At the top of the fourth highest point in Bexar County, Texas sits a simple stone tower surrounded by a wrought iron fence. And this simple Lookout Hill Tower is supposed to be haunted by unachieved dreams and Comanche Indian war cries.
Lookout Hill Tower History
Lookout Hill Tower is located in Comanche Lookout Park in San Antonio, Texas, which contains the fourth highest point in Bexar County.
The Apache and then later the Comanche used this hill as a vantage point for warfare and hunting. The Comanche especially used this hill to ambush Spanish settlers coming into San Antonio. The Comanche and the settlers constantly battled each other, eventually resulting in the settlers gaining control of the hill.
After that, ownership of the hill changed hand many times before coming into the possession of retired Army colonel Edward H. Coppock in 1923. Coppock was a romantic and had fallen in love with the castles he’d seen while stationed in Europe, so he set out to build his own castle at the top of the hill.
He hadn’t gotten very far when the Great Depression hit, leaving his fairy tale castle just a single four story tower and a foundation. When the land was turned into a public park, the developer left the tower standing.
Comanche Lookout Hill is considered to be haunted by the spirits of the Comanche and of Coppock. At dusk, chanting and war cries can be heard coming from deep within the trees. Shadows cross pathways and disappear into the woods.
The Comanche seem to still be trying to protect their hill. As for Coppock, he can still be seen wheelbarrowing stone to and from the hill, desperately trying to finish his dream home. He too protects his hill, looking out from the top floor of his castle at any trespassers approaching his tower.
Visiting Lookout Hill Tower
It is free to visit Comanche Lookout Park and Lookout Hill Tower. The park is open daily from 5 a.m. — 7 p.m.
The closest parking to the tower is in a lot off of Nacogdoches Road. From there, take the Comanche Loop to the right and follow that until you reach the Tower Loop. The quickest way is to take this loop to the right until you reach the tower. The trails are paved, so it’s an easy hike.
Castle Count: 19
So why does this castle count? As usual when it comes to American castles, this tower is no fortress. But since it was Coppock’s dream to build a castle, it judging by the only tower completed it would have been in the style of a traditional Romantic castle, Lookout Hill Tower gets added to my list!
More Things to Do in San Antonio
Discover more of what San Antonio, Texas has to offer with these itineraries:
- 5 Restaurants to Try in San Antonio, Texas
- 8 Free Things to Do in San Antonio, Texas
- 5 Must-Visit San Antonio Bars
Ready to visit Lookout Hill Tower in San Antonio, Texas? Plan your trip with these tips.
- Book your flight: Find the cheapest flights using Skyscanner, my favorite flight search engine.
- Find accommodation: You can find top hotels in San Antonio using Hotels.com.
- Get packing: Make sure you’ve packed everything you need with my packing list resources.
Cheers!
Paige
Have you visited Lookout Hill Tower? Let me know in the comments!
