This route takes you through four beautiful river valleys, with all four spring-fed rivers offering crystal clear water flowing over rock slab bottoms. The first three rivers are lined with cypress trees in many places. From east to west you will cross the Medina River, the Sabinal River, the Frio River, and the Nueces River. Between each river you cross high ridges of limestone “hills” covered with cedar and various types of oaks. These hills offer spectacular views into gorgeous canyons. The eastern end of this route is Medina, TX, located at the intersection of Highway 16 and Highway 337. Heading west on 337, this route takes you through Vanderpool, near Lost Maples State Natural Area, to Leakey (and the nearby Rio Frio/Concan area), and over to Camp Wood on the western end. With no stops, you can make this drive in about 1.5 hours. But that’d be a waste. I’d suggest turning the drive into a weekend or longer!
The small town of Medina began as a saw mill operation in 1865. The town is presently known as the apple capital of Texas and you will see apple orchards consisting of dwarf trees that produce a very sweet apple. It’s only 22 miles from Medina to Vanderpool, but it takes at least 30 minutes to drive it due to the curves and wonderful views. Look for the rare Madrone trees along the right of way and on the hillsides.
After crossing the Sabinal River (Spanish for “cypress” which still line its banks in many places), take a right at the T-intersection and you will soon come to the Lost Maples Store where you can buy a snack and a soda and “sometimes” BBQ is served on weekends. The Vanderpool area was first settled by Anglos in the 1850’s but was abandoned in the 1860’s due to the Comanche indians. The valley was later re-settled in the 1880’s. If time permits you can head north on 187 to quickly reach Lost Maples State Natural Area. Lost Maples is a great place to take a short hike to stretch your legs and enjoy some nice hiking scenery. Yes, you can even see its famed maples trees, a rare sight in Texas. From Vanderpool you can also drive south on 187 and enjoy Utopia, TX. Be sure and visit the park there and maybe take a swim in the small lake on the Sabinal River. Back at the Lost Maples Store, continue west on 337 toward Leakey, a drive of only 15 miles that takes another 30 minutes. Alternatively, you can head west from Utopia on Highway 1050 for 15 miles and reach Garner State Park on the Frio River, then turn north on Highway 83 for 8 miles to reach Leakey. Either route to Leakey is gorgeous.
You will enter Leakey after crossing the Frio River (Spanish for “cold”, as in “water temperature”!). Leakey offers numerous restaurants and small stores. “Leakey” is pronounced as “LAY-key” and is not pronounced like a “leakey” faucet. Leakey was settled by Anglos in 1856 (another saw mill operation) and was named in honor of a settler. The last Indian raid in the area was in 1882. The town is now the county seat of Real County. If time permits you can drop south on Highway 83 to explore the Concan and Rio Frio areas which features several crossings of the famed Frio River and Garner State Park. This is clearly “river tubing” country in the summer!
From Leakey head west on 337 to Camp Wood, Tx. Along the way look for “pinon” pine (pronounced “pin-yun”) trees growing along the right of way and on hillsides. You don’t find these trees in many other places in Texas, especially in the Hill Country. Camp Wood is 21 miles west of Leakey, but once again, the curves in the road make it a 30 minute trip. Camp Wood derives its name from a US military outpost camp located here during 1857-1861. This area was also the site of a Franciscan mission that served Lipan Apaches during 1757-1761. The numerous springs in the area served the mission and later the military camp and still serve as the city’s primary source of water. Young pilot Charles Lindbergh made an unplanned stop here in 1924 when attempting to fly from San Antonio to California. A historical marker tells the story of Lindbergh’s crash here. The Nueces river flows just to the west side of Camp Wood. In Spanish, the word Nueces means “nut”. It is not known whether the nut in reference was the pecan or the nut of the pinion pine. Both are plentiful in the area. Spanish explorers traveled across this area in the first half of the 1500’s, possibly including the famed Cabeza de Vaca (a subject of dispute among historians it seems).
To wrap this trip up, the route to your home destination can be as varied as you like. No need to back track unless you want to see the route in reverse!
Learn More?
Madrone trees: http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=arxa80
Pinon pine trees: http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=pied and http://www.tpwmagazine.com/archive/2007/may/legend/
Lost Maples State Natural Area: http://tpwd.state.tx.us/spdest/findadest/parks/lost_maples/
Garner State Park: http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/spdest/findadest/parks/garner/
Leakey, Texas: http://www.traveltex.com/cities-and-regions/cities/leakey
Concan, Texas: http://www.traveltex.com/search?q=concan
Camp Wood, Texas: http://www.traveltex.com/search?q=camp wood
-Don Gray, with help from cousin Steve in Rio Frio, TX
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