Reimer’s Ranch A Place for the Whole Family

Before James and I had kids we spent our free time and work time climbing, biking and being outside in general. After having out first baby my lifestyle changed drastically. Having a newborn and tryng to climb without a babysitter was not easy and never really happened. Now we have three boys ages 5, 3, and 4 months old. We want them outside! Luckily we live only a few miles from Reimers Ranch and Hamilton Pool!
When I was 18 we use to drive from Texas Tech in Lubbock to climb at Reimers and would look forward to seeing Mr. Milton with cigar in mouth at anytime in the am. Now things are different from those days but even better for families with kids.
The Reimers family sold their land to Travis County who put in trails, famcy bathrooms and made parts of the park more accessible. While part of me misses the “old school” Reimers, it is a great place to take a family too!
We can spend the entire day there and there is something for everyone. There are over 18 miles of mountain biking trails. My five year old is starting to be able to enjoy the beginner traile while my husband can hop on the expert trails. Better yet if we go with another family we can all take turns watching kids while we ride the trails with each other. There are pavilions with great shade for the kids to play and snack at now!
There are so many climbs at Reimers Ranch even our three year old can put on a harness and have a blast! He has enjoyed climbing at Zoe’s Wall as well as other climbs. A few climbs down from those adults can find climbs that fit the skill level. While we are climbing the kids enjoy hanging out under the trees, exploring and cheering the other climbers on. A deck of cards has now come in handy as well to keep them busy! I recently purchased a KidCO-GoPod for our baby to hang out and play in.

If we are not exhausted by then and the kids have not had a meltdown (or when they do) we drive or hike to the river beach access. It’s a great place to nap in the sand or read a bike. We can drive the kids down if they are too tired to hike and drop our stuff off. Then we can pick them up so they don’t have to hike up the hill.
We did take the trails one night last summer and our three year old almost stepped on a LARGE rattlesnack. James was quick enough to grab him when he heard the rattles. I don’t think my blood pressure returned to normal until the next day! There is so much new development in the area the wildlife is losing their homes and becoming more crowded. So keep your eyes out and stay on the trail.
In the summer we have spent several evenings after dinner hanging out at the river. We buy the park pass (great for a year into Travis County Parks) and just hang out at the beach for two hours. The sun goes over the hill and there is plenty of shade and no need for sunscreen. It’s quiet and peaceful. Lots of people fish in the river as well. We have even given the kids rods with no bait to practice their casting. They are young enough that was enough to keep them busy and excited.
Having kids changed how we spend our free time outside but has really allowed us to expereince things we may not have litererally slowed down and smelled the roses for. We were often so focused on getting to a climb we missed out on the journey there.
If you have not had the chance to visit Reimers you will want to make sure and visit. No matter the age there is something for everyone.