Lake Whitney Ranch
Encyclopedia
Lake Whitney Ranch is a 876 acres (3.5 km²) property near Whitney, Texas
that is under development as a summer youth camp
, Pathfinder
camp, church camp and conference center for the Texas Conference of Seventh-day Adventists
.
The ranch is a replacement for Nameless Valley Ranch
which was sold in 2007.
The camp consists of two bundles of property that are divided by a Farm to Market road.
The "north" property is where most of the buildings and camp activity will take place.
The "south" property will be remain in a natural state for hiking, camping and horse trails.
The geographic highlight of the camp is the expansive view of Lake Whitney
from atop the bluffs.
The camp is located in Bosque County, Texas
on Lake Whitney at 31.896287°N 97.410622°W.
The primary "north" camp property is approximately bounded by FM 2841, FM 1600, FM 1609, FM 1606 and approximately 1 miles (1.6 km) of Lake Whitney frontage to the northwest of Walling Bend Park.
Shulers Point Subdivision and King Creek Subdivision are adjacent to the property.
The current entrance to the north property is via FM 2841 but the main entrance will be moved to FM 1606 as part of the improvements.
Access from Lake Whitney is limited to one cut down to the lake as the camp sits on rock bluffs approximately 100 feet (30.5 m) above nominal water level.
The "south" camp property is on the south side of FM 2841 and has no lake frontage although Curton Creek drains from the property into the lake at Pritchett Point.
A visible landmark on the north property is a red caboose
that sits high above the lake and can be seen by boaters. The caboose is outfitted as living quarters. Rock Island is directly off-shore of the north property.
The master plan calls for the property to support up to 5000 campers at one time.
The first phase of development is prioritized on facilities for the camporee area for Pathfinders, Adventurer and Master Guide areas.
Progress towards the master plan are planned as funding allows.
with a new camp property in the area bounded by DFW, Houston
and San Antonio
The Nameless property was placed for sale in 2004 and a search for new camp property commenced.
In 2006 the Nameless property was sold to private developers, and in 2007 the Whitney "north" property consisting of 469 acres (1.9 km²) was acquired from the W4 Ranch where it had been maintained as cattle ranch.
An additional 407 acres (1.6 km²) of "south" property was acquired in 2007 in additional purchases from private parties.
This list of over 500 names was reviewed and narrowed down to four names by a group of lay advisers and the Camp Operating and Development board.
In 2009 the 4 names were presented in various town hall meetings where the list was narrowed to two choices.
These two choices "King Creek Ranch" and "Lake Whitney Ranch" were presented at the church constituency meeting in Killeen, Texas
on April 19, 2009 and a vote was taken.
"Lake Whitney Ranch" was chosen with 276 votes to 248 for King Creek Ranch.
The property is heavily populated by wildlife.
Whitney, Texas
Whitney is a town in Hill County in Central Texas. The population was 1,833 at the 2000 census.Whitney is a rural lakeside community, and site of the very first bass fishing tournament...
that is under development as a summer youth camp
Summer camp
Summer camp is a supervised program for children or teenagers conducted during the summer months in some countries. Children and adolescents who attend summer camp are known as campers....
, Pathfinder
Pathfinders (Seventh-day Adventist)
The Pathfinder Club is a worldwide program organized and directed by the Youth Department of the General Conference of the Seventh-day Adventist Church...
camp, church camp and conference center for the Texas Conference of Seventh-day Adventists
Texas Conference of Seventh-day Adventists
The Texas Conference of Seventh-day Adventists is one of two organizational bodies of the Seventh-day Adventist Church for the eastern 2/3 of the state of Texas, United States...
.
The ranch is a replacement for Nameless Valley Ranch
Nameless Valley Ranch
Nameless Valley Ranch was the camp property located outside of Jonestown, Texas, USA, and Cedar Park, Texas, owned by the Texas Conference of Seventh-day Adventists from about 1979 to 2007. NVR was roughly in size and was originally purchased to not only be a youth camp but to also be an...
which was sold in 2007.
The camp consists of two bundles of property that are divided by a Farm to Market road.
The "north" property is where most of the buildings and camp activity will take place.
The "south" property will be remain in a natural state for hiking, camping and horse trails.
The geographic highlight of the camp is the expansive view of Lake Whitney
Lake Whitney (Texas)
Lake Whitney is a flood control reservoir on the main stem of the Brazos River in Texas. It is located on River Mile Marker 442 and controls drainage for of Texas and parts of New Mexico. The reservoir encompasses a surface area of more than 23,500 acres and of shoreline. The area consists of...
from atop the bluffs.
Location
Bosque County, Texas
Bosque County is a county located on the Edwards Plateau in the U.S. state of Texas. As of 2000, the population is 17,204. Its county seat is Meridian. Clifton, however, is the largest city and the cultural/financial center of the county. Bosque is named for the Bosque River, which runs through...
on Lake Whitney at 31.896287°N 97.410622°W.
The primary "north" camp property is approximately bounded by FM 2841, FM 1600, FM 1609, FM 1606 and approximately 1 miles (1.6 km) of Lake Whitney frontage to the northwest of Walling Bend Park.
Shulers Point Subdivision and King Creek Subdivision are adjacent to the property.
The current entrance to the north property is via FM 2841 but the main entrance will be moved to FM 1606 as part of the improvements.
Access from Lake Whitney is limited to one cut down to the lake as the camp sits on rock bluffs approximately 100 feet (30.5 m) above nominal water level.
The "south" camp property is on the south side of FM 2841 and has no lake frontage although Curton Creek drains from the property into the lake at Pritchett Point.
A visible landmark on the north property is a red caboose
Caboose
A caboose is a manned North American rail transport vehicle coupled at the end of a freight train. Although cabooses were once used on nearly every freight train, their use has declined and they are seldom seen on trains, except on locals and smaller railroads.-Function:The caboose provided the...
that sits high above the lake and can be seen by boaters. The caboose is outfitted as living quarters. Rock Island is directly off-shore of the north property.
Master Plan
The master plan calls for $26 million of phased improvements to the property to include:- Adult Mini Lodges
- Dining hall
- Nature centerNature centerA nature center is an organization with a visitor center or interpretive center designed to educate people about nature and the environment. Usually located within a protected open space, nature centers often have trails through their property. Some are located within a state or city park, and...
- Inspiration Point Pavilion
- Multi-purpose facility
- Recreational VehicleRecreational vehicleRecreational vehicle or RV is, in North America, the usual term for a Motor vehicle or trailer equipped with living space and amenities found in a home.-Features:...
sites - Convertible cabinsCottage__toc__In modern usage, a cottage is usually a modest, often cozy dwelling, typically in a rural or semi-rural location. However there are cottage-style dwellings in cities, and in places such as Canada the term exists with no connotations of size at all...
for youth camp and family camping - Camp staff HQ building
- Welcome center
- Amphitheater
- Water wellWater wellA water well is an excavation or structure created in the ground by digging, driving, boring or drilling to access groundwater in underground aquifers. The well water is drawn by an electric submersible pump, a trash pump, a vertical turbine pump, a handpump or a mechanical pump...
and water towerWater towerA water tower or elevated water tower is a large elevated drinking water storage container constructed to hold a water supply at a height sufficient to pressurize a water distribution system.... - Gymnasium complexGymThe word γυμνάσιον was used in Ancient Greece, that mean a locality for both physical and intellectual education of young men...
- Swimming poolSwimming poolA swimming pool, swimming bath, wading pool, or simply a pool, is a container filled with water intended for swimming or water-based recreation. There are many standard sizes; the largest is the Olympic-size swimming pool...
- PondPondA pond is a body of standing water, either natural or man-made, that is usually smaller than a lake. A wide variety of man-made bodies of water are classified as ponds, including water gardens, water features and koi ponds; all designed for aesthetic ornamentation as landscape or architectural...
- Roads, sewer and other infrastructure
The master plan calls for the property to support up to 5000 campers at one time.
The first phase of development is prioritized on facilities for the camporee area for Pathfinders, Adventurer and Master Guide areas.
Progress towards the master plan are planned as funding allows.
History
In the early 2000s there was a desire by the church constituency to replace Nameless Valley Ranch near AustinAustin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
with a new camp property in the area bounded by DFW, Houston
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
and San Antonio
San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio is the seventh-largest city in the United States of America and the second-largest city within the state of Texas, with a population of 1.33 million. Located in the American Southwest and the south–central part of Texas, the city serves as the seat of Bexar County. In 2011,...
The Nameless property was placed for sale in 2004 and a search for new camp property commenced.
In 2006 the Nameless property was sold to private developers, and in 2007 the Whitney "north" property consisting of 469 acres (1.9 km²) was acquired from the W4 Ranch where it had been maintained as cattle ranch.
An additional 407 acres (1.6 km²) of "south" property was acquired in 2007 in additional purchases from private parties.
Naming of the camp
The naming of the camp was a multi-step process begun by a contest of names submitted by church members.This list of over 500 names was reviewed and narrowed down to four names by a group of lay advisers and the Camp Operating and Development board.
In 2009 the 4 names were presented in various town hall meetings where the list was narrowed to two choices.
These two choices "King Creek Ranch" and "Lake Whitney Ranch" were presented at the church constituency meeting in Killeen, Texas
Killeen, Texas
Killeen is a city in Bell County, Texas, The United States. The population was 86,911 at the 2000 census. As of 2009, Killeen had 119,510 people. In 2010 Killeen's population shot to 127,921...
on April 19, 2009 and a vote was taken.
"Lake Whitney Ranch" was chosen with 276 votes to 248 for King Creek Ranch.
Milestone dates
- May 2009: Infrastructure construction begins. Development expected to be completed sufficiently for Pathfinder camporees in 2010 and summer youth camps to begin in May 2011.
- November 2009: Open house - the pond is constructed and filled, and the sewage plant completed.
- April 2010: "Fearless in Christ" Dedication Pathfinder Camporee with 3,500 campers and 500 guests
Wildlife
Please help by expanding this sectionThe property is heavily populated by wildlife.