Q. Where is Concan?

A. Concan is located 90 miles West of San Antonio in the Texas Hill Country. Being an unincorporated community, there are no city limit signs but Concan is generally considered to be the triangular area bounded by US 83 and County Rd. 348 (River Road) and the last mile of Texas 127 just before it intersects with US 83.

Q.  Where in Concan are your cabins and homes located?

A.  River Oaks 1 - 12 are located at the River Road second crossing of the Frio River.   Riverside, Studio, and Frio Vista are located 800 ft. upstream from the second crossing in the Cypress Bend Area.   Big Oak, Deer Run 1 - 6, Creekwood, Hummingbird, and  Cypress Villa 1 - 8 are located near our office, private river park, mini-golf course, and nature area  at 1/2 mi. River Road.  Live Oak is located 1/2 mile behind our office at the far side of our nature area.

Q: I want to rent a cabin located right on the water.

A: This is a request we hear a lot from our first time visitors. If you define "right on the water" as being able to sit on the back porch and dangle your feet in the water, you can't do it on the Frio River.  It is common for the Frio River to rise over 20 ft. after a large rain. It is therefore necessary that all permanent structures along the river be built at least that far above the normal water level or they will flood / wash away. Some homes are built on a cliff overlooking the Frio River. The river may be 35 ft. or more straight down. Great view but a little hard to access the river. Most of ours are built on property which gently slopes down to the river. Easy access to the river but the cabin may be 200 ft. or more back from the water. Any home built "right on the water" would go under water or wash away each flood. 

Q. What is the difference between a cabin and a vacation home?

A. Good Question! I will get back to you on that one when I figure it out. Maybe you should call it a cabin if it was built for short term occupancy and probably doesn’t have a washer/dryer, walk in closets, etc. I have heard that a metal roof is the sign of a cabin.  If so, there are several 1/2 million dollar cabins around here.  Under almost any definition, you could have a 1 br. home or a 6 br. cabin.  I personally think it is a marketing term.  As always, I welcome your comments.

Q. I am having trouble getting through on your toll free reservation line.  It seems to always be busy.

A. Although our reservation line does stay very busy, most activity is first thing in the morning and during late afternoon.  Try calling late morning, lunch time, or early afternoon.  Another option is to e-mail the office and we will give you a call as soon as possible.

Q. Can we set up a tent or RV by our cabin?

A. River Oaks Resort in not in the camping or RV site rental business. We rent vacation homes and do not allow tenting or RVs.   Although most have quit, there are still a few places in this area that have RV sites and / or camping areas.

Q.  What is a fire pit? (aka conversation pit)

A. A fire pit is a lined hole located in the patio and used for sitting around in the evening. (Marshmallows or franks on a stick are optional).  This is an effort to get our guests to all build their outdoor (campfires) fires in the same place instead of all over the yard. 

Q. Do you furnish firewood?

A. We furnished firewood for many years, but the price of wood has almost doubled in the past two years and in fact we have been unable to purchase any firewood at all for the past year. Add to this the labor cost of splitting and delivering wood to the cabins and the fact that much of the firewood put out at the cabins was being stolen. We stopped furnishing firewood after Labor Day 2002. Firewood may be brought from home or purchased at many local stores.  

Q. I would like to have my wedding in Concan.  What are some of my options?

Q. Is it true that Concan is in a dry county for adult beverages?

A. Technically, Concan is located in a dry precinct of Uvalde County. This means that although adult beverages may be consumed, they can not be sold in this precinct. The closest places to purchase are in Leakey (18 miles North) or in Uvalde (23 miles South).

Q. Is it against the law to drink while floating the river.

A. No, but it is against the law to take glass into the river, no matter what is in the container and of course littering is illegal.

Q. Where can we rent tubes?

A. River Oaks has float tubes available for our guests.   Three years ago we replaced the used car & truck inner tubes normally rented in this area with a factory float tube. These have eliminated the underarm chaffing and the black marks on the bathing suits. They are much more comfortable, have two handles, do not get as hot in the sun and have multiple air chambers for safety. These rent for $5.00 per day. There are 4 sizes available (2 sizes have bottoms). . 

Q.  Can I go fishing in the Frio River?

A. Most fishing is done during the winter months when there are few tubers & swimmers.  We feel that during the summer, there are just too many people in the water to be throwing a fish hook into the mix. 

Q.  Can I use my power boat / jet ski / yacht on the Frio?

A. No!  The combination of people in the water and rocks would make engine powered boat a bad idea.

Q.  Should I bring my ATV / go cart / dirt bike?

A. No! All property is privately owned and there is absolutely no legal place to ride an ATV, go cart, or dirt bike around the Concan area. 

Q.  How about street legal motorcycles?

A. We welcome motorcycle clubs and enthusiasts to stay with us.    

A. We welcome your well behaved pets. But please understand that we speak only for our property and when you leave our property and go to a store, restaurant, church, or even for a walk through the community you must abide by their rules. Once you go outside your cabin, a leash is usually required and is always a good idea.

Q. What is River Oaks policy on smoking?

A. River Oaks prohibits smoking inside any of our cabins or homes.  If you smoke in any of our cabins you will face a substantial charge in order for us to deodorize your cabin for the next customer.

Q. What are some of the things to do while in the Concan area?

A. Please see our Activities Page for more ideas. You may wish to make River Oaks Resort your headquarters and day-trip to Mexico for shopping or visit the museums, shopping, and many points of interest in nearby San Antonio, Uvalde, Kerrville, Fredericksburg, etc. and return here to spend a relaxing evening away from the noise, crime and high prices of the cities.

Q. Even though all of your cabins and homes have full kitchens and Bar-B-Q pits, are there places to eat out if we don't feel like cooking?

A. Yes, some of the places to eat out in Concan: Neal's Cafe (M) (family food), McGehee's (I) (pizza) and The House Pasture Steak House (E) (Steaks and temp. membership Bar). In Uvalde: most fast food and sit-down chain restaurants are represented as well as ethnic restaurants, hotel dining, and steakhouses. 

Q.  Please explain why I need to bring linens when I stay in the Concan area.  

A.  We and other resorts in this area ask that you bring your linens because the community of Concan gets it’s water from wells and all water is disposed of in septic tanks, therefore commercial laundry must be sent to town to be cleaned. This is very expensive ($1.00 per lb.) and time consuming (1 week turnaround). In order to keep your costs down, we ask that you bring your sheets, pillow cases, kitchen and bath towels if possible. If this is a problem for you, if you forget, or need extra while here, contact the office. We do keep some extra in stock.  If we were to furnish clean linens daily for all homes like a motel in the city does we would be forced to go up at least $5.00 per person per night on the rental rates.  Our guests have indicated that they would rather bring their linens and keep the price down.

Q. Is the water in Concan safe to drink?

A. Concan Water Supply Corp. supplies State approved water to ALL River Oaks  homes.  If you are staying with someone else please ask before drinking the water as many of the other rentals units in this area are on private well and the water may or may not be safe to drink. 

Q. What is furnished and what do I need to bring?

A. We believe that you will find all units quite well furnished. You will need to bring your linens, food & drink. Some of the things we hear guests say they wish they had brought are extra (dry) tennis shoes, extra film for camera, and adult beverages.

Q.  When and where can we see the Fall Color Change?

A.  The time for very best Fall color change varies somewhat from year to year depending on moisture, and temperature. Generally, some time between the middle of October and Thanksgiving is peak. Although we have good color from the Cypress and Sumac here in the Frio Canyon, the best color in the area is usually at Lost Maples State Recreation Area. A good trip is to stay with us (they have no overnight facilities) and drive over there for a day trip. This beautiful 45 minute drive through the mountains is worth the trip by itself. Lost Maples has hiking trails from short trails to trails that are many miles long.

Q. Are there phones in the cabins?

A. There are no phones in the cabins.  There is a phone in the 24 hour waiting room that may be used with a card or for calling collect.  Most AT &T cell phones work in Concan.

Q. What will the weather / river conditions be when I arrive?  (usually 6 months from now)

A. Please refer to www.MissCleo.com .  I don't know.

Q. What is check in / check out time?

A. Nominal check out time is 12:00 Noon and check in time is 4:00 pm.   We can sometimes get you in earlier depending on when housekeeping finishes with your unit.  If you will be arriving after the reservation office closes, your key and a map will be left for you in the waiting room.  This area is well lit and never closes.  There is also a phone in this room that you may use to call us if there is a problem.  We are only 100 Yards away.  You have paid a one night deposit so your first night is paid for and belongs to you. Unlike many motels, it will not be resold just because you were delayed.

Q. When is regular and discount off-season pricing in effect?

A. Off-season discount prices go into effect the Tuesday after Labor Day and continue until the Thursday before Memorial weekend.  Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day is regular price.

Q. Can I make payments on my balance during the year? 

A. Sure,  Each reservation has it's own computer page and you may mail in checks, money orders, or authorize a CC transfer at any time before you arrive.

Q. Does the state of Texas collect Hotel / Motel tax on our stay?  What is the tax rate?

A. Yes, Like almost everything in today's world, even your vacation is taxed. The tax rate is 12% of the total.

Q.  How far in advance do I need to make reservations?

A.  For Summer, Spring Break, Whitewing Season and Holiday reservations, one year or more is best.  For off season weekends usually one to two months and for off season weekdays a week or two is usually enough.  We generally have more flexibility on the River Oaks 1-12, since they are 12 identical units.  Many of the other homes are one of a kind and when they are booked, they are booked, so plan early to avoid disappointment.

Q.  After staying with you, I went to the office to see about rebooking the same dates for the following year.  Someone else had already reserved  them.  What happened?

A.  Although some guests do wish to rebook exactly the same unit / units for exactly the same date and exactly the same length of time for the next year, most do not.   Some guests will need a larger or smaller unit, some will want to book more or less units, some wish to book a longer or shorter stay, some need different dates.  We start accepting reservations on a first come-first served basis on January 1, at 9:00 am of the preceding year. On January 1, 2008 at 9:00 am you can start reserving for any time in 2009.  This allows everybody an equal chance to reserve. We feel First come - First served is the only fair way.

Q.  Once I have called and given my information, do I have a confirmed reservation?

A. The person who takes your information does not actually do the booking. The information is transferred to the business office where the application is processed. Normally there is no problem. Your credit card is charged and a letter of confirmation is issued. Once in a while something stops the process. Some reasons for the reservation not to be accepted are: Personal information that is incorrect or that does not match the credit card, your credit card is declined by the card company, the home desired is already booked for your dates, your application is refused for a prior cancellation, prior non-payment or other.

Q.  What is the River Oaks Resort Reservation Policy?

A.  There is no requirement that you have a reservation to stay with us but many guests appreciate the ability to "lock in" their dates / cabin to avoid disappointment when they arrive. When you call and make a reservation, a series of events are set into motion. The reservation is entered into the database of two different computers, your credit card is charged, we remove that unit / dates from our web site availability list, Housekeeping and Maintenance are notified of your check-in / out dates and any special needs. We consider a reservation as a legally binding contract between River Oaks Resort and the guest. You deposit is, in effect, a down payment on the purchase you have made. 

Q.  What is the River Oaks Resort Refund Policy?

A.  Refund policy:   There would be no point in taking a deposit if it were refundable. You would not want to show up with your family and find you have no place to stay because we had not honored your reservation nor do we want to take a home off of the market and hold it for you then find that no one shows up to claim it. We understand that sometimes health, weather, or other reasons can cause a trip to be canceled or shortened. This is why we strongly suggest on our website, brochures, and in your letter of confirmation that you obtain trip insurance.