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!

A San Marcos landmark and a unique experience that everyone should visit…read more The tour can offer a nice respite on even the hottest Texas days, however, be prepared for the disappointment that you cannot partake in the cool and gorgeous springs. My only detractor for this facility is the glaring lack of history of the world famous Aquarena Springs. It is mentioned briefly in the tour, and there are of course remnants of the former attractions. However, in their "museum" there is only a small glass case with a plate smattering of memorabilia. This included some dry-rotted goggles, an old program, and poorly displayed photo slide you can squint at inside the glass box. I understand that the history of Aquarena is one of ecological exploitation. Perhaps they want to avoid celebrating this past. However, you can't deny the effect it had on the area and how it still resonates to this day through SM's mermaid culture, among other things. Maybe one day the roof top of the old hotel could house a better collection or display. Or maybe the old trails could be opened for exploration. Until then, I will ensure that every visitor that comes to see us is taken on the glass bottom boat tour and they get so see our San Marcos salamanders.

Rockin'R River Rides had a nice set up. They do seem to nickel and dime you a bit. $15 for parking,…read more$25 for a cooler float tube which is what the going rate per person is. They have an air conditioned portable bathroom trailer that is decent. 6 stalls in the women's room and they were fairly clean. The summer heat had them smelling a little funky, but I'm not sure what can be done to fix that. The staff was friendly. The school bus ride back to the starting point after the float was nostalgic. For a moment, it took me back to feeling like we were on a school field trip. We definitely see ourselves coming back but at least bringing our own floats for our coolers to cut down on the expense. We had a large group with 2 coolers so it was $50 just to bring our coolers along.

They really do know how to nickel and dime you! It was about $23 per tube, plus another $16 for…read moreparking. The staff was pretty nice and helpful, though. They do have a decent size portable bathroom, which was nice. My only complaint is that they should keep the water on inside them a little longer. We got back to the beginning around 4:30 and went to use the bathroom before heading out, but the water was already turned off. The float itself was actually painful. There are SO many rocks that you constantly hit and scrape your rear end against, and it gets pretty uncomfortable after a while. I'm not sure if I'll be back to this location just because this particular section was so rocky. Overall, it was fun, but definitely bring some extra money and be prepared for a rocky ride!

Following on a message from Mike that he had taken over management of the company and had it…read morerunning smoothly again, we took two kayaks out for a paddle on the Guadalupe. Our interactions with Outlaw River Rentals were indeed very smooth from drop off to pick up, everyone was friendly and professional, plus there was very helpful guidance about river conditions. This was the experience we had hoped for last year. No fault of ORR, the area is in the midst of a drought which meant drop off and pick up were from the boat ramp under the highway, because there is little current in the river. Upstream is nicer scenery but does require carrying the boat over a weir (small dam), while downstream the scenery was riverside suburbs (maybe more natural further downstream). In more normal conditions the trip involves drop off here but then riding the current downstream to a take out. There was mention of potential future drop off at Canyon Lake at what sounds like a very interesting area.

SCAM!!! NO STORE FRONT!! Extremely Unprofessional!!! Rent at your own risk!!!…read moreFew weeks back we paid and reserved for 5 double kayaks and 1 single kayak with Lisa at the Outlaw River Rentals. Payment was made via zelle, and reservations were complete. Drop off at Friday morning and pick up at Saturday evening, that was the total duration of the reservation, total cost with what were told deep discounts was $714.44. We talked on the phone and exchanged text message as they were very busy [What I was told]. Weather got pretty nasty and the river was absolutely dirty so we called and tried to cancel, didn't get a response, we sent a text message stating the request for cancellation and refund. It was accepted and the reservations were cancelled. On asking how the refund would take we were told 3-5 business days. Fast forward more than two week and I still have not heard from them. After several failed calls and text messages I have not heard back. If you are working with this company do it at your own risk. Read some more reviews after this incident and found out they have duped other folks too and have charged their credit cards multiple times.. So Lisa and Mike if you are reading this... let me just let you know what you did with us was extremely unprofessional and uncalled for!

Friendly, great prices, it was my first time kayaking and John made this experience the best, 100…read moreout of 10.

The best in San Marcos! Super friendly people all around, and great prices! The main guy is…read moreextremely helpful and knows the ins and outs of the river and surrounding areas. Would recommend time and time again!

Our friends rented a double deck boat for the children's birthday. We had Austin as our Captain and…read morehe was phenomenal. It was a great time and he was pretty cool. It was so relaxing on a beautiful day.

Great time with Captain Lee on Lake Travis for our buddy's bachelor party. Would recommend to any…read moreone looking to rent a boat for the day with friends

This place was terrible. 3 of our 6 tubes had holes and were deflated in the first 10 minutes of…read morerafting. After ending the tube ride at the designated ending spot it took them an hour to come and pick up. The office was a 5 minute drive away. It was over 100 degrees outside and about 15 people were all waiting on the side of the freeway to be picked up.

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!!

If you need to re-power an old boat with the best outboards on the market then contact Rodney…read moreNelson of San Marcos Marine at (512) 557-2469 1111 Arcadia Canyon Lake, TX 78133. Reason: I recently tried to re-power an old 14ft aluminum 1956 Arkansas Traveler runabout. I contacted numerous boat dealers around Austin, Texas. Although most of the dealers were very nice, all of them discouraged me from putting a new 40hp engine on the craft. Their reasons for declining my request varied. I came to understand that inner-city boat dealers, especially those not located on a lake, are really set up to sell new boats and have little interest in re-powering old boats. I decided to call one last dealer, Rodney Nelson of San Marcos Marine. Rodney's workshop is on Canyon Lake. I took my boat to Rodney. He was so positive and knowledgeable. He verified the boat was rated for 40hp, said he would strengthen the transom with a custom aluminum cap, put a 40hp Tohatsu 4-stroke motor on it (5 year warranty). The highly-rated engine is about half the weight of other four-stroke outboards and gas costs me about $5 for an entire day of fun on Lake Austin. It's very quiet, essentially no smoke, amazing. Rodney is an expert at working with aluminum boats. He built custom plates on the front for gauges, welded in plates to strengthen the transom, built aluminum mounts for the new modern throttle/tilt and trim/steering mechanisms etc. He also tested the boat on Canyon Lake numerous times to fine tune steering, maneuverability, and ride. The cost for all his work and customization were much less than the quotes I received from other dealers who just wanted to attach a 30hp motor on the existing transom. I'm glad I called Rodney because now my family has a boat that is both safe and fun for an incredibly low price! Ralph Beasley

Fantastic company. Very communicative and priced right. I wouldn't recommend anyone else.read more

Do not use!! I had Brian Blakley over to give me an estimate for a retaining wall, he said he…read morewould do the work and gave me verbal estimate. I kept having to call him to get the formal emailed estimate which he never sent. He assured me over the phone that the price he quoted me was good and that he would do the work soon. After over a month of stiff arming me, he had his wife tell me that he no longer wanted to do the work. Very frustrating that I wasted all that time counting on him!! I have heard from others who have told me similar stories about him.

This is a self service facility, but I needed assistance so I used the chat feature on the app and…read morethey responded very fast. They went above and beyond to help me out! Would definitely recommend using them:)

From the owner: Self-Served kayak, packraft, and paddleboard rentals via our automated smart locker shipping…read morecontainer kiosk. No more waiting in lines to get on the water. You book online. Pick up the gear on your time through our automated kiosk solution. Drop in on the water wherever you want! Also we are dealers for these premium small brands do you can purchase the gear. Finally, we are Austin's Overland gear store featuring Rooftop Tents,Awnings, compressors, overland kitchens,and skottles.