Freidrich Wilderness Park is a large park with a ton of trails for all skill levels. I’ve heard people say they got lost in the park for hours! The trails are well marked though – just take a picture of the trail map before you get started so you’ll have it with you. Trail map here: Trail map.
This park opened in 1978, and offers over 180 acres of wilderness that are typical of the Balcones escarpment. The park is also touted as a wildlife preserve, but with all the people coming here, I have rarely seen anything larger than a bird.
Whether you want a short 1 mile hike, or want to do the complete 5 mile circumnavigation, this park has a lot to offer. The Main Loop is 1.7 miles and provides a good climb and then descent whether you attack it clockwise or counter clockwise. The Main Loop starts out paved out of the parking lot, but don’t worry – that does not last for long.
If you want an easy walk, take the paved entrance trail to the Main Loop, turn left at the bench and do an out and back on the flats. For a more difficult route, turn right and start your ascent into the Main Loop. All intersections are marked, so just keep following the arrows for the Main Loop.
Rocks, roots, hills – the Main Loop has it all in a nice package. Trees provide a fair amount of protection from the sun. If you are running fast, be on the lookout for slow walkers, especially with headphones. They are out there to enjoy the trail too, so please be courteous.
This place gets crowded. Parking can easily spill out from the parking lot onto the road. If you get there early in the morning or a ways after noon, you can usually find parking in the main parking lot.
I have done 5k and 10k trail runs here, and you can do pretty much any distance or difficulty level you like. Link: 10k route at Freidrich
Pro Tips:
- Address: 21395 Milsa Dr, San Antonio, TX 78256
- Get there early or later in the day to get parking
- Take a print out of the Trail Map with you.
- Restrooms are available at the start of the trail
- If it has rained heavily recently, only the Main Loop will be open (to avoid trail erosion)
- Bring your own water – and more than you think you will need.
- If you go off the Main Loop, you will meet challenging conditions – be prepared for big steps, rough trails, roots, hills.
- Don’t bomb down the flats or downhills. Slides, wipeouts, and falls are common. Be Cautious – on the outer trails, there are not a lot of people.
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