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City in Texas, United States
Photo: Texas State Archives from Austin, Texas, USA, No restrictions via Wikimedia Commons
San Marcos is a college town in the Central Hill Country region of Texas in the United States of America, about half an hour's drive south of the state's capital, Austin. The site of human habitation for over 10,000 years, it was settled in 1808 by Mexican families, and is now the home to Texas State University-San Marcos. In 2020, it had a population of 58,000 people.
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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.
Ecological exhibit center for the San Macros and Blanco Rivers.
formerly Aquarena Center
Nature center, springs, wetlands, glass bottomed boats on Spring Lake.
Small museum about the 36th president of the USA.
This former jail turned U.S.O. center for Black WWII servicemen is now a museum about African American history of the area.
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.
Tube rental and shuttle. Get an inflated innertube, float down the river, drink, cavort, then get a ride back to the 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.
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.
For disc golf enthusiasts, this course is set in the Hill Country terrain.
Hiking area with scenic overlooks and limestone formations.
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.
An annual Christmas festival that takes place on the first weekend of December. Thursday, Friday, and Saturday night. Lots of booths for food and local art. Also performances by local school children and dance schools.
Every other Monday in June and July, by Parks and Recreation
Live music in San Marcos Plaza Park every Thursday evening in June through August.
Tex-mex. Local taco joint, loved by the locals.
Some tasty American grub with a pond setting.
Some serious slabs of meat and BBQ here.
A wide selection of beer.
Liveliest bar in town
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.
An established venue where once neophyte musicians like George Strait and Stevie Ray Vaughn got their start.
Makes several distinct brews, available at retail outlets in the area.
Cappuccinos with palm frond designs and sandwiches at this local startup.
The breakfast area is adjacent to the outdoor pool and features a variety of bread and pastries with bleached or unbleached flour.
Nice indoor pool here.
Comfort Suites is well-represented here, but this one has an outdoor pool.
Outdoor pool and fitness center and big breakfast available.
A bed and breakfast in the village of Wimberley, Texas offering guest rooms, suites and cottages sitting on 22 acres of property.
This one looks like a product of a 3D-printer, as they all do.
Lots of shops and stores for the browsing are in the downtown district.
Designer clothes at closeout prices.
Clearance prices Shopping Center
San Marcos is located along interstate 35 (I-35) in between Austin and San Antonio.
Read in the guideBy bus
Capital Area Rural Transportation System offers limited bus service. The fare is 50 cents.
By bicycle
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.
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Austin · International · AUS
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