Spring into the outdoors: Things to do in San Marcos

By Kaylie Kruk, Blog Contributor

The season of spring finally found its way to San Marcos, Texas. As the breeze became warmer and time sprang forward, the outdoor activities in San Marcos have flourished.

The city is known for its natural beauty with the river flowing through the city, extensive trails sketching natural areas and the spring-fed lake sitting on historical significance. San Marcos also delivers a well-rounded downtown with everything that it could offer from vintage shopping to delicious food and local markets.

Springtime in San Marcos means venturing outside and enjoying the environment around us.

Explore the historical Meadows Center and its activities

The Meadows Center caters to the historical Spring Lake, a significant ecosystem that has been inhabited for over 13,000 years and is made up of more than 200 springs flowing beneath its surface. To explore the protected area, the Meadows Center offers glass-bottom boat tours on a daily basis, which gives locals and visitors the chance to learn about the history and culture of Spring Lake.

“There’s a reason why people are coming here for thousands of years is because it’s a very amazing place,” said Miranda Wait, Deputy Director of the Spring Lake Education Program. “It’s always been special to people and so we try to showcase why is it so special and people know as soon as they get here.”

For Texas State students, it is only $6 to fully appreciate this beautiful body of water and stunning natural area that happens to be in their own backyard. The Meadows Center has many recreational tours, other than the boat tours, that guests can enjoy this spring including snorkeling lessons, paddleboard tours and nighttime light-up kayak tours.

The center’s 12th Annual Earth Day San Marcos Festival is a free, community wide event hosted on April 19th from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. to connect with our Earth and celebrate our local natural resources.

Float down the San Marcos River

One of the most iconic landmarks in the city is the San Marcos River, which flows right through the city’s center at a crisp, year-round temperature of 72 degrees. For Texas State students, the typical river routine is to lay out on the sun-fed, grassy hill at Sewell Park known as, “Bikini Hill”.

However, there are many different things to entertain locals on the river like Rio Vista Park where visitors can enjoy a leisurely picnic by the water or a thrilling ride down the rapids.

Grow As You Flow Yoga is another unique river activity incorporating the adventure of paddling boarding down the river with the relaxation of vinyasa yoga.

San Marcos also has many different tube rental options that make your tubing experience more relaxed by offering a shuttle service along with an admissions fee that varies between $15-25. Most rental locations in San Marcos open for the spring season mid-April and early-May.

Spend the day perusing the San Marcos Square

Just like every good movie set in a small town, San Marcos has their own picture perfect town square with shopping, dining, entertainment and nightclubs. Within 20 city blocks, the downtown area encompasses over 300 businesses, 1000 residents and 2000 employees making it a very active and dense environment.

“I think spring is one of the best times of year to visit downtown,” said Josie Faletta, Downtown Manager of the City of San Marcos. “We have emerged from winter, so there are many different patio dining opportunities, there are a lot of different events that happen outside, there’s festivals happening, there’s live music…It really is the perfect time to spend outside in downtown, before it gets too hot.”

The San Marcos square will be playing host to many exciting events this spring including the San Marcos Art Fest on April 12th. The community can enjoy an art-filled downtown with a chalk walk for children, a mural jam showcasing live painting and the Kissing Alley featuring pop-up shops, a fashion show, an artist panel and a concert to wrap up the day.

Not only will the art fest be held that day on the town square, but also the Art Squared Art Market, San Marcos Studio Tour and the 1893 Flea Market will be open and ready for visitors the same day.

Weekly events that are perfect for spring weather are the Vanilla Bean Market and the San Marcos Farmers Market, which both happen in front of the Hays County Courthouse.

Every Saturday for 52 weeks out of the year, the farmers market hosts many different produce vendors, local bakers and live music. The Vanilla Bean Market recurs every Sunday, where the community is able to shop for unique finds, listen to live music and eat delicious local food.

Tour the vast nature trails

San Marcos is home to more than 2,100 acres of natural area consisting of 40 miles of trails within the area. The community and its visitors can experience these trails by hiking, biking or even exploring with a pair of binoculars.

The Purgatory Creek Natural Area is a popular option for anyone looking for a good workout, challenging bike ride or a calm bird watching session. The trails in this area have many varying difficulty levels making it one of the more adaptable areas in the city. There are three trail heads that are all open to the public from sunrise to sunset and have free parking spaces available.

An area that some might not be familiar with is the Ringtail Ridge Natural Area, which is located on Old Ranch Road by the Dakota Ranch Apartments. This natural area is a great choice for a beginner mountain biking experience as it has about 3 miles of single-track trails perfect for wheels to cycle through.

All of the natural areas located within the city provide a perfect springtime vibe for hiking, biking or bird watching without having to travel far to experience it.

For more information on things to do in San Marcos visit https://www.visitsanmarcos.com/things-to-do/