We're planning our family camping trip (probably @ June) and need some suggestions for a good family campground @ San Antonio. My thoughts were to "home base" around Schlitterbaun (New Braunfels) since I figure the kids would have more fun there and drive to the other attractions. I've been checking out Lazy L&L but they won't allow dogs and that might be a problem for the others in our group. A state park would be best but not a neccessity.

Anybody have some first hand experience that they want to share?

 

I like Kerrville and have stayed at this one. It was good.

http://www.guadaluperiverrvresort.com/

 

I love the Kerrville area also......there is a nice park up by Bandera that allows horses.........my buddy also recommends Gardner park (sp) but Im not quite sure how far that is.

 

Here's a good link to lots of places to stay.

http://backroadstexas.net/

You can look at a TX map that shows all of them.

 

Thanks for the link....I'll be new to the area and will need to trailer horses for riding..........I'm use to just taking off for miles around S. NM.

 

Looks like there is lots to choose from. I found a COE park called Potter that i'm going to check out. I never knew all this was there, we might have found a new fav destination.

 

Garner State Park is about 1 hr west of SA and about an hour and 15 south of Kerrville. If you want a great time (if your kids are 12+ years old), Garner offers tubing fishing, camping, and on Friday and Saturday nites, a good old fashioned dance. I have been going there since I was 10 and go back almost every year. I am now 52. It is way more sedate than the Guadalupe as far as tubing goes, (less ppl).

Gary

 

Is the Guadalupe spring fed? In my mind its like the rivers around here that are muddy and full of gar. From the pics I've seen it reminds me a spring fed river that's full of beautiful trout and crystal clear but can't get it through my head that something like that would be in Texas (I've never gone west past Dallas).

 

That's what I was trying to spell........my buddy says it is a beautiful park........he travels all the way from El Paso to go to it.

 

The Guadalupe River is spring fed, as well as the Frio River. In fact, all Hill Country rivers, as far as I know, are spring fed, unlike the rivers in East Texas. Potters Creek Park is on Canyon Lake, if that's the one you are talking about, and there is also Canyon Park as well as North Park, Comal Park and Jacobs Creek Park, all on Canyon Lake.

There are numerous camp grounds on the Guadalupe River itself, located down stream of Canyon Lake all the way to New Braunfels. I should let you know that they are usually crowded during the summer time, very popular place!

Good luck and enjoy your trip!

 

Last year, I was snorkeling in the Frio in one of the deeper areas and visibility was around 20 feet or so. It is spring fed but the creek has a rocky bottom so there is little to no silt. The Guadalupe is spring fed, but feeds Canyon Lake where the river thru New Braunfels is fed off of the dam.
That is why it is sooo cold in the dead of summer. The water clarity there is not as good as the Frio, but it is still 100% clearer than ANY east Texas waterway.

Gary

 

We're planning on going to that COE park next month to meet friends who are working there this winter. I'll try to remember to post back about how it was. you might also check here for other info.

 

We're at Potters Creek Park on Canyon Lake this week and I'm impressed. VERY large paved RV sites. Water and electric only but there is a dump station. 109 RV sites at $24/nite. Also a few multiple RV family sites and tent sites.

Two things to be aware of - the gate closes at 10PM and you can't get in after that until it opens at 7AM. Also, friends of ours who volunteered here said that this particular park hosts 1.4 million people per year so it's really hopping in the summer. Already last week, they had RVs lined up waiting for an opening prior to the President's Day weekend. This week after the holiday, there are openings here and there but things are pretty full. My understanding is that one of the 5 loops here in the park does allow reservations but the other 4 loops are on a first-come basis.

There are 6 other COE parks on this lake - some are day use only and some offer camping but Potters Creek is the only one that water and electric at the sites and a dump station.

If you have specific questions, post them up or PM me and I'll try to check in before we leave.