The San Antonio River Walk is a network of pedestrian pathways running along the banks of the San Antonio River, one level below the city’s downtown streets. It grew out of a 1921 flood that killed more than 50 people; architect Robert H.H. Hugman then proposed turning the river channel into a landscaped urban park with walkways, dining, and boat access, a vision realized over the following decades.
The River Walk today stretches about 15 miles in total, with roughly 5 miles winding through downtown lined with cypress trees, restaurants, shops, and hotels. It’s divided into three sections: the Museum Reach to the north, home to several museums and the Pearl District; the Downtown River Walk; and the Mission Reach to the south, connecting to San Antonio’s historic Spanish missions.
As a public riverside walkway, the River Walk itself is open to pedestrians at all hours, though individual restaurants, river cruise operators, and shops along it each keep their own hours.
