I can not love on Don's Fish Camp enough! I love checking out the reaction(s) of my friends when I bring them here for the first time. They seem to be having a good trip up to Don's...until we turn on the dirt road, then they get confused. And without fail, someone makes a "you sure do got a purdy mouth, boy" joke followed by a "why do I care if the children that play here are slow or not" but I digress. $5 per person gets you parking (regardless of if you carpool or not) and be sure to come up with a fun theme for the fake names you all sign on the waver with. Park where ya like and strip down to your swimsuits. Drag those coolers up the hill and get in line to get your toobs then get in line for your bus ride. Float the wonderful ride (with NO restricted container laws) back to the car and be sure to stop at every shotgun island along the way. Depending on how much time you have, re-ride's are only $5! So go, go check it out NOW! Last time we went, it was on a Thursday and we had our own bus when riding to the drop-off point and pretty much felt as tho we had the entire river to ourselves. Paradise. read more

Spent a couple hours tubing down the San Marcos River. Easy to find, no frills establishment. A fun day was worth the 20 dollars. Make sure to bring your good friends and a fun outlook. Easy lazy ride, good for families, groups and kids. read more

Don's Fish Camp - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Martindale, Texas

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Just a small update. On Saturdays they no longer allow you to bring your own tubes since they take up room on the bus. A quick work-around for this is to get a buddy to drop off someone with your own tubes at the drop-off location (just follow one of the buses) and then come back to the campsite and get on the bus. Go early, like before 1pm, or else you'll wind up waiting for the bus for sometimes an hour or more during really busy days. It gets crowded quickly as the day passes. I'd recommend the 10am-11am hours as the best. Anything after 2pm you'll be waiting hours to get in the river. Like the Comal and the Guadalupe, the San Marcos river is getting a little low. It's not so bad that you are forced to walk a lot, but there are definitely some low spots. read more

Booked a reservation on the website. I thought we were on for the day. Drove down and this place was closed. Why would the website let you book if it was closed??? Don't waste your time or money with this nonsense. Go somewhere else! read more

This camp is run by some good ole down to earth folks. They are very hospitable and want to make sure you are all set up for a good time! They even gave us some farm fresh eggs to cook over the campfire. Thanks to Cody and Nicole for a great time out there and we'll be sure to come back again read more

Howdy Y'all!! Don's Fish Camp in beautiful Martindale, TX takes care of business. They are located off of Texas 80 just east of San Marcos. My nephew Fisher recommended them back when he was a student at SWT, sorry now TSU and it all worked out. They move a little slower during off peak times and actually at first they couldn't be found at any of they're buildings, but eventually when they saw us they came a running to make that money. After that, they got it in gear and the friendly bus driver delivered us upstream to our San Marcos river drop in spot. It was a nice float and we all enjoyed ourselves. They said it'd be a 2-2.5 hour float, but it was actually no more than 100 minutes. It is a more natural scenic float than the in town Lion's Rotary Club/City Park float (which is a nice float too) in San Marcos proper. Y'all have FUN and don't forget your beverages (no glass) snacks and sunscreen. And please don't be a cretin, take care of your refuse. Have a good day. TYJD read more

Loved this float! Seamless process through and through with a great military discount!

Great tubing experience. Last year we did the Lion's Club one and although it's fun it was too short and yoo much hassle to do it back and forth with a cooler. This year we asked locals and they recommended Don's Fishing Camp... we were Not stirred wrong. Had a blast on a 2:45hrs (2.7hrs) and it had some little rapid drops, some lazy river moments and lots of fun all around! My husband and I loved it! read more

This was an awesome experience. I believe you can schedule your tubing experience advance. We arrived close the the last departure time. We paid and a bus soon came to pick us up. The bus took us to the top of the hill by entrance to the river. We were able to select our tubes, and a tube for our cooler . After you walk down the hill you just hop in and let the river do its thing. A few hours later the river opens up and there is a small beach. That's where you hop out and can catch a bus back to your car. Some people appeared to be hanging around for a swim. There are restrooms available here as well. What is better than a cool ride down the river on a hot Texas day?! read more

Don's Fish Camp - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Martindale, Texas

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I booked a reservation thinking I could float that day. Called a total of 10 times over the span of afew hours before we had to go to see if they were still open (no answer) but everything online said they were open. We made the hour and a half drive and I got there just to find out that it was a 'work day' and they were closed, but there where plenty of workers there setting stuff up that could have answered the phone to tell me not to waste my time. So we wasted a whole drive just to be told to drive back. Instead I went to Texas State Tubing and they were very helpful and about 10min away I recommend going to that place instead. The only thing nice about Dons is the goats that are right outside. IF YOU ARE NOT GOING TO BE OPEN BLOCK OFF THE DAY ON THE SCHEDULE. Texas State Tubing answered their phones right away and told us we were good to float. read more

Don's Fish Camp is the best tubing place around! We came right as it was closing but the guys made an exception and gave us tubes / drove us to the river. The sun set as we were tubing and one of the guys kayaked all the way up the river to escort us back to Don's! They were the nicest guys and such a great establishment! Definitely a lot better than Texas Tubes. 100% recommend!! read more

I always use Don's Fish Camp whenever I go Floating in San Marcos. They are professionals at their business and have a good long float. They walk to your car to take payment for services. There is a cheaper price if you bring your own floats. There is deep and shallow water and rapids, so Be careful. They even featured me on their IG for tagging them in a picture. So much fun! read more

Great place, super friendly people. Very reasonable prices too! It was great to be able to air up our tubes there for free as well. My new go-to place for tubing! read more

I have been coming here for over 10 years. My husband has been coming here for a little under 5. Don's has always been my spot to go when it comes to floating the river. I have never had an issue with the staff or transportation. I love the fact that they have tubes with bottoms for the younger floaters and for your cooler or pup. Last time we were here there was so e banging crawfish at the end of the float. That was a nice lil touch to end a graduation float. We will be back in July 6th for my birthday float. Can't wait!!! read more

I've been putting off this review for several years because I didn't want the secret to get out. This is the best float in the area, hands down...and with all the new rules for those "other" river toobing locations, it seems the secret is officially out. Bring your friends, bring your beer and be ready to sit back and chill. We usually get there around noon and try to make it to the river before the big crowds. But sometimes you just want to pull your toob over to the side, turn up your music and start a party in the middle of the river with all the other groups. Everyone's welcome! Enjoyed their recent crawfish boil at the end of our last float. That was a nice added touch. As others mention, it's a $5 entry per person upon driving in...some seem upset by this, but it's the exact same amount you'd pay for bus service at any of the other locations. Cash only though at the entrance, they take cards at the main station where you rent everything else. read more

Sadly, I am rewriting my review. Because while Don's used to be a fantastic toobing hole-in-the-wall where even weekends were breezy and fun, it is now a Greeked-out clusterfuck along the lines of New Braunfels and San Marcos. We've been regulars for ages, and on our last trip, Don's had erected some kind of heinous billboard out on the highway and BLASHEPHEMY covered up the fantastic 'TOOBIN' sign by the River Road turn with a similar apparatus. The float can hardly be enjoyed any more, with packs of drunk kids leaving coolers full of empty cans at Shotgun Cove and--we are not even kidding you--throwing their trash unabashedly into the woods. I am so, so sorry to see Don's go to shit. read more

Go to Texas Tubes if you want a tubing experience that Lasts longer than 2 hours and Doesn't rip your asshole open on rocks. The price is the same but the experience is astronomically more fun Got convinced to go on this bunkass river this past weekend and am still regretting it. read more

Don's eccentric little suspenders are not a license to be a rude ***hole. To say he does not care about the river, or the safety of the floaters, is an understatement. His bus drivers were tanked. Quite literally, his decisions put my life and those of my companions at risk. The river itself is beautiful and not terribly crowded. However, you are better off getting your own tubes, a DD, and parking a second car at the end of the route. Enjoy the river with your friends on your own terms without endangering yourselves. read more

This place is pretty well orchestrated. It is clearly marked and easy to find. You go down the dirt path and people direct you into different lines to fill out your forms and pay. You can bring your own, but it's still $12. Rent the cooler tube, it's worth it. After that, you go park, and get on the shuttle. They take you to the "top" of the river and you float down. It is VERY long. The entire route took 3-4 hours. There are some shallow spots where you may hit your booty, so be careful! The water was pretty clean and there are no families. Note that they are prohibited, just most people are drinking, I guess. No glass or styrofoam though. Dogs were there. At the end, there is a huge back up and everyone got stuck and started moving backwards. We had to push our way through to get out. That was the only downside. Other than that it was great. read more

My group and I travelled from New York for a bachelorette and wanted to float the river. We had a great time, but there are a few things we wish we knew before. I'm sure local people know all of this, so this review is for people not as familiar. There is no where to put keys, phones, wallets, etc. so plan on everything you are bringing to get wet. The cooler tubes are regular tubes with the bottom tied on, so they are not secure. Make sure to buy rope at the red house. The river is mostly calm, but can be rocky and this caused several members of my group to flip when there was fast moving water and rocks. Aside from some bruises we had a blast. All of the things mentioned previously did not stop us from having a great day, but are things we wish we knew before. (However I do wish they had lockers). The water temperature was refreshing. It takes about three hours. read more

Don's Fish Camp is not a fish camp. Don's is the reason I love summer. Don's is the reason I have this permanent tan. Don's is by far my favorite place to float. Why it's so great: -It's very accessible from Austin, the river is feels great and flows nicely, shotgun island is always bumpin. -The bus takes you to the start so that you end the trip at your car, this means you never have to sit on a school bus in a wet swimsuit. - The tubes are fun, bright colors and not the painfully hot black ones. Tips: - The line can get real long so get your act together and arrive before noon. -They do take credit cards now, welcome to the future Don! - They sell great last minute items like ice, rope, and koozies. You can even rent a radio cooler from them and be the coolest guy on the river. Warnings: - The road to paradise is a rough one, I recommend driving your tank here. - $5/person just to park, it makes me sad that they don't reward carpooling. read more

Come for the tubing, stay for the passed out co-eds! If you're in for a big dose of debauchery, this is the place to spend your summer Saturday. Tube rental is cheap, the river is pretty and the scene at Don's beach is always entertaining. Last year I saw some guy pull up in his pick up, plug his guitar into an amplifier, and play Tool songs for an hour. Some other fella hopped up in the back and played air drums. Don't forget to bring an extra beer for Don, who'll be walking around looking like an old leather handbag. He's a good hearted fella. You'll see plenty of drunken shenanigans and lobster-tinted, unconscious college kids washing ashore in endless waves. It's a fun thing to witness about once a year. read more

After a most heinous wait last summer, I swore I would never come back on a weekend. I surprised even myself when I decided I wanted to give it another try. On Memorial Day. Crazy. To say I had a better time would be a HUGE understatement. Even on Memorial Day (granted, early on Memorial Day), there was NO LINE. There were NO CROWDS. And, because it was still early in the day, it was not unbearably hot before we got on the water. Our only wait was about 25 minutes on the bus for a few other toobers to show up and make it worth the bus driver's time, and our float today was a solid three hours. So here's my updated take: I'm pretty sure my first visit was on The Busiest Day Ever x5. Even when we left today at 3, the parking lot was no where near as crowded as my first experience at Don's at any point in the day and everyone in line at 3 today would clearly make the next bus out. I'm sure there was a line earlier in the afternoon, but based on how much better the parking situation was, I can only assume it was not unbearable---TIP: if people are paying to park on neighbors' front yards before Don's property-turn around! Come back another day! For a wait-free float, try to be there as close to open as possible-today it was 11 am. My first visit was with a much larger group and big groups tend to have a hard time getting anywhere on time, in my experience. Saying you'll get there at 11 and not getting there until 12:30 is a huge difference here. BRING A TRASH BAG (I use a mesh laundry bag) to take with you on the river. It's such a shame to see all of the discarded beer cans in what is otherwise such a beautiful environment. Lastly, do not, under ANY circumstances, go into the portapotties. Also, do not stand downwind from said portapotties. There are no words. read more

I think this could be my new go-to for the toobing. (Can YOU explain the double o?) First of all, don't get there before they open. Duh. I didn't like that we had to each pay to get in. In a car of 4, we had to pay $20. That I didn't get. I can understand paying per car, but each person? Dude. Since we were there so early, we pretty much had the entire river to ourselves. It's worth it to get there that early. Amazing. The water was perfect, the float was perfect, no serious-serious rapids (that require you to get out). Beverages are allowed. If you're in to that sort of thing. And my favorite part? The bus ride is at the beginning of the ride. So you get out and walk to your car. Perfect. What a perfect way to end the summer. I totally see myself coming back here. read more

Went in July 2018 and it was the worst float ever. Once we got off the bus at the entry point there was nobody to tell us what to do or where to go next. Ended up asking others and just following. Cables and wire strung randomly on way to water. I'll telling you this place is a lawsuit waiting to happen. Entry was extremely slippery and dangerous. My kid almost busted his head on the mud-slicked steps getting in. We've been toobing all over the place and this float stunk. We had to swim about 1/2 of it because the water wasn't moving. If we never made it back nobody would have known. No sign in or head count of any kind. Worst experience ever - do NOT go here! read more

Take this from a girl who was formerly anti-tubing, this tube ride is THE best! This part of the river is not nearly as narrow as the Comal and even more spacious it seems than other parts of the San Marcos River I've floated. On a late Sunday afternoon, it was less busy than the drop off at the Lions Club and lots quieter. And it's definitely way prettier. We saw baby turtles, Cardinals, and all sorts of pretty birds on this tube ride. About three hours and xx ounces of beer in, I was really grateful that the bus ride for this trip happened at the beginning of the float and not at the end - when I was slightly sun-burned and more than slightly buzzed. On that note, pack some snacks for your cooler (in ziplocs or Tupperware) and sip a little water along the ride. 'Cause it's a long one! And if traffic was anything like it was on Sunday night, you'll be sorry if you don't. Well worth my four hours and $10! read more

No matter the water levels at the other rivers in this area, the Eskimo Hut 101 to Don's float is always flowing. My brother and I came here on the Saturday of July 4th weekend. When we arrived we couldn't believe how crowded it was! There was a line to get in and pay, a line to get wristbands for tubing, and a line to get on a bus. Even so, the lines were moving at a reasonable pace and our asses were on the river in no time. It's filled with crazy college kids but that's the allure of it to me, as I used to be one of those crazy college kids :) read more

The San Marcos River was a fun float....and the nature was beautiful to float through. We had a great time with family! But NOT impressed with Don's Fish Camp. First impression was not great when we paid. The girl was not friendly and looked at me like I was crazy when I asked if they gave teachers discounts. We did in fact get a teacher discount at Chuck's Tubes in New Braunfels. Don's is pretty expensive as well ($22/person) You can get much cheaper else where.....and have a friendly helpful staff, not here at Don's. Second was us getting our own tubes with everyone else in a BIG HUGE pile......while about 10 young men, that "worked" there sat under the tent in tubes acted like we weren't even there. I interrupted their conversations with each other and asked for a tube with a bottom in it, for my 6 year old, and got told no we don't have any. Finally one young man said he could find me a good "cooler" tube with a bottom for him. I would say this isn't the best place for kids...because no life vest OR tubes with bottoms. Not impressed Don. Your place needs lots of help with customer service....we won't be going back. read more

Don's Fish Camp. What can I say. If you don't have your own tube, and you don't have a way to get into the river then this is probably your second best option behind Texas State Tubes. We went on a Sunday morning so it was relatively empty. It's my understanding that the floods earlier in the year really messed up the river. Last year it was so much better, much more organized, buses were cleaner and ran faster and the people working there didn't look miserable. They have a new drop off point which is literally the worst. A gay couple broke up trying to get their stuff into the river. Let me repeat: Don's Fish Camp made an otherwise wonderful couple BREAK UP due to the misery of trying to get you, your group, and your stuff into the river at their new drop off point. Other than that, it was as you would expect. Underage drinking, cool water, rocks that slap your butt, and total freedom. read more

Thank you Page and Kyle for making my birthday even better - you both were so genuinely nice and made everything about getting on the river easy and pleasant despite the best efforts of my companions ;) Thank you!! read more

We had such a great time the two times we have been to Don's! How easy is that....buy your ticket, get on the bus for a 10 minute ride and they drop you within 15 ft from the river! Nice float....not overly crowded...just right! Heading back this year for another adventure! Don's is so much easier and enjoyable than the other floats I have been on that turned into alot of work. I recommend Don's for your float of fun! read more

Don's Fish Camp - We had a great time! How much fun was that?!! - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Martindale, Texas

I may have found my new favorite place to tube. The actual river and tubing part is fanshmastic. Unlike some of the places in New Braunfels (looking at you Rockin' R) the rapids at this place won't spill you down a three-foot-drop, upend your cooler and destroy your back and legs. And there were hardly any people on the river, although it was a Wednesday afternoon. And I found a fishing rod! Was dragging my feet trying to get our cooler tube unwrapped from a stump and came up with a rod and reel! Awesome! This place is kind of hard to find and while I got a giggle out of driving through a trailer park and over a cattle guard, that didn't affect the review. What did knock them down a star was the bus completely loaded up with folks ready to go and their employees sitting there with a thumb up their ass making us wait over three beers worth just sitting and baking in the bus. read more

Kenny and Brad are wonderful and so helpful they really know what there doing! Grateful I got to experience this and wonderful for first timers! read more

It's crazy, slightly organized and if you don't have your own tube, this is one option. The people working were helpful in explaining the chaos but the real fun is had when you are out on the water. read more

Perfect place to go along the river. They have great discounts for students and such. All day transportation up to the starting point via bus and they have never been insanely busy when I've gone. Never had a problem with anything at Don's and would recommend. read more

Please read past my first paragraph NOTE: On weekends there are Game Wardens and police stationed at one point on the river. This spot is directly after a curve, after around 45 minutes of floating. They are stationed there because it is the only public land that touches the river... it happens to be an RV/Camper park. They will pull young looking individuals from the river and breathalize / ask for verification of age.... I say this not to scare underage floaters from going on this river...my advice is to NOT drink until after this point... if you do not see them after a solid hour of floating then you will be in the clear. I did this multiple times and my river trips were amazing. Don's is by far the best location to float in central texas for University of Texas, Texas States students or anyone who loves to booze The location is perfect. Only a few miles north of Texas State's campus and 30-35 miles from downtown Austin. There are no limits to the size of your coolers and the use of "drinking devices." The tubes are the EXACT same used by "Rockin R" and the other commercial businesses in New Braunfels... except they cost less to use ($10 w/o bottom - $15 w/ bottom). Don charges $5 a head to park on his land. The river isn't dirty as mentioned below. Beer cans and trash left at certain points on the river bank are cleaned monthly by volunteers. Unlike the Guadalupe or Comal there are zero rapids that pose a risk for poor swimmers or blackout drunks... This river's rapids are small and most of the time they actually should be walked Other than the annoying police at the random spot, Don's is by far better than the New Braunfels' rivers for read more

First time floating for me so I have nothing to compare to but from what I saw... --They have a good system down. --Moved a lot of people through in a short amount of time. --San Marcos river is a good spot to be. read more

O mighty mighty Don! We've been coming to Don's for close to 10 years now and it's always been my favorite float in central Texas. The place has certainly picked up in popularity in recent years, but if you get there early enough, you are guaranteed to have a good time with little wait. If you are a larger group, I would HIGHLY recommend renting the VIP bus! It will pick you up and drop you off in Austin (or San Antonio, I believe) for appx $50pp - totally worth not hassling with DDs and organizing cars, etc. Our driver, Lee, was absolutely amazing, super friendly and accommodating! read more

Great place to tube!! Went there once before and the river was too high to float. They refunded our entry fee. The antics of the college age kids made me think this wasn't a good place for me, so I never came back until this weekend. To my suprise, even on a holiday weekend, this was a very well run operation. Great float and great time. The river was great. There was a heavy police and emergency responder presence due to a recent drowning. It kept the shenanigans to a minimum and kept the float enjoyable. Thanks, Don's and San Marcos!!! read more

Great place to go tubing if you want to avoid the hassle of walking back to your car after baking in the sun for a few hours. I went with some co-workers for a team building event on a Friday. There were hardly any folks on the river besides running into a couple of groups who had set up camp along the bank. We floated for about 4 hours and once we got off, I was so thankful we didn't have to go far to the car. Basically, once you're on site, you can park and take a shuttle to your tubing drop off point. Then you float until you arrive back at the Don's Fish Camp site. Super convenient! My tip: This path doesn't have much tree coverage so I recommend a hat and lots of sunscreen. I mean LOTS. Happy floating to all! read more