Outdoor Activities in San Marcos, TX
San Marcos, TX's best outdoor activities include Downtown San Marcos (Free to walk), Hays County Courthouse (Free), Lions Club Tube Rental ($10-15 per tube), Rio Vista Park (Free), and San Marcos Premium Outlets (Free admission; individual store prices vary).
Cheapest tube rental on the river — cash to the Lions Club, one-hour float
170 Charles Austin Dr, San Marcos, TX 78666 · Daily 10am-6pm (summer)
Three-hour float on crystal-clear water — the full San Marcos tubing experience
2024 N Old Bastrop Hwy, San Marcos, TX 78666 · Daily 10am-4:30pm (summer)
Glass-bottom boats since 1945 — see the springs that feed the entire river
201 San Marcos Springs Dr, San Marcos, TX 78666 · Daily 10am-5pm, boats every 30 min
Only earthquake-formed show cave in the US — open since 1894
1000 Prospect St, San Marcos, TX 78666 · Fri-Sun 10am-5pm (check seasonal hours)
240+ outlet stores between two malls — the reason people drive from Austin and SA
3939 I-35 S, San Marcos, TX 78666 · Mon-Sat 10am-9pm, Sun 10am-7pm
The other 100+ outlet stores — between the two malls, plan half a day
4015 I-35 S, San Marcos, TX 78666 · Mon-Sat 10am-9pm, Sun 11am-7pm
Free river swimming with rapids and rope swings — where the tubers finish
555 Cheatham St, San Marcos, TX 78666 · Open daily, dawn to dusk
Cheap drinks, live music, and an outdoor stage — the Square's best dive
336 W Hopkins St, San Marcos, TX 78666 · Daily 11am-2am
Farm-to-table breakfast near the Square — pastries sell out by 9am on weekends
215 N LBJ Dr, San Marcos, TX 78666 · Mon-Thu 7am-3pm, Fri-Sun 7am-4pm
Walkable courthouse square with restaurants, bars, and live music — start here
111 E San Antonio St, San Marcos, TX 78666 · Open daily; restaurants typically 11am-10pm
12,000 years of continuous human habitation — trails around a spring that never stops
601 University Dr, San Marcos, TX 78666 · Daily, dawn to dusk
1908 Romanesque courthouse on the square — Saturday farmers market outside
137 N Guadalupe St, San Marcos, TX 78666 · Exterior always visible; Saturday market 9am-1pm
Wednesday trivia on the Square — solid pub with a packed patio on weekends
202 E San Antonio St, San Marcos, TX 78666 · Daily 11am-2am
Free river path through downtown — the water is so clear you can count the fish
100 E Hopkins St, San Marcos, TX 78666 · Open daily, dawn to dusk