– Summary –

Location:  10 minutes West of Johnson City, 45 miles West of Austin (Capitol of Texas) and 65 miles North of San Antonio on Althaus Ranch Road.

Size: 187 acres

Water:  The major feature of this Hill Country ranch is its’ significant amount of live water frontage with over 5,800 feet on the Pedernales River.  The water is all accessible by foot given the gentle sloping topography.  The picturesque river is completely visible from the ranch roads due to tree and brush removal.

Improvements:  Approximately 2 miles of newly minted roads along with considerable tree and brush clearing.  Large shady cypress and oak trees plus a private 8 foot private spring fed pool on the river offer ideal sites for a custom home.  A custom gate and rock entrance set the tone for the private ranch located within.

Summary:  This ranch offers significant access to live water and a superior location close to Austin and San Antonio, Texas.  All the major work has been completed with new roads and tree and brush clearing leaving you free to enjoy a matchless Hill Country ranch.

Offering Price: $3,250,000* ($17,380/ac.)
* The price is subject to change without prior notification.

– Detailed Property Description –

Location:   In the heart of Hill County living amidst the hometown of President Lyndon Baines Johnson – Johnson City, Texas.  Johnson City (County seat of Blanco, restaurants and shopping) is located five miles West, about 40 minutes from Fredericksburg, and about an hour from both Austin (45 miles) to the East and San Antonio to the South (65 miles).  Highway 290 West, a major arterial in Blanco County, is located about three miles South of the ranch.  Highway 281, another major arterial in Blanco County, ties Johnson City with San Antonio and Blanco to the South and Marble Falls to the North

The ranch has 60′ of frontage along the eastline of Althaus Ranch Road, a private property association maintained road.

Land:

The ranch contains 187.34 acres consisting of a 186 acre parent tract that is triangularly shaped with an approximately 1.3 acre strip of land connecting the parent parcel to Althaus Ranch Road.  This lane measures approximately 1,500′ long and is 40′ wide.

The ranch consistently slopes Northeastly toward the Pedernales River.  The highest elevation begins at 1,250 feet at its’ frontage on Althaus Ranch Road gently sloping towards the river where the elevation is 1,120 feet, a declince of 130 feet.  Multiple river views including views of the Hill Country are seen from this view point (1,200′ elevation) located along the South boundary line of the ranch.  Newly constructed roads leading up to and over this highpoint have been made along with purposeful brush clearing making way to these spectacular scenic views.

There are two dominate draws or tributaries equally bisecting the ranch.  These draws are considered wet weather creeks flowing only during moderate to heavy rains.  The northern draw flows consistently longer after downpours.  It has outcropping of limestone/dolomite holding pockets of water.

Tree coverage is about 80% consisting primarily of cedar.  During the construction of roads, clearing was made with the purpose of showcasing the live oak trees.  When driving the roads, one’s eye easily follows from one live oak to the next oak.  This was done purposefully to showcase all hard woods.  Along the Pedernales due to deeper soils, grows mature large Cypress trees and majestic and denser groupings of live oaks along with pecan trees.  The cypress and live oaks located along the Pedernales at the southern end of the property are grouped to produce choice homesite locations.

An extensive and lengthy process of intensive, pain-staking hand clearing, use of chainsaws and machinery cleared 90%+ of the ranches’ underbrush and trees along the Pedernales.  This process has transformed the dynamics of this parcel allowing unobstructed views and easy access to the Pedernales River.

Water:

The signature feature of this ranch is its’ 5,800 feet to the centerline of the Pedernales River.  “Along its’ route it flows over numerous rugged limestone escarpments as it winds eastward to the Colorado River.  The Pedernales River is a tributary of the Colorado River, approximately 106 miles.  It drains an area of the Edwards Plateau, flowing west to east across the Texas Hill Country west of Austin.  The name “Pedernales”, first used in the middle 18th century, comes from a Spanish word for the flint rocks characteristic of the riverbed.” ¹

The land to river frontage of the ranch is also an important feature to note.  The 5,800 foot river frontage to 187 acre ratio is outstanding producing a 31:1 water to acreage ratio.  This is an unquestionable superior feature of the ranch.

The river is all solid rock bottom and all of the frontage is accessible by foot.  There are noisy falls and shoals continue to flow.  There are several larger holes hosting perch, bass and catfish.

An important resource was cultivated consisting of a spring located along the Pedernales toward the southern end of the ranch.  A handcrafted masonry spring box and holding trough were constructed to hold cold flowing spring water.  All rock material was harvested from the land.  To showcase this spring, an oversized 8 foot in diameter, four foot deep swimming pool feature was constructed to capture the pure fresh spring water.  This pool was built on the shady side of a majestic oak overlooking the Pedernales River.

Improvements:

Consists of over two + miles of newly constructed caliche roads allowing previously inaccessible areas to present opportunities for hunting, distant vistas, and serenity.  Culvert pipes and other drainage techniques aid to the drainage away from the roads.  As stated previously, extensive clearing along the roads allows one’s eye to go from live oak to the next.  The “front door” of the ranch is topped off by a custom artistic masonry wall, custom iron pipe entrance and a custom 16′ metal gate.  The keypad is rocked in for the gates solar paneled auto entry.  The 1,500′ long lane connects the road frontage (1494 Althaus Ranch Rd.) to the ranch’s main body and features decomposed granite gravel dressed road.

Fencing is all standard 4 foot fence except along the Pedernales and is in fair to poor condition.  New typical low 4 foot fencing (Southside) and reconstructed fencing (Northside) was made along the strip of land connecting the parent tract to Althaus Ranch Rd.

There is a small utility shed located near where the strip connects to the parent tract.  Additionally there are three very nice wooden hunting blinds, a deer tripod and an archery blind.

Rio Vista Ranch offers location and accessibility via its’ close proximity to Johnson City, Texas (birthplace of President Lyndon B. Johnson), to Austin, Texas (Capital of Texas) being 1.1 hours away and San Antonio, TX being 1.25 hours away.  The ranch offers signficant live water frontage, seclution from traffic sounds, presents minimal surrounding residences and unfettered views up and down the Pedernales River.

¹ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pedernales_River