In 2025, the Running Event is dropping into San Antonio for the first time ever. Not only that, the city is turning it up with the inaugural San Antonio Marathon. UltraSignup is excited to host a group trail run in partnership with Alamo City Trail Runners and San Antonio RoadRunners as well as brands like NNormal and Sidas.
Since so many runners will be traveling into San Antonio for the first time, here is your quick hit list of where to run, eat, explore, and experience the soul of the city.
Best Trail Running Spots
San Antonio might not have towering alpine wilderness right in the city limits, but it offers year-round access to natural-surface trails with character, a passionate running community, and easy links between dirt paths and urban culture. You can spend the morning climbing rocky Hill Country terrain or cruising long greenways, then roll straight into tacos, murals, and live music without missing a beat. It’s a place where the trail scene feels authentic, welcoming, and just the right amount of off-beat.
1. McAllister Park
Easy–Moderate | Up to 15 Miles | Central San Antonio
McAllister Park is one of the most accessible and runnable trail systems in the city. Expect shaded dirt paths under oaks and cedars, with the option to jump onto the paved greenway for even more miles. Great for weekday miles, long runs, or exploring with a group.
More Information: McAllister Park
2. Government Canyon State Natural Area
Rugged | 30+ Miles | Hill Country Edge
A true Texas wildland. Government Canyon State Natural Area is home to real dinosaur tracks, rocky climbs, Hill Country views, and miles of quiet singletrack. Every run here feels like an adventure, due to the remote, scenic, and unforgettable landscape.
More Information: Government Canyon
Bonus Local Favorites
- Friedrich Wilderness Park – Steeper, rocky, and packed with Hill Country character.
- Eisenhower Park – Great trail loops, a lookout tower, and classic San Antonio terrain.
Local Favorite Places to Eat
San Antonio’s food culture is a vibrant reflection of its history, blending Mexican, Tex-Mex, and Indigenous culinary traditions with modern twists and global influences. The city is famous for its street tacos, smoky barbecue, and classic Tex-Mex staples like enchiladas and puffy tacos, while the Pearl District and Southtown neighborhoods showcase farm-to-table restaurants, craft breweries, and innovative chefs pushing culinary boundaries. Here are just a few favorites that we know runners will be stoked about.
1. Pumpers Adult Burger Store
This is a new punk-rock burger joint serving simple, ridiculously good burgers with a nostalgic vibe and late night hours 7 days a week. Perfect post-run reward food.
2. Tito’s Mexican Restaurant (South Alamo)
Tito’s is a Southtown staple known for legendary tortilla soup, killer tacos, and dangerously good margaritas. Cozy, classic, and local.
3. Maria’s Café
A home-cooking institution where Maria will literally make you anything. Authentic, warm, and one of the most “San Antonio” eateries you’ll ever experience.
Bonus Local Add-Ons
- Leo’s Pizza – If you want pizza, this is the spot.
- Comfort Café – Breakfast/brunch supporting people in recovery.
- Chris Madrid’s – Iconic burgers.
- 2M Smokehouse – Elite Texas BBQ.
- Ray’s Drive Inn – Home of the original puff taco.
- Anacacho Coffee & Cantina – Local coffee + good vibes.
Five Places to Explore in San Antonio
San Antonio is a city where creative energy and rich complex history collide. San Antonio’s centuries-old missions and iconic River Walk flow right into the Pearl District’s repurposed brewery spaces and indie galleries. Offering a thriving arts scene that celebrates culture outside the mainstream, this is a place where stories are alive and the vibe is anything but ordinary.
1. The Pearl District
The Pearl District is walkable, historic, and full of restaurants, markets, bars, and shops. It’s great for strolling the River Walk, people-watching, and putting in your time on feet while sightseeing.
2. Blue Star Arts Complex
With galleries, murals, cafés, shops, and the Southtown creative scene, all connected to the River Walk so you can fold it into a riverside run, Blue Star Arts Complex is one of those places you don’t want to miss.
3. Hopscotch
If you like immersive, interactive art exhibits that blend color, movement, and creativity, then Hopscotch is for you. This is one of those places that aims to bring out childlike wonder even in the most boring adults. Trail runners love immersive wonder, it’s a perfect fit.
4. San Antonio Missions (Including The Alamo)
The San Antonio Missions are a UNESCO World Heritage Site managed by the National Park Service with beautiful riverside trails linking multiple missions. Essential Texas history and culture. Who doesn’t love that?
5. Historic Market Square (El Mercado)
Don’t miss El Mercado. This is a celebration of Mexican culture with vendors, live music, handmade goods and so much good food.
Bonus Suggestions
- SAS General Store & Factory – Old-school San Antonio charm.
- Hemisfair – A revitalized urban park district.
What Makes San Antonio Unique?
San Antonio blends cultures like nowhere else in Texas — Mexican, Texan, German, Indigenous — creating a city with deep roots, warm hospitality, and incredible food. It’s a big city with a small-town heart, full of neighborhoods with character and history.
Plus, it’s less than an hour from Hill Country gems like Fredericksburg, Comfort, and Kerrville for even more trails, wineries, and wide-open landscapes.
Two Must-Do Experiences in the City
1. Explore the River Walk During the Holiday Lights
A magical nighttime experience that transforms the downtown river into a glowing, festive trail of color. The Holiday Lights at the River Walk are free to enjoy daily from November 28, 2025 – January 11, 2026. Enjoy a bike ride, stroll, or a jog through this magical night landscape.
2. Visit All Four Spanish Missions
Many visitors head to The Alamo but not all realize that there are 4 Spanish Missions in the UNESCO World Heritage collection. The Spanish Missions are one of the most culturally significant places in Texas.
Bonus Musts
- Eat All the Tacos – Start your quest with thetacoist.com
- Get a Hat from Paris Hatter’s – A true San Antonio keepsake.
Link: parishatters.com
A huge thank you to the contributors to this article.
- Kimberly Aubuchon
- Angelica Montalvo
- Rob Goyen
