I went back to Guadalupe River to the Bauer unit a few months after my first trip. This is a really primitive area with no restrooms and no water.
Let’s start with some more Texas pronunciation. The nearest town to the Bauer Unit is Boerne, Texas. That is pronounced Bur-nee, not Born nor Born-nee.
Philipp Bauer laid claim to 160 acres on the north side of the Guadalupe around 1856. He lived here with his wife and farmed the land, and over the years added to his holdings. The Bauer family kept control of the land until 1932. The farm went through many hands finally ending up being owned by David Bamberger who purchased it in 1971. Bamberger gave the property to the state in 1974. For years it was limited to hunting but was eventually opened to the public in 2012.
It was apparent quite early in the hike that this was the more rugged side of the park.
There are six miles of trails on this side of the river and I intend on hiking all of it. I started out on the Bamberger Trail heading towards Curry Creek and an overlook.
After this I took the Golden Cheeked Warbler Trail to the Bluestem Loop and the River Trail.
The Bluestem Loop circled a re constructed prairie area. I saw my second armadillo, in fact I had to chase him off the trail so I could pass.
From the Bluestem Trail I started to get some views of the river and I found a place to descend the hill to the riverbank
The river here was very slow moving and seemed deeper then in the main park. It was a super gorgeous area.
After I hit the river trail, I came to the top of the canyon across from the picnic area of the main park.
It was 1.3 miles out the Bauer Trail to the old homestead. The house is of typical German design for the period in which it was built.
I took the Hofheinz Trail back in towards the trailhead.
This is a very remote and back country area, but I enjoyed every step of it
Old Man Wandering 