Best Cabin Camping near Castroville, TX

SKYLINE RANCH RV PARK- BANDERA, TX 

Type of Park: Private-owned 

Check In: 12p Check Out: 11a 

Site#33- Pull-Thru

$38 per night for 30 amp 

Discounts: Good Sam 10%, TACO, AAA• 

Water• 20/30 amp• Sewer• Cable TV• Picnic Table• Site Pad: Gravel. Mostly level

👍🏻 Pros:• This site has a couple large Live Oak shade trees• On the end, so the front of the camper has a large area for the"yard"

👎🏻 Cons:• No grill or fire ring• The end of the site drops down a little, so it was hard to back UP the incline on the gravel when hitching up

More info at https://www.denisevajdak.com/2021/04/banderahill-country-trip.html

📝 Park Notes:• Restrooms/ Bath House• Wifi• Propane sold onsite(weekly delivery)• Laundry facility• Park Store• 3 Rec Rooms• Less than 1/2 mile walk to Medina River• Gazebo on trail to river• Walking distance to Wild Horse Saloon•

🐦 Wildlife:• Birds: Several kinds. Heard turkeys, but couldn't spot them• Deer, squirrels

This park has been open for just over a year. They are adding amenities, but for what is there right now, it was a bit pricey. Yes, I'm sure the pricing was upped due to Mardi Gras weekend. It will be nice when tables and grills/fire rings are added for each site, but right now, it's basic full-hookups and not much more. 

Check In: 3p Check Out: 12 p 

Length of Stay: 3 Nights

💲 Cost per night $59 (price will be $75/night for Mardi Gras weekend 2023)

Discounts: Good Sam 10%

📝 Site#38 Notes:

• Water
• Max amp: 50 Sewer
• Wifi
• Site Pad: level, gravel, long (it was a back-in site, but it's been upgraded and is super long pull-through)
• Utilities were close to the front. Parked camper and pulled the truck behind it instead
• Close to neighbors, but room enough for tables and such (if you brought them)
• No privacy between sites

👍🏻 Pros:

• Overflow parking nearby if needed
• Close to the river
• Big area to walk dogs or kids to play by the river (watch for sticker burrs in some areas)

👎🏻 Cons:

• Front row closest to the road- a little road noise
• No tables, fire rings or grills at campsites
• No shade trees
• No wind brake

📝 Park Notes:

• River access - but it's pretty low right now. Won't be kayaking or even tubing anytime soon
• Some deer in the park
• Cabins
• Some large fire rings on the outskirts of park, but not at sites
• 3 miles into Bandera - close but nice to get away during big event weekends
• There was a food truck on site, but it wasn't open this weekend

In process of being built:

• Great Lodge (should be ready by March) - Office, Store, Restrooms/Showers
• Zipline
• Yurts
• Amphitheater
• Pool/Hot Tub

This is an X-State Park that the City of Kerrville assumed operation in 2004. Very popular, nice park, but it’s really beginning to show its heavy use. Bandera Highway splits this park with check-in on the Guadalupe riverside of Bandera Highway. FHU sites in Deer Field Loop, which require a gate access code for access, are a good distance from the next site, with the site across the road are closer. Asphalt parking pad fairly level. Wooden picnic table, metal fire pit with cooking grate. Utility hook-ups in good condition at our campsite. The picnic table is at least 50 feet from the camper parking pad, which is chained to the concrete pad it sits on. Noise from Highway 173 and the approach pattern for the Kerrville Municipal Airport, so lots of low flying aircraft. Otherwise, campers were quiet and respectful. Deer came very close to us while sitting at the fire pit. Toilet/shower facility clean; women had 2 sinks, 2 toilets and 3 showers. There are two washers and two dryers on the backside of the Deer Field Loop toilet/shower facility, but the washer lids were ripped off, but lying there. Easy day trips to Hill Country towns from this park to include Fredericksburg, Austin, New Braunfels and San Antonio. In Kerrville, don’t miss Grape Juice Restaurant, brand new HEB open November 2020, Belks and Gibson’s Store.  Camp Verde General Store and Restaurant is only a 20-minute drive.

2 different entrances - you must check in at the big station and get a gate code to get to your 30 amp site, water and electric only. Grab the map, you will definitely need it. There are almost no signs to direct you. The map is badly done, but it's al you will have. Do not arrive after dark, or you will never find your site. There is no one around to ask if you do go astray, so be prepared to turn around, and watch for 1 weathered gray wooden sign about 18 inches above the grass, letters carved into the wood in matching gray weathered letters and numbers. The site is gravel pull thru with some shade. 30 amp and a faucet. Fire ring/grill unused due to burn ban. Concrete picnic table, and on site occupied armadillo nest hole under on of the oaks. Dumpster down the road about 50 yards, trailhead for teal hiking trail the other direction about 50 yards.

Had a great stay at Boulderdash this past weekend. We had site #3 the smaller pull through. Space was great and clean, hookups were easy to access. We had a problem when we arrived getting electric but Paul came over and solved our problem (it was our converter which we did not need). Paul was very helpfulness and offered to be available if we needed anything. We enjoyed the grill in the common area down by the river which was a short steep walk from our site.
Lots of nice touches around the grounds and very clean. We did not use the shower but it was so nice to have the bathroom option.
Lots of activity on the river because it was a long weekend but really a great view from the property. We enjoyed the Bandara area, floated the river and horseback riding. Some nice shops in town but they could use a few nicer restaurants. The 11th street bar had great live music. We drove to Mac &. Earnie’s one day to find out they were closed for the holiday BBQ.
Don’t be bummed out by the other local residents, the area doesn’t look the best when driving in (lots of garbage) the campgrounds were very clean with nice touches (flower pots and painted rocks). We will be back!

Sometimes it is nice to stay in cabins instead of a tent or RV. Normally when my family and I go we will stay in a tent or take our RV, depending on how long we are going to stay. These cabins are super cute, and have great names for them. One of them is named " The George Straight." I love little special touches like this. There is a swimming pool on site which was nice to keep us cool in the Texas summer heat. Although the pool was pretty busy with kids! We didn't mind this since the lake was only a few hundred yards away. In the morning we had coffee at the small table in the cabin and could see the beautiful lake through the window. Also, seeing the white tail deer walking around the campground was incredible, too. Nothing like being able to see wildlife like this! Lots of chipmunks/squirrels as well that are definitely used to humans being around. There are shaded areas with picnic tables on site as well as grills for BBQ. They also have a café on site that serves meals during the weekends. We enjoyed having this as an option, although we brought plenty of food for our cabin to munch on. We did some hiking nearby which was a lot of fun, and had views of the entire lake. We also played in the lake, BBQ and enjoyed some people watching. Overall, we look forward to the next time we can come again!

Texas is such a large state finding great campgrounds can quickly get a little overwhelming. There are so many amazing outdoor spaces and camping options that unless you really have something specific in mind you can get caught up comparing sites trying to determine which is the perfect fit for you.  

This has always been the case for me in my home state and I feel as though I have missed many great locations as a result. One hidden gem I hadn’t yet discovered was Boulderdash Cabin And RV on Lake Medina just outside of Bandera.

I was pleased to have this one brought to my attention and after booking through The Dyrt’s new online booking system I packed up my car in anticipation of a great trip down south. My original day to visit was met by some of the unpredictable Texas weathers, torrential downpour lasting 2 two days. I say that to say this, the campground owner and hosts were fully understanding of the predicament of me being a tent camper and unable to fully be able to enjoy the location in such conditions.  As a result they allowed me to push my reservation, something many campgrounds would not be so accommodating to do. 

This set the tone for my trip and was echoed throughout my stay, amazing and kind customer service!

CLICK HERE For Full Video Review

Campground Review:

Finally arriving at my site mid afternoon after a long drive, I was ready to get out and explore but also relax. I was greeted by the campground hosts upon my arrival with such a pleasant and welcoming reception. They showed me to my site, gave me a short tour of the small camp and told me a bit about the area so I could fully enjoy the amenities and know what to expect for a nights stay at the location.

Amongst the highlights were the lake where you can fish, kayak, take in the sun or have a great moment around the fire ring, the nightly deer feeding just alongside the entry road and an additional patio for sunning or enjoying a peaceful retreat.

The camp itself is very small, but with that comes a lot of charm. They did mention that there is currently underway an expansion possibly on the waterfront for additional tent camping options to expand the single tent site now available.  For those visiting in an RV there are several spaces available currently with substantial parking area for larger units in addition to the lake cabin featuring 3 bedrooms and an ample porch for outdoor entertaining. 

The charm of the campground is definitely in the details from painted rocks around the patio area, the campground mascots hanging out at key places for interaction, the unique bathhouse created from a small horse trailer and equipped with rustic finishings and the deer corn and bird seed left for each camper so they can interact more with their surroundings. This is a place which uniquely unveils itself the more you explore.

I had seen photos of the location but did not fully know what to expect, and boy was I surprised at how different my visit was than other reviewers from the site. When I arrived the lake was almost to the top of the camp border retainer wall, unlike other photos which I had seen when there was little to no water to explore.  Apparently the earlier in the season the more water usually you will find because later in the season the water is used for irrigation in surrounding areas and it becomes very low. Spring and early summer is the ideal time for lake related activities while late summer and fall are more about the discovery you can find along the banks and bed of the lake, which is more like hiking in my opinion.

Tips:

• Book in advance, especially if tent camping due to limited space. The Dyrt booking system is a perfect way to do this because it is extremely user friendly and allows you to communicate with the owner directly after your booking is confirmed if you have questions or any changes which need to be made before your reservation. 
• GPS can be a bit tricky on the lake roads. While getting to the general proximity works well, the division of roads can be hit or miss with some GPS systems.  I use an Iphone and it had me take an extra block just to get to ultimately the same location I could have been a couple of minutes earlier had it have told me just to go straight.
• Take advantage of the patio down the hill by the water. There is a full picnic table, 4 loungers and a fire ring with benches in this area. You can drive down or walk down, set up and have a great meal right by the water. 
• Don’t forget to ask about kayaks! There are 2 kayaks available for rent, you need only ask in advance to reserve them for your usage.

For More Information About Fishing At Lake Medina CLICK HERE

For More Information About Bandera CLICK HERE

Product Review:

As a Ranger for the Dyrt, in addition to having access to great campgrounds, I also am given the opportunity to try and review products and gear best suited for my active camping lifestyle. For my trip to Baulderdash I was able to prepare all my meals using the Primus Power Trail Backpacking Stove With Piezo.

I was a little worried I wouldn’t have the stove before my trip with only a couple of weeks between booking and estimated camping date, however from order to delivery there was less than a week’s time, arriving well before I departed for my trip. To be honest I didn’t want to try it out or anything until I arrived at my campsite so I could get a true feel for the size, the function and overall experience since this was my first Primus item.

**First Impression: **

The size seemed a good fit for what I was looking for.  I have used a camping stove previously and knew I wanted something similar in size but also something which would address all my previous concerns with the other brand. 

What Were My Previous Brand Concerns?:

• Uneven Heating
• Wind 
• Heating Time
• Starting
• Balancing

With all these concerns, I decided to play it safe and make sure I had the instructions with me just in case. (Available in multiple languages) And while I did read them, I really didn’t have to because the stove was very user friendly when I actually started assembling it. (I would suggest a new user who has never used a backpacking stove to give it a quick once over)

I opted for this stove because of its 4 stove balancing points. My previous stove had only 3 and many times it made it difficult to balance when my surface was not entirely even or if my food was slightly shifted in my pan. The 4 points are pulled upward from their fold and locked into place tightly, giving another layer of security to me when using the stove and checking off one of my concerns.

The stove attaches to your propane bottle by screwing it onto the top.  With this you want to have a firm hold because if it is not screwed on tight enough it will not start. You will quickly know if it isn’t on tight enough when you twist the piezo because you will not hear the gas flowing. I learned this on the second use when I was making my breakfast and I thought I had broken it by not putting it in my bag the same way it had been previously. Gave me a little panic, only to discover it was operator error not stove damage.

Having the piezo and igniter fully eliminated my frustrations which came from starting and lighting the previous stove, which I always felt was a bit dangerous because you would have to ignite it right at the source of the gas and many times it would intensely flair up. The Primus keeps you at a safe distance from the actual starting of the flame so check off another concern!

To cook on the stove I opted to really test its heating ability. I did so using chilled water, wanting to see just how long it actually would take to bring it to a rolling boil for use on a variety of common camping needs.  Less than 10 minutes and my water was rolling and steaming maxing out temps high enough for pretty much anything I could ever need from creating an egg omelet in a sandwich bag, hydrating a meal, boiling water safe consumption or making piping hot water thermos for keeping warm in my tent on a cold night. 

In my opinion, the timing was very good. In addition, though there was a bit of wind it seemed to continue burning consistently instead of all of the flames shifting to a single side.  While I didn’t test the overall even cooking because I had only boiled water I can only assume from the other results that this also would be addressed and answered by the balancing and also even flame.

I hydrated a dehydrated meal for dinner, anyone who has done this before knows if the water isn’t warm enough it will not cook through and you will be eating pure crunchy starch. That meal turned out great! In the morning, I made my protein packed oatmeal with dehydrated fruits and a coffee.  Layering the fruits on the bottom to allow them the most access to hydrating following with oats and protein powder I was able to with the Primus create a breakfast quality mirroring that of what I could have made with a full kitchen at home requiring a stove, chopping block and coffee maker, all with a single burner.

Tips:

• Try the Primus pots to cook with on the stove. Designed by Primus the materials are durable and have a non-stick element to them that is unmatched in my opinion. Not to mention by using these you are guaranteed an even cook because they are designed with the perfect dimensions for the cook surface and when using you will not have to worry about your pot or pan being sized to large on your surface and becoming tipsy.
• Store items together. If you do choose to use the Primus pots and pans, you can easily store your Power Trail Backpacking Stove within its pouch and inside the pots and pans to reduce your footprint in you bag or when storing your items when not traveling. Think of those nesting dolls and how they stow one inside another, this is basically the same thing.

For Full Product Review Video CLICK HERE