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With the 1604 Greenway Closed, Your Dog Picks the Trail Near The Dominion

October 22, 2026

Who's coming on the walk this weekend? Near The Dominion, that used to be an easy question. The Leon Creek Greenway was paved and multi-use, and it was right off Loop 1604, so dogs, strollers and bikes all fit. For the next several months, the answer decides which park you can use at all.

The nearby natural areas that could stand in for the greenway don't share one set of rules. Two of them ban dogs completely. One allows leashed dogs, and one allows them only on part of its trail system. Bikes have fewer options too, and none of the four is a paved loop like the one along 1604. A Dominion household planning a fall weekend has to pick a park by who's going, and only then by distance.

What Closed, and for How Long

The City of San Antonio's park closures page, in a greenway section updated October 1, 2026, lists two closures on the Leon Creek Greenway near The Dominion. TxDOT construction has closed the Loop 1604 stretch, "north of the Valero Trailhead to The Rim," until approximately mid-2027. Separately, a section under I-10 near the Marquis Trailhead is closed until further notice. The city lists the cause as a fallen highway overpass and asks visitors to obey closure signs and barricades.

The roadwork is part of TxDOT's Loop 1604 North Expansion, a 23-mile project running from SH 16 to I-35. It includes replacing the old I-10 and Loop 1604 cloverleaf with a direct-connect interchange. TxDOT's completion estimates for that segment have moved more than once, so the city's mid-2027 trail estimate is the more useful date for planning walks.

The trailheads are still on the city's map: Valero at 5902 NW Loop 1604, The Rim at 17612 Vance Jackson, Marquis at 17009 IH 10 W., and Fox Park at 6518 W. Hausman Road. The Leon Creek Greenway still has 20 miles of paved trail in its North and Central section. The stretch closest to the 1604 frontage is the part that's closed, and the city's closure notice doesn't spell out which nearby stretches still connect end to end. Check that page before you drive to a trailhead.

Sort by the Dog First

The four natural areas that come up most as greenway alternatives are Friedrich Wilderness Park, Crownridge Canyon Natural Area, Eisenhower Park and Government Canyon State Natural Area. Their posted rules sort them quickly.

Park	Address	Dogs	Bikes on park trails	Entry
Friedrich Wilderness Park	21395 Milsa Dr.	Not allowed	Not allowed, pedestrians only	No fee listed on city page
Crownridge Canyon Natural Area	7222 Luskey Blvd.	Not allowed	Not allowed	No fee listed on city page
Eisenhower Park	19399 NW Military Hwy.	Leashed dogs allowed	Only on greenway trails, not park trails	No fee listed on city page
Government Canyon SNA	12861 Galm Rd.	Frontcountry trails only	Allowed except in the Protected Habitat Area and on Discovery, Overlook and Bluff Spurs trails	$6 per adult, free for kids 12 and under

Each choice narrows the next one. If the dog is coming, Friedrich and Crownridge are out. If the bike is coming, Government Canyon is the only one of the four that allows riding on most of its own trails, and those trails aren't paved. The three city parks list sunrise-to-sunset hours. Government Canyon runs on gate hours and a reservation system, and the sections below take each park in that order.

Eisenhower Park Is the Dog Walk, With a Construction Fence

Of the four, Eisenhower Park is the only one where a leashed dog can use the whole park. The trail mix is long enough to fill a morning. Friends of San Antonio Natural Areas lists Hillview at 2.43 natural miles plus 0.24 paved, Yucca at 0.45 paved plus 0.93 natural, and Cedar Flats at 0.90 miles. Shorter options include Red Oak at 0.48, Shady Creek at 0.29 and Live Oak at 0.17. The city's own 2025 map gives slightly different labels and distances, so carry the current map rather than either list from memory.

This fall, part of the park is fenced off. A 2022 bond project worth $800,000 is replacing the playground and adding ADA upgrades. Construction started in March 2026 and is estimated to finish in November 2026. Until then, the playground area and some nearby parking spaces are closed. The city's closures page also lists the playground as "closed until further notice," but the trails aren't listed as closed. A family hoping to pair a hike with the playground should plan on a November-or-later visit for that part, and on fewer parking spaces in the meantime.

Friedrich Is the Quiet Option, Because It Keeps Out Everything Else

Without the dog, the choice opens up, and Friedrich Wilderness Park is the strictest of the four. The city's rules read "Pedestrians only," and they list pets, bicycles, roller blades, skateboards and scooters as not allowed. The park has nearly 10 miles of trails across roughly 600 acres. The city describes it as internationally known for bird watching, with nesting sites for two federally listed endangered birds, the Golden-cheeked Warbler and the Black-capped Vireo.

Trail difficulty varies more than the mileage suggests. FOSANA's trail guide rates the Entry Trail at 0.27 miles and Forest Range at about 0.4 miles, both easy. Juniper Barrens runs about 0.6 miles and is mostly easy, with Level Three and Four sections. Main Loop, about 1.7 miles, has steep Level Four climbs, and Vista Loop is 0.8 miles of easy-to-rugged trail rated Level Four. The guide recommends sturdy footwear and water. After rain, the city closes saturated trails until they dry. You can check conditions by calling the park office at 210-207-3780.

FOSANA's October calendar lists weekday volunteer mornings at Friedrich, Thursdays from 8 to 11 a.m., including October 29.

Crownridge Fits a Short Window

Crownridge Canyon Natural Area has the same no-pets, no-bikes rules as Friedrich in a much smaller package. It has one trail of about 1.3 miles. The city's park directory calls it the Pugmill trail at 1.30 miles, while the city's trail map labels a 1.32-mile route as Red Oak Trail. Either way, it's a walk you can finish before the morning gets going. It doesn't stand in for a long greenway run.

Government Canyon Runs on a Calendar

Government Canyon State Natural Area is the biggest of the four and the only one with an entry fee and reservations. Admission is $6 per adult and free for children 12 and under. Texas Parks and Wildlife says the park often reaches capacity and highly recommends reserving day passes in advance. Gate hours are 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday through Monday and 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday.

Dogs split the park in two. Pets are allowed only on frontcountry trails. The Protected Habitat Area trails are open September through February, so fall is when the full trail system is available. TPWD's route list ranges from Savannah Loop, an easy 2.6 miles, to Lytle's Loop at 5.0 miles and The Outer Loop, a challenging 11.8 miles.

The calendar is what makes Government Canyon different from the other three. On certain dates the park closes to everyone except permitted hunters. TPWD's park alerts page lists these closures:

10 p.m. Nov. 16 to 7 a.m. Nov. 20
10 p.m. Nov. 30 to 7 a.m. Dec. 7
10 p.m. Jan. 4 to 7 a.m. Jan. 8
10 p.m. Jan. 11 to 7 a.m. Jan. 15

The visitor center is also closed on Oct. 22, 2026. On that day, visitors are asked to reserve online and check in at the self-pay station.

The park's guided programs are scheduled around those closures. "Trek to the Dino Tracks," a five-mile guided hike, runs Oct. 31 and again Nov. 21, the day after the first November closure ends. It's limited to the first 15 participants, the entrance fee still applies, and pets aren't allowed on the dinosaur-track trail. Here's what else is on TPWD's events calendar for the coming season:

"Wildlife Trick or Treat," Oct. 24 at 6 p.m., a short wooded hike with wildlife-learning stations along the trail.
"Fall Plant Walk," Oct. 25, about 1.5 to 2 miles, registration required.
"Veterans Day Hike," Nov. 11 at 9 a.m.
"Winter Holiday Traditions," Dec. 12, and "Christmas Campfire Story and S'mores," Dec. 19 at 7 p.m.
"Kallison Ranch Hike," Dec. 27 at 2 p.m., a short hike to the historic ranch complex.
"Winter Bird Walk," Jan. 9, 2027, which falls between the two January hunt closures.

Programs here get cancelled too. TPWD posted on Oct. 14 that its Oct. 17 women's history hike was cancelled, so check the events page on the morning of any program you've signed up for.

What a Fall Week Can Look Like From Here

Put the rules and the calendar together, and a week of walks from The Dominion falls into a few combinations. Weekday dog walks go to Eisenhower, with the playground side fenced off until its estimated November finish. Walks without the dog can go to Friedrich for the climbs and the birds, or to Crownridge when there's only time for about 1.3 miles. Government Canyon is the long weekend outing, booked ahead and checked against the hunt dates. A dog can come along there only if the plan sticks to the frontcountry.

The city's closures page has the mid-2027 reopening estimate and any updates on the Marquis section.

At Frontline Properties, we follow these neighborhood details because they shape everyday life around The Dominion. When trail access becomes part of your plans for your own home, we're glad to talk it through with you, starting with a free home valuation.