Recharge in the Wild

On the north side of San Antonio lies a 12,000-acre wil­der­ness that protects the city’s drinking water. You’ll find your own “Recharge Zone” in this vast urban refuge.

Things to Do

Government Canyon State Natural Area offers more than 40 miles of trails. You can also camp, attend a program or guided hike, geocache, picnic, take nature photos, and look for birds and other wildlife. Your kids will connect with “natural fun” at our playscape and Discovery Trail.

Reserve our gallery or pavilion for your next meeting or reunion.

Read about the accessibility of our facilities and Discovery Trail.

The natural area is open on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays.

Hiking/biking trails

Our trails cross gently rolling grass­lands and remote, rugged can­yon-lands. Explore by hiking, moun­tain biking, or even trail running. Some trails are only for hiking – please observe trail signs. Find trails information, including suggested hikes.

Take a walk through time on the Joe Johnston Route to the Zizelmann House, built in the 1880s. You’ll pass 110-million-year-old dinosaur tracks and a prehistoric midden (look for a sign with information on this Native American site).

For great views, hike the Far Reaches Trail to the Chula Vista and Sotol overlooks, or to the North and South Bluff Spurs overlooks.

Trails may close due to poor con­di­tions or weather. Check our Twitter or Facebook accounts for the latest trail reports, or call the park.

Contact us to ask about our all-terrain wheelchair, available for your use in the park.

Camping

Reserve one of 23 walk-in tent camp­sites. We also have two walk-in group tent camps for up to 16 people.

Campgrounds are open Friday and Saturday nights only. We open for additional nights around holidays; visit our Events page for those dates.

Dinosaur tracks

Take a hike to see the only known dinosaur footprints on public land in Bexar County. Scientists think that Acro­can­thosaurus and Sauro­po­sei­don dinosaurs left the tracks, nearly 104 million years ago.

Leave No Trace

Government Canyon State Natural Area protects a highly sensitive eco­system. We need your help to keep it pristine.

To reduce human impact here, please follow Leave No Trace principles of outdoor ethics. Government Canyon State Natural Area is an official Leave No Trace partner.

Get involved

We welcome volunteers! Join a volun­teer group (Friends of Govern­ment Canyon, Activities Com­mit­tee, Natural Resource Projects) or check our Volunteer page.

We also need park hosts, who stay for free in exchange for volunteering. Call us to learn more!

Join or donate to the Friends of Government Canyon.

Shopping

Stop by our park store for books, nature items and souvenirs.

Ranger Programs

Come to one of our programs and guided hikes. Check our Events page for the schedule, or contact the Natural Area for special tours.

• Interpretive Guide to Government Canyon State Natural Area | PDF
• Birds of Government Canyon State Natural Area | PDF

Kids

Become a Junior Ranger!

• Borrow an explorer pack, loaded with tools for exploring the park.
• Pick up a free Junior Ranger Activity Journal. Complete tasks to earn a badge.

Teachers

We offer on- and off-site programming for your students. Visit our Field Trips page to learn more. 

Area Attractions

San Antonio offers restaurants, museums and more. Highlights include:

• The Alamo
• San Antonio Missions National Historical Park 
• Casa Navarro State Historic Site 
• Sea World
• Fiesta Texas

Visit the Landmark Inn State Historic Site in Castroville.