We hiked at Purgatory Creek Natural Area in San Marcos today. We’d never been there before and the place is huge. We have to go back and keep exploring!

How huge is Purgatory Creek? Well, it’s 570 acres of natural area right over the Edwards Aquifer recharge zone. It contains several miles of trails which you can walk or bike along. Some of the trails are pretty rough, so a mountain bike or at least a hybrid bike are in order. Here’s a map of the entire area.

Most of the trails are marked and you’ve got to love a place with trails named Virgil’s Way, Dante’s, Paraiso, Malcoda, Ovid, Ripheus, Nimrod, and Beatrice. I’ll leave it to you to look them up!

This photo is near the start of Dante’s Trail, from the kiosk at Hunter and Wonder World Drive.

Dante’s Trail

Part of the trail goes beneath Wonder World Drive. It’s like a giant Hot Wheels set.

Underneath Wonder World Drive

You can tell that at one time, Purgatory Creek carried more water and it carved a sweeping curve along its bank.

A View Along Purgatory Creek’s Banks

This is an impressive flood control dam. We didn’t try scrambling up it. Those boulders are about 3 or 4 feet in diameter.

Flood Control Dam