stories.  Quite a few of the buildings in Downtown Dallas have views of the Fort Worth skyline from not very far up. 

 

In April, when we did the last hotel tour, we were allowed to go to the roof deck/bar at The Sinclair, and you could see the skyline of Dallas from there.

[Doohickie]

Intersection of Shelby and Banks in Southern Tarrant County with the Forest Hill Water Tower between.

[Stadtplan]

Trinity Trail on the levee by Crestwood. I am usually pulling out my camera right about at this point, especially when the setting sun is reflecting off the skyline with a blue sky behind it.

https://goo.gl/maps/whknj3w2MvZiTEERA

[roverone]

Here is one of the free online tools for view shed and horizon.  It does not seem very accurate.  I put an estimated height for our downtown and of course the visibility is from ground level without trees, and so very rough.

 

Sorry -- I left the image huge:

 

[Stadtplan]

roverone, I appreciate you sharing this research and the high quality image.  I'd like to know more about the source if you don't mind IM-ing me please?  It looks like it is using google maps as the base map.

[Stadtplan]

(Note to self...I wonder if other massive cell phone towers and various antennae are specifically perched in places with elevations that are ideal for spotting downtown skyline?)

 

So I toodk 5 minutes and tested my theory about the communication tower locations today during lunch and worked on the first try (to my surprise)...here's my methodology:

 

1) went on TAD website interactive map and found the property owner's name of the huge comms tower by Angels' Garden in Mosier Valley.

 

2) Cross-referenced Owner name to other properties in Tarrant Cty.

 

Located the Tower and surrounding hill on google maps (nice view I bet from closer up by their tower)

 

 

Here's a better hill and tower but no street view (this is facing away from downtown but checking the surrounding terrain for best view).

 

Found an opening looking south toward downtown on Haslet Cty Line Rd and had to go back a few years on streetviews to find a clearer shot of the buildings (unless that's some trees maybe?)

 

Well, you get the idea. 

[johnfwd]

While not the most distant vantage point, I have always liked the view on west-bound I-30 just before the Beach Street exit.

[Stadtplan]

House of Blades

[Stadtplan]

Parsons Station. (TX-171 between Cresson and Weatherford)

 

https://goo.gl/maps/dNp9EfZUwQUdD9zR7

 

https://goo.gl/maps/npB5EpxobatPsQez9

 

It might be worth a field trip out here with the right camera equipment to see if both Dallas and Fort Worth skylines are visible from this spot.  Here's the line of sight I used where Bear Creek crosses this driveway and extrapolated it all the way out to Dallas.  Do you think I'm actually seeing Dallas' skyline here and Fort Worth is just out of view to the left?:

 

 

(Actually aligns slightly south of downtown here and slightly north of Dallas.)

 

(The odd part about this is it aligns perfectly with my house!)

 

https://www.waymarki...7f-0f550f05dae5

[Austin55]

I don't think the Streetview cameras have the resolution to make Dallas from that far away. But, it might be interesting to check out in person. 

Obviously not the right forum, but Dallas having a bigger skyline may be an interesting topic too. I'd think that there are places it's visible from that are further than Fort Worth. For example, I was on the Ennis Bluebonnet Trail last month and there's points there where you can get a glimpse.
 

[Stadtplan]

I don't think the Streetview cameras have the resolution to make Dallas from that far away. But, it might be interesting to check out in person. 

Obviously not the right forum, but Dallas having a bigger skyline may be an interesting topic too. I'd think that there are places it's visible from that are further than Fort Worth. For example, I was on the Ennis Bluebonnet Trail last month and there's points there where you can get a glimpse.
 

 

Roads like that make me want to go buy a motorcycle.

[roverone]

Here are a couple of pictures from the same site a couple years apart.

 

Sorry -- just crummy cell phone pics.

 

May 4th, 2019:

 

 

And then more recently, April 11, 2021 -- getting a residence to capture that view:

 

 

You might be able to guess from the view, but this is in the River Hills Neighborhood.

[Austin55]

Thats a nice angle of the skyline, looks really long. 

[Austin55]

Aledo Road, just outside Loop 820

I took a Sunday drive and you can first see a glimpse of the skyline from where the road crosses the tracks a few miles west. 

I also went out to Parson's Station and could not see the skyline, however the rainy weather probably had an impact on that.

[Stadtplan]

Aledo Road, just outside Loop 820

I took a Sunday drive and you can first see a glimpse of the skyline from where the road crosses the tracks a few miles west. 

I also went out to Parson's Station and could not see the skyline, however the rainy weather probably had an impact on that.

Bird of prey caught a snake on your streetview Austin!
https://goo.gl/maps/mtgdczwPQyXNTFXt6
(Scroll up)

[John T Roberts]

That looks like a red-tailed hawk from the Street View capture.  It's still kind of hard to tell.

[Stadtplan]

I think the skyline view is up a few hundred yards from the Parsons Station Historical marker. There should be a pad site on the north side of the road and you need to look back and to the right.

[Austin55]

On Tx-174 heading North from Joshua into Burleson.

[John T Roberts]

Austin, I used to have family in Cleburne until they all passed away or moved away.  Back in the 1960s, I remember when my family was driving home from visiting my aunt, uncle, and cousins, that hilltop was the first place where you could see the old CNB digital clock.

[Stadtplan]

Sam's Club Parking Lot on Bryant Irvin.  Not really surprising, but at the right conditions makes for a nice view of the skyline. 

https://goo.gl/maps/v3o6KFS2BKRFvMAN8

[John T Roberts]

There's an even better view of the skyline from higher ground on the service road of I-20 in front of Cityview Centre. 

 

https://www.google.c...!7i16384!8i8192

[steave]

It's a beautiful view in the evening when all the buildings are lit up.

 

Another nice view is from southwest blvd looking west over the railroad tracks by the small walmart. There are the buildings framed by trees along the road.

[johnfwd]

This is the view from westbound I-30 just before the Beach Street exit.  

 

https://goo.gl/maps/tvrkenXUV5ha1hSYA

[Stadtplan]

Quail Ln & Trail Lake Dr. - Arlington

https://goo.gl/maps/FLza1wU4do9F8euQ7

 

 

Scruggs Dr. and Blvd 26 - Richland Hills:

https://goo.gl/maps/sixCNcHbTF5h13Mp7

 

[Stadtplan]

2391 E. Berry St.

 

[steave]

I went and drove around for fun today since it was nice outside. I could see downtown from state highway 171 between Cresson and Weatherford.

[Stadtplan]

Did you stop at Parsons Station?

[steave]

No, I never did stop my car. However I might have to go there again.

[Stadtplan]

I've been meaning to post these but here's a couple more skyline places:

 

Broadcast Hill, although not real surprising, it's always a stunning view: https://goo.gl/maps/JmU8Hgmq4gWsEw8AA

 

 

Western Center Blvd / Eagle Mountain Dam Rd bridge passing over Jacksboro Highway.  

https://goo.gl/maps/PbtoyjL5W6gtP2kJ7

 

You can also see it from Jacksboro highway here: https://goo.gl/maps/RmEBsv3w2UGvkVRb6

 

 

From the Eagle Mountain Dam (This is a nice Sunday drive if you haven't ever been back here)

https://goo.gl/maps/jxv34FwrK8omF1Hi8

 

Eden Rd. and Business 287 is a straight shot to downtown from this spot.

https://goo.gl/maps/jM5ydbdYBYkMtBXb7

[mmmdan]

Probably not really surprising to a lot of people, but it wasn't until moving south of downtown that I learned that there are nice views of downtown as one travels north on Hemphill.  The view on google maps just can't quite match reality.

 

https://www.google.c...!7i16384!8i8192

 

https://www.google.c...!7i16384!8i8192

[Doohickie]

Yep.  Love those views.

[SCHMJDT]

very lucky to have two great views,

 

first from roof at work, ontop of the roof one morning last year while doing a roof inspection

 

 

then the second is from the patio in my backyard on the east side of town