Lake community

Lakehills Is Bandera County's Medina Lake Corner

Bandera County's southeast corner feels like lake country. Medina Lake sits on the Medina River and reaches into Bandera County. The lake grew out of the Medina Valley irrigation project. Work on the dam began in 1911 and was finished in 1913.

Lakehills carries the human side of that water. The community was also known as Upper Medina Lake. It sits on Park Road 37 in southeastern Bandera County. Its growth waited until the 1950s, after earlier road work slowed during World War II.

The Lakehills name came with a post office station in the early 1960s. That detail helps the map make sense. The reservoir set the stage, then roads and a name followed for a community wrapped around the lake.

This part of the county reads differently from Bandera town, Medina, and Vanderpool. Around Lakehills, people talk about reservoir access, weekend places, and boat ramps. It is still Hill Country, just pointed toward water instead of a courthouse square. The contrast helps explain why a short county drive can feel like a change of region.

Source to confirm: TWDB - Medina Lake

More Bandera County notes

Property tax

How property taxes and homestead exemptions work in Bandera County

Bandera County has a single appraisal district (Bandera CAD) that values property, and a separate tax office that collects taxes, so you deal with different offices for different issues.

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Agriculture / Property tax

Ag valuation can sharply cut property taxes on rural land in Bandera County

In Bandera County, land used for farming, ranching, or wildlife management can be taxed on what it produces instead of what it would sell for, which can mean a much lower tax bill on Hill Country acreage.

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Water / Groundwater

Bandera County has its own groundwater district — wells need a permit

Most new water wells in Bandera County need a permit from the Bandera County River Authority and Groundwater District (BCRAGD) before you start drilling.

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Flood

Flash flooding on the Medina River is a serious hazard in Bandera

The Medina River runs through the town of Bandera and can rise extremely fast during heavy rain. USGS and BCRAGD have built a flood early warning system that lets residents track river levels in real time.

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