Plan Your Fourth of July Weekend in the Cowboy Capital
By Gordon Cook · June 18, 2026
If you're still trying to figure out where to take the family for the Fourth of July, let me save you some scrolling. Bandera — the Cowboy Capital of the World, just up the road from us — throws one of the best small-town Fourths you'll find anywhere in Texas, and we happen to sit 15 minutes away with a cabin, RV site, or cowboy campsite ready and waiting. Here's how the week shapes up.
The Fourth in Bandera: Parades, Pets, and Fireworks
Bandera doesn't do just one parade for the Fourth — it does two. Over in City Park, folks gather for the annual pet parade, where dogs (and the occasional goat or chicken, knowing this county) get dressed up in their red, white, and blue and strut down for the crowd. If you're bringing the dog along on this trip anyway, that's about as good an excuse as you'll ever get to put a bandana on him. Down the road in Lakehills, the community puts on its own hometown parade, the kind with tractors, fire trucks, and kids on decorated bikes — the real deal. Both towns wrap up the holiday with fireworks after dark, so plan on a full day out and a slow drive home with sleepy kids in the back seat.
Before the Fourth: Bandera Riverfest
If you're coming in early, don't miss Bandera Riverfest on the banks of the Medina River in City Park — a free, old-fashioned community picnic with food vendors, a hot dog and watermelon eating contest, a car show, and Bandera's own American Idol-style singing competition. It's the kind of afternoon where you bring a lawn chair, plant it in the shade, and don't move for a few hours. Good way to kick off a long weekend.
Beat the Heat: A Day on the River
By the Fourth of July, Texas heat is no joke, and the best cure for it is cold river water. The Guadalupe River up toward Canyon Lake is the classic Hill Country tubing trip — gentle current, a few fun rapids, and water that stays a refreshing 65-70 degrees even when the air is pushing triple digits. It's about an hour's drive from the Hideaway, easily doable as a day trip, and a good way to spend the hottest part of the day if you're not into the parade crowds. Pack water shoes, sunscreen, and a cooler (just remember — cans are fine in most spots, but glass and Styrofoam are banned on the river).
After Dark: Some of the Darkest Skies in Texas
Once the fireworks finish and the crowds clear out, come on back to the Hideaway and look up. Out here in Pipe Creek, away from city lights, the Milky Way puts on its own show most clear nights — no ticket required. Pull a chair up to the fire pit, let the kids run off the last of their sugar, and enjoy the quiet. After a day of parades, rivers, and fireworks, that's the part folks tell us they remember most.
Where to Stay (We're 15 Minutes Out)
Holiday weekends fill up fast around here, so don't wait too long. We've got 13 handcrafted log cabins, 10 full-hookup pull-through RV sites, and 9 cowboy campsites — close enough to Bandera that you won't miss a thing, far enough out for some peace and quiet when the day winds down. We're pet-friendly with no pet fees, and there's no cleaning fees either. We're also the closest campground to the new Kronkosky State Natural Area, taking shape just down Highway 46 and on track to open this fall.
Book direct on our website and use promo code FUN for 10% off when you stay 2 or more nights. That's especially handy for a holiday weekend — might as well stretch it out and make it a few days.
A Quiet Place When the Fireworks Get Loud
One more thing worth knowing: we don't set off fireworks here at the Hideaway. We know how much folks love a good fireworks show, and Bandera and Lakehills will have you covered on that front. But we also hear from a lot of guests — veterans, folks with PTSD, and pet owners with dogs who shake under the bed every Fourth of July — who are just looking for somewhere calm to land afterward. So if you or your dog could use a holiday without the boom, the Hideaway will be quiet, dark, and peaceful all night long. Come watch the show in town, then come on home to some real peace and quiet.
Hope to see y'all out here. Bring the dog, bring the cooler, and bring your sense of humor — it's Texas in July, after all.
Until next time…
Happy Trails.
Be Safe & God Bless.
— Al