Spires Creek Ranch

Medina River Frontage

377± acres / Texas Hill County / Bandera County

The 377-acre Spires Creek Ranch lies a few miles west of Bandera, north of Hwy 16, across the cypress-lined Medina River on Peaceful Valley Road. Bandera, known as the Cowboy Capital of the World, has recently experienced a surge in growth and tourism, with new shops, restaurants, live music venues, galleries, and amenities. It is located just 45 minutes from San Antonio, with access to its international airport, River Walk, medical center, and cultural attractions.

Spires Creek Ranch is a world all unto itself. The peaceful and secluded retreat rests on the banks of Rock Cliff Reservoir, Spires Creek, and the Medina River. The ranch combines significant live water with manicured grasslands, woodlands, limestone improvements, and a uniquely designed hangar and runway.

Originally developed in the 1990s by a Houston-based Texas oilman and noted pilot, the ranch was crafted with no expense spared to improve the infrastructure, habitat, and water resources. A paved road runs from the electric gate entrance and connects to a network of internal roads throughout the high-fenced ranch.

The ranch’s central feature is Rock Cliff Reservoir, built 60 years ago on lower Spires Creek, about half a mile from its confluence with the Medina River. A smaller, secondary lake below the reservoir is fed by its waters. The dam and spillway, entirely within the property, form a 120-acre clear-water lake when full. The owners typically manage the lake at around 65 acres, where it remains 25 feet deep at the dam and up to 60 feet when full. Both lakes are stocked with bass and catfish, attracting ducks, waterbirds, deer, and turkey to their banks.

The paved road leads to an impressive Ranch Headquarters complex, including the main house, guest house, historic barn, and shed. Surrounding the headquarters are manicured pastures, hay meadows, and a parklike live oak savannah with rolling hills and dramatic views of the Bandera hills.

Beyond the Headquarters is a retro, architecturally distinct airport rivaling any small FBO, complete with offices, kitchen, dining area, meeting room, hangar, and shop. A raised viewing deck offers panoramic views of the airstrip, which once hosted airshows and vintage aircraft flyins. The Spirit of Lindbergh, a 2002 feature article, described the airfield as “Recapturing the Allure of America’s Golden Age of Aviation.”

The ranch’s rolling savannah, studded with century-old live oaks, transitions into riparian forests along Spires Creek and the Medina River. Below the dam, Spires Creek is lined with cypress trees, as well as some of the county’s largest live oaks and cedar elms. The Medina River flows through a cathedral-like corridor of towering cypress, willow, and sycamore trees in a lush gallery forest. Its crystal-clear waters form deep pools and shallow riffles, out of sight of neighboring improvements.

The Headquarters, tastefully located on the cliffs of the lake, was built to blend into the landscape and highlight the German Hill Country culture. The following are descriptions of the improvements:

LIMESTONE BLOCK MAIN HOUSE

• Four bed and four baths

• Exposed limestone walls mixed with beautiful custom wood walls and ceilings.

• Massive rock entrance hallway

• Great room with large fireplace

• Modern kitchen with dining area

• Back covered patio with fireplace and entertainment area

• Large separate carport with storage and bathroom

• Swimming pool with decks and outdoor cooking patio

BUNK HOUSE

• Restored older guest house

• Two beds and one bath

• New kitchen and living area

• Front porch

BARN AND WORK SHED

• Historic barn with cut limestone walls

• Work benches and storage

• Large cedar beams and posts

ARTIST RETREAT

• Private small home on the banks of Medina River

• One bed and one bath

• Previously used as artist studio

• Guest cottage potential

• Airport and vintage hangar

• 3,600-foot fenced, engineered and drained grass airstrip

• Two concrete taxiways

• 8,000-square-foot vintage hanger, shop, office, kitchen, and lounge designed by Jim Luigs

• 20x80-foot open office and lounge wrapped by large windows

• Two bathrooms

• Complete shop with built-in cabinets

• 600-square-foot observation deck

• Full kitchen with large lounge table

• Conference room

• Built-in cabinets, tables, and rosewood desks in office

• Fuel shed

OTHER RANCH IMPROVEMENTS

• Five water wells, one is an irrigation well for hay meadow

• Boat ramp for Rock Cliff

• Large earthen dam with natural rock and concrete spillway

• Steel stairs from the house down to the lake

• High-fenced with internal electric gates

• Cattle pens

Historically, the ranch operated as a registered Longhorn cattle ranch and grass farm. The Headquarters includes working pens and several fenced pastures. Wildlife is abundant, including axis, fallow, sika, whitetail deer, turkey, and feral hogs. The lakes attract waterfowl in winter, and both are well-stocked with bass and catfish, creating a true sportsman’s paradise.

Located in the heart of the Texas Hill Country (Edwards Plateau), the ranch’s diverse terrain—native pastures, wooded savannas, rock outcrops, and forested bottoms—supports a wide range of game and non-game species. Songbirds, hummingbirds, shorebirds, monarch butterflies, hawks, and ringtail cats thrive here. Winter and spring rains bring a burst of wildflowers, while native grasses, shrubs, and trees offer vibrant, multi-season flora. $10,000,000.

Contact James king, Agent with King Land & Water at 432-426-2024 or james@KingLandWater.com.