Whether we admit it or not, most hunters are kids at heart. So it wasn’t surprising last week when I stood on the diving platform above the clear, blue lake at Lone Hollow Camp near Vanderpool, Texas it was everything I could do to keep myself from leaping into the cool water below! Of course, the fact temperatures were in the 90s probably had something to do with it, too!
Lone Hollow Camp is the decade old creation of owners Meg and Clayton Clark. They saw the potential in this 3,200 acres of Texas Hill Country and set about creating the ultimate place for kids from ages 7-16 to develop leadership skills through healthy, wholesome outdoor activities. They dreamed of creating a haven for kids - a summer experience like no other- where they could escape the pressure and pace of city life, return to a simpler style of living, learn to appreciate the splendor of God's creation, and challenge themselves to unearth hidden talents and interests.
In June of 2006 Lone Hollow opened its gates to campers for the first time. Now in 2011 they will offer eight two-week sessions and two one-week sessions to about 250 campers in each. Campers are on a busy schedule at camp with six classes per day six days per week. There are more than 40 adventures to pursue at Lone Hollow including chuck wagon/outdoor cooking, gardening, horseback riding, firearms safety and small bore shooting, tennis, and many, many more. The ratio of campers to “guides” or counselors is a narrow 3-to-1, so there’s plenty of supervision and guidance. Construction of Lone Hollow facilities continues at a frantic pace with the ultimate goal being to increase camper capacity to 400 kids at a time.
The previous “Hunting with Bill” blog post explains why I’m telling you about Lone Hollow. The kids’ camp is only open about 2 ½ months during the summer. The rest of the year the accommodations are vacant. Combine the facts that Lone Hollow Ranch itself and its nearby outlying properties are full of game including deer, hogs, exotics and turkeys and that owner Clayton Clark is a passionate hunter himself it’s not difficult to see the opportunity. Lone Hollow is developing a hunting operation that will utilize the camp facilities during the off-season, which is in-season for hunters.
Guaranteed a stay at Lone Hollow will quickly bring out the best of “the kid” in any hunter who finds himself or herself lucky enough to be there.