With cooler temperatures comes the temptation to actually spend time outside — yes, by choice. Take advantage of the more comfortable weather by hitting up some local and regional nature spots to take in the beauty of the great outdoors.

Stone Oak Park 20395 Stone Oak Pkwy, (210) 207-7275, sanantonio.gov More like a hike-and-bike park, Stone Oak Park has paved and unpaved trails totaling to about three miles. While it’s perfect for moving around and staying active, it also has pavilions, playgrounds and open areas to stay and play or rest for a bit. Located near Canyon Ridge Elementary School, Stone Oak Park is a great place to take your kids and yourself for a walk to unwind in the cooler weather. Photo via Instagram / psychadelic_bee
Brackenridge Park 3700 N St Mary’s St, (210) 207-7275, brackenridgepark.org Brackenridge Park is located near Alamo Heights, the Witte Museum and the San Antonio Zoo. It’s also home to the Sunken Gardens Theater and the Japanese Tea Gardens, as well as some of the thiccest (hehe) trees you’ve ever seen. It’s a shady spot — in a good way. Brackenridge Park is named so from being donated in 1899 by a philanthropist named George Washington Brackenridge, who was an advocate of women’s suffrage and education for minorities. Hell yeah. Photo via Instagram / peterbnyrenphoto
Garner State Park 234 RR 1050, Concan, (830) 232-6132, tpwd.texas.gov Just about two hours west of San Antonio, Garner State Park lies in Concan, which is near literally not a whole lot else. Part of the beauty of Garner is its distance from large cities. It’s a place for you to camp with less light pollution and less reminders of back home. Plus, it’s gigantic and located right along the Frio River. Photo via Instagram / hiking_yessie
Credit: Instagram / momjortz
O.P. Schnabel Park 9606 Bandera Road, (210) 207-7275, sanantonio.gov Once dubbed “the cleanest little park in Texas,” O.P. Schnabel Park was originally named Bandera Road Park, but the name was changed in honor of, oddly enough, an insurance salesman by the name of Otto Phillip Schnabel, who dedicated his life to raising awareness for making San Antonio a beautiful city by encouraging people to clean up trash and not to litter. So…the more you know. The park itself features abundant natural vegetation and woods, you’ll be surprised how untouched this section of San Antonio is. Photo via Instagram / stephanieb324
Denman Estate Park 7735 Mockingbird Ln, sanantonio.gov Denman Estate Park may very well have one of the most unique features on this list. It features a traditional South Korean pavilion, styled similarly to the Gwangju Democracy Bell in South Korea. Gwangju, South Korea and San Antonio, you may be surprised to know, are sister cities. Denman Estate Park is a beautiful place to visit, not only for the pavilion, but for the pond and garden as well, now that it isn’t so damn hot outside. Photo via Instagram / lilladyfromtexas
Tobin Park 2020 NE Interstate 410 Loop, sanantonio.gov Tobin Park is located near — you guessed it — the Tobin Center. Sike! They’re so far from each other that they’re basically unrelated in everything but name. With winding trails and wildlife, be sure to take it a little bit slow on your bike until you find an open area to get your speed on. Photo via Instagram / dpi3_
Comanche Lookout Park 15551 Nacogdoches Road, (210) 207-7275, sanantonio.gov Comanche Lookout Park is located not far off from where Loop 1604 and Nacogdoches intersect. It was used by early Native Americans as a lookout point, hence the name. The coolest thing about it is that it is home to the fourth-highest natural point in Bexar County — 1,340 feet. Just kidding — the coolest thing about it is that it’s haunted…possibly. Photo via Instagram / camaron_griffith
Phil Hardberger Park 13203 Blanco Road, (210) 492-7472, philhardbergerpark.org Phil Hardberger Park is most known for being one of the city’s best and most popular dog parks, but the amenities aren’t just for the pooches (even though it’s got TWO dog parks — one for your fun-sized fur friends and one for colossal canines). It’s shady and clean landscaping and almost eight miles of trails make it human-friendly as well. Photo via Instagram / heathertakesontexas
Espada Park 1750 SE Military Dr, (210) 207-7275, sanantonio.gov Located on the South Side along the river near where SE Military Highway and Mission Pkwy cross, Espada Park is a place you’ve probably driven by a bunch of times without knowing it. Given that its location is so close to many different cemeteries and burial yards as well as historic Missions, it’s a great place to go spend the spooky time of the season. Photo via Instagram / auridavid54
Walker Ranch Historic Landmark Park 12603 West Ave, (210) 207-3000, sanantonio.gov Walker Ranch Historic Landmark Park is where Panther Springs Creek and Salado Creek converge. Part of its beauty is that it’s located very conveniently, so you don’t have to drive too far. The flipside is that it isn’t a very large park with any steep terrain, so it isn’t for a serious hiker looking for a challenge. Photo via Instagram / devonmacosta
Japanese Tea Garden 3853 N St Mary’s St, (210) 559-3148, To the out-of-towner, tourist or the rare San Antonian who doesn’t already know, the Japanese Tea Garden is located inside of Brackenridge Park. They are a special section of the park with elaborate pathways and carefully cultivated gardens with a Japanese-style pavilion where you can order food and tea. Also, it’s a beautiful place to take some photos. Photo via Instagram / grey.imaging.studio
Pearsall Park 4838 Old Pearsall Road, (210) 207-7275, sanantonio.gov Pearsall Park is definitely one of the most kid-friendly parks on this list — but in reality, it’s perfect for almost everyone because it basically has it all. With two dog parks (one for big mutts and small pups), a skate park, multiple sports courts, a golf course, open areas, and paved and unpaved trails, you’re basically in outdoor heaven — especially with this weather. Another thing that makes it super cool is that it used to be a landfill, but now it’s one of the Alamo City’s largest parks. Photo via Instagram / zlara_photography
Lost Maples State Natural Area 37221 FM 187, Vanderpool, (830) 966-3413, tpwd.texas.gov If you’ve never been to the East Coast, people will say that you’re missing out. There, they actually have things called “seasons,” where it’s possible to discern fall and winter from spring and summer. It’s cool cause Lost Maples is literally like the East Coast, but it’s in Texas and probably friendlier. Plus, it’s just a little less than 2 hours up the road. Photo via Instagram / bsbadventures
Panther Springs Park 22635 Wilderness Oaks, (210) 207-8480, sanantonio.gov Located near the Parman Library on the North Side, Panther Springs Park is a medium to small park with just less than three miles of trails and the separated large and small dog parks. Its wide trails make it the perfect place to walk your dog, take a stroll with your kids and ride your bike. Photo via Instagram / awag227
Confluence Park 310 W Mitchell St, (210) 224-2694, sariverfound.org Confluence Park is the new kid on the block, and she’s got a mission — to teach you about Texas ecosystems and water. Built as part of the San Antonio River Foundation, its trails wind along the river and are perfect for biking, walking and jogging. Along the riverbanks, you can find various works of art and educational plaques. It also has a sweet, Gram-worthy pavillion. Photo via Instagram / sa_suenos
Mud Creek Park 16875 Jones Maltsberger Road, (201) 207-7275, sanantonio.gov Yeah, Mud Creek park doesn’t have a sexy name, and it’s definitely ugly at first, but once you get past the first part, you can do down into a beautiful area surrounded by hills. A large part of the park is located at the bottom of a cluster of hills, so be careful if it looks like there might be any flash flooding. Photo via Instagram / texbits