Archive for May 10th, 2017

A Natural Area With a Place For Play

Wednesday, May 10th, 2017
Naturescape

Government Canyon State Natural Area’s new Naturescape.

This is Passport to Texas

As San Antonio families with young children discover the close proximity of Government Canyon State Natural Area to their homes, more of them visit the site.

We were here, and folks just didn’t realize it. Now, we are being discovered. Folks are coming out from the local neighborhoods—and the word’s getting out.

Superintendent Chris Holm says the site offers 40 miles of rugged trails for hiking and biking. Yet, during periods of heavy rain, staff close the trails until they dry out. What’s a family with kids to do? Since March, they’ve enjoyed a new ADA accessible playscape.

Being that we are a natural area, we went more for not the regular swings and slides and monkey bars kind of playground—we wanted something that blended more with the natural area. And so, being able to offer things like logs and big boulders and rock steps and a little creek bed that kids can play in. It’s been real popular.

Last month Government Canyon State Natural Area also opened an all-weather, one and a quarter mile accessible interpretive nature trail.

You can take a wheelchair on it. We don’t allow bikes or dogs back there. Over the next year, we’ll be adding in interpretive education signing to the trail as well. It’s a really nice trail.

Find more information about Government Canyon State Natural Area at texasstateparks.org.

For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.