Red Sands Ranch River Resort - Private Pool, Tennis, Gym, 4-Story Water Slide!

Top rated by guests
RS Resort Flyover
Cabana with Full Kitchen
Sunday House Coffee Bar
Riverside Kitchenette
Lorenz Kitchen
review stars
9.6Outstanding
(198 Ratings)
Guests had a blast with various activities and enjoyed the spacious cabins, well-maintained pool, and beautiful riverfront. Highly recommended for all ages!
From real guest reviews summarized by AI
Don't miss out! Price and availability may change
9.6 / 10.0
Outstanding(198 Ratings)

Villa in Rio Grande

37 guests · 9 bedrooms · 6 baths

Reasons to book

Guests love it hereGuests give this property a top rating
Great for petsBring all your friends and family, even the furry ones
Top-tier experienceA high end property in this area

About this villa rental

NOTE: Vrbo quote is based on dates and guest count and includes choice of any 3 cabins. Extra cabins available for $95/nt or $295 for all 4 (7 total). Any extras (guests, cabins. golf carts, etc) invoiced a few weeks prior to arrival.
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Imagine flying (or driving) into your own private ranch resort with charming native-stone cabins, poolside cabana, 140' 4-story waterslide, lighted tennis/pickleball court, 2900' airstrip, fitness center, full-court basketball, game room, horseshoes, hot tub, river rapids, fishing, abundant wildlife, miles of trails, and plenty of other activities for all ages. Red Sands Ranch is located on the crystal clear Llano River between the towns of Mason and Fredericksburg and is the perfect spot for family or friends reunions, corporate gatherings, or even Tennis/Pickleball retreats. There are four self-contained rock cabins plus two separate bunk-type units, a vintage '68 Airstream, a Party Shed with TV/Video games, billiards and ping-pong, all surrounding a massive 53ft pool with spa and grotto. The main gathering area is an open-air Cabana with full stainless kitchen, WIFI, and 65in TV. The nearly 1/2 mile of fast-flowing, rock-bottom Llano River runs from the deep pools and spectacular 200ft red sandstone cliffs (featured on the cover of Texas Monthly Magazine) at the west end of the ranch, to more deep water and limestone bluffs to the east. A meandering path leads down to the perfect spot in the river to set a few lounge chairs and relax under an umbrella while the kids shoot the rapids in a tube or kayak. For fisherman or paddlers, there is an amazing 2-3 hour trip that terminates at the Ranch which is the highlight of one of the top ten paddling trips in the state of Texas. The ranch foreman lives on the property about a mile away and is usually available to assist with whatever arises. For horse owners, there is a corral, tack room, covered stall, and miles of trails. And of course there are plenty of lounge chairs around the pool with separate hot tub and a secret 'mine shaft' with a little surprise inside the kids will enjoy. Red Sands Ranch is a special place you'll want to come back to year after year.

Accommodations: Total of seven (7) separate units -- YOUR CHOICE OF ANY THREE ARE INCLUDED IN THE BASE PRICE. All are air-conditioned with additional space heating, and hot water (plus spa heat) provided by one of the largest private solar heating installations in the Hill Country.

- There's a Bunkhouse with 4 twin beds, a Loft room with 4 full beds, a vintage Airstream with queen bed and 2 twins, plus four (4) self-contained rustic cabins that sleep from 6 to 8 (plus additional cots and sleeping pads for kids), each with a wood fireplace*, full bath, covered porch, bedroom or sleeping loft, WIFI, streaming TV, and kitchenette (sink, microwave, refrigerator, coffee maker, toaster oven and one-burner cooktop). *Sunday House sleeps two (adults only, no pets) in a king bed and does not have fireplace.

INCLUDED IN THE BASE PRICE (your choice of any 3 units):

(1) The Fish Camp - a native sandstone cabin with local river-rock fireplace. The covered back porch includes a hammock and overlooks the river and huge pecan trees below. There is a full size pull-out futon downstairs and two full size beds in a sleeping loft -- accessible via ladder, plus an extra rollaway bed downstairs. The bath features an antique clawfoot tub and an outdoor hot shower.

(2) Lorenz House - the largest of the 6 cabins, named after the pioneer family that settled this section of the ranch in the mid-1800's. There is a queen futon sofa down and stairs lead to an upper loft with a queen bed and a trundle with two twin beds. This cabin is also built with local materials and sandstone walls inside and out from the century old rock fences found throughout the ranch, and includes a covered porch swing with views of the bluffs and mountains across the river.

(3) The Bunkhouse - 4 twin beds and a sink/vanity with beautiful views from a balcony cantilevered out over the pool. Note that access to the detached pool/resort bathroom is via lighted gravel pathway so this unit is best for older kids.

(4) Riverside Cottage - This Fredericksburg limestone cabin is the most private and has the best views of the river from inside the cabin or on the covered back deck from the hammock, rocking chairs, or cedar porch swing. There is a large masonry fireplace and the unit sleeps 6-8 with a queen bed and futon sofa down and a full bed in the upstairs bedroom, along with two twin beds.

(5) Sunday House (adults only, no pets) - an updated historic representation of the quaint Fredericksburg homes built by the German pioneer ranchers for weekend stays when they came to town for church and supplies. This luxury unit features a reclining Tempur-Pedic king bed with full ADA compliant (wheelchair accessible) bathroom and covered porch with swing and easy wheelchair access to parking and the pool/Cabana.

(6) Sunday Loft - this bunk-style unit is located on the upper level of the Sunday House (with a separate entrance) and sleeps up to eight with four double beds and a half-bath.

(7) The 'Sixty-Eight' - Beautifully renovated (retro-modern) vintage airstream with a queen and two twin beds plus a coffee bar and full bath.

Additional units are $95 per night or all four extras may be rented for $295/nt): The cabins are situated around a poolside cabana and a beautifully landscaped grilling area which includes a large charcoal grill, picnic table, smoker, firepit, and covered 'cantina' with four lounge chairs.

Common Area:

- Striking 53' free-form pool and poolside open-air cabana with full kitchen. There is an over-sized gas grill, large toaster oven plus built-in mid-size oven, dishwasher, two refrigerator/freezers, built-in microwave, two sinks, soapstone countertops with mahogany cabinetry, WIFI, 65in LCD television with Roku streaming, AirPlay or direct HDMI from guest devices or the provided BluRayDVD. Music available with Pandora/BlueTooth/iPod/Aux inputs and speakers located throughout the pool complex. In the wintertime or during inclement weather, the unique steel and glass doors can be lowered to fully enclose the room.

- 'The Shack' Party Shed. A favorite hangout area for the kids, features a flatscreen TV with billiards with a competition-grade, removable top for table tennis, and lots of eclectic neon lighting and decor.

- Fitness Center with commercial elliptical machine and recumbent bicycle, universal weight machine, dumbbells, sit-up bench, and pull-up/dip bars, and WiFi TV with workout towels provided.

- The fully lighted tennis/pickleball court includes a practice wall and full-court basketball.

EXTRAS:

- Pair of off-road golf carts $375 per stay
- Recreation Pkg (4 kayaks, 3-4 mtn bikes, 4-5 tubes) $375
- Both of the above for $695
- NEW: 'The Whole Enchilada' ($1595) includes all of the above toys plus a 3rd golf cart (4-seater), a pair of Standup Paddleboards (SUPs), pair of fat-tire eBikes, and a bag full of RS logo gear: T-shirt/lantern/tumblers/backpack/stickers, and more. Also included is an 8' trailer (for use with your vehicle with 1 3/8" hitch ball or 2" receiver) for ‘hayrides’ and hauling gear/umbrellas/coolers to the river or shuttling tubes for the rapids.

Property:

- Rolling hill country terrain with large stands of Live Oaks hundreds of years old and mountain views in all directions. At the ranch entrance you'll notice the Simons House, built in 1860 by Conrad Simons and currently occupied by the ranch caretakers, Danny and Becky. It's a classic German story-and-a-half structure with 2ft thick sandstone walls and hand-hewn oak beams and is beautifully restored to much of its original character and charm. In addition to horses and Angus cattle, wildlife is abundant and includes whitetail and axis deer, antelope, turkey, foxes, coyotes, bobcats, quail, dove, roadrunners, ducks/geese, eagles and more. The breath-taking stretch of river on the ranch includes everything from fast-moving rapids over a solid rock bottom for most of the length (where hard-fighting Guadalupe Bass are common) to slow, deep water at either end (where catfish as large as 35 lbs have been caught). Note: river activities may be affected by drought conditions.

Disclaimer: Red Sands is a working Texas cattle ranch with inherent risks and hazards including, but not limited to, rough terrain, heavy equipment, deep and/or fast-moving water, wild animals, livestock, etc. and may not be ideal for vegetarians or poorly supervised children.

Note: Privately owned family-oriented resort. No Youth groups, grad, Rave, or keg parties. Minimum age of 30 required to register your group. Absolutely NO diving or doubles/headfirst sliding allowed. Slide security camera may be active.

© 2026 Red Sands Ranch, LLC. All materials contained on this listing are protected and may not be copied, distributed, or published without the prior written consent.

Amenities at Red Sands Ranch River Resort - Private Pool, Tennis, Gym, 4-Story Water Slide!

Non-smoking
Pets allowed
Family friendly

Map of Rio Grande

city location on map

Ratings and reviews

9.6 / 10.0
Outstanding(198 Ratings)
review starsSummary of reviews
Guests had a blast with various activities and enjoyed the spacious cabins, well-maintained pool, and beautiful riverfront. Highly recommended for all ages!
From real guest reviews summarized by AI
10.0 / 10.0Outstanding·Nov 2025
We had a mid size group and had a great time! Really everything was extremely straightforward and the owner did a great job with basically every detail you need to know. Will definitely return! Property was clean and cabins were very cozy. Loved it :)
10.0 / 10.0Outstanding·Sep 2025
Amazing property. So beautiful and so much to do. We had my bachelor party here and it was just incredible.
10.0 / 10.0Outstanding·Sep 2025
If you are looking for a very real, wild west experience in the heart of the beautiful Texas hill country, this is it! This property is remote, and beautifully framed by the rugged bluffs of the Llano River making it wonderfully quiet and peaceful. We enjoyed the Texas scenery in the comfort of modern amenities and accommodations, not the least of which was the wildly popular pool and slide.It easily accommodated our family gathering of 19 ranging in age from 3 to 72. We had a great time!
6.0 / 10.0Average·Jun 2022
This review is a mixed bag. There are so many amazing things that RSR has to offer to create magical memories, it's unfortunate that in some ways it simply missed the mark. When I saw pictures of the Ranch I was sold. I had visions of my loved ones, riding the pony (found out it was dead when we were looking to ride it), having a large group tubing experience down the river(not enough tubes/ no trailer to haul like in the pics), riding in airplane (I knew this was just a fantasy), playing tennis, pingpong, sliding, jumping off the platform and adventuring. I read all of the reviews, and with mostly positive reviews and comments I felt at ease that this experience would be nothing short amazing. Unfortunately, my fantasy and the reality had a few gaps. I scheduled this space to bring a bunch of loved ones together to celebrate my 40th birthday. There were a total of 25 of us, ranging from 4 months old to 70+. 15 adults and 10 kids. We booked the property for 3 nights. The listing mentions that it is expensive, it does not lie. My rating is a direct reflection of the value and experience I had at the ranch given the amount we paid. About $14k for three nights after charges for addl rooms, addl people and the rec package that is pretty key to enjoying the full property. Initial communication with the owner felt good. I asked a question about booking a caterer for the property immediately after I booked and asked if he had any contacts to share. He sent the contact for Becky the groundskeeper saying people usually just order from town and she delivered. After resigning myself and realigning my thoughts to 'the takeout version', they provided me with the caterer’s info 2 weeks before my stay… and of course she was already booked. It is one thing to not have a contact- another to simply not send it. Also after staying at lot of VRBO’s, I have never bumped into being expected to bring and supply my own trash bags… but I don’t know why that caught me by surprise when after we booked I was sent an email noting that someone in our party should bring a well stocked first aid kit. They also noted that we would have to pack our own beach towels and lifejackets. Given the activities on the property and the reservation cost, it shocked me that they would not consider a first aid kit, life jackets and pool towels a cost of doing business. FYI: Fraying cable on bridge- check before use Gross/dirty toilet in airstream Pony is dead Property Magical

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FAQs

Is parking included with this villa?

Parking is not specified as an available amenity at Red Sands Ranch River Resort - Private Pool, Tennis, Gym, 4-Story Water Slide!. For more information, we encourage you to contact the property about where to park.

Is there a pool at this villa?

We didn’t find pool listed as an amenity for this villa. It may be worth double checking if a pool is important for your stay.

Is Red Sands Ranch River Resort - Private Pool, Tennis, Gym, 4-Story Water Slide! pet friendly?

Yes! This villa is pet-friendly. For more information, we recommend contacting the booking provider about animal policies.

What amenities are available at Red Sands Ranch River Resort - Private Pool, Tennis, Gym, 4-Story Water Slide!?

We found 3 amenities for this rental. This includes non-smoking, pets allowed, and family friendly.


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