85 acres hosted by Claire B.
37 RV/tent sites
Staff verified
Accuracy verified by Hipcamp's on-the-ground team.
Off-leash friendly
Pets can be off-leash at this Hipcamp.
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1 site
Grapetown Vineyard and Farm
85% (78)
Toilet
Potable water
Pets allowed
from
for NaN guests$16
/ night37 dispersed sites
Reviews
85% Recommend78 ratings · 54 reviews
Not recommend
· November 2024
Tent ·
Grapetown Vineyard and Farm
literally a blank piece of land. Not worth the 38$ we paid at all and you get access to any part of the winery or animals.
C
Coby K.
8 months on Hipcamp
Recommends
· October 2024
Tent · With kids ·
Grapetown Vineyard and Farm
We had a great time camping here. We arrived after dark and Bob was kind enough to guide us to the pasture so we wouldn’t get lost. The sunrises and night skies were incredible! We also really enjoyed hanging out at the saloon and were able to catch some great live music. Amy was a great and friendly bartender.
Niki I.
2 reviews
We arrived at the saloon where it said to check in. We were then directed to go a quarter of a mile down the road to the wildlife safari and winery. We were then told it was an open field we had passed with a line of port o John’s and absolutely no shade. The description says flushable toilets and pottable water available across the street. This is not the case. We decided to completely forego camping because of the situation.
A
Ashley C.
1 year on Hipcamp
Not recommend
· May 2024
Tent ·
Grapetown Vineyard and Farm
The picture shown on the reservation page is pretty misleading as there are ZERO trees in the tent camping area. My friend who was with me brought a hammock(due to the picture) and had to sleep on the ground. That alone is not exactly ideal but on top of that the field was almost totally covered in giant fire ants.
The confirmation email said “meet us at the Bankersmith Bar for check in”. We went to the bar and no one knew what we were talking about. We then managed to find out where the site was and went to a wine tasting area within the property where we asked about tent camping. We were treated as if we should know the layout of the property even though no maps were provided. “You didn’t see the line of porta potties?” as if that somehow signifies where we can camp. Not the most gracious greeting I’ve had in my travels.
This place may be great for wine tours or whatever it is they do but I do not recommend tent camping here. Last thing you want after riding a motorcycle from Austin in 95° heat is an open field with zero shade and millions of fire ants.
J
Joby W.
1 year on Hipcamp
Recommends
· April 2024
Great get away from getting away.
33 ft travel trailer ·
Grapetown Vineyard and Farm
This is a great dry camping spot eight miles outside Fredericksburg. You have the Bankersmith bar just down the road with great food and entertainment with Grapetown vineyards with plenty to do. If you enjoy the night sky your far away to see plenty of stars, however this isn’t a dark sky spot. We’ve stayed here three times so far and plan to do so more we enjoy it that much.
K
Kenneth J.
2 reviews
Not recommend
· April 2024
Tent · With pets ·
Grapetown Vineyard and Farm
I had a last minute change in travel plans which resulted in me reserving a tent camp site at Camp Bankersmith within 24 hours of my arrival. I was advised by Hipcamp that I'd receive an email with instructions for checking in and to confirm my arrival time from the host after booking but never did. I assumed this was due to the last minute reservation. The ad on Hipcamp made my the host said not to call them, but I did request they contact me through the Hipcamp site. I acknowledge my stay was very short notice but I figured at some point during my stay someone would have gotten back to me, or at least stop by the site and confirm who I was. They never did, which made me a little unsettled as a solo camper. There was absolutely zero communication from the time I booked to the time I left. I was thankful I did not have any issues during my stay but if I did, I don't know who I would have spoken to. The Bankersmith bar is not as close as the ad makes it seem.
The tent site was in a cow pasture on hard packed dirt. There were sporadic "fire pits" in various states of disarray but no clearly defined spots to set up camp otherwise. The portajohn's outside the pasture had not been serviced in some time... which is generally the case with those things but it was still a little frustrating because the rest of the property looked well maintained from a distance.
It was not worth the price. I'd probably pay no more than $5 to pitch a tent in a field.
B
Britnee J.
1 year on Hipcamp
We always love camping here. very quiet, and a great location. You cant beat being located across from the Tavern there. One note, it seems that the power options get taken up by campers who arent even camping there...everytime we are there campers have the spot, but there is no one there. so not sure what is going on there. BTW Claire is not there anymore, so not sure who is the person is now.
Mark V.
3 reviews
Recommends
· February 2024
20 ft pop-up camper · With pets ·
Grapetown Vineyard and Farm
Great spot. Easy access. Animals were fantastic and Bankersmith roadhouse is full of friendly folks.
D
Don C.
10 reviews
What a great place this was for us. My wife and I were traveling back north to the central US after Traveling down the TX gulf coast starting Dec 19. On our way back home we stayed here in mid Feb. Wife and I loved it. So did our two small dogs. Had a nice camp fire each night. We loved seeing Fredericksburg and loved the Hill Country. We were there 3 days total and even had a couple Armadillos hang out in our area.
It was so peaceful. That’s what we enjoyed. The peacefulness.
G
G G.
4 reviews
Mixed feelings
· February 2024
Depends what you are looking for
16 ft car ·
Grapetown Vineyard and Farm
I read the reviews before we got there so we knew what to expect. We needed a spot to park for the night and while there could have been a bit clearer signage, we ended up in the right spot. It rained most of the night and the owner came and got us up early as more rain was coming. His truck and ours were sliding around - thankfully we were able to get out after sliding around in 4wd. Glad he came and got us when he did.
While we never planned to head to the bar or the store, it's .8 of a mile from the field we're you park.
For ~$38 including tax, we'd likely find another spot. For others, it might be just what they want.
Mason N.
2 reviews
Recommends
· December 2023
18 ft toy hauler ·
Grapetown Vineyard and Farm
Nothing really stood out other than the cool bar/restaurant across the street out in the middle of nowhere. The land was just an empty field. No trees in the fenced in area. But it was a place that felt safe due to being quite a ways from town. Although there was a surprising amount of traffic because of the air bnb or the safari tour that's also on the property but further up the driveway.
Mike T.
2 reviews
Not recommend
· December 2023
Tent ·
Grapetown Vineyard and Farm
Text host but never heard any thing back. Kinda unclear on where we could put our tent out at.
J
James M.
1 year on Hipcamp
Recommends
· November 2023
20 ft Class B ·
Grapetown Vineyard and Farm
Great open space makes it easy to set up with a group of friends. Short walk to the bar and restaurant which had great food and live music!
Karen F.
7 reviews
- It is a primitive camp as the description says, although there was a portable bathroom available, the place is quiet, we went to see the eclipse and it was what we expected, the girl at the bar who guided us to the camp parking lot was very friendly anyway than the person who reviewed the reservation.
Sugey A.
2 reviews
Amazing site! The bar is a great spot to hang out, the stars are beautiful at night, and you are right next to a wine safari with incredible animals (bison, zebras, and wallabies to name a few!). I’ll be back without a doubt
C
Courtney L.
1 year on Hipcamp
Recommends
· June 2023
Tent ·
Grapetown Vineyard and Farm
Nice quiet place for primitive camping. I recommend a shower stand for shower bags. Most definitely will camp there again for the privacy.
I
Ila D.
2 years on Hipcamp
Recommends
· May 2023
Tent ·
Grapetown Vineyard and Farm
Great open camp area in middle of nowhere Hill country. Perfect and beautiful views
K
Kris P.
2 years on Hipcamp
Oh so peaceful, just us and the animals with birds chirping. Plenty of room and great views. No hookups at all but for us boon docking was fine as most of the time we were in Fredericksburg 10-miles away.
For some reason I expected the campsite to be across from the bar, it’s not it’s down the road. We used the campsite address on GPS and found it no problem except the big sign when driving north says winery the smaller sign from the north says Camp Bankersmith. Also note this is a windy road which ever direction you take, we pull a 30ft trailer and had no problem, just be cautious.
One last thing to point out - the campsite is in a field. It rained heavy overnight and when we left we had trouble getting out because of the now mud. We used 4x4 low and got out unfortunately leaving a mud track on the nice paved driveway, sorry about that.
As said there is a winery and bar close by however we stayed a Monday and Tuesday and both were closed. Still that means we have to come back.
M
Maria M.
2 years on Hipcamp
Great little primitive spot with lots of space to spread out. A short bike ride across from Bankersmith Dance Hall & Restaurant which is a really cool place. They make you feel like family when you show up and welcome you back. The porta was nice to have if you don’t have an RV with a bathroom. The field was well maintained and it was fun to be next to the animals.
Steph J.
11 reviews
Recommends
· March 2023
16 ft travel trailer ·
Grapetown Vineyard and Farm
The lied about what they have have there
No porta pots . Bar across the road
No place to get water . Host never replied for my problem .
Royce M.
2 reviews
I got the campsite because my friends were staying in the Bankersmith rooms up the road. For what it was and the price, I will not be staying here again. The description is deceiving and some details need clarification. Website states that the campground is "across the street". The site is in fact across the street but its down that same road. A total distance of about a quarter mile. Not at all "across the street" and certainly not "a short walking distance" from the bar. I checked in with the bartender as stated and she told me to go "300 yards up and make a right". I did that and had to drive a to get to the site. The site is as stated, an empty field with zero amenities. $32 dollars is a bit steep for the what you get. I wasn't expecting much to begin with based on reviews but I would have been a little happier having spent less for getting what basically amounts to a boondocking site. The field had piles of metal fencing about, as well. The food at the dancehall is good however, I had the burger and I highly recommend it if you are just stopping in for food and drinks. The campsite is located off the road that leads to the winery. There are signs that clearly state the speed limit for all vehicles at 5 MPH. Most of the vehicles that I saw on the road did comply except for the staff that was driving the up and down the road. This whole place is super MAGA as well. Read their covid policy.
J
Juan G.
2 years on Hipcamp
Recommends
· October 2022
Camping with Camels? OK!
19 ft campervan · With pets ·
Grapetown Vineyard and Farm
We loved our off-grid camping experience at Camp Bankersmith. We set up camp within sight of the camels and other animals. The property was beautiful and very clean.
Kristin R.
3 reviews
Not worth the 32 dollars for dry camping. Harsh but true. To many vehicles going and coming into what is not a winery but more of imported wine to a barn in the middle of a hot field. We went for what was called a balloon festival which many people bought tickets for but it never went up. We only saw one ballon on the floor and we thought they were going to have several. Nope only one and I believe it belongs to the farm as a prop of deceiving. They offered helicopter hide’s instead of the balloon ride, which I think that was there plan all along. That helicopter flew over our campsite from 4;30 pm to 11:00 pm. I was wondering why their website said no refunds period. Absolutely no refunds so no one had a choice but to get on the helicopter. Poor souls that believed they were going to float, rather they were taken on a one minute helicopter ride starting from loading in and getting off and then the next heard jump in. The campground was good but not for the price. I would say harvest host type or pay 13 dollars to stay. The animals were a treat though. But that is all. A one nighter place and get out kind of place. My apologies for my harsh words but the truth is the truth and misleading is a sin. Gods country? I don’t think so but it’s a money making machine for lost or inexperienced tourist. Shame is all I can summarize. But no one was forced to make the choice to go to their so called festivals. They utilize festival to real you in. One food truck and a metal barn.
D
Daniel E.
4 years on Hipcamp
Camping was in a big open, mostly flat, field. There was no shade. It was very quiet and peaceful, with the local farm animals nearby. They had a camel (not expected) that had a nursing baby, very cute.
The BEST part was the saloon/dinner/live music across the street. It was so fun, enjoying an evening there without having too worry about driving or cooking.
Note: they also have Harvest Host, which I did not realize until after I made HipCamp reservations.
M
Micheon O.
2 reviews
We loved the whole Camp Bankersmith experience. Camping gives nice views of the TX hill country, goats, miniature horses, cattle and a camel wandering nearby were fun to watch, and the food and entertainment at the Bankersmith Bar were excellent. We were fortunate enough to be there for 'picker's night' where locals entertain in the bar's backyard, in front of the old greyhound turned goat house. We'd highly recommend Camp Bankersmith!
C
Colleen C.
3 reviews
Recommends
· April 2022
A nice flat spot on the top of a hill with a braying burro, goats, a camel and some bison nearby. If only staying one night reserve through Harvest Host.
D
David O.
5 years on Hipcamp
Recommends
· February 2022
Great views and great atmosphere with friendly people!
Kurt G.
3 years on Hipcamp
We had a good experience at Camp Bankersmith. The sites are simple and it's easy to park and get set up. Lovely views of the nearby hills. We especially enjoyed hanging out at the Bankersmith Saloon and Dance Hall. It was packed on New Year's Eve for a special event and the staff was overwhelmed, but they did their best to accommodate us. I'd recommend this site if you can do dry camping. There is no water or portable toilet at the site. Take a look around the adjacent ranch to see exotic animals, including buffalo, zebra, a camel and a couple of beautiful longhorns! Feed is available at the saloon to feed the friendly little goats!
Rick L.
2 reviews
Recommends
· January 2022
Bankersmith is a charming place. Been there before and look forward to going again.
B
Ben P.
3 years on Hipcamp
Recommends
· December 2021
Peaceful place to just relax and enjoy the wilderness :)
C
Carmen O.
3 years on Hipcamp
Location
Fredericksburg, Kendall, Texas, United StatesTo respect the Host's privacy, the precise address of this land will be provided after booking
Hosted by Claire B.
Joined in March 2020Response rate: 100%
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