While this is not a travel blog, we will occasionally write about the areas where we’ve stayed, and Lake Medina RV resort is a special place to us! Most private RV resorts/campgrounds are designed to pack as many RV’s as possible into a small place. You are usually very close to your neighbor and might have a patch of grass and a picnic table as your outside space! Lake Medina RV resort is very different! First of all, it’s entirely secluded on a peninsula of Lake Medina on a working ranch that has been in operation since the 1890’s. The current owners are part of the original ranching family. So the resort is not just a campground for them, it’s part of their family history and heritage. The owners put a lot of emphasis on hospitality and host numerous “meet ups,” activities, and resort potluck dinners in the large dining/meeting hall. We enjoyed hayrides, a super bowl party, and many fire-pit evenings while we were there for our one-month stay in January/February 2022.
During the winter months, there are lots of “winter Texans” from the Northern States (New York, Minnesota, South Dakota, Wisconsin etc.) who spend several months here every year. The campground becomes more like a small community between November and April. Many people have been coming for years (some over 17 years) so if you are the “newbie” you have access to all the insider information on where to go, what to do and where to eat in the area! These neighbors were a wonderful wealth of information and helped us pronounce all the Texas names that we were slaughtering! Any guesses on how to pronounce Boerne? It’s pronounced “Bernie!”
The resort itself is unique because you wind through a hilly subdivision before entering the large gate at the entrance to the ranch. You then go for several minutes down the ranch road with horses and cattle on both sides (including three long horns who I still pass very slowly!) before coming to the top of the hill that overlooks the peninsula and campground. When the lake is full you see the beautiful green Medina River starting on the east side and then opening up into the large lake as it winds around to the west.
This is a fishing, boating, and watersport mecca when there is water. Being in Texas, water is not guaranteed! When we first arrived, there was water in the river, but it really didn’t look like a lake at that point until you went a few miles further down the road. The other thing that is very noticeable is the live oak trees. These are the hallmark of the Texas hill country, and they are prolific on this resort! We were nervous at first because of the way the branches twist and bend their way towards sunlight. Seeing a large horizontal branch spreading over our RV made us cringe but we came to realize this was normal live oak behavior and the branches are amazingly hardy (i.e. not prone to falling on you!). This beautiful, natural setting is perfect for relaxing during the winter months!
The resort amenities were also amazing. They have a large clubhouse where they hold paint and sips, exercise classes, parties and private get-togethers. During the winter months, they also allow the ladies to set up sewing tables around the perimeter and there are usually half a dozen ladies quilting or doing some sort of craft on the weekdays. There is actually a quilt guild here and a Facebook page so that we can all keep up with the amazing creations of our fellow Lake Medina RV quilters! They also have a pool and hot tub. Being from Colorado, we used both much to the amusement of the locals who thought we were crazy for using the unheated pool in January! This was one of those “you aren’t from around here, are you?” moments! They also have plenty of activities. You can play pickleball or ping-pong or go into the clubhouse to play card games or board games. They also have miles of hiking/biking trails which Maiko and Ichigo (our two Shiba Inu pups) definitely appreciated!
This resort was also a great jumping-off point for Hill Country exploration. We took several scenic drives to nearby towns and sightseeing destinations. While downtown San Antonio (the Alamo and River walk) was an hour away, it was still close enough to explore. For those looking for a relaxing, natural and spacious campground this checks all the boxes! We found Lake Medina RV resort by accident – we had actually planned to stay further South at a resort in Castroville, but they didn’t have any spots left for a month stay. This was one of those providential moments where we were so thankful that we ended up here instead!
One piece of advice for fellow RV travelers, if you decide to visit Lake Medina RV resort, plan your trip so that you arrive in daylight! We were originally planning a three-day trip from Kansas to Lake Medina RV resort but decided to push all the way through on our second day. Full timers usually recommend the 3-3 rule of a maximum of 300 miles of travel per day arriving by 3 pm. After our second day of travel, I now understand why they recommend this! I guess we decided to get some of our newbie mistakes out of the way right off the bat! Our long second day meant we ended up driving the last hour in the dark on the windy, narrow roads into the resort and almost hit our AC unit on a low branch as we pulled into our campsite. We were so relieved and grateful when we finally settled into our campsite that first night!
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