Prospect Park is about 9 acres of passive-recreation parkland with about 1.2 miles of unmarked trails (closer to 2 miles if you include the spur that takes you into lower Purgatory). Prospect Park and lower Purgatory sit on a rather porous section of the Edwards Aquifer. Juniper groves, meadows, ephemeral wetlands, and oak mottes co-exist in Prospect Park. The park’s in-town location makes it a perfect natural area when you need a quick nature fix. Benches are located at both the entrance and on the upper trail that forks to the right from the park entrance. Prospect Park butts up against the 500 acres of the Purgatory Natural Area. Since the lower portion of the Purgatory acreage is most easily accessed via Prospect Park, the park and lower Purgatory are often described together.
Notes: Some areas border unfenced private properties, for example, in the Willow Creek subdivision. Do not cross fences except the one in the lowland area near the creek bottom
2nd trail that ive ridden since ive started! Found it to be more challanging than ringtail ridge from a technical stand point. I also had the disadvantage of having gone through some mud which robbed my tires of alot of the grip i would have liked to have had when going uphill on the rocks! Still would recommend to those just startig off to check it out!
| ThankThe tread ranges from very rocky and technical to easy field singletrack. A limestone path cuts through the short loop providing a bailout if necessary. The far end of the loop provides access to the Purgatory Creek Greenspace trails by traveling under the roadway overpass. Easy access to this park from town is a great feature.
| ThankProspect Park presents solid riding. pedaling distance from the heart of San Marcos. The climbs are mostly bumpy, until you hit a technical bit. Then they jump quickly from novice to strong intermediate. Running the trail counterclockwise provides a smoother less challenging experience. Taking the loop clockwise seemed more consistently technical pedaling. Few riders will be overwhelmed by the descents. Riding the trail in both directions is my suggested loop. The trail is fun going both directions but incredibly short.
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things have changed quite a bit out at the ole' Prospect Park, some of it bad but most of it good...and much of it under the radar. In the last year, several miles of new trail have been cut and a good portion of that includes some crazy technical sections...some I dare say near unrideable to most people. The trails now expand out past the flood plain and into the trees on the other side. Also, there is a way to link these trails to the newly developed Purgatory Green Space trails system a few miles down the road from Prospect. All in all you could probably squeeze in 10 or so miles if you know where to go. Then again, these trails can be ridden in either direction (and depending on who you're with you'd be going backwards either way) so that adds even more trail riding fun right in the middle of good old San Marcos. Check out Texas State's page on bikemojo if you're ever looking for a ride/guide. There is usually someone willing to ride, you just have to hope they check mojo:)* Review edited 12/8/2008
| ThankGood for beginners and intermediate. Main course is easy with a few off-road vehicle trails which are easy to follow. Some harder "foot trails" lead off into woods where there are some very rocky areas and if you go off those trails on your own path, you can find fairly large drops and jumps that definitely merit a helmet. Great views!!
| ThankThis trail is hardly a "mountain bike" trail but given it is one of a few places where you can actually ride your bike on dirt in San Marcos it serves a purpose. DO NOT waste your time coming here if you don't live close, if you do its a good place to waste some time on your bike. They are consistently making changes/improvements so who knows what it could end up being, but right now it's nothing special.
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