Friedrich Wilderness Park (San Antonio, Texas)

Howdy adventurers! This week I decided to mix it up and actually go hiking. Usually my expeditions have an end goal of sunning myself by a body of water like a reptile. My best friend has been dying to show me her favorite hiking place in San Antonio. I say ‘dying’ because I still have a difficult time wrapping my head around the idea of hiking in Texas in the mid summertime. But, she’s my best friend, and sometimes having a best friend means sacrificing yourself to a heat index of over 100 degrees.

Across the Dominion in the Northwest side of San Antonio is Friedrich Wilderness Park. For my readers who have never heard of the Dominion, it is a Beverley Hills-esque suburb where many of the San Antonio Spurs live. This park is not very tucked away, it is a sharp turn off of Interstate 10. That being said, you would never guess it was there either. The abundance of Cedar trees and young Oak trees absorb the clamor of the nearby highway.

The park itself was not crowded. This is not surprising though as the combination of heat and humidity this time of year establish weather conditions that can quickly become deadly if you’re not properly hydrated. The park is a popular destination for avid bird watchers, as it is the home of two critically endangered bird species, more information about them can be found on the park’s website here. The park has many trails, all varying in difficulty on a scale of one to five, five being the most difficult. Nicole and I decided to walk on the trail labelled as a difficulty of two.

The trail began paved, and as we forged forward, the trails became more and more rugged and worn. Luckily, the paths were all shaded by canopies of Cedar and Oak trees. They smelled amazing. A nice addition was that nearly every species of plant on the trail is labelled and has a QR code that opens an ‘about page’ on your phone when scanned. Stopping to learn about each little plant took our attention away from how overheated we were. However, there was little escape from the oppressive heat and humidity, so we did not make it too far before we were both out of water, and exhausted.

If you plan on visiting Friedrich Wilderness Park, here are some tips and things to keep in mind:

• No dogs are allowed!
• Watch for snakes! There were multiple warning signs along the trail to watch for snakes.
• Wear athletic shoes. You won’t be trekking through water up here, but you will be trekking along uneven, rocky surfaces.
• Don’t bring an ice chest or lawn chair. This park seemed to be exclusively for hiking.
• Bring water, a lot of it! It is dangerously hot this time of year, no matter how well-accustomed to Texas weather you think you are, the sun can quickly zap you of your energy. For more ways to stay hydrated, check out this slideshow on health.com.

Overall, I give Friedrich Wilderness Park a solid three out of five stars. The heat really prevented me from getting a full experience out of the park, but once fall rolls around, I will most definitely be back! I also appreciated how well-kept and litter-free the park is! Below I have inserted a slideshow of my trip! As always, leave me suggestions on where I should travel to next.