TCC No. 2 leads trail projects at new Texas preserve

IMBA Trail News
Volume 12, Number 4
September 1999

by Joey Klein

In our travels around the nation as Subaru/IMBA Trail Care Crew No. 2, we have seen many places, people and events that will inspire us forever. One such place is the Government Canyon State Natural Area (GCSNA) in Texas, a magical oasis tucked away in a state known for being hot and desolate.

Texas has been one of our favorite states and is home to some of the best mountain biking in the U.S. Ninety-eight percent of all the land in Texas is privately owned, however, which means the remaining 2% of public land is highly coveted. Land open for recreation specifically mountain biking is scarce.

Government State Natural Area is one of these dwindling public parcels of land in Texas. The Natural Area, adjacent to San Antonio, is a mesmerizing place, featuring rolling hills of oak-juniper savannas, open-air rock outcroppings and an intricate system of canyons. It is the setting for a story of how a few devoted cyclists acquired and protected a sacred piece of land.

Hank and Kyle Cunningham run a bicycle shop out of the old stage coach stop/post office in the small town of Helotes, Texas. Through the 1980's, the Cunningham's recreated on a nearby ranch that includes the beautiful Government and
Wildcat Canyons. The area is home for two endangered bird species, the Golden-cheeked Warbler and the Black-capped Vireo. It also holds numerous archeological and historic sites. The majority of the property lies on the Edwards Aquifer recharge zone, which is the only water supply for San Antonio.

When the ranch came up for sale, Kyle couldn't stand the thought of seeing the area developed like so much of the recent San Antonio urban sprawl. He teamed with Danielle Milam to form the Government Canyon Coalition, and in 1991 they managed to get the ranch property off the auction block.

The Coalition worked with the Trust for Public Land, the Edwards Aquifer Authority, the San Antonio Water System, the Texas Wildlife and Parks Department, officials from Bexar County and the City of San Antonio. In 1993, this multi-faceted group purchased the land that would eventually become Government Canyon State Natural Area.

In the years that ensued, the Texas Wildlife and Parks Department purchased more land in the Government Canyon area; as of March, '99 the GCSNA is 6,643 acres. It's one of the largest urban natural areas in the United States and is only 15 minutes from downtown San Antonio.

Several individuals deserve recognition for their role in making the project work. Park Manager Deirdre Hisler has done an excellent job utilizing different user groups to shape the Natural Area. Hank Cunningham runs a mountain bike patrol that maintains the existing ranch roads, trails and boundaries.

During our visit to Government Canyon, we walked a number of the proposed trails and discussed the sensitive environmental issues that will make trail design at GCSNA critical. We flagged a new singletrack that will be the first official trail incorporated into the new Natural Area. There are 41 miles of proposed trails for GCSNA, almost all of which are multi-use.

On June 5,"National Trails Day", GCSNA hosted its first ever trailbuilding workday. We led a small army of 70 volunteers, representing several user groups from the San Antonio area. The different user groups transformed an old ranch road into a swooping, playful singletrack.

After years of patient negotiations, Kyle Cunningham's dream of an urban park that balances recreation with the environment is now a reality. Special thanks to Dennis Kruse of Hill Country Cycles for hosting us during our visit to the San Antonio, and bringing us to Government Canyon.