RVshare’s Top Vacation Destinations New Braunfels, Texas, No Matter the Duration
Start your exploration of this great area with a three-day visit to nearby San Antonio, a city full of Texas history. Tour the former Spanish mission that was the site of the famous 1836 Battle of the Alamo during Texas's bid for independence from Mexico. Then, head to the famed San Antonio River Walk and either travel on foot along the walkways lined with eateries and stores or take a barge tour and float down the San Antonio River. If you're traveling with kids, take them to Six Flags Fiesta Texas. They'll also love the Buckhorn Saloon and Texas Ranger Museum, which features a virtual skeet shooting gallery and a western town.
Next, drive about 45 minutes to Austin, known for its abundance of live venues, and take in a performance or two. There's great boutique shopping on South Congress Avenue, and if you're there anytime from late March through November, go to the Congress Avenue Bridge at sunset to witness the city's large Mexican free-tailed bat population take off by the thousands and fly over Lady Bird Lake. Austin is the state capital, so be sure to tour the Texas Capitol and the various museums nearby. For a fun road trip, travel from Austin to Las Vegas to try your luck in Sin City’s casinos.
For some fun in the sun at the beach, make the three-hour drive to the Texas coast and spend a couple of days in Port Aransas. It's a fisherman's dream destination where you can fish off a pier or jetty or go bay or deep-sea fishing. Play a round of golf or take a dolphin-watching cruise. After working up an appetite, head to one of the area's many seafood restaurants; if you've reeled one or two in, pick one of the spots that will cook your catch.
Explore New Braunfels, Texas in an RVshare RV Rental
Set in the southeastern part of Texas Hill Country, New Braunfels was strategically founded at the confluence of the Comal and Guadalupe Rivers in the mid-19th century. Part of the attempt to use German emigrants to set up a New Germany in Texas, the town began as a campsite chosen by Prince Carl of Solms-Braunfels. German settlers arrived in March of 1845, led by Nicolaus Zink. The Zinkenburg, a primitive fortress built at the campsite, was named after him and is today considered to have been New Braunfels' first building.
Thanks in part to its location on the road between Austin and San Antonio, the settlement prospered and was, by 1850, the fourth-largest town in Texas. The town's population grew following the establishment of railroads and again in the period after World War II. The advent of interstate highways facilitated the arrival of tourists from nearby San Antonio; today, New Braunfels has a population of 90,400 people and receives a good number of visitors ready to have fun tubing and floating on the city's rivers. They're also attracted by the town's German heritage, the focus of the local Sophienburg Museum's exhibits and genealogy archives.
Less than 10 minutes from downtown New Braunfels is the quaint Gruene historic district. Dotted with 19th- and early 20th-century buildings, the area is filled with antique shops, wine-tasting rooms, and restaurants. Sit down to Texas-sized portions at the Gristmill River Restaurant, built on the ruins of a cotton gin dating back to 1878.
RVshare’s Top Picks for State Parks Near New Braunfels, Texas
With Texas's hot climate, the star of the show at Guadalupe River State Park, just 40 minutes from New Braunfels, is the Guadalupe River. Cool off by swimming, tubing, or canoeing, or if you're up for dry-land activities, hike or bike one of the park's 13 miles of trails. Stay overnight in your RV rental at one of the 85 sites with water and electric hookups so you'll have time for a picnic, then go birdwatching or horseback riding.
Forty-five minutes away, Lockhart State Park features what few other state parks do — a nine-hole golf course. If you're not a golfer, they have a swimming pool, and there's catfish and bass fishing in Clear Fork Creek. There's a basketball court, and you can also go mountain biking or hiking on the park's trails, with the Persimmon Trail and Rattlesnake Run being the two most challenging due to their terrain changes. The park takes reservations for full-hookup campsites.
The San Marcos River offers a respite from the heat at Palmetto State Park. Paddleboard, kayak, canoe, or tube the river, and be on the lookout for the dwarf palmettos for which the park was named. There's river fishing, and you can pier fish at Oxbow Lake.
Events Near New Braunfels, Texas
• Wurstfest – For 10 days every November, attendees at this New Braunfels festival can gorge themselves on sausage and drink imported and craft beer. You can also play carnival games and dance to polka music.
• Gruene Music and Wine Festival – Held to raise funds for United Way of Comal County, this four-day October event brings together live music and specialty food and wine tastings.
• Comal County Fair – An annual September event in New Braunfels, the fair features a parade, carnival rides, antique tractor contests, a dance area with live music, and a rodeo.
Popular Nearby RV Parks and Campgrounds
Situated on the Guadalupe River, the Rio Guadalupe Resortfeatures 58 RV spots with full hookups, and they have raft, tube, and kayak rentals in case you didn't bring any equipment. The river also provides great fishing, and there's a swimming pool and dog park.
Another park with access to the Guadalupe River, Lazy L & L Campground, is a family-run establishment with full hookup RV sites, some right on the shaded riverfront. When you're done fishing, tubing, and kayaking, enjoy their horseshoe pits and volleyball sand court.
The 32-acre Hill Country RV Resort and Cottage Rentals has 250 RV sites and a ton of amenities. A playground, pool, sand volleyball court, billiards room, gem mining sluice, basketball court, arcade, and putting green mean there won't be a dull moment during your stay.
