Riven Rock Ranch Resort

Riven Rock Ranch is at one with its hilltop panorama high above the Guadalupe River. That it appears to have taken root and grown among the native trees is part illusion, part reality. Original ranch structures built by German settlers in the 1870s were the beginning of today's expansive ranch enclave. Stones and rocks used in construction and landscaping were-and still are-quarried on site. Founded as a ranch and farm operation, and still a working ranch with self-sufficiency farm undertones, Riven Rock Ranch is developing a new dimension as a legendary resort of very real pleasures and restorative powers. 

Today's owners, Chris and Elaine Havens, have combined their energy, industry, and artistry to create the perfect environment for modern man to examine and refresh his relationship with nature, his fellow-man, and himself, then to come away whole.

The path that led Chris and Elaine Havens to Riven Rock Ranch resort began with childhood farm and ranch backgrounds. During Chris's corporate career, he and Elaine, an artist, enjoyed being guests in diverse worldwide travel accommodations, but their greatest pleasure came from providing houseguests with first-rate accommodations, entertainment, and food in their "personal resort" home. Perhaps someday, somewhere, when the timing was right, the place unique, and the community a perfect fit, they would own a resort.

Transferred to San Antonio in 1996, the Havens savored the colorful city and fell in love with the surrounding pastoral Texas Hill Country, where they discovered a throwback to the rural America they cherish. In 2002, the Havens someday and somewhere came into alignment at a historic ranch in a magnificent setting near Comfort, Texas. Since then, the property has undergone a historically-aware transformation into a luxurious yet comfortable resort, where the Havens still enjoy providing the royal treatment for their guests.

Riven Rock Ranch is a 200 plus-acre working farm and ranch in Kerr County, deep in the heart of Texas Hill Country. Still true to its 1800s agrarian origins, it has come a long way to meet the needs of today's multi-faceted sojourner. Wood-burning cook stoves have given way to gourmet ranges, outdoor gas grills, and an outdoor wood-fired oven for use in gathering and social events.

The ranch has also remained true to its primeval origins while keeping up with today's world. Plentiful natural habitat is still home to abundant deer and small creature wildlife, but some acreage is devoted to cultivation. There are over 100 acres dedicated to hay production. Produce from organic vegetable gardens, currently under construction, will be available to culinary guests. A vineyard is being planned to supply grapes for a future winery. Flower gardens will produce in-season flower arrangements, and a greenhouse will provide replacement plants for the ranch's extensive landscaping. The Guadalupe River, always life-giving, now also provides irrigation, recreation, and an idyllic setting for events.

Dining options are many at Riven Rock Ranch. The cooking inclined guest who is occupying an entire cottage has the use of a fully equipped gourmet kitchen and an outdoor gas barbecue grill. Open since August 2009, The Terrace Grill, our on-site restaurant, has earned a reputation as a unique dining destination. Riven Rock Ranch has created a wonderful open-air restaurant nestled in a native plant garden, complete with a koi pond and meandering stream. Despite the beautiful setting, the real standout is the exceptional food prepared by Chef Joseph Brantley. Cooked in a wood-fired oven and on a wood fired grill, The Terrace Grill features the freshest local ingredients possible. Game meats, an ever-changing fish special from the Texas Gulf and locally farmed produce are the stars of the menu. Have a sweet tooth? Chef Brantley prepares all of the desserts from scratch. The restaurant is open on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, serving lunch from 11:30 am until 2:30pm and dinner from 5:30pm to 9:00pm. La Cocina, equipped with a unique outdoor wood fire oven and overlooking the lush Guadalupe River Valley and surrounding farmland is available for special events and dinners.

All the many recreational activities for which the Texas Hill Country is famous-and then some-are available on or near Riven Rock Ranch. Activities are geared to individual pace preference ranging from laid back to revved up; couples with dissimilar pace levels can readily optimize individual quality time. Sit on the porch, or ride 'em high horseback (available on a nearby ranch). Watch the wildlife nonchalantly stroll by or closely encounter the land and livestock of a working ranch and farm.

Riven Rock Ranch serves as an ideal home base for groups who like to combine strenuous days with luxurious nights. Your hosts will help make arrangements for these activities including bicycle, tube or canoe rental. Hunting at nearby ranches also can be arranged. The ranch is strategically located for sightseeing excursions in the scenic surrounding countryside, to nearby historic San Antonio, city with a year-round fiesta fixation, and to Fredericksburg, Boerne and Comfort, old German towns with delightful strolling, shopping and festivals. 

Many idyllic scenes and plenty of breathing room set the perfect stage for your private function at Riven Rock Ranch. The great outdoors of beautiful hilltop and riverside terraces meets the great indoors of delightful, expandable meeting/sleeping space for groups of as many as thirty, and there is a spacious meeting hall for larger gatherings.

Whether your special event is a corporate meeting, retreat, wedding, or family gathering, Riven Rock Ranch resort magic will work for its success. This home-away-from-home lends itself especially well to family and friendship get-togethers, where the clan can celebrate an occasion, or simply enjoy the pleasure of fellowship.