Recreation and Heritage Tourism
In response to San Antonio’s rapid growth during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, many local residents became concerned with the associated loss of the city’s historic landmarks. This concern coupled with the city’s increasing status as a tourist destination prompted the development of the local tourism and heritage conservation industry. During the nineteenth century, the advent of the railroad facilitated easier travel to the city from far remote areas of the country while the city’s historic missions and mild climate drew increasing numbers of visitors to the area. Some important resources within the vicinity of the Mission Trails hike and bike trail were preserved as a result of these efforts.