What a great place to stay in Bandera! Only one mile from downtown Bandera but feels like you are…read moreout in the country. Peaceful and serene setting. I would give this 5 stars if the bed wasn't so small. 2 twins or a king would be ideal for the cabin we stayed in. Other than that the cabin was absolutely beautiful and roomy. Nice big bathroom with a huge walk-in shower and separate, also huge, Jacuzzi tub. Well appointed kitchenette, comfortable living room, little patio with table and chairs, bench swing under the trees. The place is fantastic!

Love this place !!!!! Very nice and quiet, with the horse…read moreback riding right next to it is a plus. I've never been an outdoor person myself but my husband decided to take me here for my birthday this year. I fell in love with it immediately when I arrived. I guess during this time of the year there wasn't much mosquitos and other insects, so I was able to relax and not worry about bug spray the whole time! The whole decor around the ranch is amazing to a city girl like myself. Old western design everywhere definitely makes your country experience authentic. We are definitely making this a yearly trip for a little get away with our kiddos.

This was my first time in ranch I really wanted to spend more time there. Nice views mountains…read morearound the ranch and a lot trails that I didn't go because was raining. But I did got to ride a horse for my first time I was all excited about it.

We stayed in the Caboose. Yes, it's a real caboose, but it's been outfitted with a little bedroom,…read morekitchen, and bathroom complete with a nice shower. And YES, it has central heat and air. It would sleep three comfortably with a little person in the upper berth. The accommodations were not fancy like at a bed and breakfast...but the real treat is the location. Our caboose deck was practically ON the water. Take a look at the photos to see. Note...this is not the Holiday Inn. You will see the occasional spider. You are in the country. Would you like to go tubing down the Medina River...you're set! How about some paddle boating or canoing on the lake? Maybe some swimming. Would you rather take your camera out at sunset and photograph about 70 axis deer eating dinner? You can check all these off your trip itinerary without leaving the grounds. And while it's called a ranch, they do not have horseback riding on site. They have goats, but I do not suggest riding them. The folks at Muller's Ark can hook you up with some wranglers. It costs less than going to a dude ranch...dude--$80 to $120 a night as compared to about $200 per person per night at some of the dude ranches I priced. We saw deer, armadillos, alligator gar (in the water), bunnies, cats, dogs, goats, peacocks, etc... We did go tubing. We floated on the river through the other guest ranches visiting with other folks for about 2 hours. We had to hoof it a little because my daughter saw a harmless green snake and FREAKED out in her usual fashion. But other than that...which I can't really blame on Muller's Ark--the trip was great.

I love this place. My mom stayed here last year, and I'm here on my own this year on the way to and…read morefrom Central Florida. You have a giant lake with canoes and paddleboats (kinda old and falling apart, but they work), a river, livestock and super friendly hosts, Steve and Patsy. I stayed in a trailer known as Mobile 2, which is HUGE. I also came with both my German Shepherds and that wasn't a problem, so long as they stay away from the sheep (my older boy used to go to herding classes). Like the previous poster Dena stated, this isn't the Holiday Inn. I didn't find spiders, but a bird nesting on my patio. It's cool to see deer come up to your trailer, along with several jackasses and sheep. I will definitely come back here in the future.

This is a lovely little home in Hunt a very short distance from a private park with access to the…read moreGuadalupe river. The home itself has two separate bedrooms and can very easily sleep 8 people. They have a private deck with a barbecue, a kitchen equipped with stove, microwave and fridge. The accommodations are more than comfortable! The Stillers are great hosts. Our stay was way too short.

On our first trip to Bandera Texas with family and our extended family of three horses, we were so…read morelucky to be guided by Backroads Reservations to a wonderful guest house-Hill Country Hideaway. It was less than three miles from Bandera and the entrance to the Hill Country Natural Area State Park, yet we had the seclusion of 40 acres and stalls/round pen for our horses to settle in. Teresa has the eye of an interior decorator with a nicely furnished home that happens to be handicapped accessible with a patio for relaxing and enjoying a sunset over the pecan orchard. The guest house was spacious, immaculate and had entertaining books for night time reading. We also had a nearby creek with some large, but cagey bass and lovely swans to enjoy. Teresa is a gracious hostess, but allows you to feel that your privacy is respected. I can't imagine staying anywhere else in Bandera for our next trip-and our horses probably agree!

Everything! The food was exceptional especially the Cowboy breakfast. Great lunches with fresh…read moreveggies; happy hour; fabulous barbecue dinner and Cornish Game hens with wild rice and veggies plus delicious desserts. Entertainment in the evening was excellent: Guinness Book of records champion rope trick artist; wonderful guitarist who sang 90 minutes straight. Games: corn hole, BB gun shooting; country and western dancing. The horses were the highlight. Free to roam the 365 acres after trail rides. All were gentle and sweet.

A true gem. An experience that gave us family bonding time in an environment that felt absolutely…read moretimeless. The first time at the Mayan ranch I had just graduated 8 th grade and went with my parents and siblings. Best family vacation ever. I vowed to return one day. Fast forward 34 years and I went back this week for a girls trip with my sister in law, her 2 tweens and my youngest daughter, who is also a tween. The Hicks family has owned this ranch for over 60 years. It is so refreshing to go somewhere where almost every staff member has grown up on the ranch and have such passion for ensuring guests have a good time. Most other ranches are now run by large corporations and lack the family owned charm of this place. The staff are great . Shoutout to Cowgirl Kel who is the heart and soul of this place and makes sure the kids have a good time ( games and activities scattered throughout the day during the summer months). Things you must know and be OK with to come here: If you are a high maintenance person who won't be happy unless there are high end accommodations you will struggle here . Most of the facility is pretty rustic. The tennis court, basketball count and volley ball court look like they haven't been used in years. That said , the cabins are spacious and functional. Nothing fancy but adequate and the beds are comfortable. Housekeeping is pretty minimal but they will come on occasion to bring new towels and make the bed. The pool has been refurbished and is beautiful and was wonderfully refreshing each afternoon to cool off from the hot Texas sun. Horse Back Riding : The horses are beautiful, healthy and seem well taken care of. The rides are perfect for absolute beginners as the only option for riding is a slow walk in single file line. If your kids are experienced horse riders you may want to consider a different ranch as you won't be able to do anything but walk in a line here. That said, my 11 year old, who is an experienced rider, didn't mind much and loved helping to care for the horses and loved her rides with her cousins who are less experienced riders ( her favorite horses were Sheriff, Cinco and Jamison and I loved Faith and Sherriff) . Ruger the horse is a bit of a scatter brained horse but really all the horses are quite sweet and well behaved . While you aren't assigned a horse for your stay here, you can request your favorite horse each ride ( tip - get to the stables about 15-20 min before your ride to do this ) Tip - come to the ranch with kids over the age of 6 only. Kids under 6 are not allowed to do the trail rides ( due to insurance reasons they are strict about this ). The ideal ages for kids at this ranch are 6-11 years old in my opinion. Not much to do for teens at this ranch. Food : I'd rate the food an A plus. For real. Lots of options satisfied even the pickiest eater of our crew. Don't come her if you have allergies as they can't accommodate. Most meals consist of meat/ or chicken served with some many delicious sides that a vegetarian would still find enough options to be happy. Lunches were surprisingly varied in the main dining hall ( e.g. Mexican food one day, Italian one day, deli one day ) and you can always opt for a hamburger/hotdog instead at the Pavilion. All meals served family style/cafeteria style where you go through a line and select your food. Cost /Value: This place is incredibly fairly priced. Adults pay 190$ a night and kids only 80$ a night which includes 3 meals and snacks per day, 2 horse rides daily , spacious lodging and fun activities/ entertainment throughout the day. Tips: Bring your own beach towels for the pool ( they don't provide them) Bring a flashlight ( you'll want it waking to your cabin after the night activities) Bring your own hand sanitizer and carry it around . We used it. a lot. If you have very young kids or elderly people in your group bring a car to the ranch as while the place is 100 percent walkable, there are times it's nice to drive to certain parts of the ranch especially in the sweltering sun. Uber will go to the ranch from San Antonio but won't bring you back. There are private ride services but they are waaaay expensive so it's just a better value to rent a car if coming from San Antonio Wear a cowboy hat to bingo on Sunday nights - trust me - you will thank me later :) Bring jeans but if it's summer pack more shorts than jeans as the kids will ditch the jeans ( I ditched my jeans day 2) and wilwant to ride with shorts as it is HOT here if you come in the summer months ( you are allowed to ride wearing any clothing except fof a wet bathing suit and cowboy boots aren't required either - I'd skip them if you don't already own them and skip them personally even if you do as they just aren't needed for this type of riding. Highly recommend !!!

I just returned from an amazing experience at the Flying A ranch/The Lodge at Julian Creek in…read moreBandera TX. This was my first deer hunt and every step in the journey exceeded my expectations! The lodge facilities are truly amazing. Beautiful architecture and plenty of offerings to occupy my non-hunting time (pool table, chess, checkers, corn hole, ample book supply, TV/Cable, Wifi). The rooms were incredibly comfortably as well. Nights were peaceful and quiet, and the comfy bed/pillows made for some great snoozing. The A/C worked like a champ and was quiet all things considered. I've stayed in rooms where the A/C was reminiscent of being on the flight line watching B-52s take off. This was not that. Much appreciated! The food and service at the lodge were top shelf. Breakfast and dinners cooked up and served by Mike were amazing. And it wasn't just because I was hungry. The food is really really good! And Mike is at the ready to accommodate any special requests. We dined on Axis burgers, salmon, and fajitas during our three nights. More than enough food was dished out so even the largest of appetites won't be wanting for more. Breakfast is a repeat performance. Bacon, wild game sausage, eggs, pancakes, potatoes, cinnamon rolls oh my it's a veritable food parade. Pair it up with fresh coffee and I'm ready to permanently move in. But we were there for the hunting, so how was that? In a word... the best. Our guides Brent (who is also a wildlife biologist) and Kaden were on it! They worked hard to get us into position for our desired targets. This was my first hunt at a lodge and they graciously answered my nonstop questions. Our party took Fallow and Axis deer, which was great fun. The ranch's property is gorgeous, well maintained and spacious. We spent time with Keith, the main man in charge of the operation and also a wildlife biologist. He explained their philosophy towards the animals on their ranch. I was very impressed with the thinking, caring and effort put into ensuring the ranch's offerings remain the very best. There's a reason why it's hard to get a hunt lined up here. They don't over-harvest their ranch. If anything it's quite the opposite which I appreciate. The guys at the skinning house were just as fun. They do a great job to accommodate any special requests (e.g. mounts, cape, meat selection) and work hard to treat your catch with the utmost of respect. James, Jesse and the rest of the gang there were fun to hang with, swap stories and of course take care of our meat for the flight home. Their freezer was much appreciated! The coolers and contents were well-frozen when it was time for us to leave. Reflecting on our trip, I honestly can't come up with suggestions for improvements. They really hit it out of the park. The entire operation has a lot to be proud of, and it shows in the positive attitude and work ethic of their team. A subtle but very impressive takeaway was how well connected their team was. We would talk with one of their team and agree on something for the next hunt or whatever and their entire team knew about it and were on top of whatever it was. Seriously impressive. I've been to other organized vacations (ski trips, fishing charters) and I often need to have the same conversation multiple times leaving me with the feeling that they don't talk to each other and I have to work the logistics to make it happen. Not here! Maybe the only comment I could offer up would be to rename the ranch from "Flying A" to " Flying Five Stars Best Ever Ranch"... or something like that. They certainly delivery on a 5-star experience but that might be tough on the logo design.... ;) Many thanks to the entire team and I'll definitely be back!

Beautiful- we just arrived but this is a wonderful place to stay. Very clean. Well maintained…read more Very impressed with the entire place. Sure beats a hotel room.

I've stayed here a number of times over the years, and it's one of the best kept secrets in the…read morehill country. Shirley and Keith are the most friendly hosts you'll ever meet, and the location is the perfect place to stay while you explore the hill country. The "Casita" has one of the most comfortable beds you'll ever sleep in, and the hosts stock the fridge with breakfast foods you can prepare at your leisure. If you're quiet and keep your eyes peeled in the early morning, you might catch the wild turkeys, deer, and other wildlife that call the area home