Come Explore
On an adventurous guided tour!
The Roberts Ranch Tour is open to the public for guided tours only. Each tour is led by a volunteer certified Guide with assistance from trained Docents and YMCA Staff.
Public and group tours are available to ages 7 and up only.
Chaperones are required for ages 7-17
• Ages 7-10, one adult for every child,
• Ages 11-15, one adult for every three children
• Ages 16-17, one adult for every five teens.
No pets are allowed. No rock or fossil collecting is allowed on Ranch tours.
Walking the ranch trails can be physically demanding, and is not recommended for people with heart conditions, bad knees, ankles or in poor physical health.
Restrooms are located at the ranch gate parking lot and, halfway on the tour and at the ranch pavilion.
Good walking shoes and bottled water are required. Everyone is encouraged to bring a backpack so that their hands will be free.
Types of Tours Available
Public Tours:
On this 3 hour tour (9 am to 12 pm) of you will journey into the hill country’s rich history as you travel to Freethinkers Rock, walk along Turkey Bottom Creek, and explore the rich Cultural Resources of Roberts Ranch. You may also see White Tail and Axis deer.
Aoudads, birds, and armadillos!
We meet at the Roberts Ranch gate at 9 am and drive down a scenic ranch road, stopping along the way at points of interest. We will finish the tour at the Education Pavilion, where you are welcome to bring your picnic lunch. Private tours by arrangement
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Cost:
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$10 per person Friends of Roberts Ranch, YMCA Members. Children and youth under 18 are free.
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$12 per person non-members. Children and youth under 18 are free.
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Dates: TBD. Please check back!
Hiking:
On these 4 hour Hikes at Roberts Ranch, you will meet with local experts spend time hiking up ridges, down creeks, through riparian regions, and hill country ecosystems.
We will meet at the Roberts Ranch gate, drive personal vehicles (or catch a ride in our ATV), to the Education Pavilion. Hikes will start and end at the Pavillion. There are two levels of hikes. One is an easy-moderate hike, the second level hike is moderate to strenuous with a few rocky ups and downs.
Closed-toe shoes, hats, snacks, and water are needed. No children under 7 on the second level hike.
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Cost:
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$20 per person, Friends of Roberts Ranch, YMCA members. Children and youth under 18 are free.
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$25 per person, non-members. Children and youth are free.
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Dates: TBD. Please check back!
Youth Field Days
Designed for school groups, afterschool and summer programs, clubs, and youth groups. On these 4 - 6 hour field days your group will meet the Roberts Ranch gate and begin your journey through Hill Country History and focus on the environment curriculum of your choice. Closed-toe shoes, long pants, hats, and your lunch are needed.
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Cost: $3 per person, a group size of 20 preferred, (scholarships are available)
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Dates: By mutual agreement.
General Tour Information
- Your tour guide and docent(s) will be there 30 minutes before the start time of the tour. You may call them the day of the tour if you are running late or need additional information. Please let your Guide know if you are unable to attend so no follow-up call is needed. We will not be able to refund or reschedule you if you arrive later than the agreed time.
- Your 3-hour educational, tour through Roberts Ranch will highlight the "Texas Hill Country History, Geology, and Archeology”. We will meet you at ranch road gate parking lot where you will be shuttled to the tour start location. Please follow the directions to Roberts given below to reach the front gate parking lot.
Roberts Ranch address: 550 Roberts Ranch Road, Comfort, Texas 78013
From San Antonio: Take HWY 10 West to Exit 520, turn right at the stop sign onto Farm Road 1341. At 1.5 miles,
turn right on Hassenwinkle Road. Go 5.1 miles (uphill). Gate is on the left - large sign off the road reads YMCA Roberts Ranch.
- All tour participants will need to have a Liability Release. Please bring it with you. If unable to print the form, your guide will provide one prior to the start of the tour. Parent or guardian who is authorized to sign the waiver must sign for those under the age of 18 years old.
- Tour participants must wear appropriate footwear - sneakers, hiking boots, etc. - no slick-soled shoes or sandals. Your shoes will likely get muddy. If you are comfortable using a walking stick, you are certainly welcome to use it.
- Tour participants must bring at least one bottle of water. Snacks and cameras are a good idea but should be carried in a backpack of some type so that your hands remain free. During the summer months, you may want to wear a hat and sunscreen and the winter months you may want to dress in layers.
- No rock or fossil collecting and no pets allowed on Roberts Ranch Tours - no exceptions. No refunds for no-shows.
- In the event of rain, we may need to cancel the tour. We will make that decision two hours prior to the start of your tour and your guide will call you. PLEASE ENSURE YOU HAVE PROVIDED US A USEFUL PHONE NUMBER WHEN YOU REGISTERED. Let's just hope for a Gorgeous day! We will provide rescheduling options.
- Local accommodations: If you are from out of town, we have some great places to stay right here in Comfort.
- One last reminder - if you have any health concerns such as bad knees, ankles, a heart condition, or get easily winded, you may want to rethink this tour. It is physically demanding. In addition, it gets hot on the Ranch very quickly during sunny warm days, so please make sure you are well hydrated before the tour.
All guides and docents are volunteers!
If you have any questions, you can call or email office personnel at robertsranch@ymcasatx.org Monday - Friday, 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
You will also be sent a reminder email seven days prior to your tour.