Boerne, Texas, was plotted and named by John James and Gustav Theissan in 1851. The town's name was in honor of a famous German publicist and author, Karl Ludwig Borne. He inspired others to leave Germany for the New World. By the 1880s, the population of Boerne had grown to 250 people. Seven years later, the railroad line built through the town brought even more opportunities for its financial growth and population. However, like many other Texas cities, the Great Depression in the 1930s hit Boerne hard. With the economic growth at its downfall, many residents traveled to nearby larger towns for work. As a result, the population continued to fall and rise over the years. Today, there is a population of over 19,000 people.
The Agricultural Heritage Museum holds blacksmithing and woodwork shops, a pioneer house, exhibits, and many antique outdoor farm equipment. In addition, visitors can experience life underground at Cascade Caverns, where a one-hour guided tour goes through the cave's five corridors full of spectacular cave formations. Next, visit the Kuhlmann-King Historic House, built by a German immigrant, William Kuhlmann, in the 1880s. It has been owned by the city since 1951 and was recorded as a historical landmark in 1982. The site is open for viewing on the second Saturday of every month. Another excellent place to explore is the Cibolo Nature Center featuring four distinct ecosystems that cover 100 acres of spectacular hill country terrain, making it ideal for hiking and exploring.
Campgrounds Near Boerne, Texas
Al's Hideaway Cabin and RV Rentals LLC sit on 20 acres in the charming hill country of Texas. It's just 45 minutes away from Six Flags and Sea World. There are ten RV spots with full hookup access and other camping opportunities. A large 60 by 40-pavilion with an outdoor kitchen and pool is available for guest use. Free Wi-Fi access is obtainable throughout the campground. Hiking, exploring, and many other outdoor recreational activities are offered here.
San Antonio KOA Campground lies ten minutes from historic downtown San Antonio, which is home to San Antonio Missions National Historical Park. RV sites offer water and electric hookups but no sewer connection. However, there is a dump station available on the premises for use. Mountain biking, swimming, fishing, hiking, and kayaking are a few recreational activities offered at the campground.
Greenlake RV Resort is another excellent camping area to park your RV for a few days while exploring the surrounding area. They offer back-in and lakeside RV sites with full hookup access. Free cable TV, Wi-Fi, and computer rooms are accessible for all guests. You can enjoy a sunny afternoon in the swimming pool and jacuzzi or go fishing in the stocked catch-and-release lake.
State Parks Near Boerne, Texas
Guadalupe River State Park features four miles of river frontage where folks come to swim, fish, tube, and canoe. The river is the center stage of the park; however, the park has a lot more to explore. Start by exploring the 13 miles of hiking and biking trails which range from 2.86 miles to 0.3 miles, with some equipped for horseback riding. Next, stop at the discovery center to learn more about the park and explore the hands-on discovery boxes and exhibits.
Blanco State Park is small, with 104.6 acres that provide many outdoor recreational activities. It hugs a one-mile stretch of the river where visitors can swim, paddle, boat, and fish. The park store sells clothes, souvenirs, gifts, and field guides. Single or double kayaks and tubes are also available for rental at the store. You may see blue herons, red-eared sliders, green herons, and small game animals throughout your visit. Hiking, camping, geocaching, and relaxing in nature are excellent perks at the park.
Pedernales Falls State Park features 5,212 acres situated just an hour's drive from Austin and slightly over an hour's drive from Boerne. The park is well-known for its picturesque Pedernales Falls and the rampaging Pedernales River, which flows around and over colossal limestone slabs. It's the ideal spot to explore nature while hiking the Wolf Mountain Trail, which wraps around the gorgeous Tobacco and Wolf mountains and winds along the small unique canyons formed by Tobacco and Mescal creeks. In addition, the 0.5-mile Twin Falls Nature Trail is where visitors can stop and get the perfect angled overlook view of the falls. Other recreational opportunities include swimming, tubing, fishing, mountain biking, and camping.
National Sites Near Boerne, Texas
Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park tells a fantastic story of the 36th president, starting with his ancestry until he lay in his final resting place. President Johnson had a firm attachment to this place and its heritage. The LBJ Ranch is where he was born, lived, and died. Visitors can tour the ranch in their vehicle with permission to stop off at sites along the roadway, such as the president's birthplace, the family cemetery, ranch house known as the Texas White House. The tour is free.
San Antonio Missions National Historical Park is Texas's only UNESCO World Heritage Site. Join the park's guided walking tour led by a park ranger starting at the visitor center at Mission San Jose, which is a beautiful way to understand mission life and the history of San Antonio. These ranger-led programs interpret the historical landscape and encourage participants to examine their knowledge and interpretation of the many changes during the mission era. While there, check out the other four mission sites: Espada, Concepcion, Alamo, and San Juan. Some activities at the park include hiking, biking, walking, exploring, and educational programs.
El Camino Real de Los Tejas National Historical Trail takes you through exhibits with three themes that focus on: The role of the trail in cattle drives to support the American Revolution, its influence on settlement patterns spread throughout Louisiana and Texas, and how to see and experience the Camino today. The trail is broken into four segments, each standing for use during specific periods. Visitors can walk or hike the trail to learn more.
National Forest Near Boerne, Texas
Sam Houston National Forest spreads across three counties, San Jacinto, Walker, and Montgomery, containing 163,037 acres. Evidence of occupations from early as 7,000 years ago to the Twentieth Century is documented by many archaeological sites within the national forest. Hiking the 128-mile Lone Star Hiking Trail that winds through Sam Houston National Forest is a great way to explore the woods and see its beauty. It's marked to guide hikers to the three different recreational points. Throughout the forest, you will come to Little Lake Creek Wilderness, Big Creek Scenic Area, Cagle Recreation Area, Double Lake Recreation Area, Scotts Ridge Day-Use Area, and Stubblefield Recreational Area. These recreational areas offer canoeing, paddle boating, fishing, camping, and swimming opportunities.
Davy Crockett National Forest is named after a legendary pioneer, and it holds over 160,000 acres of east Texas woodlands, wildlife habitat, and streams. The Ratcliff Lake Recreation Area is part of the forest, surrounding a 45-acre lake, once a log pond. It has a swimming and beach section, an interpretive forest trail, an amphitheater, and a beautiful forest setting for camping. Visitors can explore the area on the 20-mile-long Four C National Recreation Trail beginning at Ratcliff Lake and winding through a forest of towering pines, boggy sloughs, bottomland hardwoods, and upland forests. But that's not all; The Alabama Creek Wildlife Management Area also supplies an opportunity for intense wildlife management on 14,500 acres of this deep thick forest, which helps to improve hunting and to show the impact and benefits of the ecosystem management resources.
Located in the heart and soul of east Texas, Angelina National Forest consists of 153,179 acres and lies in the incredible Neches River Basin and on the north and south beautiful shores of Sam Rayburn Reservoir, a 114,500-acre lake on the Angelina River. The lake is ideal for catching largemouth bass, crappie, catfish, bluegill, sunfish, and a small number of white bass. Hiking trails are throughout the forest, with one leading across a bridge to a picnic section of the Boykin Springs Recreation Area, which sits in the forestry and offers hiking, camping, fishing, and relaxing in nature. The Boykin Springs Stream flows through the campground, and some pipes supply ongoing fresh spring water in one section. In another area of the stream, visitors can view a small waterfall trickling down a rock formation.
