Exploring the San Antonio Mission Trail by Bike
Embarking on a cycling adventure along the San Antonio Mission Trail is a must do when visiting the beautiful city of San Antonio. This historic trail is a 13.9 mile loop that connects four of San Antonio’s iconic Spanish colonial missions – Concepcion, San Jose, San Juan, and Espada. Although, visitors can drive to each mission, cycling or walking the Mission Trail is the best way to experience these rich cultural heritage sites. Join me on my adventure as I cycle the San Antonio Mission Trail and explain the significance of these historical and cultural sites along the trail.
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I personally think, exploring San Antonio’s missions is best done by bike. Biking the trail was a lot of fun, it was well developed with bikes in mind and relatively flat.
Unless you live in the area, chances are you don’t have a bike. Thankfully there are bike rentals around San Antonio that rent out bikes for the day.
We rented bikes at Blue Star Bike Shop. Blue Star Bike Shop is toward the beginning of the trail. We rented a couple of Townie bikes for the day at a cost of $25 for a half day or $35 for a full day.
The cruiser bikes worked out perfect for our needs. From Blue Star Bike Shop, the farthest mission is only 10 miles away.
As a bonus, Blue Star Brewing Company is located next to the bike shop. After a day of exploring the San Antonio Mission Trail, a cold brew was much needed to wrap up our perfect day.
You can also rent a pedal assist BCycle. There are docking stations scattered throughout the city. You can unlock the bikes using the BCycle App. By using the app, you can find docking stations and pick up your bike.
Trail Information
- The San Antonio Mission Trail was designed to connect all of San Antonio’s famous missions.
- The trail is a 13.9 mile loop and each mission is about 2.5 to 3 miles apart.
- The trail is mostly paved and flat, alternate trails branch off of the main one to some of the missions.
- There are bike stations along the trail
Information About San Antonio's Missions
There are in total 5 Missions in San Antonio which include The Alamo, Concepcion, San Jose, San Juan, and Espada. The Alamo, is downtown San Antonio and the rest are located south along the trail. Technically, the first Mission along the trail is Concepcion, followed by San Jose, San Juan, and Espada.
The Missions were constructed in the early 18th century by priests who settled in the area from the country of Spain. Their ultimate goal was to spread Christianity and convert local natives. Each Mission was walled at some point and housed both the priests and natives. Within the compounds was the church, space for farming and agriculture, shops, and plenty of other necessities needed in order to support a working society.
San Jose was definitely the biggest out of the 4 and personally my favorite. But they are all different and unique in their own ways. From personal experience and research below is a little information on the 4 Missions along the San Antonio Trail, starting with Espada, the southern most and farthest Mission.
Mission Concepción
Technically this mission is at the beginning of the trail, but we saved it for last. The church was built around 1755, according to the NPS website, this church is the oldest unrestored stone church in the US. The grounds were fairly small, but you can explore the inside of the church.
Mission San José
The grandest of them all, built around 1782! I believe parts of this mission were restored, and you can really see how communities thrived within the walls. Unfortunately, we could not see the inside of the church, a wedding was taking place. But walking the grounds was magnificent!
Mission San Juan
This mission was fully completed in 1756. The large open area within the walls was ideal for farming. The church here is still in use and nicely decorated inside.
Mission Espada
According to the National Park Service, Mission Espada was the first in the state of Texas, constructed in the late 1600’s. This mission is the southern most along the route. The church still stands along with some foundations and walls. The courtyard area here is beautiful, great photo opportunities!
Conclusion
The San Antonio Mission Trail is ideal for those wanting to see the missions by bike. Whether you are visiting San Antonio to see the Missions, love the nature along the San Antonio River, or just looking for a unique adventure, the San Antonio Mission Trail is an attraction that all can enjoy. The city of San Antonio put a lot of thought and effort into providing visitors with an alternate way of visiting the centuries old missions. Remember, share the trail, be respectful, and enjoy your bike ride along the San Antonio Mission Trail.
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