Hill Country Youth Ranch, founded in 1977, was built on 265 acres of donated land one mile west of Ingram, in the heart of the Texas Hill Country. Volunteers joined to carve out the first roads, drill wells, and construct an educational village for abused children.
After a log cabin was built by volunteers using donated materials, HCYR opened on September 29, 1978. By 1997, a 45-building village had filled the Brushy Creek valley.
Today, the village includes ten residences for children of all ages, charter schools (K–12), a chapel, library, fine arts complex, general store, ag barn, ropes course, sports fields, gymnasium, community center, greenhouse, woodshop, swimming pool, and garden.
Rooted in a generous and loving community, HCYR has been home to over 2000 girls and boys since opening. Alumni return frequently to visit, to bring their families, and to attend reunions. An Alumni Association coordinates these events, and also organizes to give back by helping with Christmas presents for current residents, and other projects.
After two decades of building at Ingram, the Ranch expanded to include two additional properties – Big Springs Ranch for Children (1996) near Leakey, and Enhanced Horizons (2008) near Ingram – allowing the HCYR family to serve up to 200 youth at a time.
