San Marcos, TX Road Trips

San Marcos is often considered a college town, with the huge percentage of the population attending or supporting Texas State University-San Marcos. Most bars, restaurants, and attractions are centered around services to a college crowd. There is also a considerable conservationist mindset associated with the local rivers and endangered species. Several species live only in the headwaters of the San Marcos River.

San Marcos River. The river that made the city runs through town. It's popular for tubing, canoeing, swimming, and fishing. There are many parks and restaurants along the river, and it's pretty much impossible to see any of San Marcos without seeing a lot of the river. San Marcos Discovery Center, 430 Riverside Dr, ☏ +1 512-393-8327. Ecological exhibit center for the San Macros and Blanco Rivers. 1 Meadows Center for Water and the Environment - Texas State University (formerly Aquarena Center), 201 San Marcos Springs Dr, ☏ +1 512-245-7570. 10AM-4PM. Nature center, springs, wetlands, glass bottomed boats on Spring Lake. Adults $9.75, seniors $8, children $6. (updated Feb 2018) Downtown (The Square). 2 LBJ Museum, 131 N Guadalupe St, ☏ +1 512-353-3300. Th-Sa-11AM-5PM. Small museum about the 36th president of the USA. (updated Jan 2022) 3 Calaboose African American History Museum, 200 Martin Luther King Dr, ☏ +1 512-393-8421. Sa 10AM-3PM. This former jail turned U.S.O. center for Black WWII servicemen is now a museum about African American history of the area. (updated Jan 2022) 4 Wonder World Cave & Adventure Park, 1000 Prospect St, ☏ +1 512-392-6711. M-F 11AM-3PM, Sa 10AM-4PM, Su 10AM-3PM. A cave and theme park. With a train. This is a tectonic cave', a rare type of cave formed by shifting plates beneath the earth's surface. There are no stagmites or stalagmites in a tectonic cave. (updated Jan 2025)

San Marcos Lions Tube Rental, 170 Charles Austin Drive (In San Marcos City Park), ☏ +1 512-396-5466. 10AM-7PM daily June through August, weekends only in May and September. Tube rental and shuttle. Get an inflated innertube, float down the river, drink, cavort, then get a ride back to the park. $7.50. 1 Rio Vista Park. When the old dam was nearing collapse, the city decided to replace it with an artificial whitewater course. The new addition to the park has made it tremendously popular with swimmers, tubers, and boaters alike. There are also rope swings, good picnic areas, and a great playground just up the river. free. 2 Five Mile Dam Park, 4440 Old Stagecoach Rd, ☏ +1 512-393-2212. Daily 8AM-8PM. Similar to access points along the San Marcos River, this is a popular swimming and wading area as well, but on the Blanco River a few miles to the north. free. Flying Armadillo Disc Golf Club, 3115 Hilliard Rd, ☏ +1 737-266-3990. Daily 7AM-10PM. For disc golf enthusiasts, this course is set in the Hill Country terrain. $5 per round (Jan 2022). Purgatory Creek Natural Area, 2102 Hunter Road, ☏ +1 512-393-8400. Daily 6AM-11PM. Hiking area with scenic overlooks and limestone formations. (updated Jan 2022) Texas Water Safari, 921 Aquarena Springs Dr. (at Aquarena Center), ☏ +1 512-738-6607, [email protected]. 10AM. A marathon boat race down the San Marcos and Guadalupe rivers. It begins at Aquarena Springs at 10AM the second Saturday of June and passes several local river crossings within a few hours. free.

Herbert's Taco Hut, 419 Riverside Dr., ☏ +1 512-353-7440. Tex-mex. Local taco joint, loved by the locals. $5-15. Ivar's River Pub, 701 Cheatham, ☏ +1 512-878-0303. W-M 11AM-9PM. Some tasty American grub with a pond setting. $10-20. Grins, 802 N. LBJ Dr., ☏ +1 512-396-4746, [email protected]. Su-Th 11AM-10PM, F Sa 11AM-11PM. $10-15. San Marcos BBQ, 2601 Hunter Rd, ☏ +1 512-938-1019. Tu-Sa 11AM-8PM. Some serious slabs of meat and BBQ here. $10-15. Palmer's Restaurant, Bar & Courtyard, 218 Moore St., ☏ +1 512-353-3500. $12-25.

Downtown San Marcos is surrounded by what the locals call "The Square." There are more than enough bars next to and around each other to "bar hop" until you find an establishment that is right for you. All the bars are open until 2AM every night now, and you are allowed to smoke cigarettes inside The Tap Room, 129 E Hopkins St Suite 120, ☏ +1 512-392-9824. A wide selection of beer. Showdown, Hutchinson and LBJ. Liveliest bar in town Sean Patrick's Irish Pub. On the southeast corner of the downtown square. It offers a nice assortment of beers and whiskies and fine examples of Irish fare and Texas bar staple foods. Sean Patrick's also has shuffle board and billiards. Cheatham Street Warehouse, 119 Cheatham St, ☏ +1 512-353-3777. An established venue where once neophyte musicians like George Strait and Stevie Ray Vaughn got their start. Real Ale Brewing Company. Makes several distinct brews, available at retail outlets in the area. Mochas & Javas, 700 N LBJ Dr. #100, ☏ +1 512-396-5282. Cappuccinos with palm frond designs and sandwiches at this local startup.

Red Roof Inn San Marcos, 817 IH 35 S North, ☏ +1 512-754-8899. The breakfast area is adjacent to the outdoor pool and features a variety of bread and pastries with bleached or unbleached flour. $57 (Jan 2022). (updated Jan 2022) Comfort Inn & Suites, 1053 Clovis R Barker Rd, ☏ +1 512-395-2063. Nice indoor pool here. $62 (Jan 2022). (updated Jan 2022) Comfort Suites Near Texas State University, 104 N Interstate 35 Frontage Rd, ☏ +1 512-392-1006. Comfort Suites is well-represented here, but this one has an outdoor pool. $67 (Jan 2022). (updated Jan 2022) Wingate by Wyndham San Marcos, 108 IH 35 S, ☏ +1 512-754-6621. Outdoor pool and fitness center and big breakfast available. $68 (Jan 2022). (updated Jan 2022) Blair House Inn, 100 West Spoke Hill Drive, ☏ +1 512-847-1111. A bed and breakfast in the village of Wimberley, Texas offering guest rooms, suites and cottages sitting on 22 acres of property. (updated Dec 2018) Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott Austin San Marcos, 1250 North IH-35, ☏ +1 512-396-0131. This one looks like a product of a 3D-printer, as they all do. $99 (Jan 2022). (updated Jan 2022)

San Marcos is located along interstate 35 (I-35) in between Austin and San Antonio. From Austin, take I-35 South about 23 miles. You can take exits 206-204 to access the town. The university is on the West (right) side of I-35 coming from the direction of Austin. From San Antonio, take I-35 North approximately 46 miles. You may take exits 204 thru 206 to access the town. Texas State University and the town square are on the West (left) side of the freeway coming from San Antonio. Notably, San Marcos is a popular shopping destination, as it hosts large outlet malls South of the town about 5 miles, in the direction of San Antonio. You cannot miss them from I-35 (on the East side of the freeway). To get to San Marcos from Houston, take IH-10 west to Luling (exit 632, about two hours), turn right (on to SH-80) and go through Luling. Continue on SH-80 north (the designated highway turns left, just after the railroad tracks). Beware of the speed traps in Martindale, just before San Marcos.

Travel in most American cities, especially outside of major metro areas, is primarily by private vehicle. Parking is almost always abundant and free. (There are a few lots close to the city square where the owners tow aggressively; be sure to watch for parking signs.) The average tourist would be well-advised to rent a car from a rental agency if they don't already have their own vehicle. Traffic is usually light. Take caution at some low water bridges. Never drive through a flooded low water crossing. Even a couple of inches of water can wash your car into the river. You then stand a good chance of losing your life. Capital Area Rural Transportation System offers limited bus service. The fare is 50 cents. Most attractions are very close to the down town and campus areas. While the hills sometimes get steep and can present an athletic challenge, many destinations are a very short ride away.

San Marcos is a small city, and tends to be very safe. Credit cards are accepted almost everywhere, so it's not necessary to carry large amounts of cash. Emergency services such as police, fire, and medical can be reached by calling 911. There are many places to swim in the local rivers. Some are often crowded, some are very secluded. Regardless of where you swim, always use the buddy system, and always have a way to contact emergency services (note that cell phones often lose service in the low area immediately about the river, so check the signal at your designated "towel spot" before swimming if you will rely on your cell phone for calling emergency services).