Located in the heart of Boerne, the Cibolo Nature Center and Farm (CNC&F) is a 160-acre natural area that boasts nearly 100,000 visitors every year. From the serious trail enthusiast to families with young children and dogs, everyone can find something to enjoy. For 28 years, the CNC&F has been an area where all ages can enjoy one of the few remnants of a vanishing wilderness. The addition of the Herff Farm, a historically and ecologically important part of the park, serves as an extension of the Nature Center. The farm is home to the Farmers Market at the Cibolo and the historic Herff homestead.

Toes in the Creek & Hands in the Dirt

Consider this an open invitation to tromp around the trails, splash in the cool waters of the Cibolo Creek and get dirty while learning in a natural environment with your tribe. A visit to the CNC&F can be just what you make it. With a variety of different opportunities, each experience can be totally new or tried-and-true.

On the land that makes up the CNC&F visitors can expect to explore the boardwalk in the reclaimed marsh or pretend to be a wild buffalo from the past, roaming along the trails that cut through the tall grass prairie. Maybe you would prefer to wade, with pants rolled up to the knee, among the ripples of the rocky bottomed, perpetually flowing, Cibolo Creek or drop a line in for some catch and release fishing. The Woodland Trail looks over the same creek and provides an easy, shaded, loop through the back of the park/preserve where you can safely get lost in nature. The historic Herff Homestead is open on Saturdays so folks can take a peek into the daily life of the past on a tour of the historical home and farm land.

Throughout the park, you will find interpretive signage designed to add an element of understanding and appreciation to your visit. Any questions? Just ask! The folks in the Visitors Center are happy to answer your questions.

Everyone is Welcome Down on the Farm

Carolyn Chipman Evans, CNC&F’s executive director, said, “There is nothing quite like playing in the dirt and sharing space with wild things to help kids and their families make that connection.” Evans, a descendant of Dr. Ferdinand Herff who settled the farm in 1854, continued, "Herff Farm was the site of one of the first agriculture operations in Kendall County. Today, as an education center, it offers an opportunity to help modern Texans reconnect to the land and understand the complex, vital relationship between natural resources and our lives."

Families are welcome and encouraged to visit, tour, play and learn at the farm during the weekly Farmers Market at the Cibolo on Saturdays, from March through November.

Check the Calendar

There is always something happening at the Nature Center or out on the Farm. Prepare for your Texas Hill Country excursion by consulting their calendar of events and to maximize your trip to the park.

The staff at the CNC&F are busy bees especially in the spring and summer months particularly with educational & recreational programs for all ages and stages of life like; Organic Gardening 101, Kids Club activities during the Farmers Market, Native Landscape Design, Birding Skills Workshops, Weekly Little Explorers Activities, Monthly Thirst for Nature Programs, and Moondance Concerts held under a canopy of live oak trees in the spring & summer.

Preserving Nature’s Playground Forever
The unwavering mission of the CNC&F is to conserve natural resources through stewardship and education. The nature center was founded in 1988 as part of a grassroots initiative to restore the natural features of 100 acres of Boerne City Park. It later expanded to include the adjacent 60 acre Herff Farm. The CNC&F has recently partnered with Texas Agricultural Land Trust (TALT) to conserve in perpetuity the Herff Farm and, as a result, it will remain open space forever.