Twas a nice and short trail in the community! Had a nice 1 hr 15 walk on Saturday afternoon! The weather is great, nature is awesome and people are beautiful! A lot of shades are there which was nice! Like it a lot and wish the creek is not dried up read more

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Didn't realize all the pics I got here were with my baby boy. Lol easy walk. Little off trail action. Little confusing at first but was able to use my all trails app and it directed me where to. read more

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I came here over the weekend finding the name of the park quite interesting. It was a very nice, sunny day and not a cloud in the sky. It was definitely a great day for a hike! There were many nice paths that you can take for different levels of hikes. It looks like you could also bring your dogs and bike around the paths. Some paths were flat and easy to do, and there were some you can go into the woods to explore and rocky paths. I didn't have issues finding where I was, but just be cautious and pay attention so you don't wind up somewhere you were not expecting (private property). It was a bit confusing at first to figure out how to get to the park as the map took me to a neighborhood (can walk from there to get to park); but when looking up 'upper purgatory park' per online suggestion, was able to fine the parking needed. Some paths were also muddy from the rain on previous days so be aware can slip easy in certain places or make sure to have the right footwear. There was also some trash I noticed but was more at the beginning thankfully and didn't take the experience away. Overall, it was a great park and would come back here in the future. read more

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Over a 7 mile hike wore me out but was so rewarding and was filled with beautiful nature. Saw a family of deer and the trail was pretty empty for a Saturday hike. The terrain went from dry and flat to rocky and steep. I would definitely go to the bathroom before you start and bring water. This is a perfect hike for family's and single day hikers. read more

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I do great walks here!! Trails are marked great I never get lost!!! Everyone come try it out!

Definitely got a little lost, but was a ton of fun finding my way back. The trail is relatively flat with a couple of rocky sections with partial shade, but enjoyed taking the dog and letting him explore. It was pretty crowded, so make sure your dog is good around other dogs and people. Overall a fun way to spend a Saturday! read more

Purgatory Creek Park - Wandering - Parks Near Me - San Marcos, Texas

We decided to stop in here because of the name. While waiting for a friend to use a bathroom there was a hilarious sign that laid near it mentioning how to find "Dante." The path wasn't too hard but for me the shifting rocks made me turn back as my shoes weren't good enough. I do want to return someday. Parking is pretty limited and on a gravel lot. Bathrooms were iffy so I'd take that into account. read more

Purgatory Creek Park - Parks Near Me - San Marcos, Texas

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So first off, I deducted a point for the INSANE amount of mosquitos. The family and I went on a weekend after a few days of cold weather, and hadn't really run into issues with mosquitos anywhere else so figured we would be fine. Boy were we wrong! We barely made it into the park before we had to turn around and run for our lives!! A quick stop by the closeby CVS for mosquito spray and we were good to go. If you come here- bring the mosquito spray!!! We even had people stop us on the trail asking/begging for some, which we were happy to share. Other than insane mosquitos, the park was awesome! We did get lost a few times but found enough people to follow when we were confused on where to go. I would recommend taking a picture of the trails before starting off. They are marked but some areas get confusing. For example, we tried to avoid Dante but ended up on it and still have no clue how LOL. read more

I love to go trail hiking so we visited Purgatory Creek Park because the park is actually a huge nature trail. I do not know why the park is named "purgatory" and it does sound creepy but the park is fine. When you arrive the parking spaces are shaded under the beautiful trees. There is proper mapping of the different trails. Trash cans and Doggy bags available. The trails are well marked on trees along the way and signs. I do suggest to watch for poison oak and poison ivy off the trail. Beautiful nature trails to visit and exercise. read more

You can get a good 8 miles in starting at the Lower Purgatory trailhead and by following the Dante Trail to the Backend Loop, and then back again. The trail is not difficult for hiking, but most of the Dante Trail would be considered difficult for trail runners and even mountain biking since a lot of the areas have rock formations and tree roots staggered out at random intervals. It just seems too difficult to run on because of the spacing of the roots and the jagged rocks. Some of the trail markers are confusing or even lacking in some areas. There's a couple of scenic overlooks on these trails but nothing to be impressed by. I hiked this trail in the winter time after a decent rain and the creek bed was filled with stagnant water. If it hadn't been cold, I would imagine the mosquitos would be very bad, so bring repellent if you go in the warmer months. 95% of the Dante Trail and Backend Loop are shaded. Plenty of parking, one porta potty, and a water fountain for peeps and dogs at the lower purgatory trail head. VERY clean, and thanks to the folks of San Marcos for not leaving your doggy poop bags on the trail. I didn't see a SINGLE one. Y'all are awesome! Thanks for letting this out of towner use your trails. There's a decent amount of parking, but the drive into the parking lot is gravel and has a lot of potholes. Roll low and slow through this place. Since it's mostly shaded, I'll check it out again in the spring or during our hotter than hell summers that we get around here. read more

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Purgatory is alright. It's not a great hiking trail but it's definitely not a bad one. I'd say it's pretty average. The is an upper section and a lower section. Usually the lower section is much fuller than the upper because the level of difficulty is a bit more challenging. Parking can be a issue if you go on the weekends or during a holiday. The lot off wonder world and hunter is small and difficult for truck. The upper lot off wonder world and Craddock is VERY rocky. Cars can travel down the path but I advise going slow and careful. Also, if it has rained recently I wouldn't dare chance your car going down there. Might get stuck! Trucks you're fine. There are a few different marked trails to go on each varying in length. The upper section I wouldn't recommend for small dogs. Purgatory is perfect for a nice morning/afternoon hike or run or just some fresh air. A solid alternative to the Austin greenbelt. read more

Purgatory Creek Park - You have to find the stone throne. - Parks Near Me - San Marcos, Texas

There are a ton of different trails. Lots of shade. Loved coming. We will be coming back.

I thoroughly enjoyed this park. They have a lot of different trails with varying levels of complexity. Be sure you wear your long pants as they have some high brush. I also didn't see any areas for bathroom or water except at the entrance, based on where we parked, so be sure to pack your snacks and take plenty of water. The trails are clearly marked but also taking a park trail map is needed so you aren't going incircles or get lost. I will be exploring more of this park in the future. Happy hiking! read more

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I've been here several times have have yet to finish without getting lost I began at the lower entrance on the first hike and ended up at Dante's... will never do that again unless I have a 6:00 am start time. It's a beautiful green space and lots of wildlife. Keep your phone charged for GPS. read more

I was disappointed with Purgatory. No it's not because the obvious reference of it being between heaven and hell. I just wasn't too impressed with it. It's not as beautiful like the Barton Creek Greenbelt. The trails are not maintained as well and there's trash everywhere. Also, the trails don't have much difference in elevation and isn't technical. The good side about it there's plenty of parking but you have to be careful because you can easily get lost navigating Purgatory. All they have are little markers and if you are not familiar with the names of the trail, you will get lost. read more

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Pros: - well-maintained trails - decent scenery - trails free of litter - other hikers and mountain bikers were friendly and polite Cons: - lack of trail markers... Sure they have some but only at a handful of the many intersections in the park. - Couldn't find entryway into the east side of the park (Prospect Park). The length appeared to be blocked by a barbed wire fence. Looking at my GPS track, I simply didn't walk far enough north. Signs pointing hikers to the entrance to Prospect Park under the Wonder World Overpass would've been nice. - Lack of benches. I only saw one tree sideways the whole 10.66 miles that someone could've sat on. If you hike this trail, bring a chair (like one of those aluminum portable folding chairs). There was a huge pile of rocks about four miles in that was weird to stumble upon. I thought for a long time it was the park perimeter but fortunately, GPS showed me it was not. The trails are rocky and paths may have rocks in the middle so warn your less-experienced hiking companions to watch their footing at all times. There are also no restrooms at the trailheads or in the park. We parked at the trailhead near the Wonder World @ Craddock intersection. The trailhead near the Wonder World @ Hunter intersection is much more popular. I realized toward the end of the hike that the small pink and yellow rectangle trailmarkers with B and D meant Beatrice and Dante's Trail. I'm not sure at what intervals the number are--didn't see them in consecutive numbering order and was too lazy to measure the distance between each. You'll see more people at the south end of the park than the north end. The park was overall pretty quiet and isolated, if you like that sort of thing (I don't). read more

As a resident of San Marcos, I am a frequent visitor to Purgatory Creek park and just completed the 8 mi. Dante hike--hiking from the lower park to the upper park and back again. This park is challenging with rugged trails and surrounded by untouched natural aww! The park is 463-acre Natural Area and is within the Edwards Aquifer recharge zone and includes upland meadows, canyon bluffs of 40 feet or more, dense juniper thickets, champion oaks, and a flood control dam--climb the dam, its a work-out. Don't worry about getting lost, the trails are clearly marked. Thanks for reading my review and my name is Steven--I am a real estate agent working as an "Apartment Locator" for Hot Spots Locating in San Marcos. I am very familiar with all the apartment communities in San Marcos and hope my professional opinions will give you some usable insight. read more

Love this park and come here all the time. They have updated the trail markers so it is easy to find your way around. It is really a beautiful park. read more

Purgatory Creek Park - A partial map - Parks Near Me - San Marcos, Texas

I love coming here!! It's so nice a peaceful just to walk around and enjoy nature. I highly recommend coming here if you like walking around and enjoy the nature. read more

Beautiful place. Easy to get lost. We rode bikes....fairly difficult trails. Limbo loop is marked as beginner - it's definitely NOT a beginner trail. The only beginner trail that I actually saw was called Virgil's (I think) and it was handicap accessible. I liked the Dante trail MUCH better, it was beautiful....Except that we literally ended up on the opposite side of the park without realizing it. The trails are are confusing - take your phone for gps if you don't want to wander for a while. It would be a great place to hike....don't take a bike unless you are a good rider. read more

I go walking here with my kids and dogs at least a couple times a week. It's small enough that once you get your bearings you won't get lost, while being big enough to have several different trailheads with trails that'll give you a good few miles exercise. read more

Hey all, I've been a tenant since June 2015, Purgatory Creek is a great place to live. A gated community with upscale apartment styles, manicured shrubs and lawn give you the comfort and security of feeling at home! The fitness center, pool and lounging - not to mention the pet friendly environment are all a plus... read more

Nice walking trails with a variety of levels depending on how far you want to go and the complexity of trails. My dog loves coming here and walking. They made the trail markers more clear and easier to read, and cleaned up some of the more unused trails more so its easier to follow which is great. read more

I did this trail with my son (carrier) as it is not stroller friendly. Once you get past the very rocky area, it's a nice hike. There are signs but not easy to see so getting lost is definitely possible. It is shaded as you walk a mile or so under bridge (entering from RR12). I would consider this more of an intermediate bike trail. There was plenty of parking (during week) a porta-potty and water fountain (dog friendly) at entrance. If you do bring your dog, do everyone a solid and please PICK UP its poop. It's not difficult and they even provide baggies. TIA!! read more

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First time hiking. My friend got me to go on an 8.5 mile hike. It wasn't easy but not hard. I'm not in the best shape but have been working out regularly for over a month. The trail wasn't too bad but I tripped several times on rocks. I did realize hiking is definitely not my cup of tea but it was an experience and I burned over 1000 calories. The trail was nice, not quite sure I'd go it alone though. Also, there were way too many cyclists that did not pay any kind attention to the hikers. Anyway, overall it was nice but not my thing. read more

I hiked out here and it's beautiful. There aren't too many animals to come across but a lot of beautiful flowers and trees. It's a great place to sit and think. I once got lost in upper purgatory while geocaching and Found a dead body. read more

One of my favorite trails! We park one car in lower purgatory and the second at the higher level. We walk the entirety of Dante's trail (4+ miles) within a little over two hours. It's rarely crowded. I will warn anyone looking to travel Dante's trail that the end gets confusing as there is work being done on the trail. You'll have to climb over a lot of big rocks and walk under the highway to get back to the trail and end at lower purgatory. The signage is pretty dismal. read more

Purgatory Creek Park - Parks Near Me - San Marcos, Texas

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My trusty puppy trail scout and I adore this lusciously verdant, heavenly preserve. It's huge and there is so much we have yet to explore, but we do have some fave spots. We get lost every time we come here but we usually find our way back out :p Also, most of the people who come here are convivial and there's a sense of camaraderie when you meet other hikers on the trails. Love this place, cash us out here every week. read more

Purgatory Creek Park - Parks Near Me - San Marcos, Texas

Once you go past the entrance, dog poop and smell, the trails are nice. You will get a great workout while enjoying the beauty.

i was raised there at pc, i lived in the dunbar vicinity, during my child years. i lived on valley st and moore st .