San Antonio is a great place for getting a small-town feel in a large metropolitan city. The main city is surrounded by lots of greenery and open natural areas, which means that there is lots of great hiking in San Antonio!
If you start out in the heart of downtown and drive in any direction for up to an hour and a half you will find a really great open area for hiking near San Antonio.
This guide to the best places to hike in San Antonio is organized by drive time from the center of the city. No matter where you go, you are bound to get a great view and a great workout on one of San Antonio’s hiking trails!
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The Best Hiking in San Antonio, TX
Brackenridge Park
Brackenridge Park is a really convenient way to catch a breather in the midst of all of the main city attractions, and it is among the best parks in San Antonio.
The park encompasses or is near all of downtown’s major highlights like the San Antonio Botanical Garden, the RiverWalk, and the San Antonio Zoo. If you want to get a nice walk in while you explore this is a wonderful place to go.
The conservancy is really focused on preserving as much of the area as possible. The Audubon Society offers a guide for the best bird-watching spots throughout the park for a fun break time activity!
Driving Distance from Downtown San Antonio
10 minutes.
Salado Creek Greenway
Salado Creek is perfect for a make-your-own-hike kind of day. The greenway includes almost 20 miles of paved hiking trails in San Antonio that are broken up into multiple segments. Feel free to jump in and jump out as you see fit.
There are several parks lined up along the way to give you a break to sit awhile and take in the beautiful, sunny weather of San Antonio.
There is parking available at each segment along the way, so just park your car and enjoy the natural limestone, cliffs, and trees of Salado Creek!
Driving Distance from Downtown San Antonio
20 minutes.
Mission Hike and Bike Trails
This wouldn’t be a San Antonio hiking article if we didn’t mention the San Antonio Missions Trail, which connects the most iconic elements of San Antonio. If you’re up for a full day of exploration this is the trail for you.
This trail connects each of the five historic missions located in San Antonio: The Alamo, Mission Concepcion, Mission San Jose, Mission San Juan, and Mission Espada.
They are each located roughly 2.5 miles apart and are in a straight line from one another. Take a walk through the city’s rich history with this hiking trail in San Antonio!
Driving Distance from Downtown San Antonio
20 minutes.
Fox Park
Fox Park is the beginning connection to several different trails leading in multiple directions. The attachment to Leon Creek Greenway extends this trail to 5.5 miles. The main trail is paved and in winds into nearby Helotes, TX.
This park for hiking in San Antonio is popular with bikers as well, as the path is fairly gentle for newcomers.
A small creek cuts through this area making it a nice place to stop and smell the flowers (literally!). There are a number of wildflowers and animals along the way, you’ll never be short of the bliss and peace of nature.
Driving Distance from Downtown San Antonio
20 minutes.
McAllister Park
With a bunch of Little League baseball diamonds around you wouldn’t expect to find a trailhead in McAllister Park. However, there are a few loops available at varying difficulty within the park. It is a great way to be outside and active in nature and greenery without having to drive too far.
The fun part about this area is that it also has stationary and interactive gym equipment at the trailhead to turn your hike into a full-on workout!
The 1.5 acre, fenced dog park within the area makes it a great place to bring pets as well. There is a mini doggie playground that your furry friend will love.
Driving Distance from Downtown San Antonio
20 minutes.
Comanche Lookout Park
Comanche Lookout Park has a wonderful patch of greenery spanning about 96 acres, and is a fantastic place for hiking in San Antonio.
The park is known for its main, central focal point: the lookout tower. The hike around the tower is roughly 1.5 miles when you combine both of the trails. The park provides a great vantage point lookout year-round and it is a really special way to take in the view.
The pathway is mostly made of gravel and dirt, and there are wonderful wildflowers throughout.
The park is kid and puppy friendly with all of the needed public facilities as well as a playground and library right next door!
Driving Distance from Downtown San Antonio
25 minutes.
Friedrich Wilderness Park
If you’re looking to be completely consumed by Hill Country I highly recommend Friedrich Wilderness Park.
Less than a half an hour out of town, this park features expansive, undeveloped terrain. With 10+ miles of trails to explore, this place is perfect for all skill levels. This area protects two endangered songbirds, so be sure to keep an eye out for those.
Unfortunately, no pets or biking is allowed in this area, but some trails are wheelchair friendly for those with mobility concerns.
This area also doesn’t have many public facilities throughout the park so be sure to load up on the essentials, especially water!
Driving Distance from Downtown San Antonio
25 minutes.
Eisenhower Park
Eisenhower Park is great if you’re looking for an afternoon hike but not necessarily wanting to spend your whole day in one area. With 5 miles worth of trails, this site is popular for hikers and runners alike.
This is a place where lots of local fitness groups meet up for evening walks/runs, most are very welcoming to newcomers, so if you’re alone, feel free to ask if you can join in!
This area has all of the necessary public facilities like restrooms and drinking fountains, there is even a little playground towards the entrance if the little ones still have some energy left afterward.
Driving Distance from Downtown San Antonio
25 minutes.
Medina River Natural Area
When visitors come to San Antonio, the first thing many think about is the RiverWalk.
This natural area is a different type of riverwalk–while the one downtown is partially man-made, this one is nature made!
This area has 7 miles worth of hiking trails in San Antonio, including some interactive features. Some of the trails are paved for a little more accessibility. The trailhead has all of the public facilities you’ll need to be on your way safely and soundly!
Driving Distance from Downtown San Antonio
25 minutes.
The Best Hiking Near San Antonio
Government Canyon State Natural Area
This natural area is on the west of town, about a half-hour outside of downtown. It’s absolutely beautiful in a classic central-Texas way–all limestone, scrub trees, and rolling hills.
Government Canyon includes over 12,000 acres of preserved land.
Also preserved in this land, are 110-million-year-old dinosaur tracks which are still visible today. These are the only prints still preserved on public land in Bexar County.
You don’t have to be a history buff to enjoy some of the other features in this park, there are over 40 miles of trails with scenic overlooks hidden throughout!
Driving Distance from Downtown San Antonio
35 minutes.
Landa Park
Landa Park is located just out of the city lines in nearby New Braunfels.
Along with the many amenities of the park, there is the main hiking trail that provides one of the most picturesque hikes near San Antonio.
Panther Canyon Nature Trail is almost 2 miles long with mild incline and decline. It is not paved but the trail is fairly worn to mitigate any instability.
There are some fun aquatic excursions in and around the park such as Landa Falls and the Comal River.
Dogs are welcome here as well, they just need to be leashed. Be sure to bring sunscreen and water as some patches of this trail are not shaded.
Driving Distance from Downtown San Antonio
40 minutes.
Guadalupe River State Park
If you’ve been following Lone Star Travel Guide for a while, you know that we love our state parks! It is one of the best ways to get to explore the state and its unique attributes, and Guadalupe River State Park in particular is home to some of the best hiking near San Antonio.
There are 13 miles of hiking and biking trails throughout Guadalupe River State Park, and many of them have scenic overlooks of natural highlights of the Guadalupe River.
This park is known to have some moderate and challenging trails throughout. There is a more remote, day-use area called the Bauer Unit which will give access to these places if you’re up for it.
This area has no restrooms or potable water so come prepared. It is bound to be a great experience with all of the preserved wildlife and greenery. You might even catch some folks taking their horses out for a ride, it’s really a park meant for everyone.
Driving Distance from Downtown San Antonio
1 hour.
Hill Country State Natural Area
San Antonio is bordered by the Texas Hill Country to the north, which is known for its greenery, tranquility, and vineyards! If you’re looking to burn off some of that wine, Hill Country State Natural Area is the perfect place to come!
There are 5,000 acres worth of scenic adventures everywhere you turn from babbling creeks to vast plateaus, you really get a country feel from here.
People come out here to hike near San Antonio and really enjoy the natural beauty that the Hill Country has to offer.
Driving Distance from Downtown San Antonio
1 hour, 15 minutes.
Bicycles and skateboarding are not allowed on any of the trails at Eisenhower Park. Might want to edit and correct the article.
Thanks, Heather! Updated. 🙂
Actually that is not quite correct. The Eisenhower Park trailhead recently opened, as the farthest point on the Salado Creek Greenway. I was there on my bicycle today (March 19). There are plans in the near future to extend this biking/hiking path through Eisenhower Park to connect with the Leon Creek Greenway at The Rim.
What about Leon creek, I do often go in this trail from Babcock to mainland and near OP schnabel park the altitude gives your heart enough of pumping and sweating!!!