San Antonio is known for its unique cultural heritage, magnificent Spanish missions, and some of the country’s finest museums. But the city is also home to a huge amount of urban wildlife right in the city. Phil Hardberger Park has 330 acres of green space that serves as a protective habitat for native Texas plants and animals. It’s also a vacation paradise for San Antonio residents (the people), where they can bike, hike, picnic, and play.
Phil Hardberger Park Basics
Phil Hardberger Park, opened in 2010, is the 330-acre dream of former San Antonio Mayor Phil Hardberger, who served from 2005 to 2009. He wanted to preserve the city’s wild lands and create a natural refuge for city dwellers of all ages.
The park has seven and a half miles of connected trails built from decomposed granite and paved surfaces. Trails include Geological Trail (0.8 miles), Oak Loop Trail (0.84 miles), Water Loop Trail (1 mile), and part of the 25-mile Salado Creek Greenway. See full park map for trails.
You don’t have to go far to experience the scenery. From the Salado Creek Overlook, a 60-foot steel structure perched high on a cliff, you can look down on fossil-rich landscapes as they were centuries ago. You will be surprised: these glittering objects sitting in the savannah habitat are UFOs? No. These are agricultural irrigation wheels redesigned by local artist Ann Wallace. Those sparkles in this installation called “The Golden Age” catch the sunlight, creating a beautiful, sometimes eerie shimmer, reminiscent of the wildfires that once dotted the region.
The park has received awards including landscaping, air quality management, and LEED gold certification for the PHP Center for Urban Ecology. He also attracted attention for demonstrating how to balance land between nature reserve and recreational use: or, as some have put it, “cultivated wilderness.” Seventy-five percent of the park is nature reserves, and 25 percent is reserved for recreation. Restored and preserved habitats include Texas scrublands, wetlands, oak savannahs, oak forests, meadows, and cedar elm forests.
Entrance and parking are free. Phil Hardberger Park is open from dawn to dusk seven days a week.
Find it:
West Entrance: 8400 NW Military Highway, San Antonio, TX 78230.
East entrances: 13203 Blanco Road, San Antonio, TX 78216 and 1021 Voelcker Lane, San Antonio, TX 78248.
View of Salado Creek: 1021 Voelcker Lane, San Antonio, TX 78248.
Golden Age Art Installation: 8400 NW Military Highway, San Antonio, TX 78230
Aerial view of the Robin L. B. Tobin land bridge.
Courtesy of aerial photography, exclusively for MySARobert L. B. Tobin Land Bridge
Former Mayor Hardberger says he is particularly proud of Robert L. B. Tobin’s new surface bridge “because it is the first of its kind in the United States. But more importantly, it is an example of how humans and animals live in harmony in an urban landscape.” “.
The bridge, which connects the east and west sides of the park across the busy six-lane Wurzbach Boulevard, is an ingenious solution to the problem of habitat fragmentation, which makes it almost impossible for species to survive. It multitasks as an architectural gem, a new model for sustainability, and an enchanting haven for San Antonio residents.
Since the bridge opened in December 2020, native plants have thickened, covering the structure; wild animals now use it too. As of 2022, all known mammals living in the park, including lynxes, wasps and white-tailed deer, striped skunks, and nine-banded armadillos, have crossed the bridge.
Skywalk at Phil Hardberger Park
Heather S. via Yelpskywalk
The Skywalk that leads to the land bridge offers an amazing bird’s eye view of the treetops. Completed in 2021, the 1,000-foot-long, 6-foot-wide Skywalk in weathered steel is shaded and has wildlife viewing spots.
Skywalk also features two new wildlife curtains, works of art that you can sit in. Located on a land bridge, they are ideal for discreet bird and other animal watching. The blinds are perforated with images of an armadillo, a free-tailed bat, a lynx, and native plants that come out like light filters through the walls of the screen. See how San Antonio artists Ashley Mireles and Cade Bradshaw created these works of art in this six-minute documentary.
Find it: 13203 Blanco Road, San Antonio, TX 78216
Other not to be missed Phil Hardberger Park gems
A dog enjoys Phil Hardberger Park in San Antonio.
Joshua P. via YelpDog parks
Two large dog parks on each side of the park have spaces for large and small dogs, as well as shady trees, water, picnic tables, cleaning areas, and even dog ramps.
Find it: East Dog Park at 13203 Blanco Rd, San Antonio, TX 78216 and West Dog Park at 11672-000-0100, San Antonio, TX 78231
Native Plant Wildlife Demonstration Garden at Phil Hardberger Park.
Provided by San Antonio Parks and Recreation Specially for MySAoutdoor training
Native Plant Wildlife Demonstration Garden showcases native Texas plants; you can learn how to create wildlife-friendly “wildscapes” at home. The butterfly garden attracts local pollinators. On Tuesday mornings in the Children’s Garden, children learn to plant and harvest from master gardeners. This program costs $75 and families are expected to attend and participate for approximately three months.
At the Bird Water Feature, recycled rainwater piped from a 3,900-gallon cistern provides water to birds and other animals year-round. Watch them through the viewing curtain.
Groups can book free guided hikes led by master naturalists. The Phil Hardberger Park Conservancy also sponsors approximately 100 programs for children and adults each year; check the online calendar for more information.
Find it:
Native Plant Wildlife Demonstration Garden: 8400 NW Military Highway, San Antonio, TX 78231
Butterfly Garden: 13203 Blanco Road, San Antonio, TX 78216.
Bird Water: 13203 Blanco Road, San Antonio, TX 78216.
Kids love Phil Hardberger Park in San Antonio.
Yelp via Phil Hardberger Park ConservancyPlaygrounds for children
Recreation is neatly integrated throughout the wildlife park. Playgrounds are equipped with slides, swings, carousels, climbing bars and a rubberized coating that is comfortable for wheelchairs. Two basketball courts and open fields are large enough to play soccer and football or fly a kite. There are also shaded picnic areas, barbecue pits and restrooms.
Children’s playground in nature is built from reclaimed trees. Play tic-tac-toe on stumps, build wigwams, cross steps or crawl over a fallen tree.
Find it:
Outdoor Playground for Children: 8400 NW Military Highway, San Antonio, TX 78230
Basketball courts: 8400 NW Military Highway, San Antonio, TX 78230.
Historic Stone House from the 1830s, Phil Hardberger Preserve Headquarters.
Phil Hardberger Conservation Park via YelpLearn about the history of the park
The park was previously the site of Max and Minnie Velker’s dairy farm. The Phil Hardberger Park Conservancy worked with other organizations to restore the historic homestead’s dairy barn, windmill, and 1830s Texas stone house. The homestead is only open for special events such as the children’s garden and the annual dairy days in the fall. Check the park calendar for more information.
Find it: Voelcker Historic Homestead at 1021 Voelcker Lane, San Antonio, TX 78248.
