The Hill Country Volkssportverein walking club is hosting a walk in the Texas Hill Country this coming Saturday, September 16th. It is the “Camp Verde – Home of the Camels” walk, starting just outside of Center Point, around 10 miles south of Kerrville. The start point is located at 288 Camp Verde Rd E, Center Point, TX 78010.
Camp Verde was established in 1856 for camels to be tested as pack animals for the Union Army, and the site is in the National Register of Historic Landmarks. The picture above shows a sign on the historic Camp Verde General Store and Post Office. A picture of the general store is below. All of the pictures in this post were shared with us by Martin Callahan, who took them on this same walk in October of 2020.
On Saturday, the start table will be open from 7:30 AM to 11:00 AM, and both the 5 and 10 km routes are rated 1A (easy!). Walkers start at the site of the Historic Camel Camp and travel the scenic countryside of the Texas Hill Country. The walk route is on lightly traveled paved roads. There are restrooms available at the start/finish, and pets are allowed.
For all the details, see the event listing on the AVA website.
The picture below shows, left to right, Gayle W., John B., and Tina B. with Rudy by a Texas Centennial granite marker which marks the site of Camp Verde. It was erected during the 100th anniversary of the state of Texas in 1936.
The marker for the Site of Camp Verde states, “Established as a frontier post by the United States Army, July 8, 1855. Headquarters in 1856 for 40 camels, sent by Secretary of War Jefferson Davis, to be used in a system of overland communication with the west, which proved impracticable. Surrendered to the Confederate government in 1861. Reoccupied in 1865 by the United States Army. Abandoned April 1, 1869.”
An interesting bit of history. We hope you can come out and explore this unique site with us on Saturday!
