Tarpley is an unincorporated community in Bandera County, Texas, set in the rugged limestone country of the Texas Hill Country about 12 miles southwest of Bandera. It is tiny — roughly 30 residents — and functions more as a crossroads and a name on the map than as a town, yet its setting places it in the heart of one of Texas's most scenic regions. The community dates to 1899, when the Hondo Canon post office was relocated to the area and renamed. The name Tarpley honors Tarpley Prickett, the son of the postmaster, and the settlement grew around the post office, a store, a smithy, and, by 1902, a school. Ranching and farming were the foundation of local life, and Tarpley became known for the mules raised there and for fine goat wool, reflecting the livestock economy of the Hill Country. Today Tarpley remains a quiet, agricultural and recreational community. Its economy and identity are tied to the surrounding ranchland, hunting leases, and guest lodges, and it sits near the Hill Country State Natural Area, which preserves thousands of acres of Bandera and Medina county backcountry for hiking, horseback riding, and primitive camping. The Medina River and Medina Lake add water recreation nearby, and Bandera's cowboy culture — dude ranches, rodeos, and river outfitters — lies just up the road. Public schools are provided by Bandera Independent School District, which serves the eastern half of Bandera County. Tarpley appeals to ranchers, recreational land buyers, and those seeking privacy, wildlife, and wide-open Hill Country scenery within about an hour of San Antonio.