Starting Memorial Day weekend, non-San Marcos residents will be charged $5 to enter Rio Vista Park during peak summer period each weekend.

The San Marcos City Council approved the new fees on April 7 as part of the Managed Access Test Plan (MATP) to provide revenue to support the park’s upkeep, safety and environmental health, allowing residents and anyone younger than 18, regardless of residency, to continue to have free access.

Residents are required to show proof of residency when registering for a park pass online in the form of a valid driver’s license, government-issued ID, current utility statement with a photo ID, current rental or housing contract with a photo ID, San Marcos Library Card or a current paid parking permit.

“The fee will only be charged when we are operating managed access to Rio Vista, Saturdays and Sundays and Holiday weekends. Monday [through] Friday will remain free for all unless a holiday falls on one of those days,” Jamie Lee Case, director of parks and recreation, wrote in an email to The Star.

The fees will apply to 36 days this summer, between its start on Memorial Day and Labor Day weekend.

The city defines any local area participant, or resident, as someone who resides within the territorial limits of the city of San Marcos, within the boundaries of the zip code 78666 or within the area of the San Marcos Consolidated Independent School District.

The entry fees will support staff operations such as park ambassadors, seasonal park maintenance staff and ongoing park maintenance, Case wrote.

“Implementing the managed access fee will create a dedicated revenue source to offset those costs and ensure that out-of-town visitors contribute to the upkeep and maintenance required to manage the high seasonal impact on the park,” Case wrote.

During peak season for Rio Vista in 2025, the city spent more than $508,568, around 18% of the overall parks maintenance budget, to operate the park, with $11,179 for the fencing rental, $19,800 for in-stream litter removal contracts and $37,557 for police officers and fire marshals overtime.

The temporary fence around Rio Vista will also return this summer as a part of the MATP, according to Case.

The fence was introduced in 2025 to mitigate issues such as litter and safety concerns and park violations like the possession of alcohol, charcoal grills, tents and the single-use container ban.

“We do not know if the fee will specifically impact a reduction in violations, but the implantation of managed access without a fee did lead to a reduction in violations of park rules,” Case wrote.

Steven Hughes, incoming graduate student and San Marcos resident, said the tourists should help keep San Marcos’ parks beautiful.

“I rely on city parks to relax, get fitness and enjoy nature, but at any of these parks you will just see a fair amount of trash [and] see a lot of people there,” Hughes said.

Jennifer Sawyer, a San Marcos resident, said about 90% of the time she and her kids go to the river, they are picking up trash like diapers. She said on a weekly basis, she doesn’t see many college students littering or harassing people; it’s normally locals.

“An exorbitant amount of trash is being left [at the river], and I really feel like the river [isn’t] being respected that much,” Sawyer said. “There are groups that go out every Sunday and Monday that just clean up trash, but they are filling trash bags, we’re talking 10, 20 trash bags after one weekend of visitors.”

One of Sawyer’s biggest reasons for living in San Marcos is the river, not only for it’s natural beauty but the relationship she has with it and her kids.

“It’s just a place where my kids have grown up ever since I was pregnant, you know, getting in there while they were in my belly and then as soon as they were born and could get in the water, six weeks old, they were in the river,” Sawyer said. “It’s kind of our place to go, and we feel pride over it. It’s part of something much bigger than us and something that we want to help.”

Residents have the option to get a free pass to the park in the form of a wristband issued at no cost the first time, with a maximum of five people per household. Residents can get the Rio Vista pass at San Marcos Parks and Recreation’s website.