Castle withdrawal

Last Christmas/New Year’s pre-pandemic, my family and I took a two-week road trip through Ireland, where we circled the entire island, starting and ending in Dublin. (In a rental car, navigating narrow, hilly, windy roads from the left side, with natives who drive like bats out of hell, but that’s another story that’s best told while sipping a pint of Guinness Stout.)

More than 30,000 castles dot the Emerald Isle, and we saw more than our fair share, including the famous (and beautiful) Blarney Castle. I’ve had a wee bit of castle withdrawal ever since, so I was happy to learn that San Antonio has a castle of its own.

Comanche Lookout Park

The City of San Antonio’s Comanche Lookout Park information says it’s the fourth highest point in Bexar County at 1,033 feet, but according to PeakVisor, it’s much further down the list, coming in at number 51. (Who knew that Bexar County had 59 named peaks?!) Regardless, the views from the top are beautiful, as is the four-story tower with a castle vibe.

It’s believed that Native Americans used this peak to keep an eye on enemy tribes and on wildlife watering at nearby Cibolo Creek. Spaniards later traveled from Nacogdoches to San Antonio along the Camino Real, which meandered past the base of the hill.

Coppock & Cavazos

Colonel Edward H. Coppock purchased 100 acres in 1923, and he hired Tarquino Cavazos to build the medieval-styled stone tower. Both men died in 1948, leading to the sale of the land. A group of citizens joined together in 1990 to Save Comanche Lookout, securing an interim loan that the City of San Antonio repaid in 1994. Additional bond money approved in 1999 provided funds to create the 96-acre public park.

Comanche Lookout Park’s official address is 15551 Nacogdoches Road, but I recommend that you park at the Julia Yates Semmes Library at 15060 Judson Road. There, you will find a shaded children’s playground and a Library Loop Trail that joins the Comanche Loop Trail, leading to the tower. Exercise stations are set up along the Library Loop Trail for those looking for gym alternatives.

Bonus public art

In addition to the tower, another delightful find at the top of the peak was Carlos Cortés and Doroteo Garza’s Nājo Jam (Our Home), reinforced concrete public art dedicated in 2020 that “pays tribute to the ancestors of this land and future generations.” Symbols of Native American ceremony and religion are featured, providing a beautiful place of respite after walking the park’s 4.5 miles of trails. On a clear day, you can see the Tower of the Americas in downtown San Antonio, a distance of 14 miles.

Though I long to return to Ireland, it’s good to know that I am able to scratch my castle itch not far from home.

Pro Tip: Make time for a visit to Comanche Lookout the next time you shop at the IKEA in Live Oak. It’s only 3 miles away!

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!