Riverbend On The Frio Resort and Park — Hotel in Sabinal

If you like crystal clear, cold river water, gentle rapids, and tubing, Concan, TX is the place to go. The Frio River is legendary in Texas and tubing enthusiasts eagerly make the trek out to Concan every summer. ||||While the Frio River is definitely 5 Star destination, the accommodations along the river are somewhat rustic and vary from one camp to another. Yeargan's River Bend is really fairly mediocre, with a variety of campsites, small screened shelters, a few cabins, and even a few motel rooms. We stayed in a cabin, and while it was adequate, it was definitely rustic and in need of some updating. The cabin sleeps six. There is a double bed in the main living area, plus another double bed and two twin beds on the sleeping porch. (The beds were old and lumpy and thoroughly uncomfortable.) There is one bathroom with a small shower, single sink and toilet. The "kitchen" area consists of a full size frig, a small microwave, small gas stove, and small cabinet/sink area. We had a full sized picnic table in the kitchen area, and the furniture in the living area consisted of a single cedar chair, a cedar loveseat and a cedar coffee table. However, there were two window unit ACs and several ceiling fans, and we were plenty cool and comfortable even in triple digit heat.||||However, one does not go to the Frio to spend the day in a cabin; one goes to TUBE! And the tubing is great. The Frio River is crystal clear and COLD. It feels wonderful in the hot Texas heat! Huge old cypress trees line the banks of the river which flows merrily over smooth river rocks, tiny rapids, and deep placid pools of jade green. Yeargan's has one of the best spots along the Frio for kids to play in the river. Families can spend countless hours of fun splashing in the shallows, fishing for "cats" and "brimmers", swinging on an old rope swing, and of course tubing down the river. ||||I was mildly disappointed to learn the Yeargan's only offers two shuttle times each day: 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. For $2 per person, they will take your group a couple of miles up HWY 83 to Frio Rio and drop you at a public access point to the river. You can bring your own tubes or rent tubes from Yeargan's. It takes 1 to 2 hours to float back down the river to the Yeargan's campsite. We were fortunate that our group had a couple of pickup trucks, and we mainly did our own transportation when we wanted to tube. ||||There are no major cities or towns within easy driving distance from Concan, so bring your own groceries with you if you can. We were packed to the gills with no room for groceries, so I shopped in Leakey (pronounced Lakey, about 7 miles from Yeargan's), the day we arrived. Leakey Mercantile is a mom and pop store, but I found it more than adequate. I bought groceries for six people for six days and found everything I needed there. It was bit more expensive, but worth it to me not to have to make a 90 mile round trip to a major grocery store. ||||Our cabin area also had a BBQ grill (fairly gross--needed a good scrubbing with a metal brush, which I did not have, so I covered the grill with foil), an outdoor picnic table, a clothes line (there are no laundry facilities at Yeargan's, although there are a couple of laundromats in Concan), and a couple of plastic outdoor chairs on our porch. There is no daily maid service, but our cabin had a broom (which I used frequently), and there is daily trash pickup from various points around the camp. I brought everything I needed for cooking, as the only kitchen implements provided are those things that have been left behind by other campers. Our cabin had a couple of pots, a cookie sheet, a few coffee mugs, and a little stainless silverware. The cabin next door had virtually nothing. You can't predict what might be there, so come prepared.||||We thoroughly enjoyed our stay at Yeargan's and the kids were in hog heaven! It's not a resort--it's not even close--but it does provide a wonderful rustic atmosphere and loads...

EDIT: 6 months after I posted the following 3-Star review, we received an email from the owner that, because of this review, they were black-listing us from River Bend! We are no longer allowed to go to River Bend, solely due to the following review:

ORIGINAL REVIEW: I am so torn about this (Campground only) review!

In our hearts, River Bend is a 5-star annual destination. In practically, the RV campground here is about 3-star experience at present.

My grading scale is: 3* = OK. Adequate. 4* = Very Good 5* = Great; Meets every expectation!

We have been coming to River Bend for over 20 consecutive years. My husband came here when he was a kid. Until 2017, we tent camped. In 2017, River Bend went to an RVs only policy, so we bought a travel trailer specifically to be able to continue to go to River Bend every year.

We LOVE River Bend!!!

As a campground, it was fine. As an RV Park, it needs upgrading, and the owners have informed us they have an extensive improvement plan. Roads are narrow and in need of resurfacing. Asphalt RV pad (some sites) is less than level. Other sites don’t have a pad at all. With an eye to maintaining a more natural environment, there is no paving into/out of sites. Only 6 (of 40) sites have sewer hookups, and those are not in the area near the river. Honey Wagon service is available for a fee. There is a dump station near the office, up the hill from the campground. WiFi in the lower campground is spotty. No cell service. No cable or satellite available, but we don’t really care about that; we play in the river all day and play family games in camp in the evenings. Each site has a large picnic table and fire ring, as well as water hookup. In addition, each site has 30-amp power (some 50-amp sites are available in the upper campground, further from the river). It is important to note that River Bend is the only campground we’ve found with campsites right along the Frio River. The cold water is just a few steps from the riverfront sites.

River Bend is raising prices for 2019. The new rates are among the highest in the area, and the other camps have more amenities. That said, River Bend’s published rates DO include more than 2 people per site.

I hope to re-evaluate & up-grade this review when improvements are...

A group of about 4 families (including mine) have been coming to River Bend for the last several years. The location on the Frio is amazing. There is a great tree swing, rock cliff, and plenty of areas to relax and enjoy conversations with friends while enjoying the frosty beverage of your choice. The room accommodations aren't first class, but they are adequate. The kitchens have a fridge, sink, oven and cooktop that will provide the basics for preparing a meal. This year, 2018, the resort changed hands and we were anxious to see what changes were in store. Goats, chickens and dogs (oh my). I love animals. I have a dog, two cats and a snake. I love goats too. My kids love petting zoos. The only issue is that these animals are allowed to roam the property freely. Guess where they love to roam to? If you are cooking food, you are going to be spending plenty of time with them. The goats poop and pee everywhere. Including the walking paths surrounding your living areas (if you zoom in on the ground in the pics, you'll see the little poo nuggets). People were constantly stepping in it and tracking it inside the rooms. I've provided a picture to show you how the equation: people + food = goats = poop and pee. We were constantly chasing them away from our food. The owners dogs are sweet but they too have a taste for human food and will be your constant companions while you are eating. If they penned these animals in a petting zoo type area, it would be great. If not, don't be surprised to find little surprises everywhere. We've loved River Bend over the years. I hope the new owners listen to these suggestions and for the good of the resort, will figure out a way to create some boundaries between guests...