The San Antonio Parks Department Natural Areas' staff preserves our natural heritage as represented in the City's Natural Areas preserve system. This includes Crownridge Canyon Natural Area, Eisenhower Park, Friedrich Wilderness Park, Medina River Natural Area, Phil Hardberger Park and Walker Ranch State Historic Park.

The Natural Areas offer a variety of opportunities for people to make new and better connections with nature, to become physically fit and to help with restoration and education efforts.  Along the trails, hiking, bird watching and wildlife viewing are always appropriate.  Some of the Natural Areas allow pets on a leash to accompany walkers, one even has dog parks, and some allow biking on trails. In addition, the Natural Areas offers an extensive education programs including guided hikes, monthly natural history programs, regular nature classes, and more!  Visit www.fosana.org for more information.

San Antonio’s first nature preserve, Friedrich Wilderness Park, offers over 8 miles of hiking with varying degrees of difficulty. Perched on the edge if the Balcones Escarpment, Friedrich is a nesting site for two federally listed endangered species of birds: the Black-capped Vireo and the Golden-cheeked Warbler.

The mission of the San Antonio Natural Areas is two fold: Preserve and manage San Antonio's Natural Areas to protect natural ecosystems. Promote inclusive and transformative relationships between people and natural areas.

Eisenhower Park, formerly a part of the Camp Bullis Training Site, was opened in 1988. This 320-acre park contains excellent examples of Texas Hill Country landscapes, including wooded dry creek beds and rocky canyons.

Walker Ranch State Historic Park, added to the park system in 1999, has long been a site of historical significance for this region. The park is part of a larger archaeologically significant site where hunting and gathering people have lived and visited over thousands of years.  It was also part of the Monte Galvan which was a supply ranch for the Mission San Antonio de Valero, later known as the Alamo.

Crownridge Canyon Natural Area was our first Natural Area developed as part of the Edwards Aquifer Protection initiative. The 200 acre preserve features through a variety of habitats including a canopy level bridge overlook, beautiful forested canyon bottoms, hillside vistas, and restored grasslands. There is an excellent chance to view the endangered Golden Cheeked Warbler in spring and summer nesting seasons.

The Medina River runs through the 500-acre Medina River Natural Area in the south part of Bexar County. An excellent example of Coastal Plain and riparian vegetation, the park includes an interpretive feature representing the El Camino Real wagon trail that many settlers followed into South Texas.

Phil Hardberger Park is an oasis in the heart of San Antonio’s north side. It is an island of green in a sea of urban development. The 311-acre former dairy farm is San Antonio’s newest Natural Area.With its restored native landscape, centuries-old trees and planned Urban Ecology Center, Phil Hardberger Park is both a glimpse of San Antonio’s past and a vision of its sustainable future