There are two basic types of searches you can run -- the activity search and the keyword search. If you are trying to find places that offer certain activities you will always be better off using the activity search and not the keyword search.

TEXAS HILL COUNTRY ACTIVITY SEARCH EXAMPLE

What is provided below is the same as in the How to Use The Website section.

First Activity Search Example

Move your cursor up to the banner at the top of this page and click on the activities pull down menu.

Next, click on the box to the left of camping in the pull down menu.

Then select 10 miles and New Braunfels from the other two pull down menus.

Click on the search button and the results will be all those locations that offer camping within 10 miles or so of New Braunfels.

Once the search results page appears, just click on to the name of the first destination site and that will take you to the descriptions we have put together for each site where you will find contact information such as email and website links.

Second Activities Search Example

For the next search, select camping and swimming from the activities pull down menu and select 10 miles and New Braunfels just like in the previous search.

Click on the search button and the results will be all those locations that offer camping AND swimming within approximately 10 miles of New Braunfels. Muy importante -- You cannot search for either one or the other activities if you select multiple activities.

Get it? Selecting multiple activities is a filter and the search results will be only those individual recreational sites that feature ALL the selected activities.

Don't Forget to Revise Your Query

If you select an activity, ALL subsequent search results, including those for keyword searches, will be restricted to those places that feature the selected activity.

You must go to the activities pull down menu and click on the box again to delete that activity from the next search query.

We have included a prompt in the activities field to indicate the types of activities you have checked that is based on the codes we use (e.g., C = Camping, S = Swimming). That way you can just look at the activities field and be able to tell what activities will be part of the next search query.

Troubleshooting

If you come up with 0 results for an activity search try the following:

(1) delete one or more of the activities if you have selected multiple activities; or

(2) increase the mileage or change the city you selected, or both.

After doing that, run the search again.

An easy way to clear all of the search fields is to click on the Outdoor Guide logo up in the banner.

What is provided below is the same as in the How to Use This Website section.

First Keyword Search Example

Before you run a keyword search make sure you do not have an activity selected from the activities pull down menu.

If you have an activity selected, the keyword search results will be restricted to the site descriptions that mention BOTH the activity and the keyword you select.

Enter Guadalupe River in the keyword search field and click on the search button.

The search results will be all of our site descriptions that in any way mention the Guadalupe River.

Second Keyword Search Example

For the next search, enter Guadalupe River and kayak in the keyword search field and then click on the search button.

The search results will be all those site descriptions that mention BOTH the Guadalupe River and kayaks or kayaking. Muy importante -- You cannot search for either one or the other keywords if you select multiple keywords.

Do not search for phrases such as "horseback riding stables near Bandera" or "places to go swimming with kids on the San Marcos River" because the search results will be restricted to the descriptions of sites that mention ALL of the keywords you enter.

Instead, run an activities search and use the mileage and city pull down menus to limit your search results geographically.

Troubleshooting

If you come up with 0 keyword search results try the following:

(1) if you have entered multiple keywords delete one or more;

(2) try more general keywords (e.g., search for "camp" rather than "camping grounds")

(3) if there is an activity checked in the activities pull down menu delete it by clicking on to the box with the check.

After doing that, run the search again.

Ok so if you want to get all fancy and filter your searches by searching for both activities and keywords you can run the advanced search. Here is an example. Select camping within 10 miles of New Braunfels and run the activities search.

When the search results page appears go to the keyword field and enter "store" and then click on to that search button.

The filtered search results will be those campgrounds within 10 miles or so of New Braunfels that have a store onsite or nearby.

GENERAL CONCEPTS REGARDING SEARCH OPTIONS

Here are a few general concepts that will come in handy when you begin running searches.

Until you become familiar with the search functionality, start off by running just an activity search or just a word search.

If you prefer to run a keyword search, only select one keyword per search to begin with until you become familiar with how the system operates.

When you run a multiple activities search try to limit the selected activities to those that you would expect to be available at a single location (e.g., camping, fishing and swimming should be available at most of the campgrounds).

The distances displayed on the search results page are approximations based on zip codes so don't get all huffy when you learn that they are not 100% accurate. In fact, they probably are not even 90% accurate but sorting by zip codes gives you a way to filter your search results so it should be a useful tool nonetheless.

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