A Pleasant River Float through a Thunderstorm in San Marcos, Texas
If you’ve ever gone on a float trip, you know what it’s like. If not, I’ll paint a picture for you.
One of your friends excitedly tells you about a fantastic float trip they discovered the week before. You gather a group of friends, cooler filled to the brim, and beers in ready cupholders. You tie all the floaties together for a relaxing sunburnt day in 100F degree Austin, Texas, weather drifting 3.5 miles down the canopy-covered San Marcos River. I couldn’t imagine a better way to spend a hot summer day than that!
At least that is how it started out…
It was 100 degrees when we got to the parking lot of Don’s Fish Camp, around 40 minutes south of downtown Austin. Floating the San Marcos River is a popular local activity, a rite of passage for an Austinite.
It was a busy Labor Day Monday for the San Marcos River; there must’ve been hundreds of us floating on just this section alone. Smiles and chatter resonated from everywhere. Parents sunscreened their kids, and youths cracked open their Truly’s while we headed to the school bus to shuttle us upriver to our starting point.
Logistics for Don’s Fish Camp:
- Website: https://donsfishcamp.com/
- Shuttle Only Prices (BYOT: Bring your own Tube): $17
- Shuttle and Tube Rental: $24
- Last Float Start Time: 4:30pm; Don’s won’t let you go later than that
- Float Time: 2.5 hr – 3.5 hr, depending on how long you dilly dally
Off to a Great Start
We paid, lotioned up, and set out towards the school bus. Everyone laughed as the refreshing wind blew through the bus’s windows to dissipate the heat within.
Halfway through the 10 minute bus ride, soft rain pellets started to dab at our foreheads.
It started to drizzle.
Then rain.
Then pour.
Then diagonally pierce.
Horizontal daggered raindrops shot straight through the open schoolie windows as its passengers clamored to shut all the duct-tape opened windows. Looking outside with squinted eyes, river tubes wheeled across the road like tumbleweeds with the wind.
The bus pulled up to our entry point. Drenched inside, the first crack of lightning and the loud rumble of thunder snapped in the air. Strangers standing in comradery against the weather all cracked jokes, wondering if they would abandon us out in this storm.
They, surprisingly/unsurprisingly, did.
As we stepped out into the muddied mess, the bus behind us wildly spun its wheels, struggling to crawl out of the slippery earth.
Ahead of us, a mud-caked tube cemetery just begged for users to select a floatie to clean in the San Marcos River. Its keepers either hid beneath a trailer or scrambled to block rogue tubes from rolling into the plains.
A Chilly, Chilly Float
Yellow. Pink. Blue. Flowered. Pick your choice from hundreds of unkept wind-blown tubes to pump into shape.
A slick downhill path through the trees directed us straight to the river access point. Though not far, each step tested our balance as the mud compounded beneath our shoes. Within a few steps, you were already carrying two pounds of accumulated mud. Without falling, you somehow managed to slather brown all over your body.
Having finessed our way to the river’s head, a final crack of thunder rang through the air like a smoking gun at the start of a race. But we weren’t racing to win, we were racing to make it to the end of our 3 hour float without freezing our asses off in 60F degree weather and even chillier waters.
If it weren’t for the cold, the San Marcos River would have a lovely float. Scenic banks, a rope swing, beautiful canopies, and new friends greeted us as they floated by.
We imagined jumping into the crystalline waters as good music, giggles, and two slowly deflating tubes brought us ever closer to the end.
Despite our protests, by the final section, the cold had penetrated our skin. Goosebumps protruded as our pale lips shivered. I had even found a lily leaf as wind protection along the way.
No Regrets: Thunderstorm River Floating San Marcos River
Looking back at it now, I laugh. I wouldn’t trade this experience for anything, even better weather.
The San Marcos float itself was gorgeous, with certain parts seemingly simulating a rainforest. A couple fun tube flipping rapids were weaved into the river’s flow, and we even played with some turtles. We ended the day heating ourselves in the car before gorging on my first iHop meal.
A few rules of life learned from the float:
- Finder’s keepers
- If you ever pass a rope swing, you must swing
- If you act the hero and save someone’s marshmallows floating downstream, you get awarded with jello shots
Related Post: If it continues raining, check out these weird and fun indoor Austin activities
Catherine Xu is the founder and author of Nomadicated, an adventure travel blog that helps travelers cross off their bucket list. Since discovering traveling in 2015, she has lived and journeyed to 65 countries across 5 continents and vanlifed the west coast USA for 2+ years. These days, she splits her time in Southeast Asia and California while sharing her travel stories and resources based on first-hand experiences. Catherine's other works has been referenced in major publications like MSN, Self, and TripSavvy.