The Retreat at Balcones Springs

It is the Sunday following Thanksgiving. My family and I have just returned from a trip the The Retreat at Balcones Springs near Marble Falls. We had a fabulous holiday. We initially considered shortening the trip because of the cold and rainy weather forecast but once we got there and settled into our cozy, charming cabin we knew we were in for a special weekend.
There were activities planned the entire time — yoga and barre classes, horseback riding, pie making. There were large TVs strategically placed so they were easily accessible but not so they invaded those of us who were looking for an electronics free weekend. The property has lots of little alcoves where I could read and the Internet access allowed me to download a book and conduct a little Black Friday shopping.
The food was amazing, gumbo, traditional thanksgiving fare, and bbq were a few of the meals served.
We are planning to go back again would love to make this our new tradition.

This is without a doubt one of the finest locations in Texas. I have been to this venue multiple times for different purposes. Twice I have stayed here with family for Thanksgiving. I have attended daddy/​daughter weekends while my wife has attended mother/​son weekends. we have invited numerous friends who have all been delighted by the location, the couteous staff, the amazing food and an endless stream of activities. I have met many wonderful families and people here. I sent my daughter to camp here because it was the only place that I truly felt would lookout for and care for my child. I was not disappointed. This beautiful place is to be enjoyed and savered.
My review is based on multiple experiences throughout the last two years. Here are some of the things that I have enjoyed here: great food, horseback riding, zip line, camp fires, canoeing, hiking, crafts, tennis, basketball, volleyball, pool, cards, watching football games, board games, meeting really fine new friends, sleeping late, rising early to catch the sunrise, dancing with my daughter, throwing tomahawks, making bracelets, archery, yoga, rifelry, and massages.
This place has become a family tradition for us. Some people say they want to go to the country and then complain about the heat, humidity or rain. I find that I gravitate to honest people who minimize the complaining and enjoy life. If you want the richest place in Texas hospitality that I can think of, this is it.
You owe it to yourself to investigate this property and their staff, you will not be disappointed. I am so happy that we found this place and it is my earnest hope that you will consider my 5 star recommendation.
Mark M.

I cannot believe it took me so long to wrtie this review! I apologize because I absolutely LOVE this place and would give it 10 stars if I could.
My daughter got married here on March 15, 2014. It was an amazing experience. Samantha was our co-​ordinator and did a fabulous job– as did all her staff.
We had over 300 people here and the staff acted as if they did this all the time! Several of our guests commented on how friendly & efficient the staff members were. They each went out of their way to deliver best in class service.
On Friday night, the rehearsal dinner– fabulous bar-​b-​que– was in the open air Pavilon. It was a bit chilly, so we loved that the side walls that could be lowered where needed, The Groom’s family didn’t even have to decorate– the staff here provided Texan table decorations and the place looked great! After dinner= the guests loved moving over to the lake for s’mores.
Kelsey & Jack had their ceremony inside in the Beautiful Rio Grande Dining Hall. Her group was a bit too big for the «rose garden» and this venue actually was perfect.
Afterward, we had the cocktail hour outside under the string lights and then moved to the big tent we erected in the middle of the soccer field. We had delicious food– started out with a plated salad and then stations.- salmon and roast beef, martini mashed potato bar– grilled vegetables – the Chef outdid himself!
Our guests raved about the food. As a matter of fact, all weekend, each meal was great.
The lucky guests that got to stay onsite are STILL talking about it. They loved the zipline, skeet shooting, fishing, hiking, canoeing, the bridesmaid vs groomsmen volleyball– you name it– people loved being at Camp! I only wish there were more cabins so more of our guests could have stayed here for the weekend with us.
Anyone looking a destination wedding weekend that’s extra special should give this place strong consideration. We had the whole place to ourselves all weekend and were well taken care of. I would do it again in a heartbeat! Thank you to The Retreat at Balcones Springs!!!

After speaking to Tammy and getting a few things clarified; I’m comfortable with increasing their review to 4-​stars. She took what happened in my original complaint and turned it into a learning moment for her and her staff. I’m excited to see what comes of it! Thanks for taking the extra step and not leaving my review unanswered.

Balcones Springs is a summer camp that doubles as a Retreat Center in the off-​season. It is quite rustic, but adequate for a hill-​country getaway. The grounds are lovely, especially when the wildflowers are in bloom. Management could work a bit on the comfort of the beds and the cleanliness of the rooms.

My husband and I just got married and all our friends and family can talk about is how amazing and wonderful the venue, the staff and the food was. Not only were they so detail oriented that they asked me what kind of pen I wanted people to sign the guest book with, but they were so accommodating and nice to our 160 guests. I seriously cannot thank Christine and Eric enough for making our wedding so much more perfect that I could have ever imagined. I keep thinking back and there is not one thing I would have changed or wanted to do differently.
Also Mark, their chef, absolutely crushed it with the food. I can’t say I’ve had better green chili mac and cheese or fried avocados in my life. I should have asked to freeze those instead of the top of the cake.
Thank you so much for making our dream wedding come true, Camp Balcones Springs!
TLDR: This place is the best and you should get married, hold a corporate retreat, or just stay for the weekend here.

I got married here in September and it was such an amazingly beautiful and fun venue!
The food and service was stellar! The owner, Christine, is awesome. She went above and beyond to make everything 100% perfect for our wedding ceremony and celebration. The cabins were a fantastic touch to the festivities. They provided a admirably quaint sense of community that carried throughout the wedding. Couldn’t have asked for more on our special day.

I celebrated my wedding at Balcones almost exactly a month ago and all I can say is that I would repeat the entire experience in a heartbeat. I have actually received multiple emails from guests saying they’ve never experienced a wedding like it and that they had an amazing time.
I understand a bit of the negative nature of previous reviews because the planner that we originally worked with did drop the ball on several details. If you are considering this place for your wedding though please know that that will not be the case now. Eric, the planner who took over our wedding when there were issues, was incredible. He was calling myself, my mother and my mother in law at all hours of the day (in a good way) to make sure he fixed any issues we were having and confirmed every detail of the weekend. The night of the wedding he would magically appear next to me to make sure everything happened that I had said I wanted, when I wanted.
We had a lot of custom decorations which required that almost a room of boxes be stored at the Retreat and they didn’t blink an eye. They helped us to set everything up and made sure we were never stressed throughout the weekend.
Finally, in terms of the property and lodging, I think if you are considering this venue then you are looking for a specific type of wedding — one that is close knit and relaxed (although the party can definitely be formal). I was very surprised to read complaints about the lodging because we could not have been happier with it. The beds have memory foam toppers and the décor couldn’t be cuter. I had people of all ages and my grandmother even said she slept wonderfully.
Balcones is a wonderful place to have a wedding and it gives you a chance to enjoy en entire weekend with your guests which very few other venues can say. The owner and current staff are wonderful and I 100% recommend this location for your special weekend.

Our November Wedding, «The Best Weekend Ever»
After reading the negative review above, It was hard to believe it was the same venue. However, the Wedding Planner they had was let go 3 weeks before our wedding and found out she had booked 30 people to stay on the property the night before our wedding. This was the only time we had been upset because we felt blindsided and furious that some of our guest were unable to book for that night.
We understood this was not the rest of the staffs fault and did look over the contract and realized we did not have exclusive rights for that night. Once we were able to get past this minor incident we had the best time of our lives.
Our new wedding Planner Eric Cmar was fantastic and the staff was so helpful in every way. We started Friday night with the rehearsal dinner were the staff and my Mother in Law made the most beautiful set up in the Rose Garden were we ate and drank before dancing the night away in the outside pavilion were the staff transferred the alcohol bar to the pavilion and listened to Jason Cassidy play for us. He was amazing and if you haven’t heard him play I suggest you do if you like Texas Country. Once he finished playing, the party moved to the fire pit where the staff transferred our kegs, s’mores and music. We ate and drank until after midnight before a small group of us went back to the pool hall and played a nice game of poker with pitchers of beer the staff provided for us until 4AM.
The next day, our Wedding day was even better. That morning after breakfast our family and friends went to our scheduled skeet shoot were many beginners shot for their first time. After a few hours on the range we moved to the Rock climbing wall which was a blast for those not scared of heights and even if you are its a great way to conquer your fear. Once we finished climbing we hit the basketball courts for a few hours before pictures of the groomsman. While all the groomsman and ushers were waiting in the pool hall before the wedding. The staff made sure to ease our anxiety by making sure we had plenty of beer, kolaches, and sandwiches.
Eric and the staff after the wedding made sure the cocktail hour ran super smooth by putting out Cornhole, music and the bar set up ready to go without a hitch. As the night progressed it just got better and better. It was by far one of the best days i have ever had. All our friends and family had a wonderful time which made the night more memorable for me and my Bride.
As for the Cabins in my opinion were great, it would depend on your standard of living and expectations. My guest and I didn’t seem to have any problems with our cabins. I loved them and they reminded me of my Hunting days. I am not sure what happened with the previous review I know our rooms were great. As for the Cabin «The Big Thicket» This is were the Bride and Groom sleep, it was amazing you wake up and look out the deck windows to a wonderful view. The lake is below and big bucks wonder across the hill across from the cabin.
This place was amazing and even though things happened that were unexpected, the staff and owner were always more than accommodating. I would recommend Balcone Springs to anyone. An all in one venue.

I do not have enough wonderful things to say about the Retreat at Balcones Springs. From the facilities to the staff, our daughters wedding weekend was a dream. The wedding was being planned from Wisconsin which can pose logistical problems. Thanks to Erik, our on-​site coordinator, everything went off flawlessly. The entire staff worked long hours as guests enjoyed fabulous meals, dozens of activities, even a bonfire and live music under a full moon. We held the rehearsal dinner in the rose garden and the reception in the main dining hall with its beautiful stone hearth. Guests commented they felt like we had two wedding receptions and never wanted the weekend to end. The wedding ceremony was in the open air pavillion as the sun was setting. It’s hard to imagine anything more perfect.
My son-​in-​law has been in the Navy for 6 years and he and my daughter wanted a venue where everyone had a real chance to spend time together. Their wishes were granted. From ages 2 – 80, guests of all ages were comfortable and having a wonderful time. We did rent a bouncy house for the little ones which was a good choice, but for everyone 9 and up there was more than enough to do.
Our hope is to return to Balcones some day for a reunion.

Camp Balcones Springs and its excellent staff did an AMAZING job with our birthday weekend. Everything was elegant, but relaxed and comfortable at the same time. We felt that we got more than our money’s worth. The food was exquisite, the bar choices were very good, and the staff set beautiful tables for each meal at no additional charge. There were fresh flowers in our cabin, and little towels and personal soaps and shampoos like you would find in a hotel. Staff members Danna, Ashley, Olivia, Jess, Mark and Jack & Connie all went above and beyond to make sure everyone was happy, as did event planner Tammy. The owner of the facility showed up to make sure everything was fine. All in all an A+ experience!