Crescent Bend Nature Reserve (Smiley Face Killer?)

This may come as a surprise to many who have known me for a while, but I recently discovered the joys of “hiking”. It became a much needed outlet when Covid-19 hit…. I used to spend a good part of my free time attending live shows/concerts, so when all that came to an abrupt halt - I found myself completely enamored with re-engaging with the city of San Antonio, thru its greenbelt.

I’ve had the pleasure of walking/biking almost all of the greenbelt and have also explored all of the missions at the heart of the city. I’ve even found some time to fit in some State/National parks… but my favorite retreat of all are the “Nature Preserves”. I’ve found two kinda near me… one is on the Deep South by Poteet Texas and there’s another one that is kinda tucked away in the city of Cibolo called Crescent Bend Nature Park.

I’m told that the area used to have homes but some repeated flooding in the late 90s caused the city to relocate all the citizens who lived there. A decision was made to allow nature to reclaim the area naturally, so it’s a little sanctuary for birds and deers. On any given morning, you can get there at dawn and you will already find dedicated birdwatchers with long lens cameras or binoculars.

I take Canelo with me and we quickly hike the trails and attempt to be as quiet as possible. The park itself used to be pretty vacant… in recent visits I’ve noticed photographers taking people to the area for portraits. Which is cool I guess, I’m glad the park is getting visits. I recently noticed a “smiley face” near the entrance of the park and have privately wondered if the Smiley Face Killers may have left a clue.

Something I don’t recommend doing is listening to true crime podcasts while hiking…. the surroundings literally sound like the backdrops of almost 60% of the shit you listen to. That being said - it’s a rewarding activity and I’m going to do my best to document some of the places I visit going forward.

My hiking co-pilot - Canelo