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Outdoors newsletter: 20 state parks for fall camping trips. Plus, courses released for Rock ‘n’ Roll Running Series

Front Gate, Lost Maples SNA (Chase A. Fountain)

Welcome to the fall season!

I am a happy camper because this week, we covered several stories about local and state parks, including new ones opening in time for autumn.

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Not only does Saturday mark the first day of fall, but it is also the opening day for a 74-acre park in West Bexar County and a 351-acre park in South Bexar County. Also, downtown’s Civic Park is just a week away from opening!

Hello, new trails and running routes!

And speaking of running, the Rock ‘n’ Roll Running Series recently released the 2023 courses for the 5K, 10K, half-marathon and marathon. So to all the runners, joggers and walkers out there, we can start mapping out those hills. 😰

You can get the links to all these stories below. And don’t forget, the 10th annual Head for the Cure 5K-San Antonio will take place on Saturday morning. There’s still time to register for the race, which was launched in memory of beloved KSAT News Director Jim Boyle.


State parks within a day’s trip from San Antonio

Saturday marks the first official day of the fall season, meaning cooler weather (should) be ahead.

If you’ve been wanting to spend time outdoors but have been avoiding it due to the heat, now’s the time to plan for those fall camping trips.

There are several state parks within a day’s trip from San Antonio that offer hiking, camping, birdwatching, scenic views and more to get your fall foliage fix.

Want to start planning now? Click here to view 20 Texas State Parks worth a quick drive for overnight stays or day use.


Rock ‘n’ Roll Running Series coming to town on Dec. 2-3

Thousands of runners will pound the streets this weekend for the 2022 Certified Piedmontese Beef Rock ‘n’ Roll Running Series in San Antonio. (KSAT)

The Rock ‘n’ Roll Running Series has released the courses for the biggest running event of the year in San Antonio.

The festivities kick off on Saturday, Dec. 2 with the 5K and 10K and continue on Sunday, Dec. 3 with the half-marathon and marathon.

Contrary to recent years, the 5K and 10K will not start near Sunset Station. Instead, the courses start on downtown’s west end, at West Houston Street and North Santa Rosa Street.

Both routes head east along Houston, then north along Highway 37, and then northwest on Jones Avenue. The 5K route then travels back to Travis Park while the 10K route goes north of downtown to San Antonio College and then to Travis Park.

The finish line for both races is at Travis Park.

Similar to last year, the start line for the half-marathon and marathon is at City Hall. Runners and walkers will head up north to Broadway and Brackenridge Park.

At mile five, both races will enter Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston and wind through the base for three miles.

The half-marathon course will head back downtown, while the marathon course will head to the East and Southeast Sides before going back west to downtown.

Both races will end in front of the UTSA downtown campus.

Click here to see a detailed view of the routes.


More Outdoors content:


You can also follow our daily coverage by clicking on our Outdoors page on KSAT.com. If you have questions or comments about the newsletter, reach out at rsalinas@ksat.com.

Find our other KSAT newsletters, like KSAT Explains or evening headlines, or manage your email subscription settings here.

Happy fall y’all,

Rebecca Salinas


About the Author
Rebecca Salinas headshot

Rebecca Salinas is the Digital Executive Producer at KSAT 12 News. A San Antonio native, Rebecca is an award-winning journalist who joined KSAT in 2019.

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