For 75 years Mo-Ranch has been a destination for many across Texas. From camps and outdoor education programs to large professional conferences and family reunions, it offers many unique options for lodging and spending time in nature right at the headwaters of the Guadalupe River.
“Family getaways are more important than ever before,” said Mo-Ranch President and CEO, Tim Huchton, “Mo plays a role in this by providing a space that is set aside for people to gather in the community away from the daily grind and to connect with each other through shared experiences.”
Tucked away in the hills on 500-acres outside of Hunt, Mo-Ranch originally began as a recreational passion project for family and friends that developed into a much beloved community asset.
“We’re not just a summer camp. We’re a place to retreat,” said Mo-Ranch Director of Communications, Lisa Winters.
Mo-Ranch is named in honor of Dan Moran, a former president of the Conoco Oil Company, who originally purchased 6,800 acres of Hill Country in 1936 with the intention to host parties.
“He was a wealthy oilman in Houston, and when he discovered this ranch he decided to buy it and throw extravagant parties for his friends where he’d entertain them for weeks,” Winters said.
As Moran developed the property over the years he took inspiration from the Manor House, an original limestone structure on the ranch built in 1929, and styled after early Spanish mansions complete with a red tile roof.
With an eye for craftsmanship, Moran lead the construction of multiple new lodging areas with their own red tile roofs across the property including cottages, hunting lodges and bunkhouses that continue to welcome guests to this day.
“It’s almost like you can tailor your own experience. If you like old historic buildings, we have them. If you like cottages we have those. If you like more of an apartment feeling we have it,” Winters said.
Moran enlisted German immigrant Erich Riesel to create ornamental ironwork that frames many of the balconies, fireplaces, stairwells and entrance gates around the property. His work can even be spotted in dining rooms and other indoor social areas as many of them are lit by rustic iron chandeliers also crafted by Reisel.
“What we really want to emphasize to folks is that there’s no place like it in Kerr County,” Winters said.
Ever the innovative oilman, Moran took opportunities to repurpose thousands of pounds of oilfield pipe as he developed Mo-Ranch.
“In many aspects in the construction of some of the buildings, he used oil pipes as support beams that he had an artist meticulously paint to look like cedar wood so you can’t even tell the difference,” Winters said.
Most notably, the oil pipes were used to construct a one-of-a-kind 45-foot high catwalk built in 1941 that not only provides visitors with panoramic views of the Hill Country, but serves as a place for rappelling activities for Mo-Ranch’s outdoor education programs.
Visitors can make use of the Mo-Slide, also built in the ‘40s and partially constructed of recycled oil pipe, by riding down the 38-foot slide on a wheeled sled into the Guadalupe River.
Moran’s eye for beauty in the details didn’t stop there.
Another unique feature of Mo-Ranch is a 150,000 gallon swimming pool built in the 1930s lined with over 2 million hand-painted San Jose tiles. These decorative tiles can be spotted accentuating rooms in many of the lodging areas as well.
“He put so much care into building this place initially that we wanted to preserve what we could and still utilize it,” Winters said, “You’ll notice that throughout the houses the furniture is almost museum quality.” Moran had a fondness for Monterey-style furniture he imported from California.
Being devote Catholics, Moran also built a small chapel on the property for his wife in 1941. Not only did he utilize oil pipes for faux-cedar support beams in the construction, he also imported French stained glass windows from the 1840s as a finishing touch on the building.
“The chapel is the favorite place of many. We have a weekly 30 minute service every Wednesday, and people from all over Kerrville come in to worship,” Winters said.
When Moran died in 1948, a family friend encouraged his widow to sell the property to the Texas Synod as the Kerrville Presbyterian Church had outgrown its Westminster Encampment, giving Mo-Ranch the Presbyterian roots it’s known for today as well as the addition of a dining hall, youth plaza, hotel-style rooms and Chapel on the Hill, an outdoor worship space on the hillside overlooking the Guadalupe.
“We’re ecumenical, serving people of all faiths. There’s a component of worship in everything we do,” said Winters.
Eventually, the State of Texas bought 6,300 acres of land from the Texas Synod to develop the Kerr Wildlife Management Area that now neighbors Mo-Ranch, leaving the 500 acres that the ranch sits on today.
The National Wildlife Federation designated Mo-Ranch a Certified Wildlife Habitat in 2020.
“Recently we’ve added new prime birding areas, strategically located near water and feeding resources. These locations include a newly constructed birding blind overlooking a spring feeding into the Guadalupe River and an additional birding area in the Holm Family Wildflower and Native Grass area,” Winters said.
While many choose to stay at Mo-Ranch, individual season passes are also available for $100 a year that allow visitors to access the campgrounds during the day so they can enjoy the eight miles of hiking and biking trails, swimming and fishing in the river, a chance to “unplug” or an opportunity to worship. Tennis, volleyball and disc golf are also an option. Discounts for season passes are available for a variety of professionals and age groups at Guest Services.
One of the newest additions to Mo-Ranch is the Wagon Wheel Cafe, a fast-casual eatery that is open to the public, meaning no season passes are required to purchase a meal. Hours of operation are 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday, and the specials change daily.
“We hope that time away here at Mo will help restore your soul through our many faith-based programs or a simple getaway where your only goal is relaxation. Mo has something for everyone,” Huchton said.
Mo-Ranch is located at 2229 FM 1340 in Hunt. The staff is continually refining and expanding both its educational and recreational offerings to meet the needs and interest of guests. To view lodging options, the programs remaining for 2024 and a list of events planned for 2025, visit www.moranch.org or call Guest Services at 1-800-460-4401.
This article was originally published in the 2024 Fall/Winter Kerrville Visitors Guide.
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