A well-known Hill Country property with a long and unusual history is set to become Kendall County’s newest public park.
Kendall County commissioners have approved the purchase of roughly 310 acres along FM 474 and the Guadalupe River, a property most recently owned by Matt Carriker, founder of the massively popular Demolition Ranch YouTube channel. The $11.25 million purchase will transform the former Guadalupe River Ranch and Desperado Resort into a county-owned conservation and recreation area, located a short drive from downtown Boerne.
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The new park will create Kendall County’s first-ever Blue Trail, a designated waterway that allows managed public access for floating, kayaking, and canoeing. Once completed, visitors will be able to enter the Guadalupe River from the new county park and float downstream to Kreutzberg Canyon Natural Area, creating a continuous public river experience that has not previously existed in Kendall County.
According to County Commissioner Andra Wisian, the project balances conservation with access. The property includes approximately three-quarters of a mile of river frontage and will be preserved as conservation land while opening new recreational opportunities for residents and visitors. Funding for the purchase comes from Proposition A, a voter-approved bond passed in 2022 to protect water quality, wildlife habitat, and public access to natural areas.
Before its sale to the county, the property had already drawn attention locally and nationally. The land was formerly known as Guadalupe River Ranch and sat largely unused for years before Carriker purchased it in 2023. Carriker, whose Demolition Ranch channel has more than 11 million subscribers, began restoring the property and later quietly opened it to the public as Desperado Resort.
As Desperado Resort, the ranch offered hiking, primitive camping, river access, and roughly five miles of trails. Locals used the property for hiking, fishing, and even bouldering in certain areas. The resort operated for a short period before Carriker announced he was stepping away from his media ventures to spend more time with his family and listed the ranch for sale.
That decision paved the way for the county’s purchase, turning what was briefly a private outdoor destination into a permanent public asset.
The existing trail network and river access are expected to play a role in future park planning, though the property will still undergo inspections, environmental review, and surveying before final development plans are announced. During this review period, the county retains the option to terminate the purchase if issues arise.
Once finalized, the new park will join a growing network of public natural areas in Kendall County, including Kreutzberg Canyon Natural Area, Joshua Springs Park & Preserve, and James Kiehl River Bend Park. County leaders say the addition strengthens long-term conservation efforts while expanding access to the Guadalupe River in a way that protects the surrounding habitat.
No opening date has been announced yet, but the acquisition marks a major step toward creating Kendall County’s first continuous public river corridor and one of the most significant outdoor recreation additions in the area in years.
Thanks to Mia Valdez of MySA for alerting us to the memo posted by County Commissioner Andra Wisian.