Guadalupe River SP should suit what you need if you can get by with out the screen shelter. Great park! Have a 2 part review from 2004:
Guadalupe River SP, Spring, 2004 (Part 1 of 2)
Guadalupe River SP, Spring, 2004 (Part 2 of 2)
Also, here is a copy of a review of our first trip to GRSP in 2003. Hope they help and you have a great trip.
Happy Camping!
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Guadalupe River State Park
Spring, 2003
Well, as promised here is a review of our 8-day trip to Guadalupe River SP, Texas. This will be a bit long but a great trip deserves the space. While there, we also took a look at Garner SP and Lost Maples SP. I'll do a short review of these under a different heading.
We arrived at Guadalupe on Thursday, 4/10 and must say that it was a great trip down with very good weather. We took I-35 down to Georgetown then west to 281 at Burnett then south. On the return trip we found that it is much faster to take 281 all the way to Hico then connect to 67 by way of 220. Hwy. 67 will connect you to either the south sides of Ft. Worth or Dallas.
We arrived at the park knowing which sites we wanted. This was due to Tom Collins and his DW, former members of this board. They arrived on Friday to camp with us for three days. Great fun which we intend to repeat next spring if not sooner. By chance, we also met with "Gatsmommy" and her DH & DS. I believe a great time was had by all. Now, on with the review
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Guadalupe SP is a beautiful park situated at the southern end of the Texas Hill Country. It is approximately 40 miles north of San Antonio and 30 miles west of New Braunfels. The park has a total of 105 camping sites: 37 water only (Cedar Sage Area), 48 water & electric (Turkey Sink Area) and another 20 "walk-in" (Wagon Ford Area) sites that I believe have water to each site but no electric. The "walk-in" sites could be closed at any time due to high water, as far as I could see. The first 2 areas are equipped with modern, clean shower houses. Wagon Ford has "pit" toilets (I think that's what they are called these days) and a number of "porta-potties". Some accommodations have been made for our equine friends in the Cedar Sage Area and they are welcome on most if not all trails. The state also holds ownership to the land immediately north of the park on the other side of the river. Unfortunately, this area has not been developed yet.
One of the best things about this park is the way that the camping area has been laid out and the way the foliage has grown. Many sites yield a large amount of shade and privacy. This helps on the weekend when the park fills up. Even though every site was taken, we did not feel crowded due to the privacy yielded by the trees and brush. As far as the "best" sites, we feel that those are as follows (All in Turkey Sink): 58 & 59 (Side by side and great for two families camping together! That's where we were with Tom and his DW), 57 (Across from the first two. Could easily be the third site if needed for a larger group. VERY shaded and we call it the "moonscape" due to a small rock formation.), 85, 73, 43 & 55. I would avoid 49 (Very "open" and too near shower house) and a few of them at each end of the loop (At the ends, most are too "open" for our liking but may not be a problem for you.). Can't say a lot about the other two camping areas except that they looked very nice if you don't need "on site" power.
Of course, as the park's name states, the Guadalupe River flows through the park. It is a very picturesque area with many cedar trees along the bank. Swimming/wading in the river is allot of fun but I must say that I found the water a bit chilly this time of year. You can tube/canoe the length of the park but be warned that it's almost 6 miles from the eastern limit of the park to the next "take out" point. This information is posted on the river as you approach this limit. I found fishing in the river to be almost fruitless. This surprised me as I usually do very well on these trips. Heard of no one doing any better so I guess the problem is the area.
Wildlife was abundant but not as obvious as some would like. Due to the heavy tree/brush cover in the area, you had to keep a sharp eye out. "Birding" in this park was not near as good as it is at South Llano River SP but there does not seem to be as high an interest level. Armadillos were abundant, as always, and made their presents known each evening.
Needed supplies are readily available by going about 7 miles east to the intersection of 281 and 46. There you will find a well stocked HEB, a few restaurants and some other stores. Three miles west of the park on 46 you will find the town of Bergheim. This town is notable for it's general store, locally known as "The Bergheim Mall". It's said that if you can't get it at the Bergheim Mall, you just can't get it! Well worth a stop if for no reason but the architecture. This store is still in the hands of the original family. About 9 more miles west on the same road you come to the town of Boerne (pronounced "bur-nee"). This little city is one of the prettiest Hill Country towns I've come across. To my way of thinking, it's prize asset is the River Road Park you drive past as you enter town on 46. Absolutely beautiful and it is very obvious that the residents take great pride in this as well as all other aspects of their town. Also, if you have the time, a stop at "The Dodging Duck" brew haus and restaurant is time and money well spent. It's on 46 as you enter town and gives you a great place to sit and watch the activity in the park.
Overall, DW and had a great 8 days on this trip. On a scale of 1-10, we've decided that this one was a "12"! We owe a lot to Tom Collins and his DW for all the info they gave also for just spending 3 days with us. We had a great time and look forward to another trip to Guadalupe River SP next spring. Happy Camping!
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