Michael B.recommendsJune 20, 2022
Grapevine Springs Retreat
5th Time is a Charm
This is my fifth time to book Wilson’s. What can I say….it’s where we come when we want to get away from it all.
Lamar H.recommendsApril 9, 2022
Grapevine Springs Retreat
RUGGED BUT AMAZING AND BEAUTIFUL!
This was such an amazing place for us to stay! Definitely off the beaten path, way back on the backside of the property. It is definitely a place for off-road trucks and SUVs but absolutely worth it in every way. The campsite was beautiful, the swimming hole was amazing (very cold), the little meadow and canyon just beyond our campsite was very cool, and our daily hike up "2 BAR HILL" to check our messages from home was great exercise, fun, and beautiful. Just be sure to bring plenty of water and food in with you so you don't have to trek out for anything. This is a place that is best experienced in the cooler months of the year. Wilson was a great help and escort into the campsite (4 miles on very rugged and fun roads). We hope to return at some point.
Dena S.recommendsMarch 14, 2022
Grapevine Springs Retreat
Secluded camping
Wilson is great and very friendly. He was also very patient with us as we made our way down the 4 mile journey to the camp site. When he says you will need a high clearance vehicle, he is not joking! But that 4 miles was well worth the journey - great, secluded camp spot and the bonus of getting to pass exotic animals and cows, donkeys, etc. along the way. Would highly recommend!
Dave W.recommendsMarch 10, 2022
Grapevine Springs Retreat
Shh... this place is awesome!
This was the Texas wilderness that we were looking for.
My son (age 4) and I spent 2 nights at the campsite and we honestly had an amazing experience watching wildlife, going off-roading, filling our canteens at the natural spring, building dams with river rock, searching for Perch in the swimming hole, competing in fire side games and lots more. The seclusion and privacy of this hidden campsite makes it just perfect if your desire is to go "off-grid" for a few days. Our amazing host Wilson also gave us an extensive tour of the property and shared some of the history of their 5th generation family cattle ranch. We got up close to the cattle and learned a lot about life as a rancher. The constant threat of invasive animals and plants, fence maintenance, windmill/water pumping station maintenance, cattle care, and so much more. It was priceless to see my son's excitement with every activity we did. I think we refilled our water bottles at the spring 5 times!
The campsite is about 45 minute drive from the road, traveling <10 MPH. If you are looking for some light off-roading/overlanding this is the best I have found in Texas. My son really enjoyed sitting on my lap and driving up and down the rocky trails. it felt like there were miles of roads, winding up and down ravines and across dry river beds.
My son had never been in a place where it was so quiet, and we slept so well despite the temps being in the 20's.
We will definitely be going back real soon.
Raphael C.recommendsNovember 28, 2021
Grapevine Springs Retreat
This was truly a unique camping experience! A group of friends and I went over Thanksgiving and we were truly amazed at how big the property is. It was awesome to be so secluded, but you'll definitely need to be prepared because the campsite is located 4 miles from the ranch entrance and the road to get there is pretty rough. You'll definitely need 4WD. Make sure to bring jumper cables and maybe an extra battery because we drained ours from opening and closing the doors so much to grab things throughout our stay. Wilson was extremely helpful and helped us out by grabbing his cables and a battery pack to jump-start the car. If you need a ride from Wilson to/from the campsite, I would coordinate ahead of time with him the ride back from the campsite because there's no cell service at the site. There is a hill near the campsite where you can get service so we had to hike about 15 minutes to text him just to coordinate a pick-up time and day. He'll tell you all about it when you meet him. He was a great host! He gave us the DL on the property on our ride into the camp and learned a lot about its history and what they currently use it for. Overall, highly recommend staying here! We'll be coming back here for sure.
Mike B.recommendsNovember 14, 2021
Grapevine Springs retreat site 2
Base Camp for Hill Country
Stayed at Wilson’s land for 2 nights. Our group of 2 families had 5 young kids who enjoyed exploring the acreage around the site. The camping site atop a hill with great sunrise and sunset views. We loved the close proximity to Garner State Park and Lost Maples and it made a perfect base camp for our weekend getaway.
Make sure you arrive early (daylight) to get setup. We brought a ~30 foot RV and had no trouble getting to the campsite (no hookups).
Rachel P.recommendsOctober 25, 2021
Grapevine Springs Retreat
Perfect getaway! We will be back !
This place is the true setup for camping with a group or by yourself if you like having plenty of space. We were the only ones aside from Wilson on nearly 3000 acres of land. It was beautiful hill country, very safe, the pictures are accurate ! We didn’t find the swimming hole, but it’s a good reason to come back. Many of my friends were already planning their next trip to come back. The road driving down is bumpy, but a couple of us had 4-runners with 4WD, very necessary! No joke! Otherwise, Wilson took a few of us down on his 4WD thing. Wilson is an awesome host! We had a great stay !! See you next time, Wilson !
Sean S.recommendsOctober 19, 2021
Grapevine Springs Retreat
I was skeptical about spending $100 a night to sleep on the ground, but quickly realized I was paying for much more than a campsite. The views, the silence and not having another human being around for miles was priceless. Definitely a great place to recharge the batteries. I’m not aware of another location so close to several major cities that has this much to offer. We’ll definitely be back again and again.
Jeannine W.recommendsSeptember 6, 2021
Grapevine Springs Retreat
Loved the property and how remote it was! Definitely a hidden gem and would love to come back.
Richard D.recommendsSeptember 2, 2021
Grapevine Springs retreat site 2
Best remote camping in Texas
We loved the solitude we had camping on this huge ranch with almost no reminders of human occupation in the 360 degree view of the grand western hill country. A great grove of live oaks to camp under. Freedom to hike for miles on the ranch. Close to the Frio and Nueces rivers.
Our host, Wilson, could not have been more gracious. Great guy.
Michael B.recommendsJuly 4, 2021
Grapevine Springs Retreat
Third time is a charm!
This was our third time at Grapevine Springs Retreat. The property was as beautiful as always. The drive to the campsite is no joke but well worth it - and actually kinda fun. My favorite part of Grapevine is the fact that Wilson only rents to one group at a time.
Zach C.recommendsMay 16, 2021
Grapevine Springs retreat site 2
King of the Hill
Wilson was an excellent host. He’s provided an amazing property where there’s plenty of room for cars and tents and relaxation.
Derek S.recommendsApril 25, 2021
Grapevine Springs Retreat
Amazing memories made here
This was the best camping adventure our little family has been on together! Our daughters normally groan at the idea of camping, but they told us they wanted to go camping again as soon as we got home from this trip. Our SUV almost couldn't handle the ranch road, but it was worth it. Thank you Wilson!
Clint J.recommendsApril 10, 2021
Grapevine Springs Retreat
Highly Recommend!
Wow! What an amazing time we had! We were there to celebrate my birthday and I can't think of a better place to have spent our time together. The property is incredible! the site is very secluded and we felt like we were the only people on earth out there. The site has several places to set up tents and our group was pretty big and everyone was able to find a place where they were not on top of each other. There was so much to do that the kids didn't ask for electronics one time! Like the listing says, you will need a truck or SUV but our friends small SUVs made it but did scrape bottom quite a bit. Wilson was an amazing host. He answered our many questions faster than any other host I have ever stayed with and went out of his way to help us back to the site in multiple groups. It will be hard to find another place to camp after this.
Amelia Y.recommendsMarch 28, 2021
Grapevine Springs Retreat
We love this place- our second time here was just as great as the first. Wilson is a welcoming and laid-back host and the site is perfection. We’ll definitely be back!
Andria H.recommendsMarch 21, 2021
Grapevine Springs Retreat
Remote, quiet, and amazing!
This is a fantastic site. Accessible only by a rig with high clearance, there are great hammock trees, no humans within miles, no road noise- truly remote but with some great amenities! We loved it here and will definitely be back with friends. The host, Wilson, was great and came by to check on us and share some information about the property. The swimming hole was great and there is a fresh spring close by. Just amazing!
Susie R.recommendsDecember 30, 2020
Grapevine Springs Retreat
Perfect secluded spot to camp and explore. It was beautiful and quiet, and the springs were wonderful.
Craig N.recommendsDecember 24, 2020
Grapevine Springs Retreat
Great place for exploration!
It was like having an entire country to explore ourselves. We walked for hours searching the land for animals. We saw over 50 animals including wild hogs, deer, etc.. I would highly recommend it to adventurous seeking people!
Andy I.recommendsDecember 15, 2020
Grapevine Springs Retreat
Absolutely all around amazing.
Mike W.recommendsDecember 13, 2020
Grapevine Springs Retreat
Amazing, quiet, & spacious
This place was incredible. If you're looking for some very simple (that's a good thing), immensely spacious, private & quiet space to retreat and camp, this is your place. I spent hours hiking & exploring this land, and left a bunch undiscovered that I look forward to getting back there for.
I'm sure the other reviews mention this, but there is a pretty legit 4x4 road experience that accesses the campsite, so be prepared for that. My FWD SUV handled it fine though.
Wilson was super friendly, and a great host. I can't wait to get back here for more!
Michael B.recommendsNovember 28, 2020
Grapevine Springs Retreat
Covid Thanksgiving
This was lit second time to camp with on Wilson's property and...we can't wait for our third time!
Eli M.recommendsNovember 8, 2020
Grapevine Springs Retreat
Texas is Beautiful
Stayed first weekend of November 2020.
This is a great camp site. Beautiful. Scenic. Wildlife galore. Note, the weather was beautiful as well. Mid 70s and low 50s.
The site is on a ranch that is Over 3000 acres. Totally private site.
Our host was friendly. Escorted us from the front gate to the camping site. The "road" is more like a side-by-side or ATV trail. So make sure you have an elevated vehicle ( no minivans or Prius). I drove in with a Ford f350 deisel 4x4 with stock suspension and stock elevation. It worked fine. It was tight. It was rough.
On the 3.5 mile drive (45 minutes from road to site), youll see amazing landscape, animals and water.
The site itself is great. Shaded. Cliff side. It is lower ground. So no cell signal at all. This is a primitive camp site.
The swiming hole is .5 miles from our camping site. The boys and I had a blast. Crystal clear water.
Animals: we saw tons of deer, owls, wild turkeys, fallow buck, lizards, etc... My 10 year old even found a fossil.
Its so close to Lost Maples and Garner. And the Frio. Plenty to do.
The only issue is the narrow trail in. Branches and shrubs were overgrown into the trail, no doubt they left some scratches (they will buff out).
9 out of 10.
Adam L.recommendsNovember 1, 2020
Grapevine Springs Retreat
Awesome place! Best camp site that we’ve been to. Lots of things to do and see and very private. The host, Wilson, is very helpful and enjoyed visiting with him. We will be definitely back!
Amelia Y.recommendsOctober 30, 2020
Grapevine Springs Retreat
Magical!
Our group of seven camped at Grapevine Springs in mid-October. We were all so impressed with the site, and Wilson is super-friendly and helpful as a host. You definitely need a 4-wheel drive with high clearance to get to the site, but once you are there you'll never want to leave. We had plans to check out Garner State Park but decided to stay put and do some hikes on the land and swim at the swimming hole, and spent two incredible days feeling like we had the most beautiful corner of the hill country all to ourselves. Wilson has a nice camp kitchen set up with plenty of tables, and there is a nearby spring where you can get drinking water. While the site is "primitive," those extras significantly reduce the amount you have to pack in. We're already planning to go back again in the spring. This is a really special place and we highly recommend it!