San Marcos river - thanksgiving?

[tomOzarkVideo]

Any info for the San Marcos river in November?

Do the springs keep it runnable? Is it a nice area to camp?

Thanks in advance.

[RomanLA]

Yep...it runs year round at 72F. We camped at Shady Grove Campground earlier this year. It's nothing fancy, but it's on the river and they have a shuttle service. There was also a campground near T&G Canoes and the shop had a shuttle service. I think they might service a little better section of the river. I'd give them a call to get the details.

[Big Daddy D]

San Marcos is really nice this time of year. All the tubers at the WW park are gone but the water is always warm and clear because it's spring fed. The WW park has 3 features. The first is a fast wave that is fun. The second is another wave that is narrower and less intimidating. The third is a small hole feature. They also have wires for slalom gates and may have them up this time of year.

The river itself is a Class I/II run. It's a great run for first timers and newbies to WW. For more experienced paddlers it's a pretty run with not a lot of challenge. I took a group of 14-year-old scouts down it about a month ago and they had a blast.

The section from the WW park down to Pecan Hollow campground has two fun drops. The 12-footer is called graduation falls. It's an easy 12-footer. I had the scouts do it without paddles. The other drop is on the right channel of the first island you come to. The rest of this section is rather tame.

Below Pecan Hollow, there are more rapids with the mighty "cottonseed rapid" being the main one. It does require a move or two. Good thing is you'll always have water and will never get skunked.

On a side note, we were at the WW park on Thanksgiving a few years back and a group was looking for homeless people to serve T-day dinners. They came by and asked if we had anywhere to spend Thanksgiving. We said we were just in town visiting from Dallas. They had plenty of extra meals so they give us each a turkey dinner in a box. Very nice people.

[tomOzarkVideo]

Thank you for the info! Seems like a nice getaway!

[jonest]

Is the San Marcos River in San Marcos, TX.??? Is it the river that flows throught that Theme Park (name escapes me)? Thanks
Tim

[ShayA]

San Marcos in the fall is definitely a good family trip. The tubers are all gone and the Rio Vista WW park will be kayakers only. But if you are going to make the trip don't spend all day at the WW park. If you have never been on the river definitely do a down river trip. I second the Shady Grove campground. It isn't much but usually where the boaters camp and they do shuttle on a couple sections of river through their sister co Spencer Canoes. The campground is mostly primitive with some electrical hook ups and a bathhouse. If you are looking for a more modern campground try Leisure Resort campground which is the furthest downriver from San Marcos. Best place for RV camping, lots of amenities, and a primitive campground on the river bank.

[ShayA]

Is the San Marcos River in San Marcos, TX.??? Is it the river that flows throught that Theme Park (name escapes me)? Thanks
Tim

Yes it is in San Marcos, TX. If you are thinking Aquarena Springs as the theme park it flows through the answer is sort of. Aquarena Springs was a theme park years ago but is now owned by Texas State Univ and is used as a research center and aquatic biology school. It is on Spring Lake and the San Marcos river flows out of the lake.

Now there is the Comal River in New Braunfels just south of San Marcos that flows through the Schlitterbahn waterpark.

[jonest]

Shay, Was thinking of Schlitterbahn, had the geography all wrong. Thanks for clearing that up.
Tim