Cabin photos before renovation. Renovation progress.

Enjoy a quiet retreat for writers, Plein Air painters, birdwatching, wildlife photography, housing for equestrians (BYOH) and off-trail hikers wanting to explore the Texas Hill Country. This newly renovated 1300 sq. ft. masonry cabin is located at the headquarters of an 1800-acre working Texas Longhorn cattle ranch in the Texas Hill Country, located 13 miles east of Utopia and 13 miles southwest from Tarpley.

This cabin is appropriate for adults with supervised accompanying well-behaved dogs or High School/college-aged children. There are two bedrooms; one with one queen-size bed and a full futon couch, the other bedroom has one king bed. Please review our Hold Harmless agreement. Livestock (including free-roaming chickens), barn-cats and wildlife frequent the area around the cabin, so dog guests must be confined to the fenced yard and on-leash hikes only. We charge a $500 fully refundable damage deposit. This is a non-smoking facility.

The great room features two opposing stone fireplaces, a living area with DirecTV and a dining area. The kitchen is equipped with a restored 1950's Frigidaire electric range and modern conveniences of retro refrigerator, microwave, dishwasher, two coffee-makers (Keurig and drip full pot) which we ask you only fill both with water from the filtered reverse osmosis tap at the kitchen sink, full sets of indoor and non-breakable outdoor dishes and stemware, and assorted cooking pans, casseroles, blender, mixer, toaster, etc. Bed and bath linens are provided, and a washer/drier are available for guest use. For your comfort, there is central air and heating, two ceiling fans in the great-room and one in each bedroom. The cabin is equipped with Wifi. There is not a reliable cell signal on the ranch, so we recommend you enable your smartphone to receive Wifi calling.

Ranch roads and cattle trials provide ample space to explore on horseback or hiking. We ask guests leave gates the way they found them (open or closed). This is critical to the wellbeing of our livestock. Leaving a closed gate open may cause cattle to roam into the wrong pasture. Inadvertently closing an open gate could prove deadly to livestock if they are closed off from access to water. Always close and latch the front gate to the ranch. Tours of the longhorn herd are available upon request. Our side-by-side ATV can accommodate 5 small guests or 4 adults.

Birdwatching in this area, particularly in the late spring, is quite rewarding. We identified over 75 species during the May 2020 Cornell Lab Global Birding Day, and we are amateurs. Expect to see Painted Buntings, Vermillion Flycatchers, Lesser Goldfinches, Golden-Fronted Woodpeckers and many more.This property and our beef production practices are Audubon Certified Bird Friendly.

COVID-19 UPDATE: We aware of the proper cleaning and disinfecting measures needed between guests. We cannot accommodate same-day turnovers between guests. Check-in time is 2:00 and check-out time is noon. We are flexible. Please let us know if you need different times, so we may schedule our cleaning accordingly.

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The Cabin
1 Queen bed & 1 Full-size futon couch in one bedroom, and 1 King bed in the other
2 Baths with showers, but they do not adjoin bedrooms
2 Fireplaces (free firewood)
Fully equipped kitchen
Coffee maker
Central air & heat
Ceiling fans in Bedrooms and Great Room
Front Deck, Back Porch, Outdoor Seating
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Amenities
Charcoal grill
HD Satellite TV
High Speed Wifi
Reverse Osmosis Tap
Plentiful birds and wildlife
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Details
Maximum of five guests allowed
Mature Children allowed
NO FIREWORKS, FIREARMS or ATV's
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Dining Options
During the week we recommend you prepare your own meals.
Tarpley: Mac and Ernie's Roadside Eatery in Tarpley (13 miles), serves lunch and supper Fridays and Saturdays and brunch and lunch on Sundays. Beer, wine and soft drinks are available for purchase. http://www.macandernies.com/

Utopia:
The Laurel Tree in Utopia (13 miles), serves lunch and supper on Saturdays. This is a five-course destination dining experience. Reservations are required a minimum of two weeks in advance. The restaurant books up even farther out on Holiday weekends. Uvalde is a dry county, so bring your own wine. The Laurel Tree
Lost Maples Café in Utopia is open 7:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m., seven days per week.
Hippie Chick's River Shack serves burgers Thursday-Saturday 11:00-6.45 and Sunday 11:00-1.45
The Lunchbox inside Utopia General Store serves sandwiches and burgers 11:00-3:00 Tuesday-Sunday

Bandera, 25 miles to the northeast and Hondo, 27 miles to the southeast have multiple dining options.

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Distance to the following sites:
Hill Country State Natural Area: 11.7 miles
Sabinal River in Utopia Park: 14.5 miles
Medina River in Bandera City Park: 25.8 miles
Garner State Park: 29 miles
Lost Maples State Natural Area: 41 miles

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Distance in miles from these famous Texas communities: