Things to Do in San Marcos

John Newcombe Country Club's veranda looks out upon eight lit tennis courts with a sweeping backdrop of Texas Hill Country. While tennis students aged 3 and up scamper over the courts under the guidance of certified instructors, AFAA-certified personal trainers oversee the fitness program, while making sure to reapply bronzing oil every half-hour. They guide trainees through free-weight exercises, as well as classes in Zumba, Pilates, TRX training, and AquaFit conducted in an outdoor pool. While their parents sweat, children can make art and watch movies in the kids' club, or seek out their dream rackets in the pro shop.

Chuck's Tubes' team sends their customers on laid-back journeys down the Comal River's tree-lined waterways. Their inflatable vessels—which can also accommodate coolers and nonrobotic dogs—float down the river as it winds through the city of New Braunfels. Once tubers reach the end of their journey, an air-conditioned shuttle ferries them back to the launch point for another trip down the river. A private DJ spins tunes back at Chuck's Tubes' headquarters, where staff members help visitors understand maps of the Comal River and that tubes don't actually taste like donuts.

Action Angler & Outdoor Center, a stream-side fly-fishing shop, offers access to a unique segment of the Guadalupe River, replete with trout, bass, and panfish, and reserved exclusively for fly-fishing. The shop's owner and TXPW-licensed lead guide, Chris Jackson, draws on his 30 years of fly-fishing experience, which began at age 12, when he caught his first trout on the fly in the Rio Grande's headwaters. Patrons can buy or rent equipment ranging from kayaks by makers such as Outcast and Diablo to rods, reels, and wading boots, ideal for jogging into the depths during races with your reflection. Once outfitted, visitors can strike out independently, or opt for guided floats and fly-fishing lessons on the Guadalupe. Guides can also chaperone full-day floats on the San Marcos River, Colorado River, and Lady Bird Lake.

Hogs. Feral hogs everywhere. That's the problem that faces agricultural landowners in Texas right now. Lonestar Helicopter Hunter blossomed from this problem, and its staff of active duty and ex-military personnel began hunting hogs from the passenger seats of their helicopter to help battle the destructive populations. In addition to helping farmers, the group realized how powerful the adrenaline rush was and started teaching other hunters and marksmen the challenging hunting style. Soon they came up with a paintball-based version, which equips adrenaline-seekers with markers, paintballs, and a field of stationary targets to aim at, providing the same kind of excitement as the real hunt. In addition to aerial target practice, Lonestar's expert pilots also license and certify burgeoning helicopter pilots with private, commercial, and certified instructor courses.

The certified marksmen of Bullseye Shooting Sports teach the fundamentals of safety and accuracy to pupils of all ages. In addition to offering courses in range safety, NRA-certified instructors teach students how to responsibly fire pistols, rifles, and shotguns. Fletched projectiles are the subjects of private archery lessons, held on the facility’s open-air range, as well as at kids’ backyard archery parties. USA Archery–certified coaches tote portable ranges and the requisite equipment to shindigs, instructing up to 20 kids, adults, or terrified bull's-eyes in marksmanship.

The horses at Hollow Tree Ranch trot around more than 20 grassy acres laced with streams, dotted with leafy trees, and imbued with wild country atmosphere. Here, skilled instructors guide beginner students during horseback-riding lessons. They place their pupils on the horse right at the beginning for hands-on instruction in saddling up and controlling a steed through trotting, weaving between obstacles, and riding over a log trail. They also combine equestrian training with group roping lessons, where they demonstrate how to coil, aim, and throw a lasso at targets such as an orange cone, a ground dummy, and a high-school bully. They run a one-week intensive day camp in horseback riding, tacking, and care, and regularly use equine therapy to instill communication skills, core muscle strength, and confidence in young people with disabilities.