22 beautiful places to hike and bike in and around San Antonio

Mission Reach
thesanantonioriverwalk.com
Mission Reach is a popular destination for kayakers, pedestrians and bikers alike. Because a lot of the trail is located a fair distance from the road, it’s a good place for people who aren’t experienced with riding near or on the street, and it's plenty walkable, too. The route is more scenic than challenging anyway, so if you’re into rough and tough terrain and heart-pumping inclines on an isolated path in nature, Mission Reach probably isn’t for you. If you’re into paved paths and mostly gentle slopes with a beautiful view of the historic missions, you’ll love Mission Reach.
Photo via Instagram / ryanibarra24

Comanche Lookout Park
15551 Nacogdoches Rd, (210) 207-7275, sanantonio.gov
Though it encompasses 96 acres, Comanche Lookout Park is best known for having one of the highest elevation points in the city. In addition to beautiful views of SA, in early 2021, the park debuted new public artwork at the peak that honors the city's indigenous heritage.
Photo courtesy of City of San Antonio

Medina River Greenway
sanantonio.gov
The Medina River Greenway is about a 3.5-mile trail connecting the Pleasanton Trailhead to Mattox Park, which is located along McAllister Freeway outside of Loop 410 on the South Side. Because it hugs the edge of Mitchell Lake, you can expect to see some cool sights. When the weather is nice, you’ll see seasonal birds, lakeside wildlife and healthy vegetation. This greenway has paved areas, so it’s perfect for someone who prefers paved trails to rough terrain. If you're intrigued by this shot, head to the greenway near the Palo Alto trailhead.
Photo via Instagram / texasbyair

Brackenridge Park
3700 N St Mary's St, (210) 207-7275, brackenridgepark.org
The one and the only Brackenridge Park features tons of paved roads to bike down if you’re more of a beginner, and plenty of off-road opportunities as well for those bikers a bit more experienced. The beauty of Brackenridge Park lies in its rich history, ancient trees and the colony of (somewhat) feral cats. If you pack a picnic, there are plenty of places to sit down and eat it, too.
Photo via Instagram / peterbnyrenphoto

Eisenhower Park
19399 NW Military Hwy, (210) 207-7275, sanantonio.gov
Take advantage of the 6+ miles of trail at Eisenhower Park and get to exploring. Choose from both manmade and natural trails, though the natural Hillview trail will take you around the entire park.
Photo via Instagram / redbonecoonhoundluke

Pearsall Park
4838 Old Pearsall Road, (210) 207-7275, sanantonio.gov
Pearsall Park is like the city’s catch-all park. There are wide, open fields to run with your pup or play frisbee in, sports fields for getting in a little extra practice, walking and biking trails and even a skate park for when you want to hit the half pipe. Plus, it’s got over 500 acres of space to explore, especially if you’re comfortable with going off the beaten path.
Photo via Instagram / zlara_photography

Friedrich Wilderness Park
21395 Milsa Dr, (210) 207-3781, fosana.org
While 7 trails gives you plenty of options to exploring the park and getting your hike on, we’ve got to recommend the Main Loop Trail and the Water Trail. These trails are perfect serious hikers who want to work their muscles and enjoy the beauty of the nature around. There's a reason we're only saying hikers, though — bikes and other wheeled modes of transport are not allowed in the park.
Photo via Instagram / robert_em_eye

O.P. Schnabel Park
9606 Bandera Rd, (210) 207-7275, sanantonio.gov
O.P. Schnabel Park, formerly known as Bandera Road Park and occasionally still known as “the cleanest little park in Texas,” is a gorgeous place to visit if you find solace in nature. A trademark of the park is the natural and native vegetation that grows plentifully within. Enjoy the flora and fauna at Schnabel from one of six trails and loops throughout the park. Inside the park, you’ll be able to venture out to the woods to really feel like one with nature.
Photo via Instagram / christinabune

Olmos Basin Greenway
sanantonio.gov
The Olmos Basin Greenway Trail runs between Jones-Maltsberger Road and Devine Road and is about a mile or so long. Because of the mature trees in Olmos Basin Park, the greenway trails are almost entirely shaded, offering relief from the hot Texas sun on sweltering days. If you decide to go during the summer, or let’s be real, any other season in Texas, the shade doesn’t necessarily mean that it’ll be cool. Luckily, it runs along Olmos Creek.
Photo via Instagram / cmcpuma

Cathedral Rock Park
8002 Grissom Road, (210) 207-7275, sanantonio.gov
Cathedral Rock Park — not to be confused with Cathedral Rock in Arizona — lies on the west end of the Leon Creek Greenway. While it had a bad reputation from before the renovations a few years ago (circa mid-2010s), the trails have greatly improved. The areas are well-lit and the trails are paved and marked, making this a great place to bike.
Photo via Instagram / nic_is_nicole

Stone Oak Park
20395 Stone Oak Pkwy, (210) 207-7275, sanantonio.gov
Stone Oak Park is located off of Loop 1604 and can be accessed using the Stone Oak Parkway exit, though there are many ways to get there. The park itself has areas for adults to exercise and for children to play, but for bikers and runners, there are almost three miles of paved trails. The trails are split up into a few main parts, most of which are suitable for almost all types of bikes.
Photo via Instagram / psychadelic_bee

Huebner Creek Greenway
sanantonio.gov
Huebner Creek Greenway runs along Huebner Creek (duh!). It extends for about one and a half miles between two other trails, Crystal Hills Trailhead and Leon Creek Greenway. If you’re into a more private trek, Huebner Creek Greenway is probably the way to go since it’s much less known than the Leon Creek Greenway that it connects to, but you’ll probably still run into some people. Just make sure that you’re ready and geared up for some rough terrain.
Photo via Instagram / ramonhg81

Leon Vista
8561 Rochelle Road, (210) 207-8480, sanantonio.gov
Just because alcohol is prohibited at Leon Vista Park (like most other parks in SA) doesn’t mean you can’t have a good time. This park is more of a hike-and-bike park than a sit-and-picnic park, which makes it perfect for the anyone looking to go the distance. The trails aren’t super well-known, so if you want to spend some time alone in nature, this is probably the park/trailhead for you to hit.
Photo via Instagram / coldpizzatx

McAllister Park
13102 Jones Maltsberger Road, (210) 207-7275, sanantonio.gov
McAllister Park has a lot to offer: pavilions, picnic tables, grills, playgrounds, ample parking and dog parks, but the reason it made it on this list is the trails. The park has around five miles of paved trails, perfect for biking. As far as unpaved trails go, you’ll find about 10 miles of them winding through the 976 acres of McAllister Park between Jones-Maltsberger and Wetmore roads. Because McAllister Park has so much to offer and so much parking, don’t expect to be alone too much.
Photo via Instagram / mcallisterpark

Cibolo Nature Center
140 City Park Rd, Boerne, (830) 249-4616, cibolo.org
There’s plenty to do at Cibolo Nature Center, and the trails are short enough that you’ll be able to explore the entire caenter in a day. Throughout the property you’ll be able to hike marshes and open meadows alike. Plus, you can learn more about the dinosaur tracks that were discovered in 1997.
Photo via Instagram / kate.aline

McClain Park
15700 O'Connor Road, (210) 207-3000, sanantonio.gov
Brian McClain Park, named for a student who was killed in the Texas A&M bonfire collapse of 1999, is one of the lesser-known parks in SA. What it’s most known for, actually, is the 18-hole disc golf course. Even still, it boasts paved trails for biking. Because it’s known mostly for the course, you might not encounter too many other people enjoying the trails.
Photo via Instagram / kathrynrose

Salado Creek Greenway
sanantonio.gov
The Salado Creek Greenway runs between Jack White Park and Southside Lions Park. At a distance of 7.2 miles, this trail is perfect for anyone who loves long … looooong stretches of nature. As you pass, you’ll see several species of trees, like pecan trees, and at the points where it hugs the Salado Creek more tightly, you’ll get views of creatures that make water sources their homes. While Salado Creek Greenway isn’t the most popular site on this list, it’s still perfect to hit on a hot summer day where you can be shaded by the towering trees on either side of the path.
Photo via Instagram / _._snap

Southside Lions Park
3100 Hiawatha St, (210) 207-7275, sanantonio.gov
Southside Lions Park, also known as Hi-Lions Park because it’s near Highlands High School, is a 600-acre plot of land that was actually originally going to be used in part as a landfill. Since the ‘90s, the park has had paved trails and lighting through a push for quality of life improvements. These improvements include miles of paved and unpaved trails from which you can enjoy the beautiful scenery that Southside Lions Park has to offer.
Photo via Instagram / alyssa_johnson

Leon Creek South Greenway
sanantonio.gov
Leon Creek South Greenway, not to be confused with the Leon Creek Greenway, runs near Pearsall Park on the city’s South Side. It is located near Quintana Road, and is multi-use friendly, meaning that it is mostly paved and safe for joggers, walkers, bikers and maybe even roller bladers, so be aware that you might encounter a variety of other people using this trail. There are also seating areas for when you get tired or need a break, but that also means that there are some spectators if you do something wrong and take a tumble. We’ve all been there.
Photo via Instagram / epicmtbsatx

Phil Hardberger Park
13203 Blanco Road, (210) 492-7472, philhardbergerpark.org
For those who don’t know, or who have never realized it while they were visiting, Phil Hardberger Park is divided into two sections, East and West, by Wurzbach Road. For bikers (and pedestrians!), the East section has almost three miles of paved trails, and the West section has more than four miles of trails. The trails on the east side of the park connect to the Salado Creek Greenway, which is also on this list.
Photo via Instagram / john.a.dickinson.6.8