Ranch to Market Road 337 (RM 337) is a ranch-to-market road in Real and Bandera counties in Texas, United States, that connects Texas State Highway 55 (SH 55) in Camp Wood with Texas State Highway 16 (SH 16) in Medina. Passing through the canyonland of the Texas Hill Country northwest of San Antonio, the route is noted for its scenery. RM 337 was designated in 1945 between Camp Wood and Leakey in Real County. It was extended eastward several times in the 1950s and 1960s, reaching its present length in 1975.
 Ranch to Market Road 337 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Route information | ||||
| Maintained by TxDOT | ||||
| Length | 56.101 mi[1] (90.286 km) | |||
| Existed | 1945–present | |||
| History |
| |||
| Major junctions | ||||
| West end |  SH 55 in Camp Wood | |||
 US 83 in Leakey | ||||
| East end |  SH 16 in Medina | |||
| Location | ||||
| Country | United States | |||
| State | Texas | |||
| Counties | Real, Bandera | |||
| Highway system | ||||
| ||||
Route description
edit
RM 337 begins at SH 55 in Camp Wood. The highway travels as a two-lane road along East 4th Street for a few blocks before leaving the city; leaving Camp Wood, the highway's route becomes rural and passes by many ranches and small subdivisions. RM 337 crosses Camp Wood Creek twice with the route traversing through hilly areas after the second crossing. The next several miles of the highway feature sharp curves as the roadway travels up and down steep hills. RM 337 straightens out near John Buchanan Road and travels through a more flat area then enters the Leakey city limits near an intersection with Patterson Creek Road.
In Leakey, the highway travels along 6th Street and intersects US 83, leaving the city limits near a crossing with the Frio River. East of Leakey, RM 337 continues to travel through hilly areas for several miles before meeting RM 187 near the Lost Maples State Natural Area. The two highways share an overlap for about a mile before RM 337 leaves the overlap at Vanderpool. RM 337 crosses the Sabinal River just east of RM 187 then travels through rural areas of Bandera County, passing by several ranches. The highway starts to parallel the West Prong Medina River at the Wheeler Road intersection and continues to run parallel to the river for about the next 12 miles (19 km). RM 337 crosses the North Prong Medina River then enters the community of Medina, ending at an intersection with SH 16.
RM 337 is known for its hairpin switchbacks[2] and natural environment; it has been called one of the most scenic drives in Texas.[3][4][5] Texas Monthly magazine named the road no. 18 on its list of "75 Things We Love About Texas" in its April 2006 issue.[6]
History
editThe route was first designated on June 11, 1945, as Farm to Market Road 337 (FM 337), traveling from Camp Wood to Leakey.[7] It was redesignated RM 337 on October 1, 1956. On October 31, 1957, it was extended 6.5 miles (10.5 km) eastward, and on September 27, 1960, the route was extended another 3 miles (4.8 km) eastward. On October 1, 1968, the highway was extended eastward 8 miles (13 km) to RM 187. On December 25, 1975, the former FM 1336 from SH 16 to RM 187 was redesignated as part of RM 337, adding 19.5 miles (31.4 km) to the route.[8][1]
Junction list
edit| County | Location | mi[9] | km | Destinations | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Real | Camp Wood | 0.000 | 0.000 | West Fourth Street | Continuation west from western terminus |
 SH 55 north (Nueces Street) – Barksdale, Rocksprings SH 55 south (Nueces Street) – Montell, Uvalde | Western terminus | ||||
| Leakey | 21.314 | 34.302 | US 83 north (Market Street) – Junction, Menard US 83 south (Market Street) – Uvalde, Crystal City | ||
| Bandera | | 36.517 | 58.768 |  RM 187 north – Lost Maples State Natural Area, SH 39 | Northern end of RM 187 concurrency |
| Vanderpool | 37.716 | 60.698 | RM 187 south – Utopia, Sabinal | Southern end of RM 187 concurrency | |
| Medina | 56.101 | 90.286 | SH 16 north (Broadway Street) – Kerrville SH 16 south (Broadway Street) – Bandera, San Antonio | Eastern terminus; T intersection | |
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
| |||||
See also
edit
References
edit- ^ a b Transportation Planning and Programming Division (n.d.). "Ranch to Market Road No. 337". Highway Designation Files. Texas Department of Transportation. Retrieved October 29, 2012.
- ^ Burka, Paul (April 1983). "Texas Primer: The Farm-to-Market Road". Texas Monthly. Retrieved August 6, 2011.
- ^ "Texas' Top Ten Roads". Retrieved August 26, 2008.
- ^ Hodge, Larry; Syers, Ed (2000). Backroads of Texas (4th ed.). Lanham, MD: Lone Star Books.
- ^ "A Sunday Drive in the Texas Hill Country". Retrieved August 26, 2008.
- ^ "75 Things We Love About Texas". Texas Monthly. April 1, 2006.
- ^ "Minutes for Texas Highway Commission Meeting 388" (PDF). February 27, 1948.
- ^ Transportation Planning and Programming Division (n.d.). "Farm to Market Road No. 1336". Highway Designation Files. Texas Department of Transportation. Retrieved June 15, 2023.
- ^ Statewide Planning Map (Map). Cartography by Transportation Planning and Programming Division. Texas Department of Transportation. 2012. Retrieved January 22, 2013.
External links
edit
Media related to Ranch to Market Road 337 at Wikimedia Commons