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Summary: Start from the parking lot on the paved sidewalk. As you walk on the sidewalk stop and get a map from the information stand. Continue down the sidewalk staying right at any splits until you reach the main loop trail. You'll know you are at the main trail because the sidewalk ends and the trail becomes wood chips. Turn right on the Main Loop Trail and follow until you reach the top of the steep climb. you will be traveling thru a dwarf forest most of the way. Once at the top of the hill watch for signs directing you to go right for the Vista loop trail. Once on the trail you will be traveling along rocky ridgelines, up and down some canyons as well as more dwarf forests. You will have occasional views thru the trees of the surrounding countryside. Keep your eyes peeled and you may see some deer. This hike is strenuous in places and has some slippery footing. Trailhead: All trails begin from paved sidewalk located in the small parking lot. (Lat:29.64039 Lon:-98.62651) Trail Guides for Friedrich Wilderness Park Vista Loop Trail: Best Seasons: Year-Round User Groups: Hikers, Ranger Contact: San Antonio Parks and Recreation. 210-207-8590 Localhikes Reporter: This hike was submitted by Kevin Reid, who has posted 9 other hikes on this site Trail Reviews Submit your own review This one is the one I did. It was my first time hiking. I lovee it, my New Years Resolution was to go hiking starting this year 2009. Hurrah for me. I will keep hiking as a new hobby. Hiked with group of 4, was a great day! Would absolutely go again. Crossed paths with several families. No problems. Smooth hike. Easy to get to this Park. That was a perfect hike. I just came back and did it in 1 hour and a half. I get there during the week days as it gets so quite. There are areas where the rails gets a bit difficult, but you still can do it. I would recommand this trail. Very nice hiking trail. Challenging in some areas which is the hiking experience people need. It took us 2 hours because we had our 3yr old with us. He was able to do the hike without complaints. We plan to do this hike all year round and whenever possible. Friedrich Park is definitely one of my favorite spots. Great workout when going on the Vista trail. Shaded. No dogs. No bikes. Nice place to go jogging too. Just be careful in rocky spots. Make sure you visit the "AEROBIC LOOP", which is a trail between the main loop and the vista loops. This is one of my favorites near San Antonio, even in comparison to the nearby state parks. It has several different climbs, with views, and descents to keep things interesting. I agree with Michael that the Fern Dell detour off the Vista Loop is a real challenge. (I've seen people training there with ruck sacks full of rocks!) Check out my photos of Friedrich Park at http://www.joelmayer.com/hillcountry/friedrichpark/friedrich.html This trail is a good training loop, probably one of the best open to the public. By taking a right or left at the end of the paved portion you can get some good hiking. Stay right or left at all splits. Right takes you up some interesting trail, left is more of a smooth steady climb. Once on top you can make several loops on the variouse shorter segmants without retracing much. This is a fairly roughed trail, but not beyond the capabilities of youngsters. My personal favorite is the Fern del which is a challenge. Do a couple laps on this section and you'll be ready for any hills you may encounter on other hikes. I like to take a couple laps on the Vista loop before heading back down to the entrance. Notice: Traveling in the backcountry can be hazardous. You are responsible for informing yourself about these hazards and taking necessary precautions. Information on this web site comes from volunteer reporters and may contain errors or omissions. A current guidebook and proper equipment are essential for safe enjoyment of the hikes posted on this site. Keys: Texas Hiking, Texas Trails, Texas Hikes, Bexar County Hiking, Bexar County Trails, Bexar County Hikes | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||