By Wendy Drezek, Master Naturalist
The Oak Loop Trail (OLT) has been part of the park since before the park opened. The trail, accessed from the restored Savanna, is a .84-mile unpaved loop under a dense oak canopy. It is a prime example of an Oak/Ashe Juniper ecosystem.
OLT is filled with life. Along the trail, you can see a variety of shrubs and canopy trees, including Texas Persimmon, Kidneywood, Eve’s Necklace, Gum Bumelia, White Brush, Honey Mesquite, and Condalia.
Year-round Tasajillo, Agarita, Twist Leaf Yucca, Prickly Pear Cactus, and Thread Leaf Yucca can be observed. Perennial flowering plants include False Gromwell, Twin Leaf and Lindheimer’s Sennas, Velvet, and Indian Mallows, Frostweed, Prairie Verbena, and Golden-eyed Phlox.
Ever changing with the seasons and weather, you never know what you might find. I have seen wild turkeys, armadillos, squirrels, and a variety of arthropods, reptiles, and birds. If you walk the trail early or late, you’ll also catch a glimpse of deer and rabbits.
OLT Walks
Before opening the park, I was part of a Sierra Club group developing user-friendly wellness walks for people not used to exercising. OLT is a perfect trail for people who don’t see themselves as fit for hiking, and the dense tree canopy provides shade from the sweltering summer heat.
These walks became so successful that in 2012, they became an official fourth Saturday Master Naturalist, Alamo Area Chapter, event series co-sponsored by the Sierra Club, Phil Hardberger Park Conservancy, and San Antonio Parks and Recreation. (Read more about that program here.)
For over a decade now, the Oak Loop Trail has helped hundreds discover nature and their abilities to get out into the park and learn.
Explore the trail with us on these fourth Saturday walks. Learn about rocks, the relationship between soil and plants, sunrise birds, trees and wildflowers, family-friendly insect collecting, landscaping with native plants, writing poetry in nature, how plants adapt for heat and drought, grasses and wildlife. Or watch a recording of some of these programs by clicking the topic below. There’s something for everybody!