Parks & Recreation
Whether your interests lie in golf, biking, swimming, or just plain enjoying the outdoors, you’re in luck in the Alamo City. San Antonio is filled with parks and recreation facilities of all types, sprinkled from downtown to the city’s outer reaches. Within the city’s boundaries, you’ll find parkland maintained by the city, county, state, and even national government. And still more parks are just a short distance away. Many of the local parks and recreation facilities are free; others have a small admission fee.
In all, the San Antonio Parks and Recreation Department operates 236 city-owned parks and recreational facilities, which include swimming pools, gyms, many municipal golf courses, and more. The list also includes some of the city’s top attractions such as the Japanese Tea Garden and the San Antonio Botanical Garden. In all, the Parks and Recreation Department oversees and maintains more than 14,300 acres of parkland and 118 miles of hike and bike trails. For more on city parks, call (210) 207-PARK or visit www.sanantonio.gov/parksandrec.
You can reserve facilities at city- and county-owned parks by calling (210) 207-PARK, (210) 207-6545, or (210) 207-6150. Reservation specialists at these numbers can assist you with reserving facilities for a group picnic, birthday party, reunion, or other group function. (Fees vary by facility.)
Along with city parks, this region is rich with state parks, facilities that offer visitors the chance to enjoy ecological or historic attractions. Several are located right around the city; others are found within a short drive that’s well worth the time.
Overview
San Antonio is also home to a national park, the San Antonio Missions National Historical Park. Although the Alamo is often thought of as the prime mission in the city, San Antonio boasts a Mission Trail with several historic facilities that give visitors a better feeling of mission life.
Whether you plan to visit a city, state, or national park, be sure to keep San Antonio’s environment in mind. Temperatures during the summer months can be very high. Morning visits are best from June through September. Parks in the surrounding area that feature water recreation are very popular during the summer months, so they may be crowded, especially on weekends and holidays.
Also, please remember that the parks are natural settings, filled with nature’s creatures, some of which bite and sting. Central and South Texas are home to several poisonous snakes, including rattlesnakes, copperheads, water moccasins, and coral snakes. Though these are typically shy creatures and would prefer to flee rather than bite, be wary when hiking. Bites are fairly rare, but if you are bitten, seek medical attention immediately. The region is also home to several nasty crawly creatures, such as scorpions and fire ants. Their bites are painful but not poisonous. Mosquitoes can be the most annoying insect during warm-weather months; pack repellent to enjoy your trip.
This chapter is divided into two sections: parks and recreation. The parks section focuses on all types of parks in and around San Antonio. The recreation section is divided into recreation activities you can enjoy in the region, from bicycling and bowling to swimming and tennis.
1. Bastrop State Park, Bastrop
City: San Antonio, TX
Category: Parks & Recreation
Telephone: (512) 321-2101
Address: 97 miles northeast of San Antonio via
2. Dive World Scuba Center
City: San Antonio, TX
Category: Parks & Recreation
Telephone: (210) 403-3721
Address: 2250 Thousand Oaks, Suite 212
3. Alamo Area Youth Soccer Association
City: San Antonio, TX
Category: Parks & Recreation
Telephone: (210) 568-0491
4. Alva Jo Fischer Softball Complex
City: San Antonio, TX
Category: Parks & Recreation
Address: 10700 Nacogdoches Rd.
5. Cassiano
City: San Antonio, TX
Category: Parks & Recreation
Telephone: (210) 434-7482
Address: 1140 S. Zarzamora St. and Cassiano Park
6. Arnold
City: San Antonio, TX
Category: Parks & Recreation
Address: 1011 Gillette Rd.
City: San Antonio, TX
Category: Parks & Recreation
Address: 3910 N. St. Mary’s St.
8. Comanche Lookout Park
City: San Antonio, TX
Category: Parks & Recreation
Address: 15551 Nacogdoches Rd.
Description: This 96-acre park is indeed a lookout—it is home to the fourth-highest point in Bexar County. Perched at an elevation of 1,340 feet (that’s nosebleed territory for South Texas), the lookout was first used by Apache and Comanche Indians searching for game. It was later acquired by Mirabeau B. Lamar, the second president of the Republic of Texas. Lamar’s land was passed down through his family, who eventually sold it to German immigrants for farming. It was finally purchased by the city in 1994. The view includes miles of native trees such as Mexican buckeye, chinaberry, mesquite, huisache, and ash juniper.
9. Dawson Park
City: San Antonio, TX
Category: Parks & Recreation
Address: 2500 E. Commerce St.
Description: This neighborhood park, first named East End Park, was later named in honor of aviator Charles A. Lindbergh. In 1986, at the urging of local citizens, the park was renamed for still another aviator, Robert A. Dawson. The first licensed African-American pilot was a graduate of the local Phillis Wheatley High School. The aviation pioneer trained as an Army Air Corps flying cadet during World War II and was later killed in an air crash. Today the park is a favorite getaway for neighborhood residents.
10. Dwight D. Eisenhower Park
City: San Antonio, TX
Category: Parks & Recreation
Telephone: (210) 564-6400
Address: 19399 NW Military Hwy.
Description: Once part of Camp Bullis, this park opened to the public in 1988 and is now a favorite with birders. Dotted with juniper and oak, the rocky park is home to many native birds, including the black-crested titmouse and the ladder-backed woodpecker. Many deer, raccoon, rabbits, and armadillos also live here. It boasts 5 miles of hiking trails, with the Cedar Flats Trail leading to the park’s highest point. A lookout tower offers good views of the surrounding countryside. Special programs sponsored by San Antonio Natural Areas and the Bexar County Audubon Society are offered on the second Saturday of the month. Dwight D. Eisenhower Park is open from dawn to dusk; no admission fee is charged.
City: San Antonio, TX
Category: Parks & Recreation
Address: 21395 Milsa Rd.
12. Monterrey Park
City: San Antonio, TX
Category: Parks & Recreation
Address: 5909 W. Commerce St.
Description: Established in 1962, this park is named for San Antonio’s sister city in Mexico. Especially popular for its recreational facilities, the park offers a community center, a swimming pool, picnic sites, a football field, a soccer field, basketball and tennis courts, and more.
13. Riverside Park
City: San Antonio, TX
Category: Parks & Recreation
Address: 100 McDonald
Description: This was once a privately owned park and a popular picnic grounds. Formerly located at the end of a streetcar line, it was a favorite getaway for San Antonians. In the late 19th century, the park was used as a training ground for the Rough Riders, Teddy Roosevelt’s troops gathered for the Spanish-American War.For years the park was overshadowed by Brackenridge Park. In 1927 the city purchased additional land and added a 9-hole golf course; today the course boasts 27 holes, and the park has reclaimed its place as a good getaway on a weekend afternoon.
City: San Antonio, TX
Category: Parks & Recreation
Address: 555 Funston Place
City: San Antonio, TX
Category: Parks & Recreation
Address: 1415 San Pedro Ave.