The City of New Braunfels, in partnership with the Comal Trails Alliance (CTA), is proud to announce the opening of a new trail section for Panther Canyon adjacent to Landa Park. Known as the “Rim Trail,” this newly opened section is approximately three-quarters of a mile long and is considered moderately strenuous due to elevation changes along the new trail when compared to the original “Canyon Trail,” which is relatively flat.
A ribbon cutting ceremony to officially open the Rim Trail to the public will be held on Saturday, Dec. 2nd, 2023, at 10am at the entrance to Panther Canyon, followed by a guided hike on the trail. Panther Canyon begins in Landa Park near the headwaters of the Comal Springs, covering 49 acres, and is home to many native plants and wildlife. The trails climb the Balcones Escarpment into the Edwards Plateau under the shade of oaks, Ashe juniper, cedar elm and under-story trees including Mexican buckeye, kidneywood, and Texas persimmon. The trail also crosses a dry creek bed of an ephemeral stream that only flows during or immediately after a rain.
“The addition of the new trail section in Panther Canyon creates more options for park-goers to explore the area using loops rather than the ‘out and back’ experience that the original trail provides,” said New Braunfels Parks & Recreation Director Chad Donegan. “This new section wouldn’t be possible without the unique partnership the City has with the Comal Trail Alliance, which donated the materials and hundreds of hours of manpower to construct the new trail.”
“The Comal Trails Alliance, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary, continues to support the City’s efforts to expand and improve existing nature trails,” added CTA President Austin Buck. “Over the years, the CTA has hosted several sustainable trails building workshops, organized and provided countless hours of volunteer work, added miles of trails and mountain bike features, removed invasive species along waterways and trails, and provided trash clean up. The CTA has also participated in City strategic planning and bond workshops as well as community engagement sessions as a way to advocate foradditional safe transportation alternatives.”
Again, the ribbon cutting ceremony to officially open the Rim Trail to the public will be held on Saturday, Dec. 2nd, 2023, at 10am at the entrance to Panther Canyon. For more information about City of New Braunfels trails, visit www.newbraunfels.gov/trails. Formore about the Comal Trails Alliance, visit www.comaltrails.org.