My first impression while driving when we got close to Medina Lake was just how beautiful the Hill Country is. Stunning really. If you’ve never been I recommend it.
Medina Lake Thousand Trails is in Lake Hills, TX and after checking in we found a beautiful spot full of trees that kept us shaded from the hot Texas sun (mid July). Our campsite, and most of the ones we saw, are filled with trees which makes it feel like you are secluded even when spots are occupied on either side of you. We love this as opposed to other parks we’ve been in with very little trees or shade.
With all the trees come bugs though so be sure to bring fly paper and mosquito repellant as you will need it. We always have that with us wherever we go so that was not a problem. We were pleasantly surprised to find deer everywhere. They are absolutely beautiful to watch and will walk right up to your campsite if they think you will feed them. We saw several neighbors feeding them and it’s not unusual to see 10-15 deer at those sites at one time.
We have one dog and have an outside lead that we attach to our picnic table keeping him close to the RV. We do not leave him outside unattended for his own safety. I was a little concerned about fleas and ticks but we checked him continually and were fortunate not to have any issues with that. He does take flea treatment medication so that helped as well.
My brother, his family, and my stepmom live in the San Antonio area so once we were all set up they came to visit us at our campsite on the first day. It was great to catch up and visit with them and we plan to come back to Medina Lake as often as possible so we can see them regularly. We love the fact that the lake is not far from town and we were able to go and visit my stepmom at her house as well as and then have dinner in town.
One of things we love about this lifestyle is having friends and family that also have RV’s and taking trips together. My brother, one of our sons, and my daughter and her husband have an RV and getting together for a trip is our absolute favorite thing to do. Our daughter and her husband and family were able to come to Medina Lake a few days after us and get the spot right next to us which worked out perfectly. One thing to know about Thousand Trails that is unlike other RV parks and systems we’ve been to, is that you can not book your specific site ahead of time. It’s first come first serve. So once you get to the park you will need to drive around and look for an open spot. Sometimes they tell you which spots are available and sometimes they don’t depending on the Thousand Trails park. So needless to say, we were thrilled my daughter and grandkids were next to us.
We heard the lake was low before coming to Lake Hills and it was. My daughter and family had been here a few months back and noticed a big difference. We were still able to enjoy it though and the dogs and kids had a blast splashing and playing in the lake. Our dog Jaxie loves to chase sticks and run around in the water and he was one happy dog. We were fortunate to be the only ones in that area at the time and had the whole place to ourselves. We went in the late afternoon and it was absolutely stunning when the sun went down. This first time at the lake together watching our grandkids play is one of my favorite memories to date. If you have a kayak, canoe, or paddle boards this would be a great place to put them in the water.
Another great feature of this park is the pool. It’s huge. There is a jacuzzi as well and after a hot day there is nothing better than jumping in the cool pool. We all enjoyed it so much and that become our nightly habit after dinner, loading up and heading to the pool. Afterwards my daughter would take all the kids to the attached showers and by the time they got home the kids were clean and ready for sleep after a fun filled day.
If you are a nature buff there are many trails to do whether walking or biking. We took the dogs out on a walk down the trails and had fun but take a map. We got lost.
We took a day trip to New Braunfels and went tubing on the Comal River. It took us about an hour to get there. This was such a fun adventure. I am not a person that gets in lakes and swims with the fish so was very nervous about going tubing but I am now a fan. If you’ve not gone tubing, have an adventure and go with friends or family. It’s an absolute blast. There are some things I would recommend though that we didn’t know. I was afraid to take my phone or camera for fear (rightfully so) that it would get wet and it was a big disappointment to not be able to capture such a fun and exciting adventure. We have since purchased the water proof phone pouches that you can keep around your neck so it doesn’t fall in the water. My daughter had one and was able to capture some clips that I used in my youtube video about this adventure, linked below. The one time she took it out of her pouch though she dropped it in the water but fortunately my son in law was able to dive in the water and find it and it was fine. So be warned….leave it in the pouch. Another thing we learned is that if you take young kids they are going to fall through the tube as the tubes are big. So we had to hold the younger kids in our laps which worked out well. And lastly, if it’s hot outside you will not be protected from the sun so wear sunscreen and a hat and bring a long sleep shirt and towel to drape over your arms and legs. And wear non slip water shoes. My husband slipped as he was going down the steps to get into the water as the steps were covered in slippery moss. This was so much fun and a great memory for us as a family.
We went back to New Braunfels on another day and went to Gruene. If you are in this area look it up. We went to Gruene Hall (oldest dance hall in TX), ate at the Gristmill River Restaurant and Bar while celebrating my daughters birthday, shopped in the many little shops, did wine tasting, and enjoyed an experience at the Gruene Olive Tasting Room trying different olive oils and vinegars. There is so much there to do. This would be a good place to come as a group and we’ve been here several times.
If you are interested in other excursions while staying at Medina Lake Thousand Trails there are so many to choose from. My daughter took the kids to the Alamo, Ripley’s Believe it or Not, Legoland, and a nearby snake farm. There are so many things to do in this area and we’ve only just touched on a few of them. We will continue to explore the surrounding area in other stays here and plan on many more adventures.
We really enjoyed our stay here at Medina Lake Thousand Trails and look forward to coming back.
Thank you for your time and please leave a comment if you have any questions. See you down the road friends!
If you would like to see our first YouTube video at Medina Link, click on the link below: