A River Runs Through It

Rural counties partner to tout recreational offerings.

by Karen Hudgins

Editor’s Note: The following article appeared in the September/October 2008 issue of Texas Rising.

Hunting has long been a boon to tourism for McCulloch, Menard, Kimble and Concho counties in Central Texas.

County leaders and landowners appreciate the big influx and economic impact of hunters each year. But a few years ago they decided they could do a better job of promoting the region’s other outdoor offerings.

In 2005, the nonprofit Central Texas Hills and Rivers Region (CTHRR) formed to encourage tourism in its member counties.

“Hunting is a large recreational opportunity and very important to our area,” says Lynn Farris, CTHRR’s president. “There are also a lot of folks who want to come out and sit on a Texas ranch and listen to the birds sing.”

The region boasts plenty of recreational offerings. From kayaking along the shimmering San Saba, to fly-fishing at South Llano River State Park, to viewing spectacular ancient Indian pictographs at Paint Rock in Concho County, the area offers a wealth of outdoor options.

In determining a name for the group, county leaders looked at what they shared in common, says Lynn Foreman, a past CTHRR president who co-owns Cavu Canyon Ranch in Segovia with her husband Bob.

“When we were trying to find a name, we all realized that we had rivers in common – whether it’s the San Saba or the Llano,” she says.

In 2006, the CTHRR hired Geiger & Associates, a Florida-based public relations firm specializing in media marketing for travel and tourism clients.

“We initiated a media marketing tour program to promote the counties, bring the media in, let them see what the areas look like and focus on what we believe would interest tourists in the area,” says Farris.

With the CTHRR’s help, the public relations firm coordinated three media tours in 2005 and 2006. Farris says the tours cost about $150,000 total to organize and brought in travel writers from around the state and nation. The tours led to coverage in publications ranging from Texas Highways, Texas Parks and Wildlife magazine, the Dallas Morning News, the Midland Reporter-Telegram and Trailer Life.

“We got a lot of coverage and it worked very well, and we’ve seen tangible benefits that it brought people to our area,” says Farris. “For example, we’ve had visitors to the Heart of Texas Country Music Museum in Brady who came specifically because of an article they’d seen in one of the publications.”

The CTHRR’s board meets every other month and includes at least three members from each county. Members vote on all activities. Counties outside the four-county region may pay to join CTHRR but cannot vote on activities. The organization also depends on volunteers for many activities, Foreman says.

Nature Tourism

High on the CTHRR’s list is promoting the area’s nature tourism and nature photography opportunities. The group will host its first nature photography competition in the region in spring 2009.

“It has two objectives,” says Farris. “You have youngsters interested in photography and you’re focused on nature. That also ties back to building awareness among the entire community of the fact that we have this resource at our fingertips.”

The region also heavily promotes its multi-county bike race, the Tour de Forts. The 2009 race, which will take place May 23-24, marks the fourth the CTHRR has sponsored. Named after two historic forts in Kimble and Menard counties, the race lets participants ride 10, 20, 40 or 100 miles on the western edge of the Hill Country in Kimble and Menard counties. Beginning in Junction, the route circles through the town of Menard, Fort McKavett and back to Junction. The vast ranchland provides a scenic backdrop and marks the transition of the Sonora Desert with the Hill Country.

In celebration of hunting season, CTHRR member counties will host special dinners and events throughout November. These include the Menard Hunters Appreciation Dinner Nov. 1; the Mason Annual Wild Game Dinner Nov. 8; the Eden Camouflage Cotillion Nov. 22; and a Hunters Appreciation Dinner in both Brady and Junction on Nov. 29. TR