Staying in town for spring break? Check out these spots to spy wildflowers and enjoy the great outdoors.
By Dominique Silva
It’s the time of year many Texans get excited for: Spring break. It’s a time for barbeques, get-togethers, beach trips, camping fun, vacations and staycations.
Spring also signals the start of Texas wildflower season.
Usually lasting from March through May, you’ll have plenty of time to prepare for photo shoots, sketching, painting or just to sight see.
With more than 5,000 different wildflowers stretching across our state and many cities and highways to cross, it can be a daunting task to find the perfect spot to view and behold the beauty of these blooms.
Luckily here in San Antonio, there are several locations to see wildflowers and a few also happen to be great outdoor spots to visit during spring break (denoted with an asterisk).
- Friedrich Wilderness Park: Just beyond Fiesta Texas is this City of San Antonio park that’s free to the public. With ten miles of hiking trails (at varying degrees of difficulty), Friedrich is one of the best parks to hike in the San Antonio Area. Within the park are several trails that highlight beautiful wildflowers and rare, endangered bird species.
- *Government Canyon State Natural Area: In far northwest Bexar County, this Texas State Park that has over 40 miles of trails to hike, and also offers camping as well. Within the park are the only known dinosaur tracks on public land in the Bexar County area. There are even guided tours on the hikes for wildflowers, endangered species, wildlife habitats and native plants.
- *Guadalupe River State Park: Just a few minutes outside of San Antonio is this beautiful state park with over 13 miles of hike/bike trails and the legendary Guadalupe River. In addition to several camping locations, swimming and fishing, there are dedicated hiking/biking trails to sightsee wildflowers and wildlife.
- State highways and backroads: In Bexar County alone, there are more than 1,000 miles of state-maintained roadways and San Antonio has over 250 miles of freeway. Within all these roadways and highways, wildflowers grow — particularly our state wildflower the Texas bluebonnet. Just use caution when approaching these locations for sightseeing and photos.
Here’s a few helpful tips if you’re venturing out locally for wildflower viewing and photography.
- When approaching wildflowers off a highway or road, please take caution when driving and use your turn signals and flashing emergency lights.
- Be cautious of wildlife around the surroundings in any location you choose (snakes, wild dogs, mountain lions, feral hogs).
- Look out for poisonous plants and flowers (poison ivy, poison oak).
- Be aware of private property and dangerous surroundings.
Of course, you can always grow your own wildflowers! Fall is the best time to plant them, but you can plan now to so you’ll be ready to plant wildflower seeds when it’s time.
