The Texas Association of Campground Owners (TACO) presented its annual Park of the Year and Glamping Resort of the Year awards on April 21 during TACO’s annual Spring Meeting and Convention at the Lone Star Convention & Expo Center, which draws hundreds of campground and RV park operators from across the Lone Star State.
The Glamping Resort of the Year award was given to Camp Quitcherbichin in Lake Bridgeport, which is about 60 to 90 minutes northwest of Dallas. River’s Edge Campground in Johnson City received a Park of the Year Award in the small park category for campgrounds with less than 125 sites.
Glamping Resort of the Year — Camp Quitcherbichin
Camp Quitcherbichin, which opened over Labor Day, has a mile of waterfront along Lake Bridgeport along with pontoon boat, kayak, paddle board and pedal boat rentals. The resort also offers guided night bow fishing. A petting zoo is also located onsite with miniature donkeys, horses, goats, pigs and a turkey. Camping options include 48 RV sites and a variety of rental accommodations, including two 1977 Airstream trailers, four covered wagons, 12 large site-built cabins and 10 futuristic “vessels” with floor-to-ceiling windows, smart mirrors, electronic skylights and heated floors. The resort was also designed with lots of common areas and fire pits that encourage people to socialize.
There’s also plenty of food and entertainment options on-site, TACO said. The resort features several on-site food venues, including Jo Mama’s Italian Kitchen, Trailer Park Tacos, Sacred Cow Burger Co. and the Honey Hole Saloon, which has live music on Friday and Saturday nights.
The park also has a “Chill Station” with different types of coffee, sweets and ice cream as well as an event venue, called Delilah’s Ballroom, which is fully equipped with a commercial kitchen and bar. The ballroom can seat 200 people. It also has a stage, a bar and a commercial kitchen that’s available for corporate events and weddings. The resort also has an arcade to keep the kids entertained while their parents relax.
Camp Quitcherbichin was developed by Justin McWilliams, who came up with the eyebrow-raising name for the resort with a specific message in mind. “It’s a reminder for everyone to relax, have a good time and leave your worries at home,” he said.
General Manager Gracie Oates said business is picking up, too, as word gets around about the park’s many activities, amenities and onsite attractions. “The resort appeals to a wide range of people, so we are very ethnically diverse. We see a lot of younger couples in the accommodations, too, because we have a little bit of everything,” Oates said.
Organized activities are also available on weekends, such as foam parties and scavenger units for the kids and poker and music bingo nights for the adults. Music bingo is particularly popular game that requires contestants to call out the name of a song as soon as they recognize it.
Blind Whiskey, a zydeco band, is scheduled to perform over Father’s Day weekend, when a crawfish boil will also take place.
Demand for glamping accommodations at Camp Quitcherbichen has been so strong, TACO said, that the park is adding 40 more rental cabins from Green River Cabins, which will each have covered front decks. “We expect to install half of them by Memorial Day and the rest of them in July and August,” said McWilliams, who is installing the new units with the help of his son, Brandon.
More information is available at campqyb.com.
Park of the Year Award (Small Park Category) — River’s Edge Campground
The 57-site River’s Edge Campground, which opened in May of 2024, is located on the Pedernales River in the Texas Hill Country, between Austin and Fredericksburg. The 100-acre park features majestic oaks, wide open spaces and a variety of camping options, including 45 spacious RV sites, four tent sites, five cabins and three covered wagons. Each space is unique and has been thoughtfully designed to fit into the hills and trees in a way that maximizes privacy, views, and a beautiful camping environment.
Amenities include a two-mile hike and bike trail; a nine-hole disc golf course; sports courts for sand volleyball, basketball, pickleball and cornhole; as well as a large playground with slides and a giant chess game. Other activities include fishing, swimming, tubing and kayaking on the Pedernales River.
River’s Edge was developed by Stuart and Alanya Berthiaume and their three children. The Berthiaumes have worked in real estate for many years and have also owned and operated Hill Country Lakes RV Campground in Spicewood for 17 years. They took their three children on RV trips across the U.S. and Canada as they were growing up and eventually decided to build their own campground when they couldn’t find one for sale that fit their vision.
“Our vision was to create the best of both worlds, an authentic, nature-focus camping experience with trails, space and trees, paired with resort-style amenities,” Alanya said.
The Berthiaumes built the campground from the ground up over four years, with the help of their children, Mitchell, 24, Weston, 26, and Tessa, 28. Tessa has since left the campground to join Campspot.com, a leading online reservation service provider, but Mitchell and Weston continue to work at the campground.
