Our recent wanderings through the back roads of the Texas Hill Country took us to Camp Verde General Store, located along State Highway 173, roughly halfway between Kerrville and Bandera. It is about 15 miles south of Kerrville, 15 minutes north of Bandera, 35 minutes from Boerne, and approximately one hour northwest of San Antonio.
Established in 1857 along Verde Creek, the Camp Verde General Store originally supplied soldiers stationed at nearby Camp Verde. The store logo is interesting because it features a camel.
Camels in Texas? Yes—camels really were stationed in Texas!
Camp Verde was set up in 1855 near Verde Creek. The government built this U.S. Army post to protect settlers and travelers along the Texas frontier. It later became the headquarters for the Army’s “Camel Corps,” an experiment to see if camels could help transport supplies across the dry Southwest.
The camel experiment was more successful than many people realize. Camels could carry heavier loads than mules, travel long distances with little water, eat desert plants that other animals avoided, and could endure the heat and rugged terrain of West Texas. After Confederate troops occupied Camp Verde in 1861, the federal government eventually lost interest in the program
The U.S. Army officially abandoned Camp Verde on April 1, 1869. However, the Camp Verde General Store remained open, continuing to serve local ranchers and residents. Sometime around 1900, the original building was destroyed by a flood and was replaced by the present two-story structure. The present building underwent renovations beginning in 2003.
The Camp Verde General Store is one of the most beautiful old stores in the Texas Hill Country. It now blends historic character with modern hospitality, featuring an old-fashioned front porch, a spacious outdoor patio, and centuries-old shade trees.
The Camp Verde General Store was an important gathering place for area ranchers and has remained a cherished link to the Texas Hill Country’s pioneer past. The store provided postal services for years. However, one of the employees told me that just a few days before our visit, they learned that the postal service would no longer be providing services at the store. Lots of folks were sad about that development.
Camp Verde General Store offers a huge selection of Texas souvenirs, clothing, accessories, Hill Country merchandise, home décor, kitchenware, unique gifts, handmade candies, gourmet foods, jams, sauces, and artisan products from around the world. The adjoining restaurant features a wide variety of meal options along with some incredible desserts.
Remarkably, the Camp Verde General Store has served area residents since 1857 and now welcomes visitors from around the world. Of all the general stores we visited on our Texas Hill Country road trip, Cheryl and I agreed that none was situated in a more beautiful setting than the Camp Verde General Store.
If you plan to visit this part of the Lone Star State, be sure to make time for a visit to the Camp Verde General Store. You will enjoy browsing two floors filled with fascinating merchandise and leave with a greater appreciation for how this historic store has served and enriched the surrounding community for more than a century and a half.
