Three Springs Ranch

Three Springs is an incredible ranch in the “Swiss Alps of Texas”! This live water hill country ranch is called Three Springs Ranch for the primary headwater springs located on the ranch that feed the Little Dry Frio Creek that flows year round through several stretches on the ranch. Numerous additional springs are located across the ranch providing year round water sources for wildlife, including both native and exotic free ranging species. With elevations ranging nearly 550 feet and numerous high points over 2,250 feet, the topography offers exceptional diversity, incredible scenery and forever views. The Little Dry Frio Creek canyon begins at a spectacular grotto and traverses the ranch for well over 3 miles widening along the way with the final stretch of the creek being a nice lake near the main home. The ranch is improved with a 7 bedroom two story home, a brand new enclosed barn and a nice 5 bedroom hunter’s cabin further up the canyon.

LOCATION
The ranch is located on the north side of Hwy 337 with the main entrance to the ranch situated 5.6 miles east of Leakey. The ranch is a convenient 1 hour 45 minute drive from San Antonio and less than a 3 hour drive from Austin. The ranch has about 3.3 miles of frontage on Hwy. 337 with multiple gates.

TOPOGRAPHY, RANGELAND & HABITAT
The nearly 550 feet of elevation relief, along with numerous peaks, bluffs, and deep canyons, make for some of the most spectacular views to be found in the Texas Hill Country. There are multiple pastures in the Little Dry Frio bottoms lands and several high country meadows. Other portions of the ranch are typical oak juniper woodlands common in the area. The ranch has incredible tree diversity, including trophy live oaks, chinkapin oaks, Spanish oaks, escarpment black cherry, Texas Walnut, native pecan, mulberry, sycamores and Ashe juniper, to name a few.

WILDLIFE
The ranch also is home, or is used by, an incredible diversity of wildlife. Native species, including white-tailed deer, Rio Grande turkey, dove, songbirds, waterfowl and predator species can all be found on the ranch. Free ranging exotics including aoudad, red deer, elk, sika deer and feral hogs are regularly found on the ranch.

AGRICULTURE
This portion of the hill country historically was home to ranching interests including sheep, goats and cattle. Just prior to its acquisition by the current owner, the ranch was used for some limited cattle grazing, but has since changed its focus to wildlife management.

IMPROVEMENTS
The main residence is a spacious custom-built, two-story home featuring seven bedrooms, multiple fireplaces, a basement and a three-car garage.

Adjacent to the main home is a nearly new ~2,800 SF barn for equipment and vehicles. The barn has power/lights, covered entry area, 3 roll up doors and a man door.

Further up the Little Dry Frio Creek canyon (and also accessible via a paved drive from the easternmost ranch gate) is the quaint 5 bedroom hunter’s cabin with stained concrete floors, a small fireplace and a fantastic gathering porch overlooking a small pond on the creek. This home also has a 2 vehicle carport.

WATER
Three Springs Ranch has the live headwaters of the Little Dry Frio Creek that traverses the ranch for over 3 miles and then leaves the ranch on its way to the nearby Frio River. Long stretches of the Little Dry Frio flow above ground year round through both wet and dry periods. Springs emerge from canyon walls, feeding rock-bottom channels, wide sheets of surface flow, and deep pools or lakes, both natural and man-influenced.

In addition to the springs associated with the Little Dry Frio Creek, other canyons also benefit from active springflows, many of which are significant.

There is a water well providing water to the main home and shallow sump water well/pump providing spring water to the hunter’s cabin. Both homes’ water systems are equipped with treatment systems including softening and reverse osmosis.

There are two other water wells on the ranch that are currently not being utilized. Both have electric submersibles.

ELECTRICITY
There is existing electrical service available at multiple locations on the ranch including the main home and the hunters cabin.

MINERALS
There are no leases or production at this time.

AREA HISTORY
The area was named for Julius Real, the only Republican in the Texas Senate when the county was formed in 1913. Real County encompasses 622 square miles of the Balcones Escarpment on the southern edge of the Edwards Plateau; its terrain is characterized by sharply dissected canyonlands crossed by numerous streams, which flow from perennial springs in the water-bearing strata of the Edwards and Glen Rose limestone formations and descend the escarpment over beds of limestone, gravel, and calcareous soils.

Numerous specimens of rock art in Central Texas have been discovered in the canyons along the headwaters of the Nueces and Frio rivers. While the origins of these paintings are unclear (some of them can definitely be dated to historical times), they were probably produced by the Tonkawas and their Neo-American ancestors, then added to by their Lipan and Comanche successors. The paintings constitute the eastern periphery of rock art in the state.

AREA ATTRACTIONS
The nearby town of Leakey, TX offers numerous restaurants, a grocery store, a feed store, other shops and the Frio River. Leakey is also known for its family oriented 4th of July Jubilee with a parade, rodeo and street dance; among other annual attractions. A few miles south of Leakey is Garner State Park—famous for its summer dances, which have been a tradition since the 1940s.

TAXES
The open spaces of the ranch are managed under and benefit from 1D1 wildlife management valuation.

ELECTRICAL EASEMENT
A small portion of the ranch is traversed by a 69 kV monopole transmission line.