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 Frio River.
Lost Maples State Natural Area - 21 min drive - 33.5 km
Garner State Park - 28 min drive - 29.0 km
Frio River - 29 min drive - 30.1 km
Medina River - 32 min drive - 64.9 km
Mansfield Park - 33 min drive - 66.4 km
Getting around
San Antonio International Airport (SAT) - 110 min drive
Restaurants
Lost Maples Cafe - 2 min drive
The Laurel Tree - 3 min drive
Saint Jo's Picnic - 3 min drive
The Deli Post - 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!
Our prices include all fees. No hidden fees.
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
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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
This property is managed by a private host (a party not acting within their trade, business or profession). EU consumer law, including the right of withdrawal, will not apply to your booking. The cancellation policy set by the private host will cover your booking.
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).
How much does it cost to stay at River is Flowing and Beautiful!Utopia Texas Waresville River Retreat Donoho Farm?
As of 11 Apr 2026, prices found for a 1-night stay for 2 adults at River is Flowing and Beautiful!Utopia Texas Waresville River Retreat Donoho Farm on 28 Apr 2026 start from £465, including taxes and fees. This price is based on the lowest nightly price found in the last 24 hours for stays in the next 30 days. Prices are subject to change. Choose your dates for more accurate prices.
How much is parking at River is Flowing and Beautiful!Utopia Texas Waresville River Retreat Donoho Farm?
On-site parking is available at the property.
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, Lost Maples State Natural Area and Concan Golf Course and Country Club. Frio Valley Ranch Golf Club and East Trail are also within 20 miles (32 km).
River is Flowing and Beautiful!Utopia Texas Waresville River Retreat Donoho Farm Reviews
Reviews
9.4
Exceptional
Reviews are presented in chronological order, subject to a moderation process, and verified unless otherwise labelled.
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.
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!
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.
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.
House was just right for our size family. The beds were comfortable and kitchen was stocked with nearly everything you would need for a stay. The washer and dryer was a nice feature as well as the much needed extra refrigerator. The property was beautiful - we enjoyed the private river access, watching the deer and the stargazing was amazing!
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.
alicia f.
Stayed 3 nights in Jun 2022
Verified
10/10 Excellent
Michael K.
25 Sept 2018
Beautiful Country Get Away
This was the perfect little getaway for us. Despite there being massive amounts of rain we were able to spread out throughout the house and even the car port outside and never felt cramped. The property was better than the pictures portrayed. We would 100% book this place again for any future events or gatherings that we want to plan.
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.
Great Texas History, read the red three ring binder you will enjoy. Beautiful Sabinal River, swim, snorkel, fish and rope swing. Lots of wildlife, axis, whitetail and turkeys. Kitchen very well stocked with food prep and consumption equipment. Rooms are spacious and the layout is great for everyone to have their own space. General store in town is well stocked. Thank you to the family for sharing all of this with us.
Our family has been coming once a year for about 10 years. The property and river is outstanding. I only wish the house was...
There are updates slowly being done and I hope they continue. The price you pay is for the size of the house and the perfect river retreat. With that in mind, you will be pleased. :)
ross j.
Stayed 5 nights in Jul 2021
Archival
6/10 Okay
monica r.
14 Jul 2017
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.
We love our time here as a family and the river is beautiful. This is where we gather to spend time away with our grandchildren and our grown children. All of us live in different areas and don’t often get together as a family. So we all use the time to catch up, rest up, and have some fun at the river and one with one another. The house is old and we often experience a few things that do not work as we like. Property owner always gets right on things after a phone call. Our stay could be made better with a more thorough cleaning before our arrival. Floors and dust are the main areas of concern on that end. Bathrooms needs some updates and beds and bedding should be replaced; those two items would go along way in making guests comfortable.
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.
Kristin S.
Stayed 2 nights in Feb 2021
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