Brittany Kelley
SAN MARCOS — Significant additions to the Hays County parks scene are underway in Precinct 3 on the western side of the county.
According to Hays County Parks Director Karl Flocke, the projects began after nearly 70% of voters approved a $75 million park bond in 2020. It was clear that the voters wanted more opportunities to enjoy nature in the county, said Flocke. So, a citizen-led advisory Parks Board and the Parks and Open Space Advisory Council worked together to take suggestions, rank them and determine which projects to move forward on.
Since then, the $75 million has been leveraged into approximately $300 million, due to various state and federal grants, said Hays County Precinct 3 Commissioner Morgan Hammer.
Flocke explained that there are several projects that were conducted by Hays County in Precinct 3, which encompasses Wimberley and Woodcreek into San Marcos, that he and Hammer wanted to highlight.
First, there were four conservation easements that have been completed: Presa Grande, Owl Bluff Easement, Starnes Ranch and John Knox Ranch.
Another project that has been completed is Limestone Link Trail. The 100-acre trail system wraps around the west side of San Marcos, the director said, and will eventually be part of a broader connection from the Texas Capitol in Austin to the Alamo in San Antonio. It features the Ringtail Ridge Natural Area and the river recharge area. Although the other connections are yet to be constructed, Flocke stated that the San Marcos portion is currently available for the public to hike and enjoy.
The “flagship” of the projects —and soon, Hays County — is Sentinel Peak Preserve, said the director. The property was transferred to the county by the Nature Conservatory and features 533-acres of parkland and hiking trails, with one mile of Blanco River access.
“Back in 2011, the county initially initiated a Parks Master Plan and repeatedly, really across the county, [the thing] that was listed as the number one priority by people was access to the tremendous creeks and river systems that, ultimately, are one of the main reasons why people want to live here in Hays County,” said Flocke. “There aren’t a lot of great places to get to [the water] and for the public to enjoy. So, this is fulfilling a long recognized need.”
Located in the southwestern portion of the county, past what’s locally called Devil’s Backbone, the land is currently undergoing improvements, which includes a hillside campus that will house offices for the Hays County Parks Department, a visitor center and an event space. Additionally, there will be designated river access points that can be reserved. There will be 50 slots in the morning and 50 slots in the afternoon, said Flocke, to both ensure that visitors are not crowded and to prevent the river from being “loved to death.”
The dammed up river, which Hammer confirmed has been inspected and is secure, will reach a depth of approximately 9-feet deep, perfect for swimming, said Flocke.
The county not only aims to bring back swimming locations to the west side, but to also protect the environment. Flocke explained that the area, particularly in the cedar and oak trees, is a breeding ground for the Hays County native Golden-cheeked Warbler. To offset the potential impacts of community access, staff will be closing down the trails to the public in the spring and summer — breeding season — and instead offering guided tours. This will give residents a chance to hike, without disturbing the birds.
“With the devastation that we’ve been experiencing recently for Jacob’s Well being closed as long as it has, this does offer that opportunity of hope within our Parks department in the county,” said Hammer. “We prioritized getting individuals out and about and to really show the magnificent Hill Country and the west side of the county … We’re all very informed, on the west side, of what’s beneath our feet. Even though we don’t know the full extent, we are aware that we have to conserve and try to sustain and protect our natural surroundings.”
Completion of Sentinel Peak is aimed for spring 2027, Flocke said.
“Hays County is in a now or never moment with land conservation and providing recreation access … We have grown so much within the last decade that we are transitioning away from a largely rural county to a much more suburban or urban county. With that, there are two simultaneous things that are happening,” the director stated. “One is there is a much greater need for providing recreational access, whether that is sports fields, playgrounds or natural areas that you can hike at, swim at, etc. We eat all those things as the population grows at the same time. We start to lose the natural benefits of rural land. We start to lose the ability to infiltrate water, to have beautiful scenery, to have wildlife habitat … With this Park bond, we’re able to meet those dual objectives of preserving, conserving the landscape and providing the necessary resources for a growing population.”
The department also hopes to focus on conservation with Karst Canyon Prserve, located on the west side of Wimberley, which will hold a ribbon cutting March 27.
The park is 175 acres and, again, offers hiking and recreational activities for the community. Flocke emphasized the park's importance, as it houses karst features — including sinkholes and caves — that funnel down into the aquifer.
According to a Hays County news release, the property is near Jacob’s Well Natural Area and was previously slated for a high-density development of more than 1,000 residential lots, but the Watershed Association purchased the property in 2019, halting the plans. Hays County then bought the land in 2025 and secured a conservation easement through The Nature Conservancy.
Phase 2 is in progress and will add two miles to the completed Phase 1, which has two miles of trail, connecting to the North 40 Trail in Wimberley.
The ribbon-cutting ceremony will be at 10 a.m. Friday, March 27. Those attending will park at Parking Lot A at Jacob’s Well Natural Area at 1699 Mt. Sharp Road, Wimberley.
In addition to the parks, there are also municipality-led projects ongoing, the commissioner shared, such as the Blue Hole Nature Center. The center is a “bold, new initiative” to create a state-of-the-art environmental education and community hub, according to the Wimberley Parks and Recreation Department. She shared that the county has recently awarded the project $250,000 to continue moving forward.
There is also a goal to make Wimberley walkable, stemming from Woodcreek through Wimberley, which the park bonds have also contributed to, she said.
This opportunity to aid cities has been “great,” said the commissioner, as some communities, such as Wimberley, do not have a sales tax, which can limit their ability to fund projects.
“The county is very limited in the authority that we have to sway development from our areas. If they meet our criteria, we kind of have our hands tied and we have to approve administratively based on the Texas Constitution and statute. But that Parks bond has allowed us to conserve a lot of land that has karst features in it, to recharge our aquifer and to help with our habitat. So, it’s been a great bond and it’s done a lot of good within my precinct for Wimberley, for the Wimberley Valley and then, also just the west Hays in general,” concluded Hammer.
For more information on the Parks bond, visit www.haysparksbond.com. To stay up to date with the Hays County Parks Department, visit bit.ly/3NMapBl.
