Kerrville-Schreiner Park
Kerrville, Texas
April, 2007
Campground Name: Kerrville-Schreiner Park
Campground's Website:
http://www.kerrville.org/index.asp?NID=318
http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/spdest/f...lle_schreiner/
E-Mail:
kerrpark@kerrville.org
Physical Address: 2385 Bandera Highway, Kerrville, Texas 78028
Telephone: 830-257-5392
Last Visited: April, 2007
Number of sites, Other Facilities, Rates per Night and other fees:
Primitive: 58 (water available) $9.00
Water & Electric (30 amp) Pull-Thru: 15 Back-In: 7 $13.00
Full Hook-Up: (30 amp) Pull-Thru: 30 Back-In: 0 $15.00
Full Hook-Up: (50/30 amp) Pull-Thru: 10 Back-In: 0 $15.00
*Cabanas: 23 $45.00
*Park Cabin: 1 $84.75
*Group Recreation Hall: 1 $95.00
*Group Dining Hall: 1 $75.00
“Day Use” Rate (additional to any facilities rental):
Adults Over 13: $3.00
Senior (65+): $2.00
Group School Sponsored Trips (13-19): $0.50
Notes on Rates:
1)Facilities denoted with an asterisk (*) require a refundable, $25.00 “cleaning” deposit. Neither pets nor smoking are allowed inside of any park building.
2) Day Use Fees waived for those holding a Texas Parks and Wildlife Passport and renting facilities.
3)A Kerrville-Schreiner Park Annual Pass is available that will eliminate all “Day Use” fees. This pass costs $25.00 and is valid for one year from date of purchase.
4)All fee rates should be valid through September, 2007 (end of fiscal year). More on this subject later in the body of this review.
Big Rig accessible: Yes
Shade trees: Yes
Waterfront sites: No
Swimming: River (at you own risk)
Hike/Bike Trails: 6+ miles, “Easy” to “Difficult”
Fishing: Yes
Boating: Yes
Clean restrooms: Yes Clean showers: Yes
Pets allowed: Yes (normal “leash” and “clean-up” rules apply)
Tents allowed: Yes
Fires/Grills allowed: Yes (Subject to local “Burn Bans”)
Family type: Yes
Overall Rating (1=poor 10=excellent): 8 (pushing “9” real hard)
Pictures: http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/turnke.../ph//my_photos
Pictures associated with this review may only be available at the above link for a limited time. If you find that the link is no longer active, feel free to contact me via “Private Message” and I will do my best to e-mail the related pictures to you.
Our Trip:
Well, its spring in Texas and that can only mean that we have either been to or are about to leave for our annual hiatus to the Hill Country. Unfortunately it’s the former and our trip is complete for this year. I am fortunate in that I am sitting here now, putting this review together and enjoying our trip anew. Though this was not our best trip it was enjoyable and relaxing, giving us time to enjoy the good company of our friends, “T” & “M”. These are the same camping buddies who have shared so many wonderful adventures with us on prior trips and we had a great time with them on this occasion. We had made some plans for this trip, wanting to try a few new experiences and further explore some places we had been before. Due to a late arriving blast of winter weather, we were unable to bring some of those plans to fruition. Not a real problem as it will just leave more for us to do on our next return to the area. This said, let’s take a look at Kerrville-Schreiner Park (K-SP) and see if it might be a place that you’d like to visit.
As is our norm, we departed our home in North Central Texas very early on Thursday. The city of Kerrville is about 1½ hours further south then we often go on these trips. This being so, we chose to leave our home even earlier then usual. Since our usual “breakfast” stop in Glen Rose was still “closed” at this hour, we were forced to improvise a bit. We found an Exxon station (Tiger Corner) at the intersection of US 67 & State Highway (SH) 144 and figured that this would be good enough for a quick nosh. It turned out to be a good bit more. This station is run by a retired couple that used to run a bakery. They have taken this on in their golden years and are putting out some fine product. DW and I partook of some very good breakfast biscuits w/egg and ham but the best part was the cheesecake that they had to offer. This was outstanding and at $1.00 for a piece about 2” square, a very economical treat. They had other baked goods to offer and I feel confident that all would be of equal quality. This “quick stop for a nosh” turned out to be a very nice surprise and something I will look forward to on our next visit to Glen Rose.
After breakfast we continued our normal route following US 67 to SH 220 and then south to Hico. There we picked up US 281 and headed south through Hamilton, Lampasas and on to Burnet. At Burnet we headed west on SH 29 until we turned south once more on SH 16 at Llano. We past the Llano Nest on SH 29 just as the sun was starting to light the eastern sky. We would have liked to have stopped but there has still been no repair to the shoulder at that point. I saw a motor home damaged by that drop-off a year or two ago. Given that, I was not willing to risk our “5th”.
As said, we connected with SH 16 at Llano and headed south through Fredericksburg and on to Kerrville. Here is about the only place I made a mistake. The computer routing system and the directions given on the park’s web site told me to follow 16 through town, picking up SH 173 on the south side of the city. From there I was to go south-east about 3 miles to Park Road 19 which would be on my left. Sounds easy right? Probably would be most of the time. At this point in time, 16 through Kerrville is under some major construction and towing a “5th” through the area is not much fun. Add to that a poorly placed sign for 173 and you have all the makings of a right good mess! The sign for 173 is placed about one block too soon. If you follow it (as I did) you end up turning left onto “G” Street, a rather small side street that could cause larger units some major grief. If you should happen to make this mistake as I did, don’t panic!!! All is not lost. Continue east for a block or two until you come to Water Street (State Highway 27). Turn right and continue for about 1½ miles until you come to Loop 534. Turn right (south) onto Loop 534, immediately getting into the left lane and go over the river bridge. Take a left at the light (173) and Park Road 19 is just in front of you on the left. The best way to access this park from the north is to turn east on Loop 534 where it intersects 16 at the north end of town, just south of Interstate 10. From there it’s a quick trip around the east side of town to where you catch 173. Much easier with far less stress.
We quickly checked in and having discussed it with “T” & “M”, we knew which sites we were interested in. Kerrville-Schreiner Park has a reservation system similar to the one used by Texas State Parks. You are allowed to reserve a type of camp site (Primitive, Power & Water, Full Hook-up) but not a particular site. It would be nice to be able to reserve particular sites but I do appreciate how cumbersome this would be and I understand why so many parks just won’t do it. At least at K-SP you can reserve the type of site in either the eastern or western half of the park, the two halves being bisected by 173.
Before we go into a description of the available facilities, I’d like to talk a bit about the park’s history and general layout. Kerrville-Schreiner Park was originally established by and under control of the city in the late ‘20s. By 1934 the State of Texas had taken control and using the efforts of the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), the first permanent facilities were added. From that time until 2004 the park remained a part of and functioned under the control of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (
TPWD). On February 13, 2004 the park was “sold” back to the city of Kerrville. Along with the park, the city received a sum of $1.8 million from the state to be used for needed repairs and improvements. All of this change of ownership was handled under Texas House Bill 2108 and I must say that the funds received by the city of Kerrville appear to have been well spent and went to their intended purpose. DW and I had looked at this park a number of years ago while it was still under the control of the
TPWD. At that time, we were less then impressed and had decided not to return. It was only due to encouragement from “T” & “M” that we chose to try this park again and I must say that the improvements made since our last tour is marked.
Along with the park and funds, the city of Kerrville also acquired the services of Officer Tim Hufsted who fills the position of Park Manager. It is my understanding that Officer Hufsted has extensive experience with this park and left State employment to continue as the manager of K-SP. I would like to thank him for the time and information he was able to share with me. Both allowed me to fill in the voids in this review. He, along with the park staff, helped to make our trip most enjoyable.
Kerrville-Schreiner Park consists of 517 acres situated on the western bank of the Guadalupe River, just a few miles south of the downtown area. As stated above, the park is bisected by SH 173 with what is often called the “River Side” to the east. I understand that the western part of the park is often referred to as the “Deer Field Area”. I will use these nomenclatures here in an effort to make this review clear. The River Side includes camping, “Day Use”, river/water sport facilities, boat ramp and all administrative facilities for the park. It also includes approximately ¼ of the park’s acreage. This side of the park tends to draw the greater amount of park activity and therefore can be expected to be a bit noisier. It is also closer to SH 173, exposing campers to more highway noise. The Deer Field Area is accessed via a coded gate and includes the majority of the park’s acreage. Along with extensive camping facilities you will find more “Day Use” area, over 6 miles of hiking trails and all maintenance facilities. This area, along with being set back away from SH 173, is also buffered by a large stand of trees. This keeps highway noise to a bare minimum.
For simplicity, I will state here that each side of the park is equipped with sufficient shower houses that have been newly rebuild/remodeled. All are kept spotlessly clean and ready for use. The shower house in the Deer Field Loop also includes “coin operated” washers and driers. Though not needed on this trip, these are a boon not to be taken lightly by those with kiddos. Each side is also equipped with its own Dump Station, both being well located and oriented for easy use.
During our time together, Officer Hufsted informed me that one of the first projects that the city faced when taking control of the park was the updating of the sewage treatment works. Under the control of the
TPWD, the park had installed and was attempting to maintain 20 different and antiquated septic systems. It was decided to remove all of these and put the entire park onto the city’s sewage treatment system. All of this work has been completed with the added benefit of making the “Pecan Loop” camping area “Full Hook-Up” as opposed to “Power & Water”. This work has been completed with few scares remaining and no additions to Camping Fees to this point. Officer Hufsted did say that these fees may not remain the same after the end of this fiscal year. He further stated that the present fee structure has remained in place due to the extensive work being done in the park and the amount of inconvenience experienced by visitors. From here let’s start to cover some of the individual camping loops, pointing out what each has to offer.
Sites in “River Side”
Sites 1-16 (Area has no known name), 16 “Back-In” tent sites, no “hookups”, water available.
These sites are located between the park Headquarters and the river. The area is very open, offering minimal shade. Sites tend to be shallow but should be fine for a tent camper. Grass, at least at the time of our visit was thick and very green. I would not be expecting that in the middle of August. (Note: See notation below concerning what once was Sites 17 through 24)
Sycamore Circle, Sites 201- 210, 10 “Pull Thru” sites, “Full-Hookup”, 30/50 amp service.
This area is located a bit south and east of the park entrance. It is an older loop placed in an open area. The sites vary in size a good bit and are set a little close together for our taste. None the less, it is a nice area and has the great perquisite of each site having a covered picnic table.
Pecan Loop, Sites 211- 220, 10 “Pull Thru” sites, “Full-Hookup”, 30 amp service.
This is a well shaded loop placed just west of Sycamore Circle. Again, sites vary in size but spacing is a bit better. As mentioned earlier in this review, this area of the park has recently been up-graded from “Power & Water” to “Full Hook-Up”. This loop’s only drawback is it’s proximity to the highway and the inevitable noise associated with it. I discussed this with Officer Hufsted during our time together and it is hoped that some type of buffer can be added in the future.
As mentioned above, I want to say a few words about an area that contains what used to be Sites 17-24. This loop is just north of the Park Headquarters and contains what had once been 8 “Back-In” sites. At some point it was determined that this loop would serve well as a “Day Use” area. There are now 8 picnic sites with a driveway and covered picnic table for each. There is water available and easy access to the playground and “Butterfly Garden”. There has also been new restroom facilities built just south of the “Butterfly Garden”.
Sites in the “Deer Field Area”
Deer Field Loop, Sites 111-130, 20 “Pull Thu” sites, “Full Hook-Up”, 30 amp service and Sites 317-323, 7 “Back-In” sites, “Power & Water”, 30 amp service.
This is the area of the park that we stayed in (Site 128) and I must say that it truly earns its name. Though deer can be seen in all areas of the park (watch for them running across the road early in the morning and in the evenings), Deer Field Loop seems to attract and hold the lion’s share. The deer in this park are tamer then anywhere else I have been and have no qualms about walking into your camp and even eating out of your hand. This is not a practice that I endorse but DW couldn’t resist the opportunity one morning and I have a shot of her sharing some toast with a deer just outside of our “5th”. It is my understanding that park management is not concerned about this. I intend to check on this prior to our return and if so, I will be sure to bring a supply of deer corn with me.
As stated above, this area includes two types of camping sites. Sites 111 through 130 straddle a road running north and south from the main park road. The road and sites have recently been re-surfaced and are in fine shape. Sites are reasonably level with good drainage. Most sites are large enough to accept even the largest towed or driven
RV though some may have to “back and fill” a bit to get in and remain on the pavement. I would strongly advise that a “spotter” be used in most sites as there are some low hanging limbs and a few places where trees close to the road could be an issue. Of course these same trees yield fair to good shade for the entire area.
Sites 317 through 323 are off of the main park road and appear to be among the least favorable. Site depth is an issue in some and it was noted that the parking surfaces could use some work. The amount of shade on these sites varies from fair to none and I would find the area’s proximity to the shower house and dump station less the appealing. None the less, these sites are available and would be fully serviceable for those arriving late on a Friday or intending to spend little time at their camp sites. During our time at the park all of these sites appeared to be occupied by campers involved in a bicycle marathon. They were gone before we got up and never returned until near dark.
Mountain View Loop, Sites 221-235, 15 “Pull Thru” sites, “Power & Water”, 30 amp service.
Though I must say that given the size of our rig, I would not care to camp in this area, many seem to enjoy this part of the park. Even though the sites are “Pull Thru”, many are very shallow, even to the point of the site being no more then a wide spot in the road. Location would suggest that utilities were added to these sites long after the original construction of the park. This placed the hook-ups on the wrong side necessitating long runs of wires and hoses or parking rigs the wrong way. “Slides” could be an issue in these sites as well. Even so, this is a very nice part of the park and many sites offer good shade. If we were still in a pop-up, I could find at least a few of these sites favorable.
Fox Run Loop, Sites 24-44, 21 “Back-In” sites, “Primitive” (water available from central tap).
Parking areas for these sites are very shallow, making them unsuitable for RVs. Though we saw a truck camper and a couple of pop-ups in this area, it is far better suited for a tent camper. As in most areas of the park, shade varies from fair to good with most sites being shaded at least some portion of the day. Sites are well spaced. If we were still in a tent and did not care about electricity, this is the area I would head for.
Fawn Hide-A-Way, Sites 45-65, 21 “Back-In” sites, “Primitive” (water available from central tap).
This area is similar to the Fox Run Loop with the added benefit of deeper parking areas making them suitable for pop-ups, a-liners and other small RVs. Tents are still the best option for this part of the park. Sites are generous with many offering good shade and abundant grass at this time of the year.
Additional Park Facilities
Group Shelter/Dining Hall in the “Deer Field Area”
This is a large screened shelter which can be rented for family gatherings and parties. It is equipped with folding tables and chairs and at least some facilities for cooking. There is also a large grill and an additional campfire ring for the use of those renting this area. It is my understanding that it is in the plans to up-grade these facilities; sealing the windows, adding insulation, A/C and heat, making the structure more useable during our hot Texas summers and inclement weather.
Cabanas/Mini-Cabins, 23 total, located as follows;
Numbers 1-8: adjacent to Sycamore Circle in River Side.
Numbers 9-16: High Point Loop in the Deer Field Area.
Numbers 17-23: running the perimeter of the Group Shelter Area in the Deer Field Area.
These cabanas are a recent addition to the park, replacing the screen shelters that had been on the same sites. Each of these shelters offers A/C, heat, lighting, tables & chairs and 4 twin bunk beds. It was noted that at least some of these cabanas are equipped with an exterior 30 amp electrical box, making the site capable of supporting an additional
RV. These are a great option for those without camping equipment.
Park Cabin in the “Deer Field Area”
For those who would like to be alone for a while, here is your option. This is a 24’ X 28’ cabin set back in the woods. Though the area had once been used for equestrian purposes, it has long since given over to human comforts. The cabin is fully equipped including A/C and heat, a kitchenette, private shower, satellite television and accommodations for up to 8. Outside you’ll find a picnic table and fire ring, all surrounded by trees offering privacy you rarely find in a park of this type. Even the road leading up to the cabin is marked as a private drive and intended for occupants only. This would be a wonderful place for a husband and wife to spend some time alone. Keep it in mind, guys! Your wife will love you for it.
Recreation Hall in “River Side”
This structure is located just north of Sycamore Circle and can be rented for “Day Use” or overnight. It has A/C and heating and is equipped with a kitchen and restrooms without showers. I had no chance to look at the inside of this building so my description is based on information found “on line”. The exterior is quite nice and the main entrance yields a nice view of the river.
Fishing Terrace
If you follow the road north from the Recreation Hall you will come to this area. My memory of our last visit did not show this area looking as nice as it does now. I found out later that I was correct. As part of the rejuvenation of this park, the Fishing Terrace had also had its share of work done. The bank is now lined with large cut stone, giving easy access to the river. Trees have been left in place and picnic tables added. The grass is well kept and the entire area is very inviting. I don’t really know how much fishing goes on but I’m sure this part of the park gets its share of visitors.
Well, that about sums up the park except for a few added notes. You’ll find that many of the sites have picnic tables that are not anchored to the ground. We find this to be a great help in bad weather as it allows us to move the table under the awning. Also, I saw a few sites with upright grills. This helps out those of us with knees that aren’t what they once were. Wish all sites in all parks were outfitted with these. Park roads are in good shape and sites are level for the most part. We found this to be a great place to camp and we look forward to a return trip.
As always, I like to add at least a few words about the area that a park is located in. We did not spend a great deal of time outside of the boundaries of the park on this trip but that time that we did was enjoyable. You will find shopping for those things needed while camping convenient. Approximately 2 miles west of Texas 16 on Texas 27 (Main Street) you will find a Wal-Mart Super Center. Along with this on the same road you will find a number of other retail establishments and eateries. Though I do not recall the name of the company, there is a propane distributor approximately 2 miles west of Wal-Mart on the north side of the highway. It should be easy to find as we did on a very cold, foggy and rainy Saturday morning.
DW and I enjoy searching out new places to eat and we tried two while in Kerrville. Our first was “Kathy’s on the River” located on Water Street just east of Hayes Street. We dined there one evening and though we found the food to be good and priced well (even if the service was slightly less then acceptable), there was little remarkable about this establishment. With the exception of a wonderful view of the river on a very nice evening, we might as well have been at about any of the nicer “chain” restaurant.
A few nights later we decided that we again didn’t want to bother with cooking. We had heard much about a Mexican restaurant called “Mamacita’s Restaurant and Cantina” and though DW is not a great fan of this type of cooking, we decided to give it a try.
Mamacita’s is a small “chain”, numbering only 5 outlets in the Texas Hill Country (Fredericksburg, New Braunfels, San Antonio and San Marcos in addition to Kerrville). I understand that there are plans for the next restaurant to be built in Austin. In Kerrville they are located on the north side of the Junction Highway (State Highway 27) near its intersection with Water Street. The exterior of the structure is decorated with beautiful pools and small waterfalls, looking very much like those types of places you can find in the Texas Hill Country. The interior is decorated to look like a mid-19th century south Texas village, complete with a façade of the Alamo. On the wall stands a fiddler (Crockett giving his version of the “Deguello”?) who plays about every 15 minutes to the rising of a full, Texas moon. In addition to the Alamo façade, the walls are lined with other Mexican style store fronts, creating a very nice ambiance.
Mamacita’s menu runs the full gambit of Mexican/Tex-Mex cooking in addition to some Anglo and Mexican-style Anglo dishes. I could not resist one of my favorites, beef fajitas while DW chose a more American dish, Agujas (BBQ pork ribs). We were both well satisfied and left with enough in “to-go” containers for lunch the next day. Service was excellent and I found pricing well within acceptable levels. “Lunch Specials” are available Monday through Friday, 11AM until 3 PM. These include iced tea in their pricing. “Takeout” service is also available.
We found Mamacita’s to be an outstanding place for dinner. We will be watching for their other locations as we travel and hope that they expand their business closer to the North Central Texas area. Below is a link that should give you more information about this wonderful establishment. Hope you can find the time to visit as you travel through Texas. It is time and money well spent if you enjoy this cuisine.
http://www.mamacitas.com/
On this trip we split one day touring Comfort and Fredericksburg, Texas. Both remain the lovely Texas Hill Country tourist towns that they have been for so many years. Both DW and I noted that Fredericksburg seems to have changed emphasis from its German/Country background to something more eclectic. As always, the beer at the Fredericksburg Brewery was great!
The time for our departure came a great deal sooner then I would have liked. Friday morning found us hitching up and bidding farewell to Kerrville-Schreiner Park. I would again like to thank Officer Hufsted and his outstanding staff for helping to make our trip the great experience that it was. Their help in completing this review was invaluable.
Well I guess that pretty well wraps it up for this trip. We reversed our path and followed it home, arriving in due course with no great adventures to speak of. We did get a quick glimpse of one of the eagles landing in the Llano Nest as we drove by. DW snapped a quick picture but it was not at all clear. Though we didn’t have the wonderful weather we so often have on our spring sorties to the Texas Hill Country, we still had a great time. Our visit with “T” & “M” is something we look forward to with great anticipation each spring. We always have a marvelous time together and this trip was no exception. As you’ve read through my ramblings, I hope that you have found something that you can use in your travels. If you find that you have any questions, feel free to e-mail or PM and I will do my best to answer. Until then and always,
Happy Camping!
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