Beautiful! Nice area for a picnic, a little walk, or a dip in the river! Visiting in October, the…read morewater is still pleasant- not too cold- and the park isn't too crowded. Well worth a look-see!

My go to spot for a nice walk, its dog friendly and not any off leashes dogs that I've ever seen.read more

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 family and I went out to catch fireflies. There is a gravel walkway to take a nice stroll…read more Along the path are markers of the nature in the area. Parking is close by or close to the bridge. Visitors can also fish near the bridge as well. There are also water fountains for humans and pets next to the public restrooms. There are benches along the path and trash cans. Also, this place is great for capturing photos of nature. The area is a flood zone so be careful when it rains. Check out the Schertz Parks and Rec website for more information.

Someone moved the boulders to keep people from driving in the creek. They destroyed fish spawning…read moreareas doing this. Would you want to fish where cars drove in?

We arrived early this morning for our first hike of the year. The rangers were very efficient; our…read morereservation was checked and our permit was brought out. We drove out to the water and decided to walk those trails. The trails are all very easy to navigate. The more challenging trails may not have actually been trails at all, but got us down to the river bank for some lovely photos. The grounds and trails are very clean and well maintained. The camp sites look really nice and the bathrooms (I'm told) were Buccees level clean. There's a Discovery center that seemed to be interesting for the littles. I really enjoyed the solitude and the zen. I suspect it probably gets pretty packed though.

Lovely park! Make sure to prepay entrance fee online and discount was offered with military park…read morepass. We parked near the end of the road where you'll find a parking lot with bathrooms and changing facilities. We met our hiking group and trekked off walking along the Guadalupe River. Make sure to bring water shoes with grip cuz you'll cross the river to get to more hiking trails. The water was cool and the flow perfect...depending on the time of the year, it can get quite powerful. The weather was gorgeous - fall vibes of overcast and cooler temps. We hiked a mix of many shaded forest areas and open fields . Captured many pics of the fall changes - leaves turning shades of yellow and orange. And I gotta kick seeing live armadillos scurrying amongst the long grasses. So cute!!! With the great weather and scenery, we hiked a steady pace and clocked in approximately 8.5 miles ! Loved hiking through the river : ) Clean bathrooms and changing rooms were a plus!

Who doesn't love a free nature park or trail! We came to…read morecanyon lake on new years weekend and had a list of their trails and parks we wanted to hit but a lot of it was closed except for this special trail. They had a decent parking lot and we began our trail. The trail is large and lengthy, there were a few benches and some decent pic spots, it's on the other side of the river and the housing area. The water in the river is also pretty clear. It was a nice free nature thing to do especially when the weathers nice!

It's time for a summer 2024 update on my review of Guadalupe South River Nature Trail (GSRNT,…read morelocated just below the Canyon Lake Dam off South Access Road in Canyon Lake, Texas). I still love this park and trail system, and everything wonderful in my original review holds true, but there is an important caveat to share (read to the end to find out). Please, if you visit this wonderful park, leave no trace. Pack out what you bring in, and if you are able bodied, get bonus karma points by bringing in a WORD mesh bag (you can pick one up at the trailhead) to carry out any trash you may see along the trail. If we all work together, we can keep this place as a clean and harmonious place for all to experience the wonder and awe of Mother Nature. GSRNT is managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) with contributions by the local nonprofit Water Oriented Recreation District (WORD) of Comal County and the Lindheimer Chapter of Texas Master Naturalists https://txmn.org/lindheimer/, plus semi-annual Eagle Scout projects for trail rehabilitation and Keep Canyon Lake Beautiful (KCLB) for trash pickup. Most people doing work on this trail system are unpaid volunteers who care about this community. Parking for about 30 vehicles is available on the tree-shaded dirt/gravel lot on the river side of the South Access Road, and the trailhead is at the corner of the lot. Walk carefully as you follow the trail, as there are quite a few rustic steps and tree roots with a bit of elevation change if you continue to the end of the 1 mile, single-track path. The 30 markers along the trail highlight some of the native plants that thrive near our Hill Country waterways. See the guide online at https://txmn.org/lindheimer/guadalupe-river-south-trail/ . If you aren't a hiker, there's great fishing on the bank and cold water for floating or lounging in a short chair. Bird watching is an option, too. Access to GSRNT is unfortunately restricted on weekends from Friday evening to Sunday evening since May 2023. Why? During the pandemic, exponentially more people began spending time outdoors and many new visitors discovered the beauty of the parks in the Texas Hill Country. Unfortunately, too many of these folks left behind litter and destruction, with no regard for the impact to other visitors, park maintenance volunteers & staff, or the natural habitat. This negative behavior resulted in changed policies and reduced hours at numerous parks, including GSRNT. The restricted access is a bummer for locals and conscientious visitors alike. Most people work during the week and only have time for hiking on the weekends. It's a shame that a few bad apples ruin things for everyone. :-( On the other hand, I am grateful that the damage to GSRNT is being minimized and it's in good shape whenever I am able to visit on weekdays.

Walnut Springs Park is such a charming, peaceful spot to walk around. It runs right along a small…read morecreek, and the stone walls, low bridges, and shaded paths give it a really unique, old-school feel. Because it's set a bit lower than the surrounding streets, it feels surprisingly cool and quiet even though you're right near the center of town. It's not a huge park with big athletic fields, but it's ideal for a quick, relaxing stroll or taking a break in the shade.

Short walkway in the walnut springs park if you plan to walk back and forth but crossing towards…read morethe library is like a hidden gem. Beautiful painted squirrels definitely recommend walking this area leading to max stark park.

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

Wow, I had been to this park many times back in the day, but I had NO idea they had hiking trails,…read morecaves to explore, and even a disc golf course. The caves - not really caves, they're more like crevices to explore. They aren't more than 15 feet deep and the sun lights them up fairly well, so don't be 'escared (yes, I said 'escared). Getting to them can be tough if there is water in the normally dry creek bed. You'll have to traverse a VERY steep uphill trail to get to them. The cool thing about the trails here, is that you get a little bit of everything. Some paved trails, some smooth dirt trails with lots of berms and hills that are great fun for mountain bikers (but won't tear your expensive rig up). Look for these hills near hole 9 on the disc golf course (it's hidden in the woods). Take Side Trail A (creative name, right?) to get a good view of the creek when there's water in it, and take the Blue Angel Loop if you want to walk or ride on loose river rock. Signage isn't too bad, but I do recommend printing a map before you go. https://www.universalcitytexas.com/DocumentCenter/View/2544/UniversalCity_TrailMap_11x17?bidId= The strangest thing is, this park measures the trails in feet instead of miles - what, what??? I've never seen trails measured in feet. If you hit all of the trails, you can get 6 to 7 miles in. You can park at Red Horse Park, Veterans Park, or at UC Municipal Park - they're all connected to the trails. I'm amazed at the diversity of the trail system in this park. And oh yeah, they have a covered basketball pavilion, baseball diamonds, LOTS of space to run around in and even fly kites. No power lines around, so your kite won't get hung up on a line.

Walked the Cibolo Creek Trail trail to Cibolo Creek. Nice walk. Peaceful when Tex-bros weren't…read morerevving their Challengers past the park. Great basketball court, too, with a nice high cover to shield players from the sun. Disc golf course is nice, too.