Ecotourism
Enjoy the Llano, one of Texas' best clean rivers.
Come take refuge & enjoy a private lodging or group retreat experience here on the farm! Experience the natives - wildlife viewing, birding, photography, swimming, canoeing and star gazing. Enjoy an evolving ecological restoration area of river hardwood forest, mesquite flats and upland rolling hill country.
The Cool River Cabin is a unique retreat situated between our fields and the banks of the Llano River. Steps from the cabin is a wonderful winding path from the back porch through mesquite lowlands to the river. The cabin's 2 bedroom + sleeping loft, 2 bathrooms and full kitchen make for a convienient and comfortable stay.
Overlooking the farm and river valley, Hacienda Maria can accommodate overnight stays as well as small groups for workshops, retreats and conferences. The hacienda is two stories with 2 bedrooms, 2 baths, 3 half baths, a sunroom, a fully equipped kitchen, bar, large meeting room, outdoor patio and extra parking. It accommodates up to eight people overnight or a group size of fifty people for day/evening use.
As more people move to the Hill Country, they bring more development and inherently, more light. In fact, recent studies show that we are losing our night skies at an alarming rate of up to 10% each year. The Hill Country Alliance Night Sky Program helps counties and cities minimize the impacts of light pollution through education and outreach, business and neighborhood recognition programs, the establishment of outdoor lighting policies, and the celebration of starry night skies across the Hill Country region. Our founder, Bill Neiman, sits on the board for HCA and works closely with this program. Here he helps describe what is at stake and where we go from here.