This Saturday TXST tubes hosted my roller derby retirement party, we had blast! Thank you for your…read morehospitality and for sharing this beautiful part of the San Marcos River. Texas Roller Derby loves TXST Tubes!

First float of the season completed with tubes from here!…read more Floating down the San Marcos river is a staple austin activity in the summer and if you're looking to try it or try a new place to rent your tube from, check this place out. We reserved our tubes online and got a drink cooler float as well, showed some ID when we arrived to collect our tubes and walk down to the entrance -- right where you pick up the tubes from! Then enjoyed a leisurely float in their comfy tubes and exited the river to hop on a shuttle back to our car. Smooth, easy, fun experience I'd do all over again! A lot of places have you shuttle to the entrance of the river and then you exit where your car is (since it's not a loop) but we found it easier to shuttle back from the river instead of to it -- less stuff to carry with you after the float cause the drinks and food have been consumed. And you have some time to dry off on the shuttle before getting to your car which is nice. Would go here again next time I'm in the mood to float!

We love Dons! It's a great place to camp, fish or hangout for the day. The owners are super nice…read moreand always helpful.

What an awesome place for a float!! We had a great time and the service was fantastic. Thank you…read moreCody, Nicole, Cheyenne, Valance and Pete-we'll be back for another float. Thank you for your hospitality! -Louise, aka big Lou :)

(This review would be a five star if it weren't for the folks at the register and the air fill up…read morestation) If you've only got a couple of hours but still want that "float the river" magic, Lion's Club in San Marcos is the spot. It's also perfect for first-timers, nervous swimmers, or anyone who likes their adventure with a side of peace of mind. The river is gorgeous, the wildlife is out for a cameo, and the float itself is just long enough to refresh your soul and restore your peace without taking your whole day. A few highlights: The bathrooms? Usually clean for public restrooms. Picnic benches so you can munch after your float - and I highly suggest bringing a picnic and lots of water - remember to also hydrate on the river! STAY HYDRATED. You can swim at the put-in area and at the end of the float. And the waterfall at the end? Don't panic -- it sounds scarier than it is, but trust me, it's the best part. Pure fun! Now, the people at the register... well, let's just say they're not exactly winning "hospitality team of the year." They don't always explain things, like the fact that the price you pay to float (with or without your own tube) does NOT cover the shuttle. That's kind of important information, folks. The shuttle fee actually covers rides all day long (huge win -- but only if you know to ask). Also if you're paying for and blowing up six tubes, then hand them a tiny cooler float? Yep, they'll want to charge you again. Come on, folks, throw a gal a bone (or a blast of air). I'd love to see a couple of actual adults helping at the desk to smooth things out -- because the float is absolutely worth it, and the experience deserves a front desk that matches the fun of the river. Bottom line: go float, enjoy the scenery, take the shuttle (seriously, don't forget to ask), and ride that waterfall with a big goofy grin. It's San Marcos at its best!

Quick access to the river, many options of tubes and accessories as you may forget a few things…read morewhen making the trek out this way. Staff was nice and friendly to me and the family. Definitely a spot to use from time to time during these hot summers!

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.

Come with your family don't bring a lot of things. It's very unwalkable with bigger items like a…read morerolling chest. Don't bring those bring a shoulder bag version. don't think you're gonna be able to lay out your towel and sit down. It's not a beach. It's very much a river first come first serve. It starts getting dirty later in the day with all the water but that's what we get for moving a lot. There is no camping on the other side of the wall. If you're facing up to the restaurant that would be the right side. Be careful bring your water shoes!!!!!

Whenever we're in the Gruene area (which is a lot) and we want to to float, we always use Rockin'…read moreR. This is their main location. They have several in the regional area but my review is for the Gruene location. The staff are really fun and helpful (you know like when you're getting out and fall on your rear and they help you out of the water). Rental rates are fair and the tubes are clean.

I will start by saying, I don't entirely blame the business for what happened during our float, and…read morethey did try to remedy it by giving us free passes to come back - or to use another location. The main takeaways for my post if you don't want to read (TLDR): 1. This location should NOT be advertised as a float - it is seriously very dangerous when the water is low, we all popped our tubes and had small injuries from the rocks - I am glad with my injuries being small - it could have been SOOO much worse 2. Aggressive turtles and water snakes everywhere 3. The entire float route is surrounded by private property so there is literally no way to exit unless you go to the end .. The day started out great - the Gruene location was nice, we did not pay for parking as others have mentioned (not sure why we didn't). The main complaint about the actual location where you sign in and get your tubes are the rest rooms. They were not clean and the water did not work. Also, the entire place was run by children which was very weird to me. There was no one over the age of 20 working the day (Sunday) we went. A kid that looked to be literally 13 was the one to help us into the river and didn't say a word to us- just looked at us and put the tubes in the water (which I understand - I was shy at that age as well). My main concern and the reason why I am posting is that this route (in my opinion) should NOT be used by this company as an advertised float. It was genuinely super dangerous. I have floated multiple times throughout Texas and have not encountered rocks and rapids like this. We got stuck multiple times on the rocks and it took us 3 hours to just get half way to the first exit. After the second set of rocks we were DONE. Our tubes had all popped and several of us had injuries (nothing super serious - bruises and cuts from the rocks - one girl hurt her back pretty badly and had spasms) . We called the company and asked for someone to pick us up (to which another child answered the phone). They offered to bring us new tubes - which they did. The kid that brought us the tubes told us we were two hours from the exit (which apparently was not correct). Because they wouldn't come pick us up and told me we had to tube down to the end where the exit is - we decided the best option was to call the non-emergency number for the Sheriff. She told us to call 911 to get more precise coordinates for our location - which we then did. An ambulance came and the EMT's found us and were able to escort us out of the back of people's homes (we did not want to trespass on these people's properties - also there were giant staircases we were unsure if the one girl with the back injury could even make it up). Everyone was fine, the EMT's dropped us off at the entrance to Rockin R - which we were then greeted by the location's owners. They told us it had been a misunderstanding and they didn't realize someone was injured - which I literally told them over the phone twice. After the confusion subsided, they did give us free passes to come back - which I won't be using. I understand these things happen and we did sign waivers - but the company should not be using this route. Someone will get seriously injured on these rocks one of these days. I guarantee it..

THE FIVE DOLLARS SPOT. $5 DOLLARS to enjoy the view, nature and outdoors with your loved ones or…read morelike me, your dogs! Shotgun, the owner, met us at the front and went out of his way to walk and direct us to the beach we needed for the doggos! It was so peaceful and relaxing, and because of Shotgun and the other team members we had an amazing first experience of the year. Our pups had so much fun and the water, although cold was perfect!! Thank you Shotgun and team!!

We had a lot of fun here. We went on a Friday morning and we were the only ones there for about 3…read morehours. We didn't rent any canoes or tubes or anything. It was $5 per person and we took 2 of our dogs. Leashes aren't required so once people did get there, dogs were just running up to our dogs who were leashed and their owners didn't care. We ended up leaving a couple of hours after that. The water is amazing though and there's a lot of different entry spots into the water. One trail to drive down might require 4x4 though.

Dechlan was an awesome tour guide, this was our second time going and it's always very enjoyable…read moreand fun because it's such a unique experience. You can see everything below you and change the light color, and you paddle all the way to Ivars which is a beautiful atmosphere. It's very relaxed and calm if you're looking for a fun date night or just something new to try with friends!

Came for the evening glow kayak and had a mostly disappointing experience. The paddle was pretty…read moreshort, we reached the turn around point in about 20 minutes, and you trudge through some thick greenery for a significant part of it. In total the experience was around 50 minutes, well short of the advertised 75-90m. Given we had a few older folks who required very involved help getting in and out of the kayaks, I'd imagine we weren't on the shorter end of rides Given the introduction, I expected a lot of interesting information related to the plants and wildlife in the area, but our guides were mostly just along for the ride. Overall, id strongly recommend looking elsewhere for interpretive paddle experiences in the area, especially given the price point

Thank you Ben for the memories. I'm looking forward to paddle and float with everyone all Summer…read morelong at your location. I appreciate you and your company you created.

I guess this is the only kayaking shop opens during winter in San Marcos. Kayaking is fun for a…read morebeginner. The water is clear and there are many turtles along the river. Ben is very nice and welcoming, his dog is cute too:) Definitely a good place to go if you are seeking something interesting:)

Great trip. Our driver was at the drop off and pickup spots as promised. The river got a bit…read moretricky in places, but not too difficult.

Awesome company... easy in and out, fair prices, and they required masks when in confined spaces so…read moreeveryone was as safe as possible during Covid.