San Marcos Natural Areas

Directions: Take I-35 north from San Marcos. Take Aquarena Springs Exit 206 and go straight on northbound frontage road to overpass at River Ridge Parkway. Turn right onto River Ridge Parkway. (From Austin, take Exit 207 and turn left onto River Ridge Parkway). Go to the end of the road near the apartments. Park your car in the cul de sac and walk toward the river.

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Purgatory Creek Natural Area
1414 Prospect

Description: The 463-acre Purgatory Creek Natural Area is within the Edwards Aquifer recharge zone, is home to Purgatory Creek, and includes upland meadows, canyon bluffs of 40 feet or more, dense juniper thickets, champion oaks, and a flood control dam. Several areas within this natural area are habitat for golden-cheeked warblers and black-capped vireos. Passive recreation opportunities support a trail along the narrows of the frequently dry Purgatory Creek bed that runs through this natural area. Portions of Purgatory Creek Natural Area are generally referred to as lower and upper Purgatory. Lower Purgatory, also known as Prospect Park, is about 9 acres of passive-recreation parkland with about 3 miles of trails, including a 1-mile accessible, crushed limestone trail. Lower Purgatory sits on a rather porous section of the Edwards Aquifer where juniper groves, meadows, ephemeral wetlands, and oak mottes co-exist. This in-town location makes a perfect destination when you need a quick nature fix. Benches are located at various points along the accessible portion of the trail. The access point from the intersection of Wonder World Drive and Hunter Road on the south side includes parking, a kiosk and the trailhead to a 1 mile-long, crushed stone and dirt hike and bike trail. Where the trail’s bike ramps merge onto the roadway, the trail splits both south (connecting to the lower Purgatory / Prospect Park trails) and north (connecting to the more challenging upper Purgatory trail). Download Wonder World Extension trail map here. In upper Purgatory, visitors can travel along the mostly natural “Dante’s Trail.” SMGA and its members have been working to improve and add trails throughout the Purgatory natural area, knowing these trails will eventually lead all the way to the San Marcos River. More trail work is in progress, but this is a sensitive area so trails must be carefully designed and built to preserve the many benefits this beautiful land provides.

An Afternoon Stroll at Prospect Park Photo taken by Clint King

Sunny Days at Prospect Park Photo taken by Jessica Chaffee

Note: The size of the natural area often causes even veteran hikers to get lost. Please note the following: Take a map, stay on the trail, and schedule plenty of time to reach your destination. There are no restrooms or drinking water in Purgatory Creek Natural Area. Avoid trails created by deer and so-called “renegade” trails created by people scouting their own way, which harms the natural area. Please stay on marked trails! Some areas border unfenced private properties, for example, in the Willow Creek subdivision. Do not cross fences unless you have checked a map to be certain you remain in the natural area. Keep your dog on a leash and pick up your pet’s poop.

Brief History: According to San Marcos Daily Record articles dated 6/15/2001 and 12/30/2001, the city purchased the Purgatory Creek Natural Area acreage in portions, culminating in December 2001. The first purchase of about 33 acres had been zoned for high-density, multi-family development back in 1979. Some 670 apartment units could have been built on the site. Terrand Ltd., the previous owner of the property, donated an additional 93 acres adjacent to Purgatory Creek above the flood control dam. The city completed the purchase of another 326.3 acres in December 2001 to minimize the environmental impact of the Wonder World Drive extension. The Edwards Aquifer Authority supported the acquisition as a partner with the city. An environmental assessment from 2000 through 2004 discovered ancient artifacts in the area. The Wonder World Drive extension, including the hike and bike trail connecting Hunter Road to the Purgatory trails, was opened in July 2010. Directions: Lower Purgatory / Prospect Park (southeast entrance): From downtown San Marcos, take W Hopkins St. to N Bishop St. Turn west (uphill) on Bishop and left on Prospect St. Go 2.5 blocks to dead end. Park on street near kiosk to your right. Parking is limited, so consider carpooling, walking, or biking; a bike rack is available.

White-Eyed Surprise at Purgatory Photo taken by Clint King

Wonder World Extension (southwest entrance): From downtown San Marcos, take W. Hopkins St. past Bishop and Belvin Streets to the intersection of Hunter Road and Wonder World Drive (Hopkins turns into Hunter). Just past the intersection of Hunter and Wonder World, turn right onto an unpaved road to the parking area and trailhead.

Purgatory Creek Natural Area (northeast entrance): From downtown San Marcos, take W. Hopkins St. past Bishop and Belvin Streets to Wonder World Drive and turn right (west) on Wonder World. At the intersection with Craddock Avenue, make a left onto a ranch road and watch for natural area signs guiding you to the parking area and trailhead.

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Ringtail Ridge Natural Area

Shady Rest at Ringtail Ridge Photo taken by Lance Jones

Description: 40 plus acres of lightly developed parkland off RR12. This natural area features a half-mile accessible trail with a kiosk and benches and about 2 miles of unmarked loop trail, including a spur that meets RR12 in the 30-foot wide swath between Community Baptist Church and Dakota Ranch Apartments. The 2-mile trail was designed by SMGA for mountain biking, but it also offers pleasant hiking in a surprisingly diverse natural area in a part of town that is developing rapidly. Oak groves, flowering meadows, cactus stands, and persimmon thickets are all found in Ringtail Ridge Ridge and provide a diverse ecology for birds, mammals, reptiles and insects. The Ringtail Ridge tract was the site of an animal slaughter plant for many years. The foundations of the plant and other artifacts can still be seen; the land is being left alone to recover from ranching and the slaughter business.

Brief History: Tex Hughson, a Buda native and former pitcher for the Boston Red Sox, established a hog and cattle slaughter plant on the land in the 1950s. In the 1990s, after the plant had closed, Randall Morris made a deal with the city to increase land-use density along RR12 in exchange for the 40 acres now known as Ringtail Ridge. The deal was welcomed by conservationists, who were concerned about preserving recharge land and welcomed the tighter controls on water runoff required for high-density development. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department awarded the City of San Marcos and SMGA a National Trails Grant in the amount of $40,087 in August 2007. That project included a one-half mile accessible trail, parking lot improvements, and an interpretive kiosk. Directions: Take Ranch Road 12 (Moore St.) toward Wimberley about 1/10th mile past Craddock Ave. Turn right onto dirt road between Dakota Ranch Apartments and Crestwood Center. Follow road until you reach the big oak and parking lot behind the apartments. Note: Stay within the natural area fences. Return to top

Gathering on the Thistle at Ringtail Ridge Photo taken by Lucy Durfee

Schulle Canyon Natural Area
100 Ridgewood

Description: About 21 acres of undeveloped parkland with a half mile of 6-foot wide, accessible gravel trail and just under a mile of natural surface trails. Schulle’s trails are included in the Texas Parks & Wildlife's Heart of Texas Birding Trail Guide. There is also a natural surface trail extending to Sierra Circle and the back of Highcrest Apartments.

Brief History: The property that is now Schulle Canyon Natural Area was owned by the John Cox family for decades. The upper portion of the property was cleared and used as pasture land. A small tank for water livestock was fed by springs, which flowed most of the time according to Mr. Cox’s daughter, Virginia Witte. After development occurred in the watershed, the springs ceased to flow and the creek now flows only in wet weather.

The tract of property extending from Holland Street back to the Tex Hughson property was owned by Mr. Schulle, who developed a small subdivision along the street named for him. For many years Schulle Drive dead-ended before it reached the wet-weather creek. When Tex Hughson developed the section of Hughson Heights that includes Sierra Circle and Camaro Way, Schulle Drive was extended to Hughson Heights. Members of Mr. Schulle’s family still reside in the Maxwell area.

In 1998, two developers purchased 22 acres of the John Cox property from Mr. Cox’s children. The developers began the process of developing the property into townhouses and single-family houses. During this time the City of San Marcos began negotiating with the developers to acquire the property. Several area neighborhoods, including Hughson Heights, Alamo Street, and Sierra Circle, supported acquisition of the property by the city for parkland. The city council approved an agreement under which the city traded a 5-acre tract along IH35 South, at the site of the Lowman Airport, for the 22-acre Schulle Canyon tract.

In the early 2000s members of the San Marcos Greenbelt Alliance worked with the city to submit a grant application to Texas Parks & Wildlife for funds to build a trail in Schulle Canyon. The grant was awarded and the trail was completed in 2004.

Directions: Take Ranch Road 12 (Moore St.) toward Wimberley. Turn right on Holland St. at traffic light. Turn left on Alamo St. (2nd left). Follow Alamo to dead end at kiosk and parking area.

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Spring Lake Preserve

Description: About 251 acres of undeveloped parkland that sits just above the headwaters of the San Marcos River. About half of the property is in the Edwards Aquifer Recharge zone, and all of the property is part of the Sink Creek watershed. San Marcos Springs and Spring Lake are rare ecological jewels among Texas water resources and support 5 endangered species. The area supported ranching and hunting for many years, but has recently been left largely undisturbed with the exception of some natural-surface trails. Spring Lake Preserve contains the typical meadows and woodlands found in the Edwards Plateau, with a wide variety of flora and fauna, including Mexican buckeye and large mammals. The geology includes layers of the Eagle-Ford, Georgetown, Del Rio clay and Edwards limestone. Currently, Texas State University, the City of San Marcos, and Land Design Partners, Inc. are developing a master plan that will emphasize low-impact recreational activities and natural resource protection. The San Marcos Parks and Recreation Department will offer educational programs at the preserve for children and adults.

Brief History: The area around San Marcos Springs is thought to be one of the longest continuously occupied areas in North America due to its proximity to the San Marcos Springs. In 1926, A.B. Rogers purchased land around the Springs and built the Aquarena Springs Resort. Aquarena was sold to Texas State University in the 1990s, and the 251 acres were later sold for residential development. In 2004, the developer and the City of San Marcos were preparing to create a large hotel and conference center on the highest location above the Springs. Citizens and conservationists objected, the development was moved east of IH-35, and the city, Hays County and Texas State University committed to securing the property as a natural area. In November 2005, SMGA led a campaign for approval of a $2 million bond as payment toward purchase of the 251 acres. Subsequent grants and donations from Hays County, Texas Parks & Wildlife, the U.S. Department of the Interior, the Meadows Foundation, Terry Gilmore, the McCoy Foundation, the Lower Colorado River Authority, and the Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority allowed the city to purchase the land in 2007.

Directions: Take Aquarena Springs Drive to the Texas Rivers Center, which houses the River Systems Institute (formerly Aquarena Springs hotel) and park in the section of the parking lot furthest from the building entrance and at the foot of the hill.

To get to the trailhead, you will need to cross the street (Laurel Lane) heading toward the golf course maintenance facility. As you do you will see a 3x6 inch, blue plastic trail marker (also called a blaze) nailed to a large tree across the street. Cross the street carefully (traffic comes down the hill at a fast rate of speed), and look for the next blaze on a tree within the parking area of the golf maintenance area.

Keep following the blazes through the steel gate and up the hill until you see a sheltered kiosk. Now you are in Spring Lake Preserve.

Download a PDF with Spring Lake Preserve directions and pictures.

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