Everything You Need to Know Before Visiting Garner State Park

Garner State Park is a gem in the Texas Hill Country. If you want classic rolling hills and river time, then this is the place you need to go. As an added bonus, they have dance parties! In the summer months, at night there’s a dancing up by the visitor center complete with a jukebox. Yes, for real.

However, the best part of Garner is the Frio river. It’s one of the nicest rivers in Texas and a great place to cool off in the hot summer months in Texas. All this makes Garner a very popular state park and therefore there’s things you definitely need to know before you visit and I’m here for that very reason.

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Where is Garner State Park

First things first, you’re going to need to know where Garner is located. Garner is about 3 hours from Austin, TX (Capitol of Texas) or 1.5 hours from San Antonio in a town called Concan. The drive there will be classic Texas Hill Country. It is in the heart of the hill country. We currently live in San Antonio so it’s a great and easy weekend trip for us.

How to Get There

I do believe the best way to get there is to drive it yourself. If you’re coming from Austin, give yourself a couple of full days at the park so you can fully enjoy it without having to drive too much. If you’re coming from San Antonio, a day in the park will be enough to cover it if you just want the highlights. The map below will show you where it is located in Texas.

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When is the Best Time to Visit Garner State Park

We’ve visited Garner State Park twice now and both times were well worth it. The first time we visited, it was late winter/early spring and the weather was perfect for camping. It was also less crowded as the summer months hadn’t hit yet. I’m not a fan of camping in the heat, so if I plan to camp in Texas, it has to be early in the year.

Now, if you’re wanting to swim, then summer is the perfect time and a lot of people do camp during this time, but it’s not my thing. We stayed in a cabin outside of the park during this time period and did less hiking and more swimming.

In order to decide what time you want to visit, you need to decide what’s important to you. Personally, I would go back during either time but take kids during the summer for more water time. My husband and I traveled there alone during the cooler months and did more hiking and hammock laying.

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Where to Stay When Visiting Garner State Park

So you know where it is and you’ve decided when you want to go, now it’s time to decide where to stay. You can stay in the park or out of the park. We’ve done both and they both have their perks and drawbacks.

In the Park

If you choose to stay in the park, then it’s the most convenient way to do it. However, camp sites and cabins are limited so if this is a last minute trip or even just a trip during the peak season (summer and late spring) then you might be out of luck.

Camping

If you’re going to camp in the park, make your reservation on the Texas State Park website ahead of time. When you arrive, you will check in with the visitor center. We have camped and enjoyed being inside the park first thing in the morning. Camping options include screened in shelters, RV hookups with and without electricity, or primitive tent camping. There’s several hikes best done early and you can find your own spot along the river before the crowds. When you visit for the day, the earliest you can get in is 8a.m., which is still early for some!

Cabins

The cabins are not something we have done but it’s definitely on my bucket list. They have AC so I would love to stay in the cabins in the summer (I MUST have AC in the summer in Texas, #sorrynotsorry).

Near the Park

For our second trip to Garner, we ended up staying outside of the park because I also wanted a pool option. There are a few small Texas towns around Garner you can stay in and I recommend using VRBO to find the perfect spot.

Concan

Concan is the town that Garner State Park is located in. It’s technically an unincorporated community so expect small. I have not personally stayed here, but this would be the closest option for you.

Utopia

The town of Utopia is about 20 minutes from Garner and where we stayed on our most recent trip. It’s a good option if you can’t find anything in Concan (which was our dilemma).

Leakey

We have stayed in Leakey before and it’s the cutest little town. We didn’t go to Garner from this town but it’s only about a 15 minute drive and would be a good option.

You will need to book your day pass or overnight reservation online before going to the park. Even if you’re not staying overnight!

Keep in mind that all of these towns are very small so you may be staying in them but you’re actually a little outside of them.

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What to Do at Garner State Park

Now let’s get to the really fun stuff. What is there to do at Garner? The best things are hiking and river activities. However, in the summer months, there’s a dance party on the weekends at night, there’s a small putt-putt course near the visitor center, and a basketball court. Really there’s something for everyone as long as you like the outdoors.

The Best Hikes

Let’s start with the hikes. When you get to the park, as the ranger for a hiking map. The map has a good description of the hikes and tells you a little about each one. You can also download the map ahead of time on the Garner State Park website. For this purpose, I want to highlight 3 of my favorite hikes at Garner.

Mount Baldy

This short but steep hike is the best views in the hill country! It’s only half a mile but you climb straight up and it’s rocky so make sure you wear good shoes. This is a hike I’ve done both times I’ve visited the park and I will do it again when I go back.

Crystal Cave

The next best trail in my opinion is the Crystal Cave. You’re also going to be climbing but when you get to the top you can go inside a fun cave. And yes, there’s crystals so bring a light (or your phone) to shine on the walls so you can see the sparkles. The views are also lovely on this hike but nothing compared to Mount Baldy.

Blinn River Trail

Finally, the Blinn River Trail at Garner State Park is a great way to explore the river without getting in it. If you’re not going for swimming or you’re there in the early spring or late fall, then this may be the best way to enjoy the river. It’s basically a hike along the river and not very strenuous. It’s also short so easy to get in before you set up for the day.

There are a lot more hikes to enjoy at Garner State Park but these are my favorites and pretty accessible to a range of ages and easy to accomplish if you’re limited on time.

The Best Water Activities

My absolute favorite park of Garner is the river and there’s so many fun ways to enjoy it. We are big fans of all water activities so we have kayaked, swam, tanned, and floated along it.

Rentals

One of the great things about Garner State Park is the Boat House. You can rent kayaks, paddle boards, and even docks to just set up for the day from this company. They only take cash so come prepared. We rented a kayak but next time I’m there during the summer months I will be renting a floating dock.

Set Up On Your Own

While renting tubes and kayaks is fun, you can also just claim your place and set up your own chairs. There are trees along the river that are easy to tie onto for hammocks, tubes, and more. We spent about 6 hours on the river so we brought it all.

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River Safety

While I’m writing this, the Texas Hill Country is recovering from dangerous floods. Please, please, please, be safe on the river. Heed all flood warnings and if there’s a chance of flooding, change your plans. It’s not worth it. The river is both beautiful and deadly in certain circumstances. You must pay attention to what is happening up river from where you are located.

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