Spring Lake Natural Area

A photo collage of Spring Lake Natural Area including fossils, ponds, trees and hiking trails — Photos by Melinda Seib

Spring Lake consists of 252 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 five endangered species. The area was used for ranching and hunting for many years, but has recently been left largely undisturbed with the exception of some natural-surface trails. This greenspace contains the typical meadows and woodlands found in the Edwards Plateau, with a wide variety of flora and fauna, including Mexican buckeye. The geology includes the Eagle-Ford, Georgetown, Del Rio clay, and Edwards limestone layers.

Spring Lake Natural Area is one of the prettiest natural areas with majestic live oaks draped in Spanish moss, flowering Mountain Laurel (two weeks in March), flowering Kidneywood (April), and many other butterfly attractors. In the spring, the meadow along Blue Stem Trail has an assortment of wildflowers and native grasses, including the trail’s namesake Texas native grass - Blue Stem. More than six miles of trails traverse the acreage with elevation changes from the hillside down to the meadow.

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 Springs. In 1926, A.B. Rogers purchased land around the Springs and built the Aquarena Springs Resort. Certain hillside trails are closed from March through May for Golden Cheek Warbler nesting season, as posted at the trailheads and on signs within the natural area. Please respect this restriction--we acquired the property with this stipulation. More than half the property is open year-round.