Government Canyon State Natural Area

History

Government Canyon State Natural Area is a 12,011-acre area in Bexar County, just outside San Antonio. The state natural area was purchased by Texas Parks and Wildlife Department in 1993, in cooperation with Edwards Aquifer Authority (formerly Edwards Underground Water District), San Antonio Water System, the Trust for Public Land and the federal Land and Water Conservation Fund. The park opened to the public on Oct. 15, 2005.

The canyon was on the Joe Johnston Road from San Antonio to Bandera, which was blazed by the military at Fort Sam Houston in the 1850s. The canyon is a part of the rich ranching history of Texas.