This is such a beautiful and large park. It is on a hill so you get a lovely breeze. There are…read morewalking and biking paths, two playgrounds- one which is ADA accessible and restrooms. I can't believe it took me so long to visit this park. It really is beautiful. It does have some sewage smell in one part which is pretty off putting but luckily you can't smell it all over.

Loved it! We had so much fun and if we could we would spend the whole day here !! Super kid…read morefriendly and Safety

Paved walk ways. Play place for kids. Basketball court. Seems very well maintained. Restroom was in…read moregood condition. Definitely recommend for a walk or for your daily runs!

This park has a lot going for it starting with lots of parking and includes a very nice splash pad…read moreand well-designed play escape with swings. Other amenities include lots of covered picnic tables with grills, soccer fields, paved sidewalks and trails, but no pool. Built in 2015, they also included a concessions area and public bathrooms. The well designed play scape is as good as they get and the splash pad is very popular with the small kids in the neighborhood. Not far away from the splash pad you'll also find a skate park and basketball court. Definitely a great place for a picnic, to go for a bike ride, or hang out under one of many of the park's shade trees. Plenty of photos below to get you into the parking lot.

San Marcos City Park is pretty big. I think it's close to 18 acres. It sits next to the smaller San…read moreMarcos Plaza Park. I love coming to this park because river swimming is easily accessible as is tubing and other water activities. It's also pretty great because they have recently installed outdoor gym equipment (within the last year or so). The park has picnic areas and playgrounds and lots of green space. There's a basketball court too, so if BBall is your thing have at it. This park also provides free wifi access...BONUS! The parking lot is free if you live in San Marcos and non-residents are charged a fee. I think we only paid $5 to park. Such a fun way to get to enjoy San Marcos and the water!

This was a great place to park and enjoy the crisp clear water…read more Make sure you pack a life best for the children. The water current can be swift but fun. Lots of young college kids and some city folk looking for a good time in the water. Have fun.

Love coming here & just listening to the water. Good views. Some good areas to sit & hang out…read more Limited space in my opinion to hang out but love taking the dogs for a walk out here. Parking can be difficult sometimes but overall it is a nice park. Hoping they will re-open the other side of it at some point.

You know those scenes in movies where kids are swinging off old ropes into a shady river while…read moretheir friends are making out downstream, and you think, "Where did these punks find such a cool and private place to hang?" Well, congrats, you just found that place via Yelp. John Stokes park is wedged between farmland on the other side of I35, down the narrow and unsuspecting Cape street. Even on a Sunday, the park wasn't so busy that there was nowhere to sit or have to ourselves, and the people there made a comfortable mix of college kids, adults, and families. The best part of the park is the 30ft high, man-made waterfall that drops into a sort of cove. A perfect touch. Chances are, you'll see fearless kids flipping from the falls into the water below, which is at least a sight to see, if you are not the daredevil type. There are also park benches here for eating, drinking, or talking. If you live here in town, forget the Sewell Park swimsuit competition. Forget the Cheatam Street theme park crowd. John Stokes state park is the best place to experience and enjoy the San Marcos river. Tip: Much of this river park is tree-lined, so if you need direct sunlight to enjoy swimming in the cool river water, visit around noon when the sun is overhead.

The park was recently upgraded with new playground equipment & a splash pad for the kids. It was a…read morenice trail around the park and the disc golf course.

Great park. Lots of walking space and disc golf course fun. Have birthday parties, basketball…read morefootball. Baseball fields needs some work but still good

This review is for the swimming hole - an awesome swimming spot just an hour away from Austin!…read moreNumber one tip is to make sure you have reservations ahead of time on the website. You will want to show up a little bit ahead of time because people will be lining up to get in once the reservation time opens and you don't want to waste your reservation time just waiting in line. Service was kinda off-putting, the lady was not very friendly and she also wasn't very clear about the wristbands and whether or not all of us needed them or if just the kids needed them. Other than that, the place itself was very nice and other staff walking around were very nice too. They did round everyone up around 5pm because of lightning storms within 10 mile distance so they have to clear the area and hold for 30 mins before they can allow you back, but luckily we were pretty much ready to leave anyway. Our reservation specifically included a picnic table so we had a designated spot with our name reserved just near the swimming hole. The nice part about reservations means that the place doesn't get super crowded. The kids really liked the swing but even just floating around was really nice. The water itself is mostly shaded by large trees so you aren't burning in the sun. Definitely recommend bringing food and drinks to enjoy a picnic out here, since they had one vending machine nearby. The bathrooms were super clean and not terribly far from the water itself so that was super convenient, as well as nice changing rooms! This was a nice way to spend the afternoon cooling down from the Texas heat.

We visited during the 2-6pm time slot and now I understand why reservations are required. The place…read moreis smaller than I expected, but that actually makes it feel more peaceful and less crowded. Everything was very organized and the staff did a great job keeping things running smoothly. The water was great a bit cold but clear and so refreshing on a hot day. We also had a lot of fun using the rope swing! Just sharing a few tips: large umbrellas aren't allowed, but you can bring a small one, and you'll probably want it if it's sunny. There are some reserved spots available but they're very limited and book up fast. If you don't have one, make sure to arrive early because most spots are first come, first served. You could bring your own food and drinks but alcoholic beverages are not allowed. Overall, such a fun place to spend a few hours and cool off. Definitely worth the visit!

Good times spent here. Water is the perfect temperature (…read moreonce you adjust, definitely a cold plunge ) and the rapids were good fun!!! Definitely will be renting tubes next time and taking the entire river float... Only downside and something to be cautious of is the slippery rocks. Definitely wear shoes.

This is a really lovely place to spend some time outdoors. A beautiful park right by the water,…read morewith a peaceful, relaxed atmosphere. There's a café along the shore where you can sit, have a drink, and enjoy the view of the waterfall -- such a nice spot to slow down and take everything in. It's a great area for walking and casual strolls, and there's also a playground for kids. Overall, it's a wonderful place to relax, whether you're visiting with children or just coming on your own. Perfect for a walk, some fresh air, and enjoying the water. Definitely a spot worth coming back to.

I was looking for a fishing spot, away from everyone. This is it. I didn't catch anything, but it…read morewas a nice, quiet, and peaceful day. If you want to get away from the noise of the city for a while, I highly recommend this quaint park. I spent several hours here and only saw a couple of people. The trails are great. For a nice walk and/or take a pet. Although it's requested to clean up after yourself, I was disappointed to see trash. There's a small free parking lot (gravel) at the beginning of that particular entrance.

I do really love this park, I come here all the time. It's super quiet and a great example of the…read morenative habitat in the area (post oak Savannah). However it's developed a bit of an off leash dog program. There's poop left everywhere, and dogs running loose despite the numerous environmental issues caused by off leash dogs, the citywide leash las, and the rule stated on the front sign. I even saw someone who let their cats run loose the other day who asked me to avoid a large section of the park with my (leashed) dogs. I would have been happy to, provided they were also leashed. And of course the people who let their dogs off leash aren't concerned about other people in the park so they'll yell and curse at you if you ask them to call their dog or try to defend yourself from a strange dog barreling at you across the field. It's happened several times. I bring my dogs on a long line and they get to run around and explore to their hearts content without increasing erosion, lowering biodiversity, or being rude to other park goers. The city really needs to take some responsibility for enforcing responsible pet ownership laws.