Confluence Park - Mission Art Portals Bike Tour with SA River Foundation

Mission Art Portal Bike Tour: Confluence Park Loop

September 2 & December 6 • 8:30 AM – 12:00 PM Meeting

Location: Confluence Park, 310 W Mitchell St, San Antonio, TX 78204

The Mission Art Portal Bike Tour, presented by the San Antonio River Foundation, is split into two unforgettable routes—because there's just too much beauty, history, and art to cover in one morning. Choose the loop that fits your adventure, or ride both! We alternate routes each month, and each ride begins at the designated BCycle station with expert guide Theresa Scheets leading the way.

Step into a story that begins at the meeting point of art, nature, and imagination. The Confluence Park Loop is more than a scenic bike ride—it’s a moving experience on how the San Antonio River has given the people of this region life and inspiration for centuries.

Led by seasoned San Antonio Tour guide and river docent Theresa Scheets, this free, guided e-bike tour winds along the northern half of the Mission Reach—an 8-mile stretch of the San Antonio River that has undergone the largest urban river restoration project in the country. The route traces a living ribbon of native landscapes, re-engineered waterways, and public artworks that celebrate our deep connection to land, water, and culture.

You'll begin at the architecturally striking Confluence Park, a world-renowned public space where design meets environmental function. From there, the tour flows south along the Mission Reach trail, revealing the artistry and storytelling embedded in artist-designed benches, historic engineering features, and monumental Public "Art Portals" that reconnect the Spanish Colonial Missions to the river, just as they were hundreds of years ago.

The Art Portals aren’t just beautiful—they’re landmarks, wayfinders, and storytellers in steel and stone. They are invitations. They mark the way, just as the river always has, to places of gathering, reverence, and resilience. Each one offers a glimpse into the past while honoring the communities who continue to live with and love this land.

Come ride with us and discover how art, architecture, and ecology come together in a way that only San Antonio can offer—and see for yourself why this place is a national treasure.

Route & Highlights:

• Start at Confluence Park, where the San Antonio Mission Reach begins—an 8-mile restored riparian ecosystem—the country’s longest urban river restoration stretch NPS History+14sariverfound.org+14MapQuest+14.

• Meet at the Bcycle eBike Station

• Our tour guide uses microphone and earpieces so you’ll hear every word!

• Explore notable feats of river engineering and widened sections of the historic San Antonio River.

• Learn about the art and architecture woven into the park landscape.

• Bike along the northern half of the Mission Reach, visiting art portals Confluence Park, The Once and Future Bridge, River Return, Cocobijos, that guide the historical narrative and provide wayfinding.

• Enjoy stops along the way

• Roundtrip back to Confluence Park.

What You’ll Learn:

• How the river’s transformation has created wildlife habitat and ecological value.

• The cultural and architectural significance of the Mission Reach.

• Ways in which art connects communities to their history—led by Theresa Scheets, SA River docent and expert on the San Antonio Missions (more about her at ToursWithT.com).

Already explored the Confluence Park Loop? Try our Mission San Juan Loop next! This southern route takes you deeper into the Mission Reach, with stops at Mission Espada and the historic Espada Aqueduct—plus more incredible public art and restored natural landscapes. 👉 Register for the Mission San Juan Loop here

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Host or Publisher San Antonio River Foundation