Texas' Once-Dried-Up And Abandoned Creek Is Now A Revitalized Gem For Fishing, Picnicking, And Sightseeing

Salado Creek in Texas has a long history of stretches where the water simply didn't flow. This around 35-mile-long creek starts in northern Bexar County and runs south through San Antonio, where it meets the San Antonio River. The upper portion can still see dry days, but the lower sections have been revitalized in recent years with hiking and biking trails, parks, sightseeing, and plenty of recreational fun for local families and visitors.

While Salado Creek supported a thriving aquatic habitat in the 1800s, towards the end of the century, it began to dry up after a long drought and the drilling of several wells into the Edwards Aquifer. Throughout the 20th century, a handful of well projects helped reestablish a reliable stream, although it dried up again after an essential well — which had been supplying it — was plugged in 1991. However, that only made conservationists with the Salado Creek Foundation more determined to restore the creek.

In the 2000s, they worked on multiple initiatives to restore water flow and revitalize the area with parks and trails for residents to enjoy. Today, the creek's aquatic habitat is thriving thanks to its inclusion in a recycled water project operated by the San Antonio Water System, which helps maintain the water supply, even during droughts and low-flow periods. So whether you're visiting the creek in the artsy Texas village of Salado, which lies about an hour north of Austin, or hitting up the Salado Creek Greenway Trail in San Antonio, you'll find that this once-dry creek has a new lease on life.

San Antonio, an iconic city with a ton of free things to do, adds to that list the Salado Creek Greenway Trail, which features 20 miles of trails for joggers, cyclists, birdwatchers, and nature lovers. There are two trailheads in Phil Hardberger Park, and the Salado Creek Overlook is a great place to take in the green spaces from high up. Birders should bring their binoculars for sightings of over 80 species, including flycatchers, swallows, hawks, and hummingbirds. The Skywalk also lets you explore at canopy level, about 18 feet above the ground. Once you're done enjoying the creek's trails, check out the park's other attractions, including a butterfly garden, geology trail, public art, and more.

Anglers are also drawn to the creek now that its fish populations have been restored. You can catch everything from bass and sunfish to catfish and carp in the waterway. One person even caught a 10-pound sunfish just a few years ago, while the biggest recorded fish caught from the creek is nearly 19 pounds.

Further north in the village of Salado, visitors can access the creek right along its banks for fishing, wildlife viewing, and swimming. The Inn On The Creek even offers a picnic package (listed at $125, as of this writing), where guests can enjoy a curated picnic basket right on the creek bank. After a day in nature, the village has a plethora of historical sites dating back to the 1800s. Salado is also home to one of Texas's oldest motor hotels, the Stagecoach Inn. Whether you're fishing, enjoying San Antonio's Greenway, or picnicking with a charcuterie board in the small town of Salado, the renewed creek has lots to offer visitors to South Central Texas.