San Antonio River Walk not the nation’s best, according to USA Today

The San Antonio River Walk is not the nation’s best, according to USA Today.

As part of its 2021 10Best Reader’s Choice Awards, the publication recently named the 10 best riverwalks in the United States. The Detroit International RiverWalk, a 3 mile stretch of revitalized shoreline, took home the top spot in the ranking.

The San Antonio riverfront, lined by shops and restaurants and linked by intricate bridges, landed at No. 4 on the nationwide list. If it’s any comfort to locals, the Alamo City landmark was the country’s best River Walk — if only because of the spelling.

The No. 2 and No. 3 spots belonged to the Wilmington Riverwalk in North Carolina and the Schuylkill River Trail in Pennsylvania, respectively

To compile Readers’ Choice Awards lists, USA Today travel experts pick 20 nominees in categories ranging from top attractions to things to do. Then the top 10 is determined by popular vote.

“The iconic San Antonio River Walk has a history dating back to 1937 when the Texas Legislature created the San Antonio River Authority,” USA Today wrote. “Since then, this vibrant downtown attraction keeps getting better and better.

“Restaurants, bars, hotels and an outdoor amphitheater line the canal, with pedestrian paths to either side and a series of picturesque stone footbridges spanning the water. Water taxis shuttle visitors along the canal, and everything’s in walking distance of other attractions like the Alamo.”

While the publication nodded to the San Antonio riverfront’s history, its readers chose a newcomer as the nation’s best.

The Detroit Riverwalk opened in 2007 after transforming a belt of concrete and parking lots into a series of parks and public space. Construction continues on the walkway, which will eventually link 5.5 miles of the Michigan city along the water.

Read the entire list of the top 10 riverwalks here.