Krause Springs was such a peaceful, whimsical little escape. The amount of lush greenery and…read moremassive old trees was unreal. Some of the tree roots were the biggest and most unique I've ever seen in my life. The whole place just had such a calm, magical feeling to it. One thing to note is that there are a LOT of stairs in many locations and most are very steep, so it's definitely not stroller-friendly if you are a family with young ones. If you're bringing little ones, just be mindful and watch your step going down the stairs toward the springs. The property itself is absolutely beautiful. You can either camp overnight or purchase a day pass. From what I remember, day passes were $10 per adult, kids under 3 were free, and camping was around $21 a night. They close the springs at 8:00 pm and for campers quiet time is from 10:00 pm to 7:00 am. No loud generators allowed for campers. They had so many little hidden coves and tucked-away areas where you could set up camp, which made it feel really private and peaceful. I was also very impressed with how clean everything was. The bathrooms and showers were pristine, very sanitary, and conveniently located within walking distance of the entrance. One surprise I didn't expect was that they also have a separate swimming pool in addition to the springs, which ended up being great because the water at the springs was a little murky the day we went due to recent rain. Still gorgeous to look at though, especially with the waterfall. It honestly felt surreal, like you forgot you were still in Texas. They also have a beautiful butterfly garden with tons of unique plants and greenery that made the experience interesting. Overall, this place just gave off such a good feeling. Peaceful, relaxing, beautiful, and definitely a must-see if you enjoy nature. We'll absolutely be returning again.

Beautiful hidden gem in hill country. There is a modest entrance fee that allows you access to the…read morewhole space - the natural springs, the man-made pool, butterfly garden, and more. The man-made pool has spring water; this is where I would recommend families with children or inexperienced swimmers go. It's lovely and more of a managed pool setting. We hiked down the stone steps to reach the natural springs which are so beautiful with a picturesque mini waterfall and a rope swing as well! However swimming here can be treacherous. I highly recommend water shoes as there are lots of rocks and moss in the springs. Water depth also varies greatly from one spot to another so it's important to be aware of that. Water temperature was comfortable and cool - felt great on a hot summer day. Wrapped up our visit in the garden, which is so beautifully maintained. Absolutely lovely and zen. The changing room and bathroom facilities are clean and easily accessible. We left feeling dry, happy, and peaceful after a wonderful day in nature.

I'll have to say this is one of my favorite parks for hiking. There are so many trails! You can…read morespend an entire day and then some just hiking. Of course getting to view the falls is wonderful. It's a lovely, peaceful, and serene setting. The swimming areas, canyons, and rocks are great to climb, rest, nature watch, and splash around. A quick 45 min-hour drive from Austin making it a great place for a day trip. A few hours in nature does the soul good!

Pedernalas Falls. We hiked the short path to the falls. The view was beautiful. But guess…read morewhat... no falls. Pretty dry here at the park. Well there was some water running on the other side We did hike down to the river bed and walked around the rock formations. Pretty cool! On the way out of the park we saw some Greater Kudu! Beautiful animals!

This campground was amazing! The staff was so nice and were very responsive. The grounds are very…read morewell kept. The bathrooms are very clean and spacious. Our kids enjoyed all the amenities including the pool while we enjoyed the hot tub. The playground is huge and the cornhole is right next to it. There is so much to do, we didn't even cover half of it. We have already booked our next trip here!

Such a fun place to stay. We rented the golf cart to get around but honestly everything's kinda…read morecentrally located so it's not really that necessary but still was nice to have. The pool is great kids loved all the activity's on site. We will deff be back.

This place is awesome, however you should know there are a lot of hard burrs in the grass. Not…read moregreat for your little ones to walk around.

Small hidden camp area near Marble Falls! Bathroom stall is clean and they have tent for glamping…read moreexperience. No water or electricity hook ups but over looking a creek or dried up lake.. it's $25 a night.

Longhorn Caverns is a great place to go to see some natural Texas beauty. Our tour guide Emily was…read moreabsolutely amazing. She is extremely knowledgeable, confident, and has great puns! We lucked out and got her on a walking tour but you can normally find her on the Wild Cave Tours. My wife has severe anxiety, Emily was extremely understanding, helped her stay calm throughout the walking tour, and gave our family an unforgettable experience. I couldn't thank her enough for everything she did. I highly recommend checking out these Caves, and if you have the gumption to get muddy, spring for the Wild Cave Tour. Either way you go, it's a great experience!

Pictures don't do this place justice!…read more On this beautiful Saturday, I was seeking adventure! This tour is such an amazing deal. My tour guide Eryn was amazing and so funny. Caves are so interesting and there is so much to learn about them . Longhorn Cavern offer 3 different tour options. The cavern walking tour is just like a casual walking tour. The black light tour is where you wear hard hats and walk with a light. The Wild Cave tour is for the extreme explorers who are okay with tight spaces . I chose the cavern walking tour. I highly recommend shoes that have a tight grip. The gift shop has really good options for keepsakes. Also, if you get thirst drinks are available to purchase. I saw a section for pizza, but it was sold out. I had amazing time during my visit. The cave is beautiful and there is so much to see.

Absolutely love this place! Stunning views and lots of trails. Great stay! they have R.V spots…read more.. cabins... and tent camping as well.. a general store that provides all sorts of necessities. Would definitely recommen!

We had an incredible time wheeling here at hidden falls. From the start, the staff was super nice…read moreand had a great attitude any time we came in contact with them. Routes seem pretty well maintained and labeled well too. Only downfall is that our first day there the air up station didn't have very much PSI so we had to whip out the old reliables. Non the less, we will be back.

Absolute goat-heaven! I've been here so many times, and it…read morenever disappoints. This is my go-to spot whenever out-of-state family and friends come to visit--it's always a huge hit. If you love goats, you have to come here. They have a massive pen where you can hang out with the cutest, friendliest goats for as long as you want. There's also a decent little gift shop to check out before you leave. A pro-tip from a regular: skip driving your own car through, especially if you want to keep your paint job clean! Hop on the trailer ride instead--that's truly where it's at. An amazing experience every single time!

My friends and I did the drive thru safari here and WOW, what a unique experience. I honestly…read moredidn't know something like this existed in the US but I'm so glad it does. I believe there's over 500 animals here, which is insane! For the drive thru safari specifically, the animals will come to your car and you have the opportunity to get up close and personal to them. If you have food, they are very assertive in getting some and may get food and spit in your car, so be prepared for that. The animals that came up to our car included deer, ostriches, alpacas, moose, and zebras. Outside of the drive thru safari, they also have a petting zoo. They have capybaras here (which I'm a big fan of) so we also paid to see and pet them! Overall, a super fun experience if you're an animal lover. The tickets are also pretty affordable which is another plus.

I have been going here for years, hiking and mountain biking. I've done a few races also. It is…read moremarked fairly well, but obviously whether can change making trails. Look different and signs get weathered. Always take a map, as they are always passing out at the Ranger station

We always make a stop here to hike, swim, and picnic with our kids. The rangers are awesome and…read morehappy to answer all of our kids questions. The trails are clearly marked and scrambling over the rocks to explore the falls and wading in the river are always a blast. This year we went after a heavy rain and it was awesome to see the river roaring over the falls.

This is the best camp EVER! I have been going here for 2 year's and I will defiantly come every…read moreyear that I can. This camp help's you become a better person by practicing the 4 R's (Responsibility, reaching out, reasonable risk, and respect). Everybody there is nice and kind. My first day ever going, I was so nervous that I wouldn't make any friends but when I first met my cabin mates, I felt like we've been friends for ever. The cabins don't have any air conditioning but they do have fans and on the bright side it's cold in the morning but that's the fun of it. The bathrooms are grows but that stuff does not matter. What does matter is the fun of camp. Their is always so much to do. You could never get bored. From sitting at the hearth (the place were fine arts is) too climbing the rock wall, your always having fun. There are also many water activity such as pool, paddle sports, free swim, ski, knee boar, tubing, blobbing, etc.

Our 9 year old son just finished his second summer session (3 straight weeks of sleep-away camp in…read morenon-air conditioned cabins with no direct parental contact or tech devices allowed) at Camp Champions on Lake LBJ in Marble Falls and before we even left the property, he was asking us to sign up for next year. That right there is a glowing endorsement, folks. As budget-minded, practical parents, it was a tough sell for us at first. This camp, while phenomenal on the surface with a long history of success since 1967 and amenities & growth experiences galore, costs almost an arm & a leg. I'm saying our whole family of 3 could go to Europe for the cost of the 3 weeks for 1 kid here (an hour's drive from Austin). Why would we make the sacrifice and commit to this quite pricey annual tradition? As Brian J mentions in his excellent review, it's the 4 Rs that Camp Champions models in every staff member and enforces every day in all of the campers: Responsibility, Respect, Reasonable Risk, and Reaching out to others. You will never find another summer program with such enthusiastic and caring owners, staff members, teen counselors, and youth participants. Sure, it all looks great on paper, but it's truly fantastic in practice. Participants learn how to: live with 8 other "siblings"; share responsibility for their living space; maintain a caring community; manage conflict; support others in need; self-regulate; appreciate nature; honor elders; step up as a leader; and try something new & challenging every day. Yes, these are all lessons that we teach within our family, but there's nothing like having these kinds of experiences in an environment outside of the group of people who have to love you because you're a blood relative. The maturation that I see in my singleton child each year after the Camp Champions experience is priceless to me. What else? Fun, of course! The property is gigantic, with every kind of summer activity you can imagine, from swimming (lake & pool) to ropes course to skiing to sailing to climbing to archery to horses to go carts to arts/crafts to gaga & pickle ball. You can tour the camp virtually here: http://www.campchampions.com/campers/video-map-tour. There are also the Trojan/Spartan color battles, evening torch lighting, Sunday vespers, and hundreds of other little inside jokes, rituals, and traditions that make campers feel that they are a part of special tribe for the rest of their lives. Parents are kept informed about their child during the camp session via daily photos and owner Steve Baskin's inspiring blog. We also have access to a system where we can send as many emails as we'd like to our campers, but if your child is like mine, you won't be receiving many letters in return. Both years, we've received a measly 2 postcards the entire time -- he was having too much fun to write home! A note on diversity. This is a desirable quality which needs improvement at Camp Champions, and efforts are underway to do just that. During Summer 2016, campers and counselors from 7 different countries were represented, with about 1/3 of my son's cabin speaking a first language other than English. Recently, a foundation was started to help fund scholarships for campers who could not otherwise afford to attend. There's more to do, but I appreciate that the Baskins recognize this issue and are acting to address it.

Very beautiful property! A great place to get away and disconnect from the world and connect with…read moreyourself, your family, and nature.

What a gem of a place! Quiet, cozy and a great way to unplug. We were just minutes from town and…read moresome great nature parks. Canoes were available for our use. We will be back!