Author: Kelly Hurd (Page 6 of 12)

Contributor: NETASA – Northeast Texas & Surrounding Areas, American Indian Horse riding club

Caddo Lake National Wildlife Refuge – WK Stephenson M.D. Equestrian Trail

Alamo River RV Resort in Von Ormy, TX just south of San Antonio

(See trail description below provided by Deb Demers, thanks Deb for your most recent update detailing that as of Oct. 2016 most of the adjoining property is no longer accessible via horseback currently – hopefully that will change)

Lower Campground at Alamo River RV Resort

Riding along the Medina, image provided by Deb Demers.

Website:
http://www.alamoriver.com/
Facebook Page – http://www.facebook.com/alamoriver

Location: 12430 Trawalter Lane, Von Ormy, TX 78073

Latitude: 29 17′ 57″ N
Longitude:98 39′ 11″ W

Directions:
From the North or East: Take I-35 south (toward Laredo) to exit 140, Loop 1604. Turn Right onto Loop 1604 and drive 2/10 mile then turn Left onto Quintana access road. Drive 2/10 mile, cross RR tracks and make an immediate right turn onto Quintana Road. Drive 9/10 mile to first road on left, Trawalter Lane. Make left turn onto Trawalter Lane. Drive 7/10 mile and Alamo River RV Ranch is on your right at the end of Trawalter Lane.

From the West: Take I-35 East to Exit 140, At end of off ramp turn left onto Loop 1604 and drive 3/10 mile then turn Left onto Quintana access road. Drive 2/10 mile, cross RR tracks and make an immediate right turn onto Quintana Road. Drive 9/10 mile to first road on left, Trawalter Lane. Make left turn onto Trawalter Lane. Drive 7/10 mile and Alamo River RV Ranch is on your right at the end of Trawalter Lane.

From the North on Loop 1604: Proceed South on 1604 to 4-Way Stop sign at Old Pearsall Road. Go straight ahead 1 mile and turn right on Quintana Access Road and then an immediate left onto the Access Road. Drive 2/10 mile to next intersection and turn left onto Quintana Road. (Do NOT cross RR tracks). Drive 9/10 mile to first road on left, Trawalter Lane. Make left turn onto Trawalter Lane. Drive 7/10 mile and Alamo River RV Ranch is on your right at the end of Trawalter Lane.

View of the Medina River from the trail. Provided by Deb Demer.

Contact:
1-800-RV-Resort or 1-210-622-5022

Email:
info@alamoriver.com

Camping: Overnight camping with your horse is allowed!  Horse camping is allowed on the lower campground which is located at the back of the park.  Once you drive to the back of the park you take a right and head down hill on a cement driveway.  This area of the park is beautiful, lined with large oaks and pecan trees, and it is just off of the Medina River.  There is no lack of shade in this section of the park. The upper campground normally does not allow horse camping.

Cost: $10 for day riding. The rates on top with full hook up (30/50 amp, water and sewer) are $39 per
night and the rate for the full hookup sites down below (at the bottom of the concrete drive) are $45 per night.  Water only hookups on the lower campground are $25. All of these include Free WiFi.Rates may change over time so always call before you haul.

Cabin: The park also has a Bedroom Cottage which is $50 per night during the week and $65 per night on the weekend.

Hours: Day use  hours are 8am until sunset.  If you are tent camping you are asked to be out of the park by sunset on the date of your departure.

Cell Phone Coverage: Cell phone service is very consistent in the park and on the trails.  You can get 4G depending on the carrier but 3G and 2G is very reliable.

Dogs: Dogs are allowed but must be on leash at all times and not left unattended. The park asks that you please pick up after your dog. Dogs are not allowed on the trail with horses but you can walk them on leash.

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Muleshoe Bend Recreation Area – Lake Travis

Carol Grosvenor on Bug.

Contact: LCRA (Lower Colorado River Authority)

Honor Box Payment System

(512) 473-3366 or
(800) 776-LCRA, Ext. 3366

Location: Spicewood, TX – close to Marble Falls and Northwest of Austin

Address:
2820 County Rd. 414
Spicewood, TX 78669

Coordinates: 30.486976,-98.098566 (+30° 29′ 13.11″, -98° 5′ 54.84″)

Google Map Link

Directions: From Texas 71 turn east (right if you are going north from Austin or Left if you are heading south coming from Marble Falls) on Co. Rd. 413/Greg Dr.  which turns into Co. Rd. 404/Haynie Flat Rd. Turn left on Co. Rd. 414, this road will turn right and you will pass Hollingsworth Rd. and Exeter Rd. on the right.  Stay on Co. Rd. 414 as it will go directly into Muleshoe Bend.

Camping: Camping with horses is allowed!

Cost: Day Riding: $5.00 and Primitive Camping: $10.00

Facilities: When entering Muleshoe Bend there is a nice female/male bathroom facility to the left which also has an outdoor shower, water fountains, rock benches under an awning, and a water faucet which you can hook a hose to and fill your water buckets.  The rest of the park is primitive with no running water and a few chemical toilets.  There is no designated equestrian trailhead.  You can park at any of the camping areas or in the grass with your truck and trailer.  Some of the campsites have picnic tables.

Dog: Dogs are allowed but are required to stay on leash.

Hunting: Not Allowed

Mileage: Unknown

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Contributor: Amy Hesselgesser (Thank You Amy!)

Waxahachie Creek Park at Lake Bardwell

The Red Trail at Waxahachie Creek Park at Lake Bardwell.

 

Website for Information:

http://www.swf-wc.usace.army.mil/bardwell/Recreation/Trails/Horse.asp

Contact:

Lake Bardwell COE Phone:

(972) 875-5711 or for reservations call (877) 444-6777

Address:

930 Bozek Rd., Ennis, TX 75119

GPS coordinates:  N32º17.773′ & W096º41.794′

Directions to Waxahachie Creek Park

To Waxahachie Creek Park, from Dallas head south on I-45 towards Houston.  Head 36.4 miles to exit 247, US-287 North/Congressman Joe Barton Parkway towards Waxahachie/ Ft.Worth.   Head North 4.1 miles to Kaufman/Italy exit that leads to intersection of Texas State Highway 34.  Turn Left on Highway 34 heading southwest 2.9 miles to Bozek Rd.  Turn right on Bozek Road.  Park is 1.5  miles at the end of Bozek road.

Overnight Equestrian Camping:

Allowed, fees listed on COE website

Cost:

The day riding fee is listed as $3.00

Facilities:

Multiple covered 10×10 pens at trail head, water and electric available, mounting ramp, level parking with multiple grassy sites for saddling your horse.  Hitching posts at trail head.

 

Horseshoe Bend bridge on the Blue Trail.

Mileage:

Just over 13 miles of one way trails, making a round trip of approximately 27 miles.

Terrain:

The Terrain is easy and does not require you to have shoes/boots for your horse. It is mostly flat with some hilly terrain on the offshoot trails. I was told there is water access at the head of the pink trail but we did not make it to that point.

Map:

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Plowman Creek Park, Hopewell Trail at Lake Whitney

Website:

http://www.recreation.gov/campgroundDetails.do?contractCode=NRSO&parkId=71359

http://www.swf-wc.usace.army.mil/whitney/recreation/parks/corpsparks.asp

GPS Info. (Latitude, Longitude):
32.07, -97.49333
32°4’12″N, 97°29’36″W

Location: Just south of Kopperl, Texas.

Physical Address: 15188 FM 56, Kopperl, TX 76652 (This is listed as the 911 address, however, when entered into Google Maps, the wrong location is given. It is best to enter Plowman Creek Park at Lake Whitney when searching in Google Maps. See this link under Directions).

Office Address: US Army Corps of Engineers, 285 CR 3602, Clifton, TX 76634

Contact: 254/622-3332 or 254/694-3189

Email: whitneylaketx@usace.army.mil

Directions: Plowman Creek Park Google Maps Link

Plowman Creek Park is just outside of Kopperl off of HWY 56 between TX 174 and Farm Road 927. From Meridan take TX 174 north and go through Morgan. Continue on TX 174. Pass FM 56 on your left and take the second FM 56 on your right, heading east towards Kopperl. (If coming from Cleburne on TX 174 then take the first FM 56 on your left). Go through the small town of Kopperl and pass a large berm/water spill way. Look for the park signs and turn left on Plowman Creek Park Road.

From Whitney take TX 22 heading west and turn right on FM 56. Pass Farm Road 927 and continue. Look for the park sign and turn right on Plowman Park Road. If you go into the town of Kopperl you have gone too far.

Once in the park and through the gatehouse, continue forward. At the fork you will see the lake to your right and a small sign on the right which points left and states “Equestrian Area”, turn left onto the gravel road which takes you behind the bathroom/shower house and into the equestrian trailhead.

Camping: Overnight equestrian camping is allowed.

Hours of operation: The front gate for the park is opened at 6am and closes at 10pm.

Cost: $16.00 for overnight camping with electric and water hookups, $12 camping with no hookups, and $1 to ride just for the day. (Please call because rates may be subject to change).

Reservations for Camping: At this time the equestrian hookups cannot be reserved on line or by phone. The hookups and pens are on a first come first serve basis. However, once the trailhead renovations are completed this may change. Horses are not allowed outside of the Equestrian Area or trail. Campsites outside of the Equestrian area can be reserved at: http://www.recreation.gov/campgroundDetails.do?contractCode=NRSO&parkId=71359.

Dogs: Dogs are are allowed but must be kept on a leash no longer than six feet.

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