Government Canyon State Natural Area offers more than 40 miles of trails. You can also camp, attend a program or guided hike, geocache, picnic, take nature photos, and look for birds and other wildlife. Your kids will connect with “natural fun” at our playscape and Discovery Trail. Reserve our gallery or pavilion for your next meeting or reunion. Read about the accessibility of our facilities and Discovery Trail. The natural area is open on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays. Hiking/biking trails Our trails cross gently rolling grass­lands and remote, rugged can­yon-lands. Explore by hiking, moun­tain biking, or even trail running. Some trails are only for hiking – please observe trail signs. Find trails information, including suggested hikes. Take a walk-through time on the Joe Johnston Route to the Zizelmann House, built in the 1880s. You’ll pass 110-million-year-old dinosaur tracks and a prehistoric midden (look for a sign with information on this Native American site). For great views, hike the Far Reaches Trail to the Chula Vista and Sotol overlooks, or to the North and South Bluff Spurs overlooks.