Utopia River Retreat is set on 22 acres along the Sabinal River in Utopia, Tx. Set in the heart of the Sabinal and Frio River Canyons, we are centrally located to both Lost Maples State Natural Area and Garner State Park. Just 20 min either direction. We have 6 one bedroom cabins, 3 two bedroom cabins and a 5 bedroom area home called the Fortress on the property with a Wedding / Party Venue. In addition to our on-site accommodations we also have additional managed properties in the area available. The Wellington Creekside Lodge (a 4 bedroom house with a private pool and hot tub) and The Country Cottage (a 2 bedroom house).
Very nice location and great rates. We stayed here to visit the Frio River for our first time and it was perfect. We were about 20 minutes east of the river and still able to get a cabin even though we booked late. The swimming pool is a nice feature - clean and comfy. We stayed at the Hideout which was perfect for our needs. The back porch looks right over the small creek behind it. You could get in the clear clean water if you liked but not deep enough to really swim in. There are some local deer that roam around the area and the place is very secluded and quiet from any noise or crowds.
Utopia is a very small town so be sure you bring food to eat and snacks. There is a local grocery store but not open after daytime hours. There is one cafe to eat at with typical texas style food - serves all meals. The kitchen is well kept but no dishwasher but not much of an issue. There is a large AC wall unit for the whole cabin and ceiling fans with some stand up fans that really help keep the place cool. No ice maker but there are ice trays. Be sure to bring charcoal if you want to cook on the grill outside - they sell firewood and you can find some small wood pieces for a fire at night but not enough for grilling. There is really no place to fish even though they state that on the listing. Has wifi in the cabin that you can connect to with your phone but not very fast. They do not clean your cabin while you are there so you make beds and clean dishes as needed. Cell service is very spotty in this part of the state. Would go back if we were stay in this area again.
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Date of stay: June 2021
Rooms
Service
Sleep Quality
Room Tip:Â Like this cabin being right by the creek.
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I can’t believe it’s taken me this long to write my review! October 2022 my husband and I celebrated our marriage with our closest friends and family. Such an amazing weekend, the accommodations were perfect. Not a single person in our party complained, all were very impressed with every cabin, the barn and the breathless views. Definitely will be going back! Thank you Utopia River Retreat!
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Date of stay: November 2022
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Trip type: Traveled with family
Room Tip:Â Recommend for family reunions/big events, rent out all cabins for best experience
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
My wife and I just returned from a wonderfully relaxing weekend. The cabin was very nice and the Sabinal River is beautiful If you are looking to disconnect this is the place. We enjoyed the river and the fire pit. It is amazing how relaxing a fire can be.
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Date of stay: January 2020
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Location
Service
Room Tip:Â Thje cabins all are near the river
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from UtopiaRR, Manager at Utopia River Retreat
Responded Feb 6, 2020
We loved having you two stay with us. I am so glad you were able to experience the "peace" of Utopia! Looking forward to your next visit. - Karyn
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Such a beautiful place, nice and quiet. The people are very nice and helpful. Many renovations to the cabins and grounds for a comfortable getaway. Utopia area is very nice year round. I hate to submit this review for wanting to keep it hidden, but these people deserve the business.
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Date of stay: April 2020Trip type: Traveled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I wanted to take a moment and tell you how much we enjoyed our stay in the Kickapoo Cabin. It was wonderful, cozy, and relaxing. Just a good time and much-needed R & R.Thanks again for a wonderful place to spend time by the river, Don & Yvonne
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Date of stay: March 2021
Value
Location
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
There is a related review on the "Fortress" which has a neat history and is the original family home on the property and sleeps up to 16 people. However, my review is about the several cabins on the property, which sleep 2-6 people each. Utopia is about 25 minutes from Leakey (3 Sisters Loop) and just miles away from Lost Maples State Park, motorcycle museum, Apple Store, Garner State Park, Frio Bat Flight and all many hill country sites: (Medina-30 miles; Kerrville-60 miles). The cabins have a mini-kitchen (fridge (ice trays), microwave, toaster, oven/stove, silverware, glassware, plates, etc.), small TV with satellite, good AC/heater, porch overlooking river/wooded area. There is free ATT internet although it's intermittent or weak at best. Cabins are framed buildings (not trailers) and are well built. The beds/pillows are comfortable but fold-out beds (couches) are not - better to bring an air mattress. They do provide towels and hand/dish-washing soap but not bar (bath) soap or shampoo. While you'll sometimes find charcoal/lighter and salt/pepper that someone has left, it's better to bring all you need to season/eat and cook/campfire outside. I usually leave what I've brought for the next group - including bug spray. I come to this area several times/yr to ride motorcycles and they are motorcycle friendly. The road into and around the cabins are crushed gravel, so caution is warranted for bikers. Each cabin has a small camp-fire area as well as bbq pit. I've been staying in cabins in this area for several years (along Frio, near Kerrville, Leakey, Rock Springs,etc) and this is one of the most reasonable in terms of cost/value and friendliness of staff. They've converted a barn to a party-barn and have regular public dances and parties there, especially around holidays. A shallow part of the Sabinal River runs along back of property. It's pet friendly as well. They have a decent pool (w/kiddy area) and volleyball/tetherball set up. I've stayed in the following cabins and liked them all - it just depends on how many are in your group: Arrowhead, Lookout, Hideout, Tomahawk (see website for details). If the property sat on a scenic hillside or along a large/deep section of any of the several area rivers and have a paved roads, it would rate an "excellent" - but this is darn close to it. My only recommendations would be to provide bar soap, replace the poor quality mattresses on the fold-outs and tar-top the roads.
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Date of stay: October 2017
Value
Location
Trip type: Traveled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
My husband and I spent a weekend here for a quick get away before the craziness of fall schedules set in. The cabins are equipped with literally everything you could need to be totally self-sufficient including cooking equipment, plates, glasses, silverware, coffee maker, pots, pans, etc. In addition, Karyn (property manager) emailed the few extra things we needed to bring (coffee, extra towels for the river/pool) and was SUPER responsive to all questions I had. I was also very impressed with the cleanliness of everything in the cabin from the kitchen to the bedroom to the bath. Loved the porch on our cabin that faced the river where we had coffee both days. Wish we had had time to use the fire pit! (Firewood is available for purchase on site.) We will DEFINITELY stay here again on our next visit to Utopia!
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Date of stay: August 2018
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Service
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Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
My boyfriend and I spent 3 nights in the Arrowhead cabin over Memorial Day for a hill country getaway with friends & their children who were staying in the Tomahawk cabin and 2 of the RV spots (16 of us in total; 8 adults/8 kids aged 2-10). I would recommend Utopia River Retreat for couples, groups of friends, and families who are looking for a quiet getaway with comfortable accommodations.
Despite no water in the Sabinal River behind the property, we managed to have plenty of fun! Our group spent one afternoon at the pool on property, one day at Garner State Park, and every night on the covered deck at Utopia River Retreat enjoying the breeze and cypress trees blowing in the wind. We had group meals and play time on the deck, and everyone enjoyed exploring the riverbed and old trees.
Arrowhead is the perfect location at the River Retreat - the covered deck on one side and the pool on the other. The cabin was perfect for the 2 of us - comfortable king bed, soft sheets, nice sized great room kitchen/living/dining, and water pressure in the shower! The kitchen has plenty of cookware/cutlery and a full size fridge. In the mornings, we enjoyed coffee on the covered deck overlooking the trees and river bed. We used the charcoal grill near the pavilion to cook most of our meals - which was perfect for our large group.
The Retreat managers were very responsive to my questions via email, and provided contactless check in when we arrived after hours.
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Date of stay: May 2022
Value
Cleanliness
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We spent 2 nights and it was so enjoyable and relaxing! We brought our little Shih Tzu and she so enjoyed just sitting on the porch with us and watched the birds and wildlife. Hope to get back there soon.
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Date of stay: March 2021Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We had my son's wedding here, The party barn served as a great place for our Friday night dinner party and then for the wedding reception on Saturday night. Great staff - had everything we needed and were very accommodating. The wedding was down by the river and was great. Weather was a bit chilly but not bad for February. They had heaters available so that was very much appreciated. The fortress house was great for 5 adults and 6 kids and cabins were comfortable for a number of guests. The kids had so much fun with room to run around and play. Karyn is the best to work with!
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Date of stay: February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
There are more places to choose from in the Utopia area.
LOCATION
United StatesTexasUtopia
NUMBER OF ROOMS
10
Prices are the average nightly price provided by our partners and may not include all taxes and fees. Taxes and fees that are shown are estimates only. Please see our partners for more details.
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