Garner State Park
State park in Uvalde County, in the Hill Country region. Established 1941. 1,774 acres.
Garner is the Frio River park: 2.9 miles of river run through its 1,774 acres, and most summer visitors come to swim and float it on inner tubes. There are 16 miles of trails, including the climb up Old Baldy, plus cabins, screened shelters and more than 300 campsites. Summer is the busy season, from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day, so book early.
Things to do
Swim and float the Frio
Swim in the river or float it on an inner tube. The park rents tubes, kayaks and paddle boats. There are no lifeguards.
Hike Old Baldy
TPWD rates the 0.5-mile Old Baldy Trail as challenging. Bridges Trail (0.7 mile, also challenging) ends at Painted Rock Overlook, with a view of Old Baldy.
Summer dances
Dancing to jukebox tunes on summer evenings is a Garner tradition. During the busy season the concessionaire also sells meals and runs a mini golf course.
Fish from shore
You don't need a fishing license to fish from shore in the park, and the park loans fishing gear.
Trails
TPWD counts about 16 miles of trails in the park. These are the named trails it lists, with its own distances and ratings.
| Trail | Distance | Difficulty | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Old Entrance Road | 0.8 mi | Easy | 20 min. |
| Donovan Trail | 0.7 mi | Moderate | 30 min. |
| Bridges Trail | 0.7 mi | Challenging | 45 min. |
| Crystal Cave Trail | 0.6 mi | Challenging | 45 min. |
| Blinn River Trail | 0.5 mi | Moderate | 20 min. |
| Old Baldy Trail | 0.5 mi | Challenging | 45 min. |
| Foshee Trail | 1.7 mi | Moderate | 1 hr. |
| Ashe Juniper Trail | 2.5 mi | Moderate | 1.5 hrs. |
| Old Horse Trail | 0.5 mi | Moderate | 30 min. |
| Frio Canyon Trail | 2.9 mi | Easy | 1.5 hrs. |
Source: TPWD trail list. TPWD doesn’t list trail surfaces. Printable trail map (PDF).
Camping
Garner has two camping areas, Old Garner and New Garner. Choose from full hookup sites (New Garner only), sites with electricity, sites with water only, 37 screened shelters, and 17 cabins, 13 of them with fireplaces.
| Site type | Sites | Sleeps | Per night |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full Hookup Campsites (New Garner)Full hookup | 12 | 8 | $35 |
| Campsites with Electricity (Old Garner)Water and electric | 39 | 8 | $26 |
| Campsites with 50 Amp Electricity (New Garner)Water and electric | 137 | 8 | $26 |
| Campsites with 30 Amp Electricity (New Garner)Water and electric | 35 | 8 | $22 |
| Campsites with Water (Old Garner)Tent sites with water | 49 | 8 | $20 |
| Campsites with Water (New Garner)Tent sites with water | 75 | 8 | $15 |
| Screened Shelters (Old Garner)Screened shelters | 21 | 8 | $35 |
| Screened Shelters (New Garner)Screened shelters | 16 | 8 | $30 |
| Cabins (with Fireplace)Cabins | 13 | 4 | $150 |
| Cabins (Without a Fireplace)Cabins | 4 | 4 | $130 |
| Group Camp (Cypress Springs)Group | 40 | $400 |
Nightly rates are on top of the daily entrance fee. Book a site with Texas State Parks reservations, or call (512) 389-8900.
Visiting with dogs
Dogs are allowed on a leash no longer than 6 feet. Like every Texas state park, they can't go into park buildings or designated swimming areas.
Swimming
Swimming is allowed in designated areas. There are no lifeguards at Texas state parks.
Best time to go
- Busy season
- Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend and other holidays
- January low
- 37°F
- July high
- 97°F
- Night sky
- Bortle 3
TPWD lists Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend, plus other holidays, as the busy season. That's river season, with a July average high of 97°F. TPWD also calls the fall scenery spectacular.
Averages and busy season from TPWD. The Bortle scale runs from 1 (darkest sky) to 9 (inner city).
Getting there
Concan, TX 78838
(830) 232-6132
Open in OpenStreetMap (29.5989, -99.7440)
| From | Approx. drive | Straight line |
|---|---|---|
| San Antonio | 2 hr 3 min | 74 mi |
| Austin | 3 hr 26 min | 129 mi |
| Corpus Christi | 4 hr 57 min | 201 mi |
| Waco | 5 hr 15 min | 203 mi |
| Houston | 5 hr 24 min | 262 mi |
| Midland | 5 hr 30 min | 219 mi |
Nearby parks
- Bear Creek State Park
- Lost Maples State Natural Area
- Hill Country State Natural Area
- Devil's Sinkhole State Natural Area
- Kickapoo Cavern State Park
Straight-line distance. See every park in the Hill Country.
Questions people ask
Can you swim at Garner State Park?
Yes. You can swim and tube in the Frio River, which runs 2.9 miles through the park. There are no lifeguards.
How much does Garner State Park cost?
Day-use entry is $8 per adult, and kids 12 and under get in free. Camping and cabins cost extra.
Does Garner State Park have cabins?
Yes, 17 cabins: 13 with fireplaces and 4 without. There are also 37 screened shelters.
Photo credits
- Old Baldy and the Frio River.jpg by Corey Leopold, CC BY 2.0.
- Watch where you Walk.jpg by Corey Leopold, CC BY 2.0.
- Entrance crystal cave.jpg by Larry D. Moore, CC BY 4.0.
Sources
Last checked October 14, 2026. Fees, hours and rules change; the official TPWD page for Garner has current alerts and closures.
- TPWD: Garner State Park, retrieved October 14, 2026
- TPWD state parks map (amenities, contact), retrieved October 14, 2026
- TPWD GIS: Texas State Parks Public Areas, retrieved October 14, 2026
- TPWD: Bortle ratings by region, retrieved October 14, 2026
- TPWD: Garner State Park campsites, retrieved October 14, 2026
- TPWD: Garner State Park screened shelters, retrieved October 14, 2026
- TPWD: Garner State Park cabins and lodging, retrieved October 14, 2026
- TPWD: Garner State Park trails, retrieved October 14, 2026
- TPWD: Garner State Park history, retrieved October 14, 2026
- TPWD: state park rules (pets, swimming), retrieved October 14, 2026
- Wikipedia: List of Texas state parks, retrieved October 14, 2026
- OSRM routing on OpenStreetMap data (approximate drive times), retrieved October 14, 2026
- Wikimedia Commons (photos), retrieved October 14, 2026