I brought the GoPro & phone in a drybag along with me on PaddleSMTX’s Crystal Kayak Glow Tour and had a blast taking it easy on the San Marcos river. There’s a way to have fun there the right way, and a wrong way, so I’ve outlined why I had a good time, and how you can be sure to have a good time yourself.

I’ll review my tour’s start-to-end experience:

• Parking and accessibility – Is this easy to get to?
• The Shop – The storefront and amenities (if that applies)
• The Tour – How it works, and how it went
• The Equipment – The quality and variety of equipment available
• The Water – How long, fast, clean and smooth is the river trail?
• The Staff – Who’s behind the business?
• The Overall Value – what do you get for what you pay?

Parking takes planning

The tour met at the popular Rio Vista Park and swimming area. This at the ending spot so you can get to your car when the tour is over, which is nice, but it’s a happening place so not all the nearby parking has freed up by the evening. People are leaving all the time during the late afternoon or evening, so just wait a couple minutes to grab a spot that opens up. It’s was a short walk to the shuttle bus meet-up

How’s the Storefront or amenities?

No storefront, shop or concessions – just meet for the shuttle and they have all the equipment on a trailer.

They do have dry-bags for your things that can go in the kayaks.

Shuttle and drop off:

Everyone in the group rides the 15-passenger van up the road a short ways to drop off – a swimming park and day use area with a really nicely developed riverfront area for getting in the water. Think “river meets side-of-swimming pool.” I love how this is really common in Texas city parks.

Quality and Variety of Equipment to rent:

PaddleSMTX has inflatable stand-up paddle boards and crystal kayaks – each can be fitted with the underglow. ProTip – It wasn’t until near the end us on the tour realized we could toggle the colors on your LED panels by pushing a button! Everyone in the group had fun starting a mini dance floor along the river bottom for a while after that.

Kayaks: On the glow tour I tried the Crystal Kayak – they are all double kayaks with clip-in seats. The seats’s 4 attachment clips only attached the 2 to the sides, not the 2 to the bottom, so that lets the seat recline and adjust pretty easy. The kayaks were solid.

SUP’s: The Stand-up Paddle boards are mid-quality inflatable boards, so are ‘par for the course.’ The thing is, this is a really easy-moving river you basically float down, so anything better would be overkill. The paddle boards have 3 small fins (about 4-5” each) instead of one large 8-10” rear fin, so the board can coast fine in any shallow part and not get snagged on anything.

The Water and Paddle Trail – How long, fast, clean and smooth is the water?

This is the reason that makes this tour special, the crystal kayaks special and PaddleSMTX special.

The San Marcos river begins as 100% clear water from Spring Lake just a stone’s throw north from the launch-spot. Spring lake gushes out 70-degree spring water year round so it’s cool in the summer and steams on the cold winter morning. The river height is always constant becasue Spring Lake has a dam that regulates the flow down the river, and down river there are a couple man-made features or dams that let the water pool up before spilling over – the result is a solid mile stretch of clear, calm and even-flowing river.

It takes minimal effort to paddle against the current except if you head upstream to where the river narrows between some riverside sidewalks at Sewell Park. Once the tour turns downstream, all I needed to do was just relax and steer.

Overall the trail is just under a mile, and only takes about an hour.

It makes for a casual float – the tour guide will point out different things about the parks, bridges, what Texas Wild Grass is, and help you spot fun things along the way like any turtles or a bat hiding spot.

If you have a waterproof camera, take a picture of your neighbor from under the kayak! In hindsight, it would be even cooler if you wipe away any small puddles you spalshed inside before the photo…

Who runs the tours? Who is behind the business?

The thing what was obvious on my tour was the guide loves the river and loves his job.

Did you know PaddleSMTX is a family business started and run by 5 brothers (all Texas State Bobcats). Their story is cool – ask whoever your guide is about it – because odds are one of the brothers will be with your group!

I think these guys are doing it right. They know a great spot, offer something unique I normally wouldn’t have access to like an evening glass-bottom kayak trip, and offer it for a reasonable value. I tip my hat to their ability to differentiate themselves and stay relevant in what can seem like a “commodity rental” business.

Value: Last but not least – was the Glow Tour worth it?

At $34 for a shuttle, 60 to 90 minute guided tour plus rental, it’s about right. Not a killer deal, but not overpriced.

Two things made it special: First you get to be out on the water during the time of day when most people are gone. Second, there are very few places in Texas where you will find water as clear and clean as the San Marcos. You can take a kayak or SUP tour anywhere. You can’t take one like this many places for a thousand miles.

I’ve been to Paradise Canyon in the Summer, Fall, and Winter – and every time was divine. Our tradition is to camp there in February and invite all our friends to swim & paddle there in July.

Here’s why it gets a solid 4.5 out of 5 stars and some pro-tips on how avoid finding yourself without a table in the shade.

Clean, calm water: 4 out of 5 stars

It’s calm for toddlers, deep for adults, clean, cold and fresh. The upper section is full of big rocks to jump off of into the water. The middle section is a big reservoir for swimming and some simple kayak fishing.

Why 4 stars? This isn’t a paddle trail or a place where you can “get lost exploring.” It’s a really big private park, not a lake. About 3/4^th of the water is great to play in, but there is a small section with lots of vegetation that isn’t good to swim or even paddle around. It divides up the park’s water features into a two parts so it’s not the easiest to paddle or play end-to-end.

Waterfront and beach: 5/5.

Clean, soft grass, steps with railings into the water, curbed waterfront, and lots of big shade trees. Awesome place to veg and tune-out the kids arguing about whose turn it is to inflate the paddle board.

(Shameless plug – We’re renting inflatable Stand-up Paddle Boards with electric pumps for $40/day or $60/weekend.  Check out our rental page here to dial up your experience.)

Parking: 4/5

Lots of it and all close to the water or camp sites. Parts are bumpy or not the most clear to navigate.

Picnic and day-use area. 4/5

They put a lot of effort into making sure there is shade, grass, and places to sit.

And the tables… So. Many. Tables. Hundreds of tables. But you can’t just use any table you’d like; We ALMOST got to the end without a catch…

(Pictures during the winter off-season)

Why a 4 out of 5? There are a few things to know about this place…

Things you better know before you go:

Tables are by reservation only – that’s why every single one of them are numbered. Be very sure to reserve a table for any busy holiday or 3-day weekend not just for the table but because it guarantees you a nice spot. EZ Ups and canopies are not allowed on the prime real-estate center lawn, so if you find yourself arriving late in the day on a busy weekend, you might get stuck without a close spot in the shade.

You can bring grills or canopies, but no music or dogs, and a few other rules. Between COVID or any weather issues, be sure to check their website to see what the “rules du jour” are.

This is one successful for-profit operation – they have all kinds of rental gear, food, or other things to sell. They don’t have any lack of creativity finding things to up-sell or rent to you:

Cell reception isn’t great there. Coordinate your directions or meet-up plans beforehand with those friends who are unlucky enough to be on T-Mobile.

Bonus! Camping there in the off-season is fantastic.

Paradise Canyon is one of the best places near San Antonio for camping. Any Texan knows the State Parks are the main game in town – most of them are great, but others are a little lacking when it comes to camping. Private campgrounds are really hit-or-miss, but this is the best little place around. If you plan your trip during a time when there aren’t a lot of people (generally between November through February) it’s totally awesome.

Medina Lake shows how Texas is both unique and fantastic… but only if you embrace and enjoy its differences from other places in the country.

So let’s review four places to paddle on or near Medina Lake that are all very different from each other.

Part 1 of 4: Medina Lake Park

Clean, calm water: 4 out of 5 Stars.

There are boats on the lake, and some days can have a bit of wind. Would you want to jump and play in the water? Yes! Almost all of Medina Lake is clean, clear water. It’s a play-with-the-kids in the water kind of place where the beach and water meet with a gradual incline without a sharp drop off.

Waterfront: 4 out of 5 stars –
(with an asterisk. It depends on the water level)

The water level can rise and fall drastically over a few short years, which adds an element of mystery on what the lakefront water will be like.

Parking: 4 out of 5 stars

You can pull right up to the water, but depending on the water level it can be a bumpy last little bit. This place is designed to accommodate a water level rising and falling dozens of feet – so given the circumstances it’s okay.

Day-use area: 3.5 out of 5 stars

There’s plenty of space, but it’s always rocky space. No grass or many things provided by the park – this is a BYOStuff kind of place. There are some tables, trash cans and things, but on a busy day you need to bring anything you want to use. At least you can drive up to where you want to be, and generally have the space to make your fun 🙂 

Part 2 of 4: Joe’s Place Marina and Resort

www.JoesMarina.com

Joe’s place is a privately owned and operated stay-and-play kind of area. Rather than pay one up-front fee, you pay for things a-la-cart – you’ll pay little amounts for the different things you want to do there. You might prefer a “lake day buffet,” instead of a-la-cart. Photos of their price sheet are at the bottom of the page. Whatever you prefer, just know this place is almost never packed except for big holidays like 4^th of July. Even on most holidays I don’t think they get to capacity because people from the area describe this place  to me the area’s best-kept secret.

The quality of the water: 4 out of 5 stars

Would you want to jump and play in the water? Yes! Almost all of Medina Lake is clean, clear water, and this area is no exception. It’s a play-with-the-kids in the water kind of place where the beach and water meet with a gradual incline without a sharp drop off.

Why not a 5? The water level can rise and fall drastically over a few short years, which adds an element of mystery on what the lakefront water will be like.

The surrounding waterfront: 4 out of 5 stars:

Is it easy to put-in and take-out anywhere? Yes – paddling around is easy. If you paddle  far away and try to take-out you’ll be on someone’s private property, so be mindful of where you launch and land. The area is nice but constrained – there are well-marked places for playing in the water whereas your public park waterfront is all free-game. Launch a kayak or paddle board from the same general spot.

There’s fresh sand beaches on the waterfront, and they even do scuba diving certifications there.

The parking & accessibility to the waterfront: 3 out of 5 stars

Can you find enough close parking? Yes, it’s fine – nothing special compared to some rare parks out there where you can park almost right by the water.

It’s about a 200-300 foot walk to the water. For ‘yaks and SUP’s, plan to launch/unload then park, or bring a wagon / kayak wheel truck. But if you reserved a covered picnic table area the parking is super close to those.

The picnic & day use area: 3.5 out of 5 stars. Plus you can camp overnight.

Is it easy to enjoy the day there with friends and family? Yes – but like other private marinas and parks you’ll be a little closer to your neighbors on those rare “busy” days. If you’re a non-committal person, you’ll have to get over that and book your spot on the busy holiday weekends.

It’s a friendly place for fishing, paddling, picnicking, fire pits and all the things that make lake days fun.

Even better, you can stay overnight with the tent camping areas plus a few cabins and RV spots you can book. Like most Texas State Parks, the camping spots don’t have a ton of space between your neighbors. That’s par for the course at most places to camp within an hour of San Antonio.

Oh! I almost forgot! There is tons of shade with all the big old tree’s. That’s a huge plus.

So to recap – It’s a hidden gem… but a different kind of gem. A great place for friends and families to have fun, but expect to pay for the things you want a-la-cart instead of a flat entrance fee. Plan for it – don’t worry about it once you arrive – just enjoy!

So why not a 4 or 5 star day-use rating? Five stars are reserved for the hands-down best-in-Texas places in all aspects. Joe’s is a good place. There’s nothing bad about it, it’s just not the place you drive 1,000 miles to experience – it’s above average: a 3.5 out of 5.

Part 3 of 4: Paradise Canyon

Check out my separate post about Paradise Canyon
with tons of photos

Clean, calm water: 4 out of 5 stars
Waterfront and beach: 5/5.
Parking: 4/5
Picnic and day-use area. 4/5

Part 4 of 4: Red’s Cove (coming soon!)

Ready to gear up?
Check out my page of gear reviews, recommendations and tips