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Five Mile Dam Park
4.4 ★★★★☆ 1,406 Google reviews · Running trail in San Marcos, Texas · Posted hours
Runner's snapshot
- Surface
- Paved
- Distance
- Not reported
- Shape
- Not reported
- Shade
- Not reported
- Access
- Posted hours
Confirmed from Five Mile Dam Park's own listing, the park or land manager's website, and runner reviews. Blank cells mean we could not verify that fact — we would rather say "not reported" than invent one. There is no Easy / Moderate / Hard rating on this page on purpose: a one-word difficulty score tells you nothing about whether a trail suits your run. Surface, distance, shade and hours do.
Destination for river swimming & boating, also offering walking trails & a soccer complex.
What runners say about Five Mile Dam Park
“Love this place seen turtles and fish and the water is clear dog friendly well kept landscape”
“I love watching the peaceful water moving and there is plenty of birds and beautiful wildflowers for visiting shutterbugs.”
“I love watching the peaceful water moving and there is plenty of birds and beautiful wildflowers for visiting shutterbugs.”
Beautiful river with varying depths of water near the west end parking. Lots of scenery to look at and plenty of nearby parking. It is FREE to have a nice afternoon at Five Mile Dam. Update 07/03/25. There is plenty of water to swim in the river today.
Stopped by during a road trip. I didn’t mind that the basin was dry. The dam is scenic and fun to climb on. There is a path down with a sort of lookout platform that offers a good view. Seems like a mix between a neighborhood park and natural area. It could be better kept up, but it did make my heart happy.
Beautiful park but currently the dam is dry as dry can be! If planning to kayak or paddleboard definitely check into the water levels before visiting. There was a little bit of water, but not much at all. Wonderful location to get out hiking!
I went to explore this area today. There wasn't any water. I had a nice hike and found some cool rocks. I'll be going back to explore more. 😊
Trail conditions & character
“I love watching the peaceful water moving and there is plenty of birds and beautiful wildflowers for visiting shutterbugs.”
“Beautiful river with varying depths of water near the west end parking.”
“The problem is, there are these big annoying stickers and they kept getting stuck in my dogs paws, so watch out for that.”
“We couldn’t find any details about the trail online, and the only trail available is mainly concrete trail.”
“Love coming here for walks or runs, there’s a nice playscape for the kids, and bathrooms.”
Plan your run at Five Mile Dam Park
The practical stuff
- AccessPosted hours — posted hours below; park gates sometimes close earlier than the listing says
- SurfacePaved — asphalt or concrete. Fast and predictable, runnable year-round, and fine with a stroller
- DistanceNot reported. Trail systems often quote total path mileage rather than a single loop, so measure the route you actually want before you drive out.
- ShadeNot reported. Assume some of it is exposed and carry water in summer.
- At the trailheadparking, restrooms — reported by runners
- DogsWelcome, per reviewers. Leash rules vary by park — the trailhead sign is the authority.
- Websitehayscountytx.com
Hours
| Monday | 9 AM–8 PM |
| Tuesday | 9 AM–8 PM |
| Wednesday | 9 AM–8 PM |
| Thursday | 9 AM–8 PM |
| Friday | 9 AM–8 PM |
| Saturday | 9 AM–8 PM |
| Sunday | 9 AM–8 PM |
Running trails near San Marcos
Other trails within easy driving distance — useful when this one is flooded, gated, or just not the run you had in mind today.
Blanco Shoals Natural Area
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Undeveloped natural park area on the Blanco River, with tall cottonwood & pecan trees & fish.
Lime Kiln Trailhead
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Area with trails for walking, hiking and biking, plus a pond with ducks.
The Sundial
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Gregg-Clarke Park
4.5 ★★★★★ 410 reviews
Spacious, playground-equipped park featuring sports courts, picnic tables and a pool, plus trails.
Spring Lake Natural Area
4.7 ★★★★★ 265 reviews
A large tract of undeveloped meadow & wooded land featuring natural-surface trails.
