Logo of The Nature Center featuring a stylized flying bird and a small tree or leaf symbol.
Logo of The Nature Center featuring a stylized flying bird and a small tree or leaf symbol.
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The Cibolo Nature Center

Where it all began.

Visit the Cibolo Nature Center to experience the natural beauty of the Texas Hill Country.

The Cibolo Center for Conservation encompasses over 160 acres of wild beauty preserved in the heart of Boerne, shaped and sustained by the Cibolo Creek that flows through our community. Featuring a variety of natural landscapes and more than six miles of trails, the Cibolo Nature Center invites you to connect with the nourishing and healing power of being outdoors. Come walk through a native prairie, dip your toes in the creek, look for wildlife in the spring-fed marsh, and feel the awe of the live oak or cypress canopy while immersing yourself in the wonders of nature.

Protecting this land for generations of Boerne residents and visitors to enjoy is a driving inspiration of our organization. Because of support from friends like you, our nature center is completely free and open from dawn until dusk every day.

A watercolor painting of trees and landscape under a partly cloudy sky.
Donate

Address

The Cibolo Nature Center

140 City Park Road, Boerne, TX 78006 ▸

hours

Trail Hours: Monday–Friday 9am–4:30pm

Visitor Center Hours: Dawn-Dusk Every Day

CONTACT

Call: (830) 249-4616 ▸

Email: nature@cibolo.org ▸

Visitor Center & Gift Shop

Our Visitor Center and Gift Shop offers trail maps and a variety of books, pocket guides and nature-themed gifts. Plus, we have nature observation tools to enhance your exploration. On your next visit, be sure to stop in to grab a trail map, learn how to download our mobile app, and ask questions. All proceeds support our mission-driven programs.

Hiking Trails & Marsh Boardwalk

The Cibolo features more than six miles of trails through five distinct ecosystems. A place for both serious and recreational hikers, visitors of all ages and abilities can find something to enjoy. The full trail circle takes approximately two hours to complete; however, a variety of unexpected loops and routes along the way offer a new adventure with every visit!

Enjoy the abundance of wildlife during the wet season while exploring the Marsh Loop along our ADA accessible boardwalk. The boardwalk is best enjoyed at a slow pace so as to not miss the aquatic and avian life.

Cibolo Creek & Cooper’s Crossing

Cooper’s Crossing is the designated spot for crossing Cibolo Creek and accessing an additional network of trails. It is also one of the most popular photo locations on the property. The area surrounding the crossing offers excellent opportunities to pause, explore, and appreciate the beauty of the creek and the surrounding riparian ecosystem.

Dinosaur Tracks

On June 22, 1997, a heavy flood in Boerne uncovered an 80-foot stretch of Acrocanthosaurus footprints at the Boerne Lake Spillway. In an effort to preserve the large 100-million years old tracks, The Cibolo created exact track replicas and placed them at the trailheads of the nature center for visitors of all ages to enjoy.

Birds & Other Wildlife

The Cibolo is home to an astounding array of birds including the Painted Bunting and endangered Golden-Cheeked Warbler. You can learn to identify our resident and migrating bird species by picking up a field guide in our Visitor Center.

The Cibolo is also an important habitat for a wide variety of flora and fauna. With native plants and animals throughout the preserve, you will experience Texas nature at its absolute finest. Remember to safely observe from a distance to protect wildlife and the delicate habitats.

Picnic Areas

Bring a picnic for an outdoor dining experience immersed in nature. Picnic tables are located throughout the Cibolo Nature Center.

Man excited about The Cibolo's mobile app and pointing to it on his phone

Download The Cibolo App

Enhance your experience

  • Discover plants, animals, and ecosystems as you explore the landscape around you.

  • Create a personalized visit by saving trails, activities, and experiences you want to enjoy.

  • Stay connected by browsing and registering for events directly in the app.

  • Download our free mobile app from your phone’s app store to help make the most of your visit before you arrive and while you’re here.

  • Get trail directions and navigate the Nature Center and Herff Farm with confidence.

Calendar of Events

Frequently Asked Questions

  • The Cibolo Gift Shop and Visitor Center offers trail maps and a variety of books, pocket guides and gifts. We have nature observation tools and water bottles to enhance your nature experience. All proceeds support our programs.

  • There is no charge for admission; however, donations are appreciated at drop-boxes and the Visitor Center to ensure that we can continue to offer the best experience to our visitors, steward the land and water and offer education programs.

  • Marshland Trail: Once covering five times as much land as it does today, restoration efforts by the Cibolo Center for Conservation and the City of Boerne saved this last remaining portion of the marsh and is now home to many native plants and wildlife. This trail includes the Cibolo Boardwalk and is ADA accessible.

    Woodlands Trail: Overlooking the Cibolo Creek, this densely shaded trail of oak and juniper is home to deer, rabbits, and other wildlife and is popular with hikers of all skill levels.

    Cibolo Creek Trail: Hike along the lush banks of the Cibolo Creek and observe turtles, bass perch, and catfish in the clear water of the creek under the majestic cypress canopy. This critical wildlife habitat is also an important source of recharge for the Edwards and Trinity Aquifers.

    Native Texas Prairie Trail: Prairies once covered much of the Texas landscape, but today they are the region’s most endangered ecosystem. The Cibolo’s restored prairie contains the tall-grass species and wildlife our ancestors knew. It is preserved through controlled burns and is a premier wildlife management research site.

  • Friendly dogs are welcome at the Cibolo Nature Center. Dogs must remain leashed and, of course, be sure to pick up after your dog and dispose of waste properly. Biodegradable bags are available at trailheads.

    Horseback riding is also allowed. You can park trailers in the overflow parking lot which is the first lot you’ll see on the right when entering the property from City Park Road.

  • Yes, we do have spaces that can be rented for a variety of purposes. For a full set of offerings, visit our Meetings & Events page.

  • To be safe on your trip, consider bringing the following:
    • Water or another drinking source
    • Natural (DEET-free) bug repellent
    • Sunscreen and/or protective clothing
    • Towels

  • Yes. If you are using our property for a professional photo shoot location with clients we ask that you purchase a photo permit that helps up maintain the natural beauty of this place that you’re clients love.

  • Help us take care of the Cibolo Nature Center by abiding by the following rules:
    • Take only pictures; leave only footprints.
    • Place all trash in designated trash bins or take with you.
    • Stay on designated trails.
    • No bicycles or motorbikes of any kind are allowed on the trails.
    • No smoking on the trails.
    • Do not harm plants or wildlife.
    • “Catch and release” fishing only.
    • No firearms.
    • No camping.
    • All dogs must be leashed and picked up after at all times. (Biodegradable bags are available at trailheads.)

Close-up of a barred owl, showing large black eyes, a yellow beak, and brown and white feather markings, perched on a branch in a green woodland setting.
A young couple holding hands walks through a grassy prairie at sunset, with trees in the background.
Close-up of green plant with small white flowers during sunset, with a blurred background of a field and cloudy sky.
Close-up of a colorful snake slithering through dried leaves and soil.
Close-up of tree bark with a small lizard blending into the textured wood surface.
A woodpecker with red markings at the top of its head and black-and-white patterned feathers on its body pecking at the bark of a tree.
A man with glasses and a cap holding antlers, standing among children with raised hands, in an outdoor setting with large trees and wooden structures, during a field trip at the nature center.
A group of children and adults outdoors on a night hike, listening to an elderly woman with glasses and a hat, who appears to be explaining something.
Group of people walking on a dirt trail through tall grass with trees in the background.
A group of people gathered in a dark outdoor setting at night, watching a person hold a tablet devices displaying a bat echo meter with sound waveforms.
A group of people gathered in the woods at night, illuminated by artificial light, calling for owls by a large cypress tree with a thick trunk and dense foliage.
Small frog on a textured piece of wood at night in a natural setting.
A sunset sky filled with dark and orange clouds over a silhouette of trees and sports field lights.
A view of a peaceful natural creek framed by two large trees with textured bark, with a branch and green leaves prominently in the foreground and lush woods in the background.
A forest scene in autumn with tall trees, some with thick, textured bark. The trees are surrounding a small, shallow stream with rocks and fallen leaves in the water. Sunlight filters through the colorful fall foliage, creating a warm and peaceful at
A creek flowing through a lush, green forest with trees and plants on both sides.