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    Olympic Outdoor Center

    3.2 (50 reviews)
    Open • 6:00 am - 9:00 pm

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    Abigail L.

    I bought a Groupon for a zipline experience for my Kids, niece, & husband. We planned it way ahead because my niece had to request work off and we all had to coordinate schedules to be together. I reserved our time to be today. December 2, @10am-2pm. Well we arrived trying to find the place. No sign is available. We had to figure out where it was. When we went behind the building there was no one there. Inside the building looked like someone trashed the inside of the house. We called the phone number on file a number of times and even text message as that's what it said on the voice mail. No response at all. All in all we waiting about an hour and everyone was getting upset in my party. The place looked like it was abandon. Like a scene from the walking dead. My kids were afraid to go outside the car. I feel like I got scammed with my Groupon. Pictures online were deceiving. Then my daughter looked at them and the pictures online were from 4 years ago. Well things change in a year. This was suppose to be a nice trip ended being a flop. I want a refund of what I paid Groupon. I will contact them. Update. I finally received a text message from them. At about 8pm the same day. I'm already completely turned off to returning to the place. It shouldn't take them 10 hours to contact me especially if their business phone is a mobile device.

    Octavia B.

    It was nice very relaxing. Great staff on duty! My kids had a blast here and want to go back soon. Cleaner ports potty would be nice. But overall great place to go.

    Monica B.

    I'll start this review by saying that we did have a good time here. This place has so much potential and I hope to come back and see them doing well. Nothing is clearly marked and areas desperately need some TLC. Our cabana area was nice. The bug net wasn't installed properly along the outside edge so it was just flapping all day. There wasn't direct water access from our cabana so we had to play in the water in the same area where kayaks and paddle boards were being put in & taken out of the water. The kids loved the floating island but the location made one side a bit hazardous with smaller kids where the island meets picnic table & concrete slab. The swing was fun but we did not try the zip line feature with an aluminum ladder against a tree not secured very well. Directly across from our area was a volleyball pit, again could use some TLC but young kids had fun playing in the sand. The only bathroom is up the hill at the top of the driveway. It's a camp style bathroom (open air) but wish the lock worked. Like I said in the beginning, overall we had a good day at the Groupon Price. I'm not sure I would come back full price unless the area is cared for a bit more. This place has so much potential and I really hope to see them succeed.

    Rebekah S.

    PLEASE READ!!! I wish I had read reviews before coming to this place! My boyfriend and I wanted to kayak San Marcos. We aren't from the area, so we called around and this was the only place that rented kayaks in the area. It was a little off the beaten path. Once we got there, we didn't know where to check in. We wondered down to where the kayaks were, but no one working there was to be found. There were some campers around (in the backyard), and some friends of the owner, none of which knew where the owner was. One lady said she was "helping out" but had no idea of the prices or options for kayaking. She just asked what we wanted to do? We weren't from the area and had no idea what the options were. Isn't that your job as a bussiness? she said she would go get the owner, but came back without him 20 min later. While she was gone, one of the owners friends suggested we "do a loop" where you get out and "port" the kayak twice across a two-lane road. This wasn't our first time kayaking, but we definitely were not experts. We finally chose to paddle down the river and get him to pick us up a few miles down. He said call when we were at the dam, but not to bring anything we didn't want to get wet... That was the only mention of a dam. We got in really wet kayaks, signed no waver, and given very minimal instructions. So disorganized. We started paddling. We got to a bridge too low to paddle under, this must be where you "port" the kayak. We had to throw it over a 5 foot fence and carry it across a busy road around a busy turn. Ok. Glad that's over. Get back in the kayak, not even 15 minutes, another place we had to get out??? At this point, it's too late to turn back. about an hour later, we get to something that sounds like a dam. Without any instructions, we decide to stop and get out of the kayak to see how large the dam was. Not sure how to get over it? We walked about 800 meters and looked over at least a 20 foot drop! This was so dangerous. He just mentioned it in passing. We went back and had to carry the kayak back and throw it down some stairs. Luckily A guy was out at the campsite that offered to help my boyfriend get it down. A strap would have been nice. We called the number he gave us and said we were at the dam, to come pick us up. He said paddle down to a bridge and he'd be waiting. We waited for 30 Min without any sign, then called. He said he'd be there soon. Another 30 min, For an hour total and then someone showed up in a van. Finally. Horrible experience that could have turned out with someone getting badly injured.

    This is the dam your mama warned you about
    Russell S.

    This place sucks! They give no direction. We went on an "hour trip" it was suppose to be a loop. We were told the river makes a loop and it real easy to get back up stream to Olympic Outdoor Center. Not the case at all, we made our loop and had to drag out kayaks up a creek. When we did make it back to the river there was no way we could paddle back up stream to Olympic Outdoor Center. So we had no other choice but to kayak to Martindale. A 4 hour float that comes to a very dangerous dam that no one warned us about. We got lucky and meet some guys that helped us over the dam with a rope they had because they knew the dam was there. To say the least this trip could have been alot better with some direction. If you go, bring a rope.

    Kayaking the rapids

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    7 years ago

    Went with my girl-friends on a girls trip and had such a blast! He was so knowledgeable. He was very patient and made sure we were safe.

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    9 years ago

    Very unorganized. Low quality rentals. Dirty. Hard to find. Management is very disorganized at times and can be absent for the most part.

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    10 years ago

    Had a great experience here! Highly recommend! Chelsea was very helpful and very professional! Would come back again for sure!

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    8 years ago

    We had a great time kayaking & the staff was amazing. They gave us tips & were very knowledgeable - we can't wait to go back!

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    Page 1 of 2

    Ask the Community - Olympic Outdoor Center

    Hi. I want to know if I can go with my own kayas.? Or to what place do people like me who have their own kayaks go?

    Of course you are welcome to bring whatever you like except glass or styrofoam. We are the only place that you can have a grill much less drinks by the river in San Marcos! If you need more kayaks, paddleboards or rafts then they are available… 

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

    Review Highlights - Olympic Outdoor Center

    “We rented two canoes the two gentlemen working the river were very polite and patient, a lot more than I was .”

    Mentioned in 18 reviews

    Read more highlights

    The Meadows Center for Water and the Environment - What the boats look like.

    The Meadows Center for Water and the Environment

    4.6(174 reviews)
    1.3 mi

    From Chicago, just moved to Austin. First time at the Meadows Center at Texas State. Here are some…read morethoughts: -Run entirely by students, done very well, very enjoyable. -We wanted to check out the glass bottom boats, and we were not disappointed! -We went on the 45-minute tour. Our guide was knowledgeable, funny, and passionate--great combo! Cost was about $15 a person. -Saw a lot of wildlife, including deer, many birds, including a hawk, turtles, and many fish. Don't forget to check out the aquarium! -About a dozen people on our tour boat, from toddlers to 60's. Everyone enjoyed the experience. -Boat was covered, so it felt cool enough on the water even on a warm spring day. Highly recommended!

    A San Marcos landmark and a unique experience that everyone should visit…read more The tour can offer a nice respite on even the hottest Texas days, however, be prepared for the disappointment that you cannot partake in the cool and gorgeous springs. My only detractor for this facility is the glaring lack of history of the world famous Aquarena Springs. It is mentioned briefly in the tour, and there are of course remnants of the former attractions. However, in their "museum" there is only a small glass case with a plate smattering of memorabilia. This included some dry-rotted goggles, an old program, and poorly displayed photo slide you can squint at inside the glass box. I understand that the history of Aquarena is one of ecological exploitation. Perhaps they want to avoid celebrating this past. However, you can't deny the effect it had on the area and how it still resonates to this day through SM's mermaid culture, among other things. Maybe one day the roof top of the old hotel could house a better collection or display. Or maybe the old trails could be opened for exploration. Until then, I will ensure that every visitor that comes to see us is taken on the glass bottom boat tour and they get so see our San Marcos salamanders.

    Photos
    The Meadows Center for Water and the Environment
    The Meadows Center for Water and the Environment
    The Meadows Center for Water and the Environment

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    San Marcos Marine

    San Marcos Marine

    5.0(1 review)
    0.8 mi

    If you need to re-power an old boat with the best outboards on the market then contact Rodney…read moreNelson of San Marcos Marine at (512) 557-2469 1111 Arcadia Canyon Lake, TX 78133. Reason: I recently tried to re-power an old 14ft aluminum 1956 Arkansas Traveler runabout. I contacted numerous boat dealers around Austin, Texas. Although most of the dealers were very nice, all of them discouraged me from putting a new 40hp engine on the craft. Their reasons for declining my request varied. I came to understand that inner-city boat dealers, especially those not located on a lake, are really set up to sell new boats and have little interest in re-powering old boats. I decided to call one last dealer, Rodney Nelson of San Marcos Marine. Rodney's workshop is on Canyon Lake. I took my boat to Rodney. He was so positive and knowledgeable. He verified the boat was rated for 40hp, said he would strengthen the transom with a custom aluminum cap, put a 40hp Tohatsu 4-stroke motor on it (5 year warranty). The highly-rated engine is about half the weight of other four-stroke outboards and gas costs me about $5 for an entire day of fun on Lake Austin. It's very quiet, essentially no smoke, amazing. Rodney is an expert at working with aluminum boats. He built custom plates on the front for gauges, welded in plates to strengthen the transom, built aluminum mounts for the new modern throttle/tilt and trim/steering mechanisms etc. He also tested the boat on Canyon Lake numerous times to fine tune steering, maneuverability, and ride. The cost for all his work and customization were much less than the quotes I received from other dealers who just wanted to attach a 30hp motor on the existing transom. I'm glad I called Rodney because now my family has a boat that is both safe and fun for an incredibly low price! Ralph Beasley

    Rockin' R River Rides

    Rockin' R River Rides

    3.2(194 reviews)
    14.3 mi

    Rockin'R River Rides had a nice set up. They do seem to nickel and dime you a bit. $15 for parking,…read more$25 for a cooler float tube which is what the going rate per person is. They have an air conditioned portable bathroom trailer that is decent. 6 stalls in the women's room and they were fairly clean. The summer heat had them smelling a little funky, but I'm not sure what can be done to fix that. The staff was friendly. The school bus ride back to the starting point after the float was nostalgic. For a moment, it took me back to feeling like we were on a school field trip. We definitely see ourselves coming back but at least bringing our own floats for our coolers to cut down on the expense. We had a large group with 2 coolers so it was $50 just to bring our coolers along.

    They really do know how to nickel and dime you! It was about $23 per tube, plus another $16 for…read moreparking. The staff was pretty nice and helpful, though. They do have a decent size portable bathroom, which was nice. My only complaint is that they should keep the water on inside them a little longer. We got back to the beginning around 4:30 and went to use the bathroom before heading out, but the water was already turned off. The float itself was actually painful. There are SO many rocks that you constantly hit and scrape your rear end against, and it gets pretty uncomfortable after a while. I'm not sure if I'll be back to this location just because this particular section was so rocky. Overall, it was fun, but definitely bring some extra money and be prepared for a rocky ride!

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    Rockin' R River Rides
    Rockin' R River Rides
    Rockin' R River Rides

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    Olympic Outdoor Center - boating - Updated September 2026

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