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!!!!!

Best place to relax. I love the river and playing volleyball or even throwing a football around…read more This place is great!

So even though Tx State regs allow the general public to Sewell Park (02.01"Sewell Park is a…read moreproperty of Texas State ... Generally, it is open to the public if the applicable policies and procedures are adhered to"), the City of San Marcos started charging $15 parking at Lions Club (if over 2 hrs, in nearly empty lot during weekday) and, although not clearly communicated, the City Marshall's sit and watch if anyone walks into Sewell Park and then issues a $100 ticket on the vehicle for being "parked in a No Parking Zone" and "Driver observed leaving city park". Much more militant/surveillance atmosphere than I was used to visiting Sewell Park since the 1970's but I guess that is where most our tax dollars go to promoting these days. Parks are becoming just for the wealthy. Sewell Park itself was great otherwise.

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.

Twas a nice and short trail in the community! Had a nice 1 hr 15 walk on Saturday afternoon! The…read moreweather 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

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

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.

Went with an out of town friend. She wanted to walk outside and tour around since she's never been…read moreto this area. We went to this park since it was close. Parking was plenty. Looks like they have sports games here. We had to use the bathroom but unfortunately it was closed. Had to use the portapotty. After that, we got walking and it was a beautiful area. The water was dried up in some spots but other parts had a beautiful water area. Just wish it were a longer walking path along the water. The trail was fairly short. But otherwise clean and safe. Good place to bring my dog except I wouldn't let him near the water since it was pretty dirty.

A nice place to walk at, although, I would do five stars, but due to recent droughts, five mile dam…read moredoesn't have much water, sadly.

This spot requires fishing, long sleeves (for the mosquitos) and hiking boots - not safe for…read morerunning unless you want a twisted ankle. Glad I made my pup walk, I don't think a premium doggie stroller would survive the terrain but maybe a sturdy baby stroller might.

What a great area to get some steps in! Short distance or long. Maps along the way to ensure you…read moreare on the right trail! Although one map was really bad and it was our splitting point to head back cause sun was starting to go down, thankfully I had my phone and was able to see where we needed to go. I'm not no professional at maps I have to admit but this this one this one definitely needs to be replaced. Other then that very well maintained and great info about the wildlife and what to expect while walking.

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!

What a lovely little side trip for our out of town guests to enjoy. This was actually our first…read morevisit as well, it was very much enjoyed. I'm going to have to go again as there was so much to see I didn't hear most of what the boat pilot had to relay.

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.