I ran North from the trailhead and was pleasantly surprised. You pass under the highway, and you are on a nice wide concrete trail in the middle of a forest. Sure, you can hear traffic in the distance, but the effect is running through a deep forest. About a mile in, I was surprised by some cliffs to the left, with a few pairs of rock climbers. Salado Greenway diagram: https://www.sanantonio.gov/Portals/0/Files/Parks/hike-bike/CoSA_Greenway_2020_SaladoCreek.pdf?ver=2020-06-23-171315-120
This is an easy graded trail that accesses the Salado Creek and Leon Creek trail system, with access to over 40 miles of trail. Heading North takes you toward Eisenhower park, about 4 miles away. I thought the trail was flat and rolling on the way North, and was pleasantly surprised when I turned around and found it was downhill coming back. Not a lot of grade, but a gradual 50-100 foot gain.
The trail is mostly shaded with a nice canopy of trees above you. There is a dirt path paralleling the pavement for awhile if that is easier on your knees. Also there are a few powerline crossings if you want to be adventurous and go off the main path.
There is plenty of parking here, but it can be crowded on the weekends. Porta-potties are available at the trailhead. You can do an easy 5k, 10k, or longer here. Here is the 10k run I did:
Pro Tips:
- Can only get here from the 1604 frontage road going East.
- Nice, easy paved path for walks or runs
- You can go just about any distance you want, North or South
- Medium size parking lot; parking available most of the time
- Porta-potties at the trailhead
- Freetail Brewing is only about 4 minutes away after your run!
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