With daily temperatures approaching the triple digits and humidity pushing the heat index even higher, San Antonio hikers might feel like hanging up their boots until fall arrives.
But with proper equipment and a little planning, hiking is still an option here even in our hottest months of July through September. Below are my recommendations for San Antonio’s shadiest trails where residents can hike year-round.
First, a few general tips. The most important is to bring lots of water. Not all trails have drinking water nearby. For those that do, you’ll still need water at regular intervals. Make it easy by wearing a hydration pack that allows you to carry more water than you think you’ll need.
Second, cover up. Wear a hat, sunglasses, and light, loose-fitting clothing, preferably with long sleeves to reduce sun exposure. Think functionality over style. I avoid heat exhaustion by embracing the dadcore look with a wide-brimmed hat and one of those light, long-sleeved fishing shirts.
Third, get an early start. The early morning hours are the coolest part of the day. I like to be at the trailhead no later than 8 a.m. If it’s 10 a.m. and you’re just leaving home, it’s probably too late.
Following these simple steps will make the difference between heat exhaustion (or worse) and a sweaty but still pleasant hike.
1. Friedrich Wilderness Park
It should come as no surprise that San Antonio’s best hiking park also has some of its shadiest trails for summer months.
The 633-acre park that encompasses limestone hills and canyons at the edge of the Texas Hill Country has about 10 miles of trails, most of them with plenty of tree cover. The trails on the north side of the park have some of the best scenery and shade, but skip the northernmost Bosque Trail, which passes through more open areas.
If you’re up for some more rugged terrain, consider stitching together a route that includes part of the Main Loop and the higher-elevation Vista Loop. From the 0.15-mile entry trail from the parking lot, take a right at Main Loop trail and follow it to the Juniper Ridge Trail, which leads into a beautiful, shady, rocky canyon as it becomes the Fern Del trail. Large rock ledges and tree roots make the route a challenge.
That trail then intersects with Vista Loop and continued climbing to a ridge overlooking the lower trails to the east and the nearly 3-mile Restoration Way trail to the west. Restoration Way is lovely but sunny, so consider saving it for cooler months. Head south on Vista Loop as it begins to descend and joins the Main Loop, which you can follow back to the entry trail. For a shorter version, skip Juniper Ridge, Fern Del, and the Vista Loop and just complete the 1.7-mile Main Loop.
I like to take a slight detour when the Main Loop intersects the Water Trail, which passes an old windmill feeding water into a concrete tank that attracts all kinds of birds. That tank is the only place I’ve seen the rare and endangered golden-cheeked warbler, which only nests in the Texas Hill Country.
The park offers restrooms and drinking water at the entrance parking lot. Friedrich’s one major downside is that it can get crowded, especially on weekends.
2. Hendrick Arnold Nature Park
One of the San Antonio area’s newest parks is also one of its shadiest, with mowed double-track paths passing below the forest canopy along the Medina River.
The 85-acre San Antonio River Authority park named after a Texas revolutionary buried nearby opened in September 2023. For now, it only includes three trail loops and an access trail, with plants to expand. The park entrance currently has only a portable toilet and no running water.
For shade, the 0.5-mile Rachel’s Trail on the park’s west side and the 0.4-mile Daniel’s Trail to the east are the best options for shade. Hikers can reach both via the connector trail that begins at the parking lot. Large trees line most of the way on these paths.
Unfortunately, neither of these paths access the Medina River, which I think will one day be the park’s main draw. For now, only the 0.3-mile Medina Trail, which passes through several sunbaked open areas, offers the only Medina River access.
Visitors who skip the river aren’t missing much at present, with the past few years of drought reducing it to a series of stagnant pools. The park’s master plan eventually calls for 9 miles of trails and two canoe/kayak launches. Those additions will make the park a true outdoor destination during the summer.
3. Phil Hardberger Park — East
One of the strengths of Phil Hardberger Park, encompassing 330 acres straddling Wurzbach Parkway on the city’s North Side, is its variety of Central Texas habitats from shady woods to open fields and a land bridge built that joins the two halves.
But visitors may want to save the land bridge for cooler months, as the trail spanning Wurzbach Parkway is one of the park’s most sun-exposed areas. Trails at Phil Hardberger Park — West near the Urban Ecology Center, where city staff and volunteers are working to restore more open prairies, are also worth avoiding in the summer.
Instead, park at Phil Hardberger Park — East at the lot along Blanco Road, which offers restrooms and drinking water. From there, head north past the restrooms until the access path intersects the 1-mile Geology Trail dirt path. Turning right takes hikers on a short loop through the woods near Voelcker Lane before doubling back. Taking the first left leads to a longer Geology Trail path that intersects the Water Loop. The second left shortens the route to the Water Loop.
The Water Loop is a 1-mile circuit through forested areas, with three crossings over dry creek beds. It has little, if any, elevation change. While the area might be less scenic than rocky, exposed parks like Friedrich or Eisenhower, the tree cover makes up for it during the summer months.
4. Cibolo Creek Primitive Trail
For most people in the San Antonio area, Cibolo Creek Primitive Trail remains one of the area’s hidden (and shady) gems. The route runs from Universal City Park to Veterans Park just north of State Highway 78 and Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph.
The main trail is a mix of concrete and gravel and runs 1.7 miles, for a 3.4-mile out-and-back. There are 3.4 miles of trails total, including the main trail and its loops and offshoot. The main trail parallels Cibolo Creek and can be muddy during rainier years.
I like to park at Universal City Park and head northeastward and follow the main gravel path along the disc golf course. This is a shadier access point than the gravel parking area and trailhead along FM 1518 on the west side of Cibolo Creek, where most of the trails are too exposed for the summer heat.
As it approaches Cibolo Creek, the main path hooks to the south and mostly keeps to the forest. While most of the trail is shaded, it does include some open, rocky areas, so getting an early start is the best plan.
Another option would be to park at Veterans Park and head northward. Both parks have drinking water and restrooms.
5. Headwaters Preserve at Incarnate Word
This preserve owned by an order of Catholic nuns tends to get less attention than nearby Brackenridge Park and Olmos Basin Park, but its massive trees and the intensive work by volunteers to restore the ecosystem make it a top summer hiking area.
The preserve next to the University of the Incarnate Word’s baseball field and stadium is small at 53 acres but includes seven trails. Its Heritage Loop circles an open field at the center of the park where volunteers are restoring native prairie plants, with one circle of native plant beds known as the Medicine Wheel on the loop’s northwestern side.
Branching off the Heritage Loop are five paths that navigate the deeper sections of forest. My favorite is the Great Oak Trail, a path that meanders through the southwest quadrant of the property and, true to its name, offers a small spur that leads to the base of a massive, ancient oak tree.
Each of these paths will take hikers through a forest that’s being meticulously cleared of invasive trees, providing an example of how San Antonio’s riparian areas might look if not dominated by species such as Ligustrum and chinaberry. Without these species competing for light, native oaks and other trees can thrive, along with understory plants that aid wildlife and contribute to overall forest health.
One path that may be worth skipping until rainy times is the Heritage Trail, which cuts along the parking lot and crosses the now-dry bed of the San Antonio River before leading to the Blue Hole, the river’s main headwaters spring. The spring has been dry for the past couple years, with levels in the Edwards Aquifer far too low for it to flow.
Bring bug spray, as the preserve is often a hotbed of mosquitos. The trailhead also offers no restrooms or drinking water.
6. Medina River Natural Area
The City of San Antonio’s largest natural area offers another opportunity to hike under the canopy of the riverside forest along the Medina River. The 511-acre property includes the westernmost segment of the Medina River Greenway, which stretches from the park’s entrance at Palo Alto Road to Mission Del Lago.
The park offers a little over 2 miles of dirt and crushed stone trails, along with pit toilets and drinking water at the entrance. Save the greenway for cooler seasons, as it offers little shade in this area. Instead, follow the dirt path of the El Camino Trail by making an immediate right at the entrance just south of the parking lot.
The trail heads downhill and crosses an ephemeral creek. Right before it ends at the Medina River, take a left onto the 1.5-mile Rio Medina Trail. This loop mostly hugs the tree cover as it follows the Medina River. For a shorter version, take a left at the Nogales Trail that cuts off the eastern half of the Rio Medina loop.
Bring bug spray, as mosquitos can be intense in the summer time. Also, beware of poison ivy that thrives along the river’s edge.
7. Brackenridge Park
Downtown San Antonio’s flagship park is a living scrapbook of the city’s history with a hodgepodge of trails, former roads, and paved paths. It’s a popular spot for picnics alongside the San Antonio River and fills with people camping out during Easter weekend.
In the hottest times of the year, the best place to hike is in the park’s forested interior between Tuleta Drive and East Mulberry Avenue. There, the roughly 1.5-mile Waterworks Loop cuts a big gravel circle under the trees, with the 0.7-mile Wilderness Loop passing through the middle of the circle. Both trails have dozens of connecting footpaths that wind between them. Luckily, the area is too small to get lost.
Hikers looking for a little more mileage can also walk along Avenue A, which parallels the river for 0.5 miles south of East Mulberry. This area gets little sun and has a few popular fishing spots. It ends at a low water crossing that connects it to River Road, also a shady place to walk.
The park has several places for restrooms and drinking water, including the Cypress and Koehler pavilions near the San Antonio Zoo and the Joske Pavilion off Brackenridge Drive, north of Tuleta Drive.
