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If you’re not outdoors in tiny Castell, you’re missing the point.
The unincorporated community, little more than a scattering of buildings at a bend in the road, lies midway between Mason and Llano in the Texas Hill Country. The bright yellow Castell General Store doubles as a community center, a place where sunbaked kayakers, cyclists and anglers down cheeseburgers and nurse Lone Star beers.
Across the street, the Llano River splashes its way over limestone formations and into reed thickets. Unpaved roads unspool in all directions, luring gravel bikers who test their quads against the rolling terrain. It’s a hotspot for fly fishing, too, and if you walk down to the water’s edge, you’re likely to see someone casting a line.
The community, whose year-round population now hovers around 100, was settled mostly by immigrants of German descent in the mid-1800s. In the summer, visitors rent riverside cabins and revel in the peace.
What To Do
Hang Out at the Castell General Store
Plan to spend some time hanging out at the Castell General Store, where you can grab lunch or dinner, rent a kayak, buy fly fishing supplies, pick up basic groceries, or drink a cold one and listen to music.
The store gained fame about 15 years ago as the home of Cockaroo, a rooster that liked to display its affection for a mechanized, singing fish known as Big Mouth Billy Bass. (Use your imagination.) The bird is long gone, but the store’s gregarious owner, Randy Leifeste, still dresses to honor it, with wild, rooster-themed outfits.
The store hosts informal church services, otherwise known as Drinking with Jesus, on the first and third Sundays of each month. Faithful gather to sing hymns and sip Bloody Marys, and a revolving cast of chaplains, including one who once served at the University of Texas chapter of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, lead services.
In May, the store hosts the annual Testicle Festival, serving up calf fries and live music for attendees.
Paddle the Llano River
The Llano River runs right through Castell, and the community makes a great home base for exploring it by canoe or kayak.
The 12-mile run from Highway 87 downstream to Castell serves up some mild rapids, braided chutes, and plenty of deep pools where you can cool off. The most challenging stretch comes just before you reach Castell, when you have to pick your way through shallow rock chutes between rocky islands.
At a leisurely 3 miles per hour pace, with stops for snacks and swim breaks, plan on four or five hours—or more if there hasn’t been rain. Flows between 200 and 300 cfs are ideal. Skip the trip if it falls below 75 cfs—any lower than that, and you’ll be dragging.
Both the Castell General Store and Castell Cabins rent boats. If you bring your own, opt for a plastic one; aluminum boats tend to stick to the rough rock. Bring plenty of water, personal flotation devices, and a dry bag to stash valuables, too. And remember you’ll need two vehicles, or a friend who’ll shuttle you.
Ride the Gravel Roads
Leave the skinny-tired road bike at home and opt for a gravel bike, which has slightly wider tires that can handle the rugged unpaved roads you’ll find around Castell. You’ll pedal through sand, across low-water crossings and cattle guards, and past pastures of grazing longhorns. What you won’t find are a lot of cars whizzing past at 60 miles an hour.
The annual Castell Grind draws more than 500 gravel bikers to the small town each April. Racers can choose from a 62-mile Full Grind, 45-mile Three Quarter Grind, and 31-mile Half Grind, all on gravel and mixed surface roads. Brace for notorious Keyserville Road, a long sandy slope where some cyclists dismount and push. Registration takes place in November, and the event typically fills in less than an hour.
Go Fly Fishing
Walk down to the river, and you’ll likely see someone casting a line for Guadalupe bass, largemouth bass, or sunfish. Even if you don’t catch anything, the scenery is beautiful. If you don’t have your own rod and reel, consider hiring a guide. The Castell Guide Service offers full and half-day fishing trips by raft in spring and fall, depending on river flow. Jim Kettleman and Marcus Rodriguez at Living Waters Fly Fishing also offer guided fly fishing trips in the area.
Visit the Historic Castell School
While you’re in town, check out the Historic Castell School and Community Center, the historic white building at 123 Old School House Road. The structure dates to the 1850s, when it opened as a two-room schoolhouse. It expanded to three rooms in 1929, then closed in 1948. It’s used for community events today.
Where To Eat
Eat at Castell General Store
The Castell General Store also serves as the town’s go-to spot for a meal. Order one of its well-known cheeseburgers, grab a sandwich or basket, and settle in with a drink on the patio. On weekends, you’ll often find live music too.
Stock Up at Two Chicks on a Hill
Load up on baked goods, jams, jellies, farm-fresh eggs, tortillas, cinnamon rolls, and produce at Two Chicks on a Hill, a farm stand on the north side of the Llano River just outside of town.
Where To Stay
Castell Cabins on the Llano River rents cabins that sleep anywhere from two to 26 people. They’re located along the river and directly across the road from Castell General Store. Other rental properties in the area are available through vacation rentals, like VRBO and Airbnb.
Other rental properties in the area aon VRBO and Airbnb, including this charming farmhouse, a minute walk from both the river and the store.
While You’re There
Hike Enchanted Rock
Castell is a 30-minute drive from Enchanted Rock State Natural Area, where you can hike to the top of a huge pink granite dome or stroll the loop trail to Moss Lake.
Watch the Bats Emerge at Eckert James River Bat Cave Preserve
During the summer, make the 50-minute drive to Eckert James River Bat Cave Preserve, south of Mason, where you can watch more than 4 million Mexican free-tailed bats swirl out of a gaping hole in the ground every evening on their way to hunt insects.
Read the original article on Southern Living
