Walnut Springs Hike, bike trail officially complete

Felicia Frazar The Seguin Gazette

For two years, Seguin residents Jack and Valerie Lanford watched as a portion of their backyard transformed into the last leg of the Walnut Springs Hike and Bike Trail.

“Everything came together,” Valerie said. “It looks beautiful down here.”

The couple joined dozens of residents, outdoor enthusiasts and city officials as they officially opened the extension for public use. Seguin City Council was able to complete the $5.18 million project with assistance from the Alamo Area Metropolitan Planning Organization and Texas Department of Transportation, Seguin City Manager Steve Parker said.

“This is a great project that had partnerships between TxDOT as well as the Alamo Area MPO that would not have happened without their contribution of $2 million going toward this $5.2 million project,” he said. “It wouldn’t have been affordable. It took a lot of courage and vision from that council and this council to make sure that it made it to fruition.”

The extension begins at the Ruby P. Vaughan Bridge behind St. James Catholic Church and follows Walnut Branch Creek to the Pecan Bottom Walking Trail in Starcke Park East.

“The trail extension consists of .5 miles of 12-foot wide concrete hike and bike trails along the west side of Walnut Branch Creek,” Parker said. “The project included retaining walls, guard rails, and an elevated pedestrian trail crossing and Seguin’s first below grade crossing below the South Austin Street bridge connecting to the Pecan Bottom trail and loop in Max Starcke Park.”

TRC Engineers designed the trail, while Myers Concrete Construction, LP completed the work.

“This was a very difficult and challenging project to complete due to working next to a creek and having to install massive footings below grade and under the creek bed to support all of the walls along the trail project,” Parker said. “Over the course of the project, the contractor had to deal with significant rain events and flooding that washed away some of their preliminary work.”

However, they overcame the challenges to complete the project and the overall trail.

With the work complete, the Walnut Springs Hike and Bike Trail is approximately 4 miles one-way between FM 78/New Braunfels Street to the Guadalupe River in the pecan bottom of Starcke Park.

“The Walnut Springs Trail provides pedestrian access to a number of locations including Park West, the Seguin Police Department, Walnut Springs Park, the Seguin Public Library, Texas Lutheran University, downtown Seguin and Max Starcke Park, including the Guadalupe River,” Parker said. “That is phenomenal in my opinion. This is something. We’re always going to remember this day and where we were. We are very, very happy to deliver this project to you today.”

While it provides access to many areas across town, it also opens up visitors to the history of the Walnut Springs Trail, said Seguin City Councilman District 5 Paul Gaytan.

Having grown up not far from the creek, Gaytan knew the gem was for the community.

“I grew up in this area on South River Street and we used to play in this creek,” he said. “This was our Hundred Acre, Christopher Robbin, place. We were safe here. We could fish here, we could swim here, we could play war games, hide from our parents and we thought the water was safe to drink because it is clear. There is so much history here.”

The plans to beautify the area and create a park came under the tenure of former Mayor Max Starcke in the 1920s. It was designed by Robert H.H. Hugman, who is best known for his work designing the San Antonio Riverwalk.

“In 1933, there was federal funding that allowed this to happen,” Gaytan said. “We were in the midst of a depression, we needed the work in this country, so men, very happily showed up as part of our civilian conservation corp and built this beautiful trail. We can see the remnants of many decaying walls that are here.”

Time and the polio epidemic wasn’t kind to the park and it eventually feel into disrepair, Gaytan said.

Soon, it became the topic of conversation again, he said.

“We progressed to have excitement again about this place in the 80s,” he said. “It was the ladies in our community who were at the forefront, pushing that idea.”

Three decades later, the central portion of Walnut Springs Park was revitalized and reopened. The park’s trails were expanded into the Walnut Branch Linear Park Trail which reached FM 78/New Braunfels Street to the north and then to the Ruby P. Vaughan Bridge at Convent Street to the south.

“Never during my lifetime have we been able to safely walk down this tributary — Walnut Branch — into the Guadalupe River, like we can now and it is amazing that we have done this,” Gaytan said. “Our history is amazing. Not only did we have a famous architect design this place in 1933, he also designed Max Starcke Park. We have such a wonderful history here and this is a very, very special moment.”

Former Mayor Don Keil spent his entire time serving a public official watching and helping this revitalization come to fruition.

“Gosh, I love this town and its reasons like this that make it all such a great place to live here in Seguin,” he said. “Great cities have great public space and great places where you can walk and see things, get out of an automobile, places that are unique. This place, this walkway is a very, very unique and wonderful and beautiful thing that we ought to be very, very proud of.”

The vision to bring back life to Walnut Branch wasn’t possible without the combined efforts of the community, city staff and council, Keil said.

“Thank you for all of the councils that got together and saw the importance of this place and saw the history,” he said. “We can enjoy this wonderful place for many, many, many years to come.”

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