River is Flowing and Beautiful!Utopia Texas Waresville River Retreat Donoho Farm

Farm stay in Utopia

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Photo gallery for River is Flowing and Beautiful!Utopia Texas Waresville River Retreat Donoho Farm

Property grounds
Exterior
Exterior
Exterior
Outdoor dining

Reviews

9.4 out of 10
Exceptional

Popular amenities

  • Kitchen
  • Pet-friendly
  • Laundry
  • Air conditioning
NZ$1,139
avg per night

Explore the area

View map
  • Place, Lost Maples State Natural Area
  • Place, Garner State Park
  • Place, Frio River

Rooms & beds

5 bedrooms (sleeps 20)

Bedroom 1

1 King Bed and 1 Single Bed

Bedroom 2

1 Queen Bed and 1 Single Bed

Bedroom 3

1 King Bed and 1 Double Bed

Bedroom 4

1 Queen Bed

Bedroom 5

3 Single Bunk Beds

4 bathrooms

Bathroom 1

Shower only

Bathroom 2

Bathtub or shower

Bathroom 3

Bathtub or shower

Bathroom 4

Shower only

Spaces

Deck or patio
Kitchen
Balcony
Dining area
The current price is NZ$1,139
avg per night

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About the area

Utopia

Utopia is home to this farm stay. Concan Golf Course and Country Club and Frio Valley Ranch Golf Club are worth checking out if an activity is on the agenda, while those wishing to experience the area's natural beauty can explore Garner State Park and Lost Maples State Natural Area.

What's nearby

  • Lost Maples State Natural Area - 27 min drive - 33.5 km
  • Garner State Park - 38 min drive - 30.1 km
  • Concan Golf Course and Country Club - 50 min drive - 33.1 km
  • Frio Valley Ranch Golf Club - 50 min drive - 33.1 km
  • Frio River - 53 min drive - 35.4 km

Getting around

  • San Antonio International Airport (SAT) - 110 min drive

Restaurants

  • ‪Lost Maples Cafe - ‬2 min drive
  • ‪Postal Brews - ‬2 min drive
  • ‪The Laurel Tree - ‬3 min drive
  • ‪Fiddlestix - ‬2 min drive
  • ‪Texas Lamb & Cabrito - ‬3 min drive

About this property

River is Flowing and Beautiful!Utopia Texas Waresville River Retreat Donoho Farm

Why wrestle with the crowds at Garner State Park, or fight for a float spot on the Frio River? Instead you can enjoy the serenity of a private historic family ranch and farm, complete with park-like picnic grounds, BBQs, smoker, fire pits, nature trails, rope swing, swimming areas, and fishing holes protected by a canopy of majestic old-growth cypress trees embracing above the beautiful, secluded banks of the Sabinal River.
We welcome you to experience our family homestead, located less than an hour and a half from San Antonio, in the appropriately named town of Utopia.
Our ancestor, Capt. William Ware, built the original one-room cabin on the property in 1852 which has been lovingly protected and preserved. The historic farmhouse where we welcome you to come stay with your family and friends was built by his son John Crane Ware in 1870 and was most recently renovated in 2023 – including newly updated bedrooms, bathrooms, A/C, kitchen appliances, laundry facilities, and a great outdoor patio for star-gazing and enjoying the breeze under Grandma Inez’s beloved pecan tree.
The spring-fed Sabinal River is crystal clear and is filled with bass and catfish, and at sunset the whole riverbank comes to life with dancing fireflies. Our family created a wildlife management plan for the property and you’ll see both axis and white tail deer, rabbits, turkeys and maybe even a now more elusive armadillo!
Our family homestead is fully furnished and appointed and sleeps 20 – 2 king beds, 2 queen beds, 1 double bed, 2 twin beds, 2 twin over double bunk beds, and 1 twin over twin bunk bed. All bed linens and bathroom and river towels are provided. There’s a pool table and ample board and card games, as well as satellite television, WI-FI and an old organ in the front parlor. The kitchen was recently updated and has everything you need for entertaining, meal and picnic prep, and a bar. We also have water and a 30-amp hookup if you’d like to bring your RV or camp trailer for just an additional $50/night fee (though no dump station).
While enjoying the home and property you’re right near other great sites you may also enjoy: Utopia Golf, Sabinal Canyon Museum, the Blind Boar Brewery, Lone Star Motorcycle Museum, Elm Creek Stables, Frio Canyon Vineyards, and many more Texas Hill Country attractions!

Amenities

Pet-friendly
Air conditioning
Parking available
Laundry

House Rules

Check in after 4:00 PM
Minimum age to rent: 25
Check out before 11:00 AM
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Children

Children allowed: ages 0–17
default

Events

No events allowed
Only at the Descretion of the Owner
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Pets

Pets allowed: dogs (limit 2 total)
Only at Descretion of the owner
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Smoking

Smoking is not permitted
1. The use of ATVs, dirt bikes, golf carts, four-wheelers, and all similar vehicles is not allowed on the property.
2. Fireworks are not allowed on the property. There will be no discharge of firearms by renters on the property.
3. Do not cross the river or go beyond any of the posted “no trespassing” signs. fires are only allowed in the already provided stone fire rings.

Important information

You need to know

Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
Cashless transactions are available
On-site parties or group events are strictly prohibited
Note from host: Only at the Descretion of the Owner
Safety features at this property include a carbon monoxide detector, a fire extinguisher, a smoke detector, a first aid kit and a deadbolt lock

Frequently asked questions

Is River is Flowing and Beautiful!Utopia Texas Waresville River Retreat Donoho Farm pet-friendly?

Yes, this property allows dogs (limit 2 total).

What time is check-in at River is Flowing and Beautiful!Utopia Texas Waresville River Retreat Donoho Farm?

Check-in begins at 4:00 PM.

What time is check-out at River is Flowing and Beautiful!Utopia Texas Waresville River Retreat Donoho Farm?

Checkout is at 11:00 AM.

Where is River is Flowing and Beautiful!Utopia Texas Waresville River Retreat Donoho Farm located?

Situated in Utopia, this farm stay is within 20 miles (32 km) of Garner State Park, Lone Star Motorcycle Museum and Lost Maples State Natural Area. Concan Golf Course and Country Club and Frio Valley Ranch Golf Club are also within 20 miles (32 km).

Reviews

River is Flowing and Beautiful!Utopia Texas Waresville River Retreat Donoho Farm Reviews

9.4

Exceptional

8.0/10

Cleanliness

10/10

Staff & service

10/10

Amenities

8.0/10

Property conditions & facilities

10/10

Check-in

10/10

Communication

10/10

Location

9.6/10

Listing accuracy
Rating 10 - Excellent. 40 out of 54 reviews
Rating 8 - Good. 11 out of 54 reviews
Rating 6 - Okay. 2 out of 54 reviews
Rating 4 - Poor. 1 out of 54 reviews
Rating 2 - Terrible. 0 out of 54 reviews

Reviews

10/10 Excellent

Rafael A.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Amazing place to spend with family

We enjoyed the house big enough for us and spacious
Stayed 4 nights in Jun 2024

10/10 Excellent

Susan J.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Waresville Retreat is awesome

Great family time in Utopia!
Stayed 3 nights in Apr 2024

10/10 Excellent

Pat M.

Liked: Check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Disliked: Cleanliness

River fun

The river is the key attraction. Wonderful especially the swing for the kids
Stayed 3 nights in Aug 2022

10/10 Excellent

Sharon W.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

It is our 10 th year at Waresville! Love it !

John the owner is great . He is very accommodating and responds promptly. He is Very nice . Thank you!
Stayed 3 nights in Jun 2020
This review was submitted before 2018 and has not been verified.

6/10 Okay

monica r.

It was beautiful, spacious, and sometimes interesting.

It was a neat experience. We had a good time and the river was awesome. House was very spacious and well set up. Lots of history in that house. It didn't seem like we were alone at times. Nothing bad happened just creepy noises and wind drifts in the house. Other than that we had a great time. Very beautiful and not very many people can stay that they have stayed in a 150 yr old farm house.
Stayed 3 nights in Jun 2017

8/10 Good

Kristin S.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Pros and Cons

Pro: -Great location for Garner and Lost Maples -Lots of extra beds -Host was very responsive and there were lots of supplies in the rental -Saw many wild turkeys and deer on the property -River access was really pretty and quiet -Utopia general store nearby has all the staples and everything we needed -Every room has their own air conditioning/heating unit Cons -NO INTERNET - this was a big one for me since Verizon wireless also has no coverage in the area. I had printed out directions before our trip, but with spotty coverage for my whole family, were unable to make adjustments. I wanted to look up the park trails, etc before we went but was unable to do so. Also unable to stream movies together in the evenings. -Because of the recent weather everything was muddy. The carport was very muddy and it was impossible not to track mud into the property. -Because it's an old house, no way to control temperature in the living room - we built a fire the last night of our stay but it was messy and just left the room humid and smokey -Water pressure in master bedroom was very weak - possibly from recent storms -We had to pay a cleaning fee and a damage fee in order to book the rental, but were instructed to bring all our linens, towels and trash downstairs at the end of our stay. Wasn't a big deal, and I generally take out the trash anyway, but having to strip the beds seemed like something that would be covered in the cleaning fee. -Definitely needs some improvement. It's an old house and lots of things were not quite right. Bed posts were loose, lots of burnt out light bulbs, showers were not great, bed covers need to be upgraded, etc.
Stayed 2 nights in Feb 2021

10/10 Excellent

Rick W.

Liked: Check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Wonderful river experience, majestic cypress trees, clear water, rope swing, variable water depths for all ages from wading infants to swimming. Historic house is impressive, very comfortable for our group of 16. The key area for improvement was the cleanliness of the house.
Stayed 3 nights in Aug 2025

10/10 Excellent

ross j.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
The perfect place for our annual family gathering.
Stayed 4 nights in Jul 2025

10/10 Excellent

Pat M.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Wonderful time for fmily

It is wonderful time
Stayed 3 nights in Jul 2025

10/10 Excellent

Kathy M.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Beautiful Property

The house was very roomy and the property was amazing. Beds were comfortable and the kitchen is well stocked. Our stay here was very relaxing. My grandson (8 yrs old) loved seeing all the fish, turtles and tadpoles in the river. We also saw deer and wild turkeys. There is also a nice nature trail on the property. We had several questions for the host and he answered all of them promptly. Communication was excellent!
Stayed 5 nights in Mar 2025

10/10 Excellent

Pat M.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Kids love the river and staying together with cousins

Wonderful private retreat
Stayed 3 nights in Jul 2024

10/10 Excellent

ROBERTO P.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great getaway spot

The home was very beautiful and very big. It felt very homey on the inside, while feeling very secluded and peaceful on the outside. Just a 5 min walk to a lovely little river with a BBQ station. Not to mention it's only about a 20 minute drive to Lost Maples National Park. Would recommend.
Stayed 4 nights in Nov 2023

10/10 Excellent

Pat M.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great place

It is wonderful
Stayed 3 nights in Jul 2023

10/10 Excellent

Veronica R.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Country Stay

Our group really enjoyed the swimming hole. The house was lovely. The corn field in front of the house was a highlight where we took some really cool pictures. We had a nice fire in the evening, had the pleasure of fireflies all around the house. The river was not far so we would walk the road and enjoy looking at all the plants and flowers. We had a great time!! Thank you for sharing.
Stayed 4 nights in Jun 2023

10/10 Excellent

Susan J.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Waresville Rox

Very nice house and property
Stayed 3 nights in Apr 2023

10/10 Excellent

Ben H.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

One of a kind - one of my favorite places in the world

Stayed in this house 8 times. The house is comfortable and feels like home. The river is where it’s at though. It’s a .25 mile walk down a dirt road and there you find a piece of heaven on earth. Great swimming. Amazing rope swing. The most beautiful cypress trees. Love it.
Stayed 3 nights in Sep 2022

8/10 Good

Randa W., Portland, TX

Liked: Check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Large Family Summer

We had 2 families, each with several kids, and we ALL had plenty of space to move about. The house was old and full of history which we loved. Everything worked, was close to town, lots of wildlife. The kids had a blast playing pool. River was a disappointment, but we can’t control Mother Nature. We still had an enjoyable time and would love to return. The owner was very friendly and prompt with any questions. So happy we found this place.
Stayed 3 nights in Aug 2022

8/10 Good

ross j.

Liked: Check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Beautiful River Access

We have been coming for many years, and as always, the river does not disappoint...even in this drought. The privacy and serenity is the reason we keep returning. The house is old, and sometimes we have small issues, but they are always addressed. There is no other place like this this spot on the river. We are on our second generation of rope swingers now.! We have made many memories here and plan to have many more!
Stayed 5 nights in Jul 2022

10/10 Excellent

Kenneth C., Bryan, Texas, USA

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Good house for family

The house is located away from many people so we felt great privacy. It was close enough to Garner State Park, which we wanted to enjoy, to make that trip very easy. We were able to spread out in the house when we needed.
Stayed 3 nights in Jul 2022

10/10 Excellent

alicia f.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Private tubing

We loved this home away from home. With so many possibilities. We made smores at the campfire, watched movies, floated the river, admired the deer! It was awesome to be away from busy life and just relax.
Stayed 3 nights in Jun 2022

8/10 Good

Jan S.

Liked: Check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Always a wonderful time

We love this place and the owner is extremely accommodating. We have been coming here for over 10 years. There are a few things we wish were better. Some of the ACs are not the best at cooling. However, we realize this is an "elderly" home so we make exceptions because of that. We did clean the AC filters this year when we were there. The portable AC in the upstairs game room is not able to cool the room. The oven doesn't work well. We plan meals and try not to use the oven. We bring drip coffee but the drip coffee maker takes forever to make a pot of coffee. This year, John had a Keurig but we didn't bring pods! There was more clutter in the yard than we have experienced in the past. We had to fight the urge to do some cleanup. All this being said, it's totally worth our stay. We love it.
Stayed 3 nights in Jun 2022

8/10 Good

Sean J.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Birthday and Mother's Day celebrations

The home is so quaint and very comfortable. There was plenty of sleeping room and privacy for our party of 11 people. The water is just wonderful on a hot day and the best place to hang out with family for a day or two.
Stayed 2 nights in May 2022

10/10 Excellent

Mitchell R.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Excellent

This property was fantastic! It was everything my group of 15 people needed. Plenty of space and places to sleep. Did not at all feel like we were in the way of each other. The walk to the river is short and is a wonderful spot with deep water. 10/10 recommend staying here!
Stayed 2 nights in Apr 2022

8/10 Good

Deepika S.

Liked: Check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Wonderful escape!

Large home that comfortably accommodated our multigenerational group. Fantastic host who was flexible with moving our dates as well we check in and check out time. Checked in with us and super responsive. Picnic tables by the river and access to the river are the highlights! The home is charming however needs better cleaning. The furniture was covered in dust and there are dead bugs, cobwebs all over. Bathrooms were clean and beds are comfy. Needs some deep cleaning but wonderful stay overall.
Stayed 3 nights in Mar 2022

10/10 Excellent

us J.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Waresville River House

Simply amazing space to spend time with friends and family!
Stayed 3 nights in Mar 2022