An asphalt and concrete pathway leads you out of the parking lot to start your morning adventure exploring Comanche Lookout Park.
The air is filled with the sounds of Cardinals singing and Doves cooing. Morning traffic on Loop 1604 hums in the background. You walk down the path past Southern Live Oaks and Spanish Daggers blooming. Birds dart across the path ahead of you as you climb uphill. At the top of the hill, you spot Comanche Lookout towering above the trees surrounding it. The rising sun filters through the trees as you take in the views of San Antonio surrounding the park.
Comanche Lookout Park is 96 acres with four and a half miles of trails. It is also the highest point of elevation in Bexar County. You can choose to stay along the base of the hill in the park by staying on the Comanche Loop Trail. If you want to see the tower, Comanche Lookout, you climb from the base of the hill to the top on Tower Loop Trail. The views from the top of the hill are excellent especially during sunrise or sunset.
Library Loop Trail takes you half a mile from Comanche Loop Trail passing by the Semmes Library half-way through the loop. You can see deer grazing, squirrels, cardinals, and other wildlife as you walk the loop.
Retired Army Col. Edward Coppock, his two sons, and Tarquino Cavazos built a compound on top of the hill that includes Comanche Lookout, a four-story medieval style tower. Coppock purchased the property in 1923 according to San Antonio Parks and Recreation’s “Park History” on the Comanche Outlook Park page. You can still find walls and foundations for other parts of the compound scattered on the top of the hill. The only complete structure left is the tower.
If you live in San Antonio and haven’t visited Comanche Lookout Park, you should. You’ll get to see Texas wildlife, butterflies, and a piece of San Antonio history. It’s good exercise and you’ll come away with great memories of the tower and the view from the hilltop.