Posted 2010-12-14 9:13 AM (#128029) Subject: trail riding in Texas
New User
Posts: 3
Location: bardstown,Ky
We are considering a trip to Texas the latter part of Feb or early March . Does anyone have information about riding and camping near Bandera, Tx. Have a fully self contained trailer with full living quarters, however would like someplace with lot of riding. Would like someplace with either stalls for our horses or at least corral panels. Someone suggested a place called Chapa's Group Facility.. Does anyone have any information on this part of Texas for riding vacation.
Posted 2010-12-14 2:09 PM (#128039 - in reply to #128029) Subject: RE: trail riding in Texas
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 330 Location: northeast Texas
This would be the Hill Country State Natural Area in Bandera. You should go to their website. They have alot of trail, much of it technical. The camp area is primitive. I think one camp ground area has some portable corrals. One area has a barn with stalls. The website can answer all your questions. Sure is a long drive from Kentucky. Do you plan to visit other places to ride along the way? LBJ National Grasslands in Decatur, just north of DWF is nice riding.
Patti
Posted 2010-12-25 8:50 PM (#128281 - in reply to #128029) Subject: RE: trail riding in Texas
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 373 Location: Texas
The LBJ Grasslands has 75 miles of trails. 5 different loops from 8 to 25 miles, all out of TADRA Point. Variety of terrain, but all the trails are considered easy to maybe moderate. (These are my home trails, so my views are often different)
The camp has pit toilets, windmill for horse water. BUT, you can stay at the Grasslands Bed and Barn. Stay in your trailer, or in their housing, and they have corrals for the horses. Nice place:
March 19th they have a large run (people on foot) and the Bed and Barn gets booked for that, and the trails are busy. Don't think any other large events for Feb. / March on schedule
Posted 2010-12-29 8:41 PM (#128361 - in reply to #128029) Subject: RE: trail riding in Texas
Elite Veteran
Posts: 681 Location: Corpus Christi, Texas
Bandera is the only place I've camped thus far.. The camp ground is primitive.. no elec hook-ups, no potable water. There is a bunk house with a barn at Chapa's Camp right in the middle of several intersecting trails, but I have never stayed there. You may stay at the camp-O campground, right by the headquarters for a very reasonable nightly fee.. there are corrals and a water source there, or for a slightly larger nightly fee, you may stay at the equestrian trailhead, also with corrals, a bathroom and a water tank there. There is also a place in the back at the end of the road. The entire place is @ 6000 acres and has myriad varied trails that vary from easy to quite steep. The area is very rocky, so you will need shoes if your horse isn't used to barefoot or if you do not have boots. I ride it barefoot, but my mare has hooves like iron. I ride in the morning.. come in @ noon, and eat and rest and then go back out again in the afternoon. There are enough trails for you to take a different one each morning and each evening, and have enough to keep you busy for several days. Most of the trails are well marked. I love the area and in several years of making 2-3 trips a year (staying for 1-2 days at a time) I have not yet gone on every single trail. It gets very hot and dry, usually by May, so plan your trip accordingly. Last year we continued to ride past the time we normally quit for the summer, but we had had an unusually cool and wet spring. If you'd like, let me know when you come and I'll see if I can get out there. If you are considering coming @ February, There is also going to be an organized trail ride near the Big Bend National Park on Feb 21 thru 26..I saw this in this month's Trail Rider Magazine. I am going to try to go to that one as well.. I would love to ride and camp a different area without getting too far from home..
trail riding in Texas
