100-mile nature trail would create a green corridor linking San Antonio to Austin

[TexasTowelie]

An ambitious project to create a 100-mile hiking trail from San Antonio to Austin has hit another milestone in its development.

The Great Springs Project is a little closer to becoming reality after The National Park Service selected the initiative for community planning and technical assistance.

Once the expansive, green corridor is completed, The Great Springs Project will ultimately connect four of Texas's Great Springs--Barton Springs, San Marcos Springs, Comal Springs and San Antonio Springs. Hikers and cyclists may have to wait a bit for the completion of the green corridor, which is slated to wrap up in 2036.

The plan is to add 50,000 acres of protected lands, creating a green corridor over the Edwards Aquifer recharge zone.

Read more: https://www.lmtonline.com/life/travel/article/100-mile-nature-trail-links-San-Antonio-Austin-15890912.php
(Laredo Morning Times)

It's beautiful country through that area as I have explored about three-quarters of that area via vehicle on my "rolling trips" during my youth, but in my current physical shape and if I ever get to ride a bicycle again I would allow five days for that distance.

[txwhitedove]

1. Fantastic! Tks.

[TexasTowelie]

2. I only wish that they had done this 25 to 30 years ago

while I was still young enough to enjoy it. I don't know if I would have gone all the way to San Antonio, but I could have made expeditions to San Marcos, Wimberley, or Greune for fun.

[txwhitedove]

3. Exactly, me too. My kids and grandkids will definitely

do this. However, I was called "bear bait" and left at home when they went to Yellowstone. Damn.

[TexasTowelie]

5. There is something to be said for leaving all of your money to charity.

Okay, that might have a bit too harsh--but not by much.

[Mollyann]

4. Me too

I'll be ninety when it is completed. I hope my children and grandchildren can enjoy it.

[TexasTowelie]

6. I'll only be seventy,

but my latest road trips on a bike were only about six miles. That barely gets me past the Austin city limits (if I still lived there).

It would also be nice if they could extend it to Lake Georgetown on the northern end of the trail since there are already bike trails that extend from the lake into the city which is about seven miles away.

[LeftInTX]

7. I'll be 80...geez

I was almost 40 when I moved in my neighborhood. There was talk of all these trails and I thought it would never happen. Now San Antonio is connected by green corridors. The trail near my house opening in 2008, when I was 52. The trails do seem to happen fast because the land is already flood zone. The main reason for delays have been hazardous waste clean up.

The Medina and San Antonio Rivers are connected. Even some of the future trails in this map are complete. It's been amazing because San Antonio never really had convenient nature areas unless you drove out of the city.

(The downside: I live less than a mile from a trail, but I have to drive to it!! There is no sidewalk and it's off a busy road...that's Texas for you!!)



https://www.sanantonio.gov/Portals/0/Files/Parks/Linear%20Creekways/HWP-Greenway-Trail-Map-2019%20updated%208-23-20.pdf?ver=2020-08-24-162929-610

[TexasTowelie]

8. My parents moved to San Antonio during my last semester in college.

The house that we rented was north of Olmos Park and to the northwest of Alamo Heights. The house belonged to my cousin and my aunt lived about five houses down the street from us. I see from the map that

While our neighborhood was okay, I didn't really enjoy my stay there since my father was forced to take early retirement, my brother quit his job working in a refinery, and I was also unemployed for six months after graduation. I was only in San Antonio for two months before I went to Southwest Texas State to start work on a teaching certificate.

The good news is that I found a job four months later and my parents moved back to the home where I grew up as a child.