Woodlawn Lake and Elmendorf Lake offering water recreation this spring

Published on February 17, 2023

City of San Antonio Parks and Recreation

Garden-themed contest hosted by Sister City - Suzhou, China 


SAN ANTONIO (February 17, 2023) – The San Antonio Parks and Recreation Department is excited to announce that a License Agreement for non-motorized watercraft rentals with The Expedition School was approved by City Council.

The new agreement will bring recreational watercraft rentals to Elmendorf Lake Park and Woodlawn Lake Park including canoes, single and tandem kayaks, and stand up paddle boards. The Expedition School will also offer outdoor structured programming featuring adaptive paddling, health and wellness programs, camps, and professional water safety courses.

“We look forward to seeing people of all abilities kayaking and enjoying outdoor activities at Woodlawn Lake Park and Elmendorf Lake Park,” said Homer Garcia III, Director of Parks and Recreation. “The Expedition School is more than a kayak rental vendor, they are community partners and environmental stewards who will provide accessible recreational opportunities and educational programming for our residents.”

The Expedition School, whose mission is to provide the best and safest quality outdoor education experiences, has operated in Austin since 2006 and are expanding their connections to San Antonio. 

“The Expedition School is committed to providing adaptive paddles for intellectual and developmentally disabled (IDD) populations, blind and visually impaired and deaf populations, said Kimery Duda, founder of The Expedition School. “Both locations will serve as outdoor schools for youth, provide professional and transformative outdoor education programming, and custom-tailored adventure teambuilding events for groups.”

Duda added, “Every program is dedicated to leaving the area we explore cleaner than we found it. Since 2006, we have picked up over 10 tons of trash and four tons of recycling in and around Lady Bird Lake, Austin, Texas.”

Rentals and educational programming are anticipated to launch this spring. Details will be posted at saparksandrec.com.

To learn more about The Expedition School, visit expeditionschool.com.