Our Lady of the Lake University on San Antonio’s West Side is one of the most beautiful campuses of higher education in the city of San Antonio and in the entire country, frankly. Its Victorian Gothic, castle-like structures are works of art.
That said, I was always disappointed that the lake surrounding Our Lady of the Lake was meh. No more! Elemendorf Lake Park finally does OLLU justice.
Founded in 1895 by the Sisters of Divine Providence, Our Lady of the Lake has been a beacon of hope and progress over the past 126 years, and the $16.2-million park improvement project underwritten by the City of San Antonio and Bexar County and managed by the San Antonio River Authority provides yet another jewel in San Antonio’s crown.
The 30-acre park offers two miles of walking trails, educational plaques, native plants, ecosystem restoration, picnic tables, a fishing pier, a playground, a splash pad and a swimming pool. The glorious swan floating past was an added bonus.
My husband and I were also wowed by the Gaudí-like benches of local artist Oscar Alvarado, the same artist who created the PanterAzul (Blue Panther) mosaic sculpture at Yanaguana Garden in Hemisfair. Dionicio Rodriguez‘s faux bois art also appears in the park. Is San Antonio great or what?!
Elmendorf Lake Park is part of the Howard W. Peak Greenway Trails System, an 82-mile system of developed trails that create a green necklace of hike and bike trails that circle San Antonio.
I must give local photographer, Peter B. Nyren, credit for putting Elmendorf Lake on my radar. His breathtaking photos of the wildlife at the lake put it on my to-do list. Thanks, Peter!
The park is open from sunrise to sunset, and parking is free. The park is also accessible by VIA Metropolitan Transit. Download VIA’s goMobile app for the all-day, hop-on/hop-off fare of $2.75 per day or the reduced fare of $1.35 per day for seniors, students, children and more!
Denise Barkis Richter, Ph.D., author of “San Antonio’s Passport to Fun,” has been blogging about San Antonio since June of 2010. Follow her at facebook.com/SanAntonioTourist so that you’ll never miss a post. Her love affair with the Alamo City began at Hemisfair in 1968. She moved to San Antonio in 1979 as an 18-year-old college student, and San Antonio has been her home ever since. Denise completed certification to become a professional tour guide in 2019. Please contact her at sanantoniotourist at gmail dot com if you’d like for her to curate a fabulous San Antonio experience for you!
That header photo with the OLLU campus reflected in Elmendorf Lake is fantastic. Thank you for highlighting this park. This was a respite spot for members of my household at the end of 2020, and in previous times, too. It’s not too far from where I live.
Thanks, Diane! Elmendorf Lake Park is going to be a place that my husband and I frequent regularly. Just so beautiful! We talked about bringing a picnic the next time we go. Thanks for reading/commenting! Cheers, Denise
OMG! It has been so many years since I was at Elmendorf Lake/Our Lady of the Lake U. What a stunning and compelling place of great historical importance it is. I’m putting it on my ”must visit” list for my next trip to SA. Many thanks.