Friedrich Wilderness Park

Trail
5.50 Miles
412 Feet
Free
3point5stars (3.68)23
3stars (3.09)
2point5stars (2.87)
Yes
No
No
Yes
San Antonio
Bexar
More Info
Photos
Another View Of The Trail
This park is small, but it's a fun place to hike. (Photo by Blaze)
View Of The Trail
The park offers some good elevation changes. (Photo by Blaze)
Elevation Gain
Some hills provide a good cardio workout. (Photo by Blaze)
Trail Rating System
Trails are broken into 4 different levels based on difficulty. (Photo by Blaze)
Entrance Sign
This is the sign to the park. (Photo by Blaze)
Keeping the trail open
Coppertone here is forcing the two trees apart so that we can safely make our way down the Fern Del Trail. (Photo by Austin Explorer)
Rougher Terrain
The Vista Loop and Fern Del trails are rougher, but also a bit more covered by vegetation. Here the trail follows along the contour line of a ridge. (Photo by Austin Explorer)
Main Loop
Much of the Main Loop's trail looks like this. Fairly easy terrain, though it does get a little steep here and there. The trail's also a bit wider and leads to more Sun exposure. (Photo by Austin Explorer)
Trail View
The trails nearest the trailhead consist of paved paths that are ADA compatible. (Photo by Austin Explorer)
(Photo by AshleyNicole)
(Photo by AshleyNicole)
Log Entries
By Wannabelikehike on 5/26/2018
Rating: 5stars Difficulty: 3stars Solitude: 4stars
Distance: 1.90 Miles Duration: N/A
Small, But Sweeeeet!
By Blaze on 12/31/2013
Rating: 3stars Difficulty: 2stars Solitude: halfstar
Distance: 4.50 Miles Duration: 2 hours, 16 minutes

My friend and I hiked Friedrich Wilderness Park in the morning and Eisenhower Park in the afternoon.  Friedrich was small, but challenging.  There are some fairly steep hills that were fun to climb, but unfortunately they weren't very tall.  Still, it provided a good cardio workout.

My sense is this is one of the more popular spots in San Antonio.  We were there on a weekday and there were a lot of people hiking and running the trails, so there wasn't much solitude.

Tougher than expected, which is good
By Austin Explorer on 8/12/2012
Rating: 4stars Difficulty: 3point5stars Solitude: 2point5stars
Distance: 3.00 Miles Duration: 2 hours, 31 minutes

Coppertone and I arrived at Friedrich not entirely knowing what to expect in terms of the roughness of the terrain.  Things were a little bit tougher than expected.  In this case that was a good thing.

The Vista Loop on the back of the park provided the most undulating terrain and the fewest people.  The parking lot was packed with cars though and one didn't have to travel far on the main loop before running into another set of hikers.

Our schedule and the heat didn't allow us enough time or energy to hike every mile of the park, so we'll have ample reason to visit again.

Nice bit of wilderness in the city
By rodavenport on 4/20/2010
Rating: 3stars Difficulty: 3stars Solitude: 1star
Distance: 5.30 Miles Duration: 2 hours, 30 minutes

Nice little piece of wilderness. Its a shame that more of it couldn't have been rescued from the developers. Really noisy however due to plane traffic , automotive traffice to the east and barking dogs from the residental neighborhood on the north side. I was surprised at the number of people in the more rugged portions of the trail.

Its a nice bit of hiking and it has a few spots in it that will make your legs burn. The lack of solitude is a real turn off for me however.

By jeblake1974 on 1/10/2010
Rating: 3stars Difficulty: 3stars Solitude: 3stars
Distance: 4.50 Miles Duration: 2 hours, 30 minutes

Went on a Sunday morning and there was no one else in the park until we finished the hike. Vista Loop trail can be a lung buster in certain areas. I like the fact that they made some trails accessable to those in wheelchairs. Overall, a nice park in the city and a great place to spend a couple of hours to get your legs burning and heart pumping.

Great hike close to San Antonio
By mc2522 on 4/25/2009
Rating: 3stars Difficulty: 3stars Solitude: 3stars
Distance: 4.00 Miles Duration: 2 minutes

Friedrich Wilderness Park is a great park located close to San Antonio.   The hiking trails are very well marked and there is some great scenery once you get to the summit. 

Wonderful hike in the evening
By cadenaang on 4/19/2009
Rating: 2stars Difficulty: 2stars Solitude: 5stars
Distance: 2.70 Miles Duration: 55 minutes

It was a last minute decision to go on this hike and I was racing the sun to get back to my truck before dusk.  Since I had not been on these trails before, I had to rely on the signs and my view of the map online.  There weren't any brochures and the signs are faded.  The trails are extremely well-kept, but I opted out of the Fern Del loop because of the darkness.  I will have to go again to try and catch it since it is supposed to be the most difficult part of this trail.  Saw a few people, at the beginning of my hike but had absolute wonderful solitude for the majority of my hike.

LOVED the fern del and vista loop area!
By bingobaby on 12/27/2008
Rating: 4stars Difficulty: 4stars Solitude: 3stars
Distance: 5.00 Miles Duration: 2 hours

the first time i went, i didn't care for it.  i had my baby in the backpack and didn't want to venture to the fern del area - glad i didn't.  but i did today w/o  her and it was gorgeous!  steep climbs at times and beautiful views.

i will definitely go back but like i said i don't think i could do it with a baby packed.

By BWZJKirby on 9/13/2008
Rating: 4stars Difficulty: 4stars Solitude: 3stars
Distance: 3.00 Miles Duration: 2 hours
One of the best
By RMA on 3/21/2008
Rating: 4stars Difficulty: 3stars Solitude: 1star
Distance: 4.00 Miles Duration: N/A

If you don't need solitude than you will enjoy this hike.

Only showing last 10 log entries. View All Log Entries

Recommended Item
Recommended Item 60 Hikes Within 60 Miles: San Antonio and Austin: Including the Hill Country
Charlie Llewellin, Johnny Molloy
List Price: $18.95 Your price: $15.99 Buy Now
It's Time to Take a Hike in San Antonio!

The San Antonio and Austin areas are steeped in history -- San Antonio's Alamo stands as a symbol of Texas' fierce independence, while Austin is recognized as the cradle of Texas statehood. This area is also known for some of the most impressive hiking in the Lone Star State. 60 Hikes Within 60 Miles: San Antonio and Austin, by veteran authors Charlie Llewellin and Johnny Molloy, guides readers to the best trails found in the Texas Hill Country, all within easy reach of these two cities. The guide takes you to secluded, low traffic areas as well as those that are more popular and heavily used. The former LBJ Ranch, the Guadalupe River, the Highland Lakes Chain, and the Lost Pines area are just some of the spectacular places covered.

With this new edition in the best-selling 60 Hikes Within 60 Miles series, all these visually stunning and ruggedly charming routes are at the traveler's fingertips. This handy guide helps San Antonio and Austin natives get back into nature, with many options right in town. Extensive at-a-glance information makes it easy to choose the perfect hike based on length, difficulty, scenery, or on a specific factor such as hikes good for families, runners, or birding. Each trail profile includes maps, directions, driving times, nearby attractions, and other pertinent details.