San Angelo has so many places to discover whether you’re passing through, taking a vacation, or reside in this beautiful city.
It is a great place for young families, college students, and retired folks alike.
Among the more popular sights and sounds in San Angelo are these 10 hidden gems I’ve compiled for you to check out below!
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Nature Trail on Spillway Rd.
The Nature Trail on Spillway Rd. is personally one of my favorite hidden gems in San Angelo, TX. I love taking my dogs for walks out here.
Whether you’re just traveling through or you are a San Angelo resident, this beautiful one-mile hike situated on 60 acres along the Middle Concho River is sure to delight.
The scenery is perfect year round due to its lush location. On your walk, you will experience beautiful plants and trees and may even encounter some wild-life along the way. This is a great trail to stroll down any time of the day from dawn until dusk.
To find the trail, travel about two miles down Spillway Road until you reach a dead end and you will find the nature trail to your right of the parking lot.
Read Next: 14 Honest Pros and Cons of Living in San Angelo, TX
Armenta’s Cafe
Armenta’s Cafe is located at 1325 S. Oaks St. in San Angelo.
Although the locals may frequent this location, they, too, would consider this spot a San Angelo hidden gem. This Tex-Mex style establishment serves tasty, non-typical dishes.
Their enchiladas are definitely popular among most, and their queso is one of the house favorites.
Be careful, though. Their house-made salsa is pretty spicy, but also quite delicious. This is a must try on the list, so set a time in your schedule to check it out!
The Latest Scoop
The Latest Scoop is truly a San Angelo hidden gem due to its unique location.
It might be a little hard to find, but if you look hard enough, you’ll see that it is located in the old bus station between Irving and Chadbourne on 37A W. Concho Avenue.
The Lates Scoop is a family owned business with a quirky new menu every few days offering locally handcrafted ice cream (even some great non-dairy options), homemade waffle cones, fresh fruit smoothies, sundaes shakes, different kinds of house hot chocolates, and fresh-squeezed lemonade creations.
The cool thing about this establishment is that they are more than happy to share their recipes openly, so just ask!
If you’re a San Angelo local or just passing through, The Latest Scoop is the place for you!
Read Also: 11 Things to Know Before Moving to San Angelo, TX
Dog Park on College Hills
This hidden gem found at the intersection of Millbrook Drive and College Hills Blvd. in San Angelo is a great place to bring your fur babies to make friends.
You might even find that you, too, can meet new people and build relationships. The locals have called it a great place to build community.
The park is made possible thanks to donations from the general public and is taken care of by some dedicated San Angelo Parks employees. You don’t have to worry about the safety of your pups.
There are two separate areas for larger and smaller dogs, and when you walk into the gate, there is a fence separating the road from the park so that you can easily let your dog off the leash before releasing him into the rest of the heard.
Red Arroyo Trail
On 3215 Millbrook Drive, you can explore the Red Arroyo Trail. This relatively new addition to San Angelo gives outdoorsmen a 14-foot wide paved path that runs a total of 4.7 miles through town.
The Red Arroyo Trail contains 2 loops and 2 out and back trails and connects the surrounding neighborhoods.
The trail travels along the Red Arroyo tributaries which makes for great scenery along with enjoying the beautiful local plants, wildflowers, and trees.
There three parking areas located in different areas along the trail. It offers public restrooms and two bike “fix-it” stations that include tools in case your bike breaks down! What a neat hidden gem this is.
Art in Uncommon Places, a locally owned art institution, has placed unique art installations along the trail including glow-in-the-dark stones, large ant colonies – some in the form of benches, boat silhouettes, mosaic totem, and “larger than life” gabion statues.
Read Next: Top 15 Attractions in San Angelo, TX
Cielo Restaurant
Cielo Restaurant is not just your typical Mexican restaurant. The locals like to dub it one of the best in the region.
You can find handmade guac, fantastic queso, and house made Cielo dip which is a must try.
Check out their amazing drinks and specials, too!
This hidden gem offers truly authentic Mexican cuisine and an open floor plan which is great for parties or friendly get-togethers. Look for Cielo Restaurant at 4132 Sunset Dr, San Angelo, TX 76904.
Are you planning on buying a home in San Angelo? I'm a local mortgage loan officer and I help people with the home loan process. Click here to get pre-approved for a home loan or call/text me 325-650-5899 if you need help relocating and finding a home.
Reyna’s Tacos
Reyna’s Tacos goes by the title “best street tacos in San Angelo.” This food truck is a little off the beaten path which makes it another great hidden gem to discover.
Reyna’s has a drive through option, but if you have a little time on your hands, you’ll enjoy the picnic tables located out back.
The atmosphere and the music they offer gives a great vibe to the place. You know if you go to a local taco truck and order a pizza box full of authentic tacos, that you’ll experience some of the best in town or possibly even in the state of Texas.
You can find Reyna’s at 226 S. Abe St, San Angelo, TX 76903.
Tule Princess Steamboat Co.
The Tule Princess Steamboat Co. is a hidden gem you definitely don’t want to miss on your travels through San Angelo.
Not only does this family oriented company offer a rare steamboat experience, you can also rent hydro bikes and pedal boats, and go kayaking on Lake Nasworthy.
The Tule Princess is a beautifully maintained boat and is the last walking-beam engine, side-wheeled paddle steamer in the world.
It is the only steamboat of its kind in the U.S.
This once in a lifetime experience serves as a great adventure to take the kids on as the captain and crew of the boat love sharing their knowledge with the little ones teaching them how to steer the boat and giving them a chance to blow the whistle!
The steamboat has recently updated its onboard accommodations making it a more comfortable and relaxing ride.
Imagine watching the Texas sunset from the beautiful Lake Nasworthy aboard a historic relic not many get the chance to even lay eyes on.
What a pleasure that would be!
The Tule Princess Steamboat Co. is located at 2680 Fisherman’s Rd. Spring Creek Park, San Angelo, TX, 76904.
Read Next: Moving to San Angelo, TX: Everything You Need to Know
Lower Ghost Camp
Riverbend Trail: Ever wanted to visit an abandoned ghost camp?
Well, now you can! Surely, you’ve heard of ghost towns, but ghost camps are a little more rare.
In San Angelo off the Riverbend Trail, this hidden gem was occupied by the Army Corps from 1995 until its abandonment in 2002.
This location along with 7,000 acres around the O.C Fisher Lake were leased by the army at this time.
To find the camp while hiking the Riverbend Trail, go south on the trail that goes through the Riverbend Campsite until you see the pipe trail marker for Lower Ghost Camp.
Read Next: 25 Fun Things to do in San Angelo, TX
Bats at Foster Road Bridge
This hidden gem is a great Halloween spectacular, but if you have nothing to do in the evenings during the summer, this is a great spot to take the kids or a group of friends.
Under the Foster Road Bridge, free-tail bats occupy the crevices within. The bats usually arrive in late March and stay through the end of November.
In spring to the middle of the summer, plan to see tens of thousands of these amazing creatures!
The most exciting time to see the bats is late summer through October, because this is when the mating season ends.
Over 180,000 bats have been spotted during this time! To find the bats, head to the Foster Road Overpass at Loop 306 in San Angelo.
10 Hidden Gems in San Angelo, TX:
- Nature Trail on Spillway Rd.
- Armenta’s Cafe
- The Latest Scoop
- Dog Park on College Hills
- Red Arroyo Trail
- Cielo Restaurant
- Reyna’s Tacos
- Tule Princess Steamboat Co.
- Lower Ghost Camp
- Bats at Foster Road Bridge
