Favorite Places to Explore Nature in San Antonio

Today’s guest post is part of the new “Favorite Places to Explore Nature” series and comes from a favorite travel blogger pal of mine, Sarah V. of Wandering Off. I’m thrilled she stopped by to share her thoughts on nature fun in San Antonio.

Averaging about 300 days of sunshine per year, San Antonio is the perfect place to explore the outdoors. From hiking trails to carefully manicured gardens, there are a wide variety of places to play. Here are five of my favorite nature adventures that are appropriate for kids of all ages.

San Antonio Botanical Garden
Get ready… there is a lot to see at this botanical garden: a rose garden, sensory garden (designed to emphasize the senses of smell and touch) and a Japanese garden. And that’s just the beginning!

You’ll also find a huge conservatory, as well as the Texas Native Trail, which replicates three different ecological regions found in the Lone Star State. Be sure to walk up to the scenic overlook for a great view of the garden and a glimpse of downtown San Antonio in the distance.

Brackenridge Park
If you only have time to do one of these nature adventures, consider visiting Brackenridge Park. Here you’ll find a variety of outdoor adventures including the San Antonio Zoo, the Japanese Tea Garden, the San Antonio River, a miniature train that runs through the park and plenty of picnic pavilions.

Although the zoo does charge an admission fee, the Japanese garden and general admission to Brackenridge Park are free of charge and the train is relatively inexpensive.

San Antonio Missions Trail
Most visitors will visit these historic missions to see the beautiful churches. But nature lovers should stop by, too.

At Mission San Juan, you can take the Yanaguana Trail to a small section of the San Antonio River that has not been channelized over the years. Informational signs guide the way. It was here that I learned that San Antonio used to be home to alligators and all sorts of other animals that no longer reside in the area. This 1/3-mile trail is a perfect hike for young children.

Fiesta Farm
Once you’re finished seeing animals from all over the world at the San Antonio Zoo, drive to the outskirts of town and visit Fiesta Farm where you can interact with farm animals such as horses, pigs, cows, rabbits and baby chicks.

Our daughter was a little hesitant around the animals, but she loved the huge sandbox filled with toys. While you’re out on the northwestern side of town, you might want to drive down the road a few minutes to the next spot on this list …

Government Canyon State Natural Area
This 8,000-acre park just outside of San Antonio offers plenty of hiking trails to explore. In addition to the front country and backcountry trails, the park also offers a visitors center and plenty of spots to enjoy a picnic lunch.

This particular park will always be special to us because this is where we took our then 2-year-old daughter on her first hike!

Have fun exploring all that this city has to offer. No matter what San Antonio adventures you choose, remember to bring the two essentials: water and sunscreen!

If you don’t already know Sarah, I highly recommend you check out Wandering Off. There, she blogs about her family adventures in Texas and beyond. She’s always up to something fun – much of it outdoors. You can also follow Sarah on Twitter @wandering_off.