When RGK Ranch Park finally opens, which road will take you there? Today there's only one answer. The 1,500-acre tract Travis County bought east of Milton Reimers Ranch Park can only be reached from Reimers-Peacock Road. At the county's October 7 open house, the idea of adding an entrance from Highway 71 drew mixed reactions, according to Community Impact.
Where people get in may matter more than anything else being planned. It decides how a new park fits into daily life along the Reimers-Peacock corridor. The online surveys close Wednesday, November 4. After that, county staff take over until a final vision plan comes back in early 2027.
A Family Retreat for Five Decades, Public Land Since 2024
RGK stands for Ronya and George Kozmetsky, who bought the ranch in 1970. Ownership later passed to their daughter, Nadya Scott, and other family members. For more than 50 years the family used the land as a private retreat. Travis County bought it in 2024 for $90 million.
That price was below what the family had been offered. KUT reported that developers had offered more than $130 million. The county paid less because Scott donated her family's share of roughly $30 million. The purchase was funded with voter-approved Proposition B bond money plus $30 million in certificates of obligation.
The county's project page says most of the property is still undeveloped. It describes rocky uplands, limestone bluffs, creek corridors, madrone stands and wide Hill Country views. Two features will stay as the park takes shape. One is Casa Blanca, a hilltop house with a view across the property. The other is the Memorial Garden, described as "a place for reflection and peace."
The survey asks specifically for ideas about "a potential venue space like Casa Blanca." That means the house could end up serving the public in some form, not just being preserved.
In 2024, the stated goal was to open RGK by the end of 2025. That date has passed. The county's own 2026 materials still list the park as not yet open to the public.
Reimers Ranch Is Getting Bigger Too
RGK has gotten most of the attention, but the planning also covers about 475 acres of new parkland southeast of the existing Reimers Ranch. With that land added, the Reimers planning area grows to 3,689 acres of connected parkland. Reimers already runs along the Pedernales River and borders Hamilton Pool Preserve to the north.
The two tracts are being planned with different goals:
| RGK Ranch Park | Reimers Ranch extension | |
|---|---|---|
| Size | About 1,500 acres | About 475 acres, bringing Reimers' planning area to 3,689 |
| Location | East of Reimers, off Hwy 71 and Reimers-Peacock Road | Southeast of the existing park |
| Status | Owned by the county, not open to the public | Part of the Reimers planning area |
| Ideas on the table | Camping, a restored visitor center, an outdoor adventure course, equine facilities, a nature and science center, hiking, scenic overlooks, mountain biking | Hiking, river and fishing access, scenic overlooks, night-sky programs, mountain biking, camping |
| Conservation focus | Backcountry hikes and conservation areas for environmental education | Nature and history learning, habitat restoration, wildlife observation |
Everything in that last row is a possibility the county is putting out for comment. None of it has been adopted. RVi Planning + Landscape Architecture, Civilitude, Hicks & Company and Second Spatial are preparing the Reimers vision plan.
The Reimers survey asks about specific things: which access points work now or could work better, which trailheads and signs people value, what new amenities would help, and what the added acres should become.
Access Split the Room, and the Two Parks May Not Connect for Years
Community Impact reported that open house attendees supported mountain biking trails and hiking access. Opinions on access points were mixed, particularly about entering from Highway 71.
That makes sense on the ground. A park reached only from Reimers-Peacock Road sends all of its visitors down one road. An entrance on Highway 71 would spread that traffic out. It would also change how the park relates to Spicewood's main road.
Reimers-Peacock Road is getting busier anyway. On October 12, Pickleball Grove broke ground on its first four outdoor courts at 5411 Reimers Peacock Road. The plans call for indoor pickleball and padel courts later. The latest Community Impact update puts the outdoor courts' opening in mid- to late December. That's an estimate, and an earlier target of July 2026 already slipped.
It's natural to assume RGK and Reimers will eventually join into one continuous stretch of public land. The Travis County Parks Comprehensive Plan does include a connection. But the land between them has to come from a willing seller. Community Impact reported that the link is unlikely to happen within the timeline for finishing either park, though it could happen within the plan's 2026 to 2036 window.
For the foreseeable future, then, these will be two neighboring parks with separate entrances. That makes this year's access decisions even more important.
What Reimers Looks Like Through the Rest of the Fall
The planning is about the next several years. In the meantime, the current park has a few things to know this season, all posted on the Travis County Parks Reimers Ranch page.
- Granite Hiking Trail: Parts of the trail closed for an improvement project that started October 14, 2026. The county expected access to return after about two weeks, so check the park page before a late-October hike there.
- Beach road: The road down to the beach is open seven days a week for dropping off people and supplies. Parking at beach level is not allowed. The county expects to close the road on busy swim weekends and holidays starting in late spring 2027, for public safety.
- Mountain bike trails: Open, though they sometimes close after rain.
- Entry: Reimers takes no reservations and is first come, first served. The county says it doesn't expect the park to fill up.
The beach road plan shows how the county approaches access here. Open access now, with limits added once summer crowds return. The same issue, on a much bigger scale, is what the RGK survey is asking about.
Six Days to Weigh In
This post goes up Thursday, October 29, which leaves six days before the surveys close on November 4. The county is collecting answers through two separate forms:
- The Reimers Ranch survey, linked from Community Impact's coverage, asks about access points, trailheads, new amenities and the roughly 475 added acres.
- The RGK Ranch survey, on SurveyMonkey, opens with an English or Spanish language choice. Based on the project page, it covers priority uses, what a new west-county park would mean to you, and ideas for Casa Blanca and other notable spots on the property.
- The project page at panda-qhs66t.my.canva.site/rgkreimers has the county's maps and descriptions of both tracts. It's worth opening before you answer, especially if you're thinking about access.
After November 4, county parks officials will present a final vision plan in early 2027. That plan is what will set the funding needed. A Travis County Parks Foundation volunteer told Community Impact the improvements will likely be finished within two to five years.
If you'd rather get your hands dirty than fill out a form, there's a volunteer event nearby. Community Stewards is seeding an acre of wildflowers at Pace Bend Park, 2805 Pace Bend Road North, on Saturday, November 14, from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Sign-up is on Eventbrite.
New parkland changes how a whole stretch of Spicewood works day to day, starting with which roads carry the traffic. If you'd like to talk through how the RGK and Reimers plans might affect the Reimers-Peacock corridor, or what a property near either park looks like up close, Casey Marquez is happy to walk through it with you. Let's Connect.
