Safety is a huge part of our daily routine and has been since mandated social distancing so Quebec, the badweenie, and I’ve been looking for some activities to break up the monotony of being at home all day when picking up boba isn’t enough.

Even though he’s a little dog- he’s a curious one and he loves fresh air probably more than anyone. On most mornings (and some evenings) we pack up a nice cooler with water, fruit, and other goodies and head to a local park. Our goals are to find a place where we can get in a good walk, great shade, and great for social distancing. We’ve compiled a list of our favorite parks that meet these requirements and are perfect to escape the day to day of everyday life with your favorite friend!

Things that you need to note before going to any park. Make sure that you pack some sunscreen and apply it some of these parks do not have shade. Also, make sure you take enough water for both you and the dog. There are limited water fountains and my dog is not a fan of drinking out of the dog water fountain. It's actually kind of annoying.

Elmendorf Lake Park

I don’t know how to say this enough but I love to travel. If you gave me unlimited money I’d never come back but thanks to covid our passports don’t hold as much weight as they used to. Enter Elmendorf Lake Park, the gorgeous park spans a 1.25-mile circle around a lake and has plenty of aesthetic. What I like most about it is the mosaic bench it has near one of the bridges that gives me major Park Guell vibes. It’s great for sitting and enjoying the cooler evening air we’ll get this fall.

The downside to this park is that there's little shade on the outer rim of the park and there's no designated dog park area.

Brackenridge Park

If you really don't want to drive super far up north but you still want the nature experience definitely within downtown proper, (sorry Matt) then I recommend Brackenridge. The giant park and it's perfect for everything from playing on the playground, walking, or enjoying a picnic after the zoo. Plenty of shade and great for social distancing.

McAllister Park

Not going to lie, I've never really walked McAllister parking its complete entirety. Come to think of it I probably only walked maybe 1/36th of the entire park. I used to play sports there when I was little and when I used to work on the far northeast side I would drive by it daily. This park is perfect for your escape to nature still within city limits. It’s got great pockets full of shade and offers various sports areas as well as a playground. There is no dedicated dog zone but that's okay because it's a giant ass parked where your dog can just be a dog. Some added bonus is it sometimes food trucks will pop up so after your huge walk you're able to enjoy them.

Falcone Park

Falcone is located on the northwest side of San Antonio and has a dog park which is a huge plus for me in the little weenie. Even though we usually like to walk the whole park instead. If you’re a Frisbee Golf fan there’s a really cool course throughout the park. The downside is there’s a limited shaded area in the forest part of the park before walking into the open field. The upside is that they’ve planted some trees that’ll provide shade in the future.

HemisfaiR

Okay, Hemisfair might be a paid actor in this blog post. But it's not really paid because this isn't a paid post at all. It’s just a great park that really doesn’t fit the whole “walk far” theme of the whole blog post. I do want to say the added bonus of 30-minute free parking at the garage is a selling point when you want to buy food but I've never really gone there to pay for parking and its entirety. To me, this park is like a big giant outdoor coffee shop where you just want to go and work. It's not necessarily my dog's favorite part because there's not entirely a lot of nature for him to dog.

South Side Lions Park

I think there’s something genuinely relaxing about South Side Lions Park. It’s huge first of all which is something I really like about San Antonio Parks. No matter what side of town you’re on- you’ll find a great place to unwinds. It’s full of shade and opens up to the greenway an added bonus of all the parks in the city.

Tom Slick Park

I think out of all the parks on this list Tom Slick Park is probably the most underrated park. And I will tell you why. When you first drive by it looks sad. You have a dog park area and a play area and a giant field with no shade. But here's the thing you have to take the trail through the little forest and it becomes amazing. I love how shaded this park is and that there's a giant pond that you can hang out by in the middle. And if you're really careful you can see a Loch Ness monster (is an art piece) I like hanging out with my dog there and there's a secret dog park on the other side.

Denman Park

Denman park has to be the most beautiful park in the city and that's not just because I'm obsessed with the entire layout of the park. I think it has to do with the fact that it just works. I stumbled upon this park when I was in high school and looking for a way to escape the stresses of being a Health Careers student. If you went there or you know somebody who goes there you know what we're talking about. This park is located in the Medical Center and it is almost entirely covered in shade. So if you go to UT Health or are in the doctor's field then I definitely recommend you go here just to breathe and relax for a moment.

Phil Hardberger Park

I think Phil Hardberger is the ultimate OG dog park in the city. It's also probably one of the biggest parks on this list where you can definitely make sure that your dog is exhausted. If you haven't realized by now dog is a euphemism for you because dogs really never get tired. The added bonus of it being almost entirely in the shade is a huge plus, especially during the hot summer days. Walk the huge park then hang out in the dog park- your dog will be exhausted and not bark at the air.

Oakhaven Park

The smallest park on the list is Oakhaven Park and I accidentally found it while trying to go to a plant nursery. It’s in a neighborhood so don’t freak out when you start seeing houses. Oakhaven is entirely covered in shade so it’s lovely and has little hills perfect for a great stroll. Downsides are that it’s so small you’ll probably bump into people and you’ll have to walk it two or three times before you’re tired.

Lil weenie and I are now park bloggers so if you want to catch up on what park we’ve checked out follow along salovelist’s instagram!

The Best Parks in San Antonio