Kerrville, located in Kerr County and Texas Hill Country since 1856, was originally named Brownsburg after the original settler Joshua Brown. However, postal authorities insisted the name be changed because of the numerous Texas towns already beginning with “Brown.” The name was changed to Kerrsville in honor of Joshua’s friend Major Kerr, who never visited the town.
Kerrville is in the heart of the rugged hill country of the Guadalupe River Valley. With normally mild weather year round, weather patterns have become increasingly unpredictable. The Guadalupe River, which runs through the middle of Kerrville, provides the opportunity to enjoy many outdoor pursuits year round in spite of this unpredictable weather. The Guadalupe River is a great place to fish, canoe, kayak, or just sightsee.
A unique part of Kerrville is that it is home to over 45 non-native species, with over 100,000 exotic game animals. Driving through you may spot any of over 32 game animals, native and non-native, including Scimitar Horned Oryx and Blesbok Antelope from Africa, Pere David Deer from China and many more. Exotic game animals were first introduced to the Texas Hill Country over sixty years ago. There are now large herds of species that are endangered, some of which are now extinct in their country of origin. Besides the exotic animals, there are four rare and endangered birds that can be seen here: the Golden-Cheeked Warbler, the Black-Capped Vireo, the Green Kingfisher, and the Zone-Tailed Hawk.
For hunters, there is year-round exotic game hunting. The YO Ranch, established in 1880, is a native and exotic game ranch that is home to 56 species of exotic game, longhorn cattle, and registered quarter horses. The Mo-Ranch offers sight-seeing of the native rich architecture of distinctive limestone buildings. If you are up to it, reserve for a memorable breakfast trail ride or chuck-wagon supper.
Non-hunting residents and visitors can enjoy the many festivals held in Kerrville including the Kerrville Folk Festival held each spring and is the longest-running music festival of its kind, attracting top musical talent of many styles. If you would like to mix your music with some quality Texas wine, be sure to visit the Kerrville Wine & Music Festival, a smaller event held in the Fall. Either way, Kerrville has something for all.