Slumber Falls Camp

Located on the Guadalupe River Road four miles northwest of the city of New Braunfels, this area has been a popular swimming and picnicking site since the late 1800s. In the 1930s, Harry Landa sold 20 acres in the Veramendi survey to W.V. & Francis Schulz Lillie and it was developed into a tourist court. Mrs. Lillie and her brother, Herman Schrader, built 11 cabins one at a time as they could afford them. Advertised as “paradise of the hills,” the camp was a popular tourist destination during a rapid increase in automobile tourism, particularly along River Road. The camp was a place to get away from the city and enjoy the beauty of a hill country river. Drought conditions closed the site as a tourist camp in 1957. As early as 1956, the Texas synod of the evangelical and reformed church (United Church of Christ) voted to seek a campsite for youth and adult activities. The wooded site with 11 cabins on limestone cliffs with majestic views overlooking the Guadalupe River was chosen. The property was purchased on December 31, 1957. Slumber Falls Camp, named for the peaceful and serene falls on the river, opened in the summer of 1958 with 385 campers and 100 staff. The camp facilities expanded and evolved into a beautiful naturally-landscaped camp with updated facilities while maintaining several of the original tourist court cabins for a 1930s camping experience. The camp continues the tradition of providing a memorable camping and learning experience for youth and adults where they can slumber with the sound of waterfalls.

Slumber Falls Camp is a historical marker in New Braunfels, Comal County, dedicated in 2015. It is one of 106 historical markers documented in Comal County in the Texas Historical Commission Atlas, among 256 historic sites cataloged across the county.

The site sits at 29.7532, -98.1434 near New Braunfels. The nearest cataloged historic site is Kellermann Cemetery (cemetery), about 1.8 miles away. Others within a short drive include Myers Cemetery, Waisenhaus (Orphanage), and Neuse, Erhardt, House.

This record corresponds to Texas Historical Commission Atlas #5507018075. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.