Garner State Park

My wife and I visited Garner State Park for the first time this past weekend (January 23–26) in our 5th wheel, and it was absolutely beautiful. I can only imagine how much more scenic it must be in the spring and summer, so we definitely plan to return during those seasons. The park offers a wide variety of hiking trails, including Old Baldy. It’s a bit challenging, but the views make it well worth the effort. The park staff were knowledgeable, friendly, and very helpful, especially when we needed to extend our stay due to freezing rain and icy weather conditions. We really appreciated their assistance. The park is clean, well maintained, and clearly well cared for. The restrooms in the camping areas were exceptionally clean. Even though we didn’t end up needing to use them, I checked them out for future reference and was impressed. There are many camping options available, including tent sites, RV sites, screened shelters, and cabins — some even with fireplaces.

We camped at Garner during the recent ice storm and virtually had the park to ourselves. Staff was extremely friendly and helpful during check-in and alerted us of facility closures, trails that would be dangerous in inclement weather, etc. Our site was in the Rio Frio loop with beautiful wide, level parking pads, and all water spigots were being dripped to prevent freezing and bath houses were still kept very clean and orderly. Roads never got bad and we were able to move about the park without problems. We explored some trails and scoped out future sites for summer weather camping. Had to extend our stay an extra day because of the road conditions back home and staff was super kind and friendly again, offering some helpful advice to best utilize our park pass discounts. We will definitely return in warmer weather to enjoy the beautiful river frontage.

This is the busiest state park in Texas. As such you need to reserve ahead for a camping spot or even a day pass on summer weekends. I have been 3 times over the years, but during the week or off season for a day hike. Very pretty spot along the Frio River in the Texas hill country. Some great hikes along the river and up the hills. The only downside is related to how busy it is. The more popular trails are obliterated, meaning no real track to follow with a lot of loose rocks and dirt. Not a huge deal but worth noting.

It is beautiful out there and plenty of trails to walk. The water is clear and of course frio. The environment is amazing and the staff at the general store were helpful and kind. Shelter site 17 had plenty of room and was close to the river. Not secluded, and near parking areas but was convenient for our stay.

one of my favorite place to hike and for outdoor activities like camping, night stay, kayaking and so more.... it is the one of the best national park in Texas and now it is the hot favorite thing to do in list of Texas. As I hadn't enough time to explore the one of trail out there , I just explored the river and camping area. it was an amazing nature area to stay night there. As We were walking along the river, enjoying the beautiful natural surroundings when a sudden rain shower added a magical touch to the scenery. It made our trip even more memorable with stunning weather moments. Highly recommend nature trail area for hiking and nature lovers to visit and I will take more days to spent more time to cover one of the long trail in next time

Absolutely beautiful! 🌿 From the moment we arrived, it felt like stepping into a nature postcard — clear water running over smooth rocks, colorful leaves, and those incredible hill country views. We explored the trails, discovered the Crystal Caves, and soaked up every bit of peace and adventure the park had to offer. The Frio River was stunning — so clear you could see every ripple — and the sound of it flowing over the rocks was pure therapy. Days were warm and sunny, nights cool and cozy — perfect for campfires, burgers, and stargazing. ✨ It’s one of those places that reminds you how amazing God’s creation really is. We’ll definitely be back for more of that Garner magic! 🌄❤️

Our church takes a camping trip every October. We camp at Garner every other year. This October was warm enough to float in the river, but cool enough to need a blanket at night. The weather was perfect! Bathrooms were all working and clean, too. Since there was no dancing, we brought our own. Other campers joined, too. It was a blast.

Beautiful location in hill country. Rv sites are generous in size. Some 50 amp, some tent only. Very limited sewer at sites, use the few that a located through the park. Cabins and shelters available. Park is busy on weekends so plan ahead. River Frio is a border of the park and it is outstanding. Normally it is not deep. Part of the river is dammed allowing a cool spot under the cypress trees to enjoy a hot summer day. Hiking trails can be difficult with steep rocky climbs. Cycling off road is either easy or hard, nothing in between.

Nice place to disconnect for a weekend. The grounds are clean and well maintained. There are lots of hiking options around the camping grounds. The camping sites are clean and spacious. The screened shelters are nice if you want to make a room inside or just to store things. Surprisingly enough, the bathrooms always seem to be clean and well stocked. They are also cold which is nice when it's hot out. The store offers lots of basic essentials in case you forgot anything and the gift shop is stocked with merch. There is currently some construction which can cause some headaches, but it's pretty minimal.

We arrived at Gardner a few minutes before it opened on a crisp, cold morning. Just a heads-up--there's some construction happening, with green and red lights directing traffic to and from the river. My partner and I were the first ones there, with no other vehicles in sight. A trooper drove up to congratulate us, letting us know we were the very first visitors on the first day the park was open. We had an amazing time with family, grilling sausages, hamburger patties, and chicken. It was such a beautiful day. Overall, we loved the experience!

7/2025 Garner State Park (#152) is a large and scenic park. The full hook-up sites were decent, though the area could use a bit more maintenance -- there was tall grass around the water and electric hookups. Some sites are paved, which was fine. We walked to some with only water hookups (the 400s), and those were very well maintained with more trees and shade. Overall, a nice stay and worth the visit.

This park is one of the most beautiful parks of the hill country! The views are stunning! It has some steep areas to hike which I absolutely love! During the fall many times Lost Maples reach capacity... if you end up there not knowing where to go... this is a great alternative

This park is stunning! I grew up in Texas and never ventured out here but when I saw a TikTok about it I thought it would be a great fall spot - I was right! Of note I actually had planned to go to lost maples (about 35 min away) initially, but by the time we arrived (10am) they were already at capacity. We took it as a sign that we should go to garner instead and when we called they said they had plenty of spots for people to go (as a note for both places - you can make a reservation in advance, it's $6-8 per person and that allows you guaranteed entry, since they can fill!). Garner was easy to get to from lost maples, and the staff at the headquarters were helpful in orienting us and giving us tips for the amount of time we had. We ended up hiking a small loop starting at white cave trail and ending on old Baldy trail that took us through a few other trails of variable difficulty (bird trail - challenging, and Foshee trail - moderate). The view from the top of white cave trail, and old baldy trail were just beautiful, you can see out over the hill country from a near 360 view, and the trees surrounding the Rio Frío were various shades of yellow and orange since we came toward the end of November. The weather was good too, it was mildly cool (like high 60s) when we arrived (which was around 11a), and by the time we left around 1p it was in the mid 70's. In the sun it was decently warm, I would rec a hat and home sunscreen regardless of the time of year since the trees only provide partial cover. Also be mindful lots of these trails are QUITE rocky, I did slip and fall toward the end since some trails are more steep and I was hiking in Nike sneakers that didn't have the best reaction. Hiking boots and walking sticks are a good idea if you have them. Of note - you can float the Rio frío but we didn't do that for sake of time. I am sure it's stunning with the surrounding trees though! Overall had a lovely experience here and was properly tired after about 2 hours of hiking - would definitely come again :)

I love Garner State Park! There's so many trails and great watering holes for you to cool down in. We've done a couple of trip here staying in both Oakmont and Rio Frio. I highly recommend Oakmont if choosing between the 2. The bathrooms here are great too. Yes I like the outdoors but I also like indoor plumbing. There's so many great sites to choose from and activities to make the best camping experience!

beautiful spot. the ol baldy hike offers great views. river is clean and pretty. there are some great trails. the water levels are a bit low.

I came here with the siblings. My brother is an avid hiker and camper. I myself like to call it a nature nerd. We had our dogs with us. As y'all all know Pocky was up for anything hiking related, but my newish pup, Sneaks wasn't since he's more of lazy lap dog. Anyways, we drove two vehicles and had made reservations via online. My brother has the TX state parks pass so the admission was darn near free for a day hike. The ranger station was fairly older with a mildew smell and was set up like a bank with different "teller" windows. The ranger I spoke with was nice, but was asking me 10001 questions when I tried to purchase the TX state park pass. She almost wasn't going to issue me one when I had cash in hand. Thankfully, she eventually grew lenient and allowed me to purchase it. The restroom outside the ranger station is absolutely disgusting and not clean. It made me terribly sick attempting to occupy it. I wouldn't stomach using the restroom by the pungent smell. I felt like I'd die, so I had to run up out of there. That was ridiculous how nasty that restroom was. They need to ensure that stays clean no matter what. Okay, the drives to the trails were a bit ambiguous. I was trailing my brother's vehicle and we drove upon some cabins. Another vehicle was trailing me and we all seemed lost for a minute. Yes! We had our maps, but was still semi lost. Luckily, we found a trail just off of the Frio River. The water was pristine clear to the point, my brain was tempting me to drink it. Haha! I did not drink or get into the water. The water was cold to touch which grew the temptations. My siblings found a nice trail. I made sure that I had my trekking poles on hand because the elevation and slope ratio was grave. There were big tall swamp like trees out there too. The water was so beautiful to watch as I hiked on. Most of the trails were challenging even the crystal trail that we attempted to hike. The incline slope was steep and Sneaks was growing tired, so I had to opt out of going on it any further. Poor dog probably thinking we all crazy for not staying in bed. Anyways, we went on some more trails that was easy and moderate. Even found this cool spot that had the perfect overlook of the mesas, hills, trees, and they even had historical posts explaining history of the park (I love those!!). It was getting late quickly and we had a drive back to Georgetown, so we ended up leaving the park. I definitely had fun though being out in nature and exploring. This is one of the popular state parks that well frequented throughout the year.

It's an amazing park! I go every year with my family. The trails and river is so nice and soothing. Really nice spring break trip for anyone who wants to go!

My husband, son and 3 grandkids went early July after a trip to Brownwood State Park. We had a wonderful spot close to the water and everything was just beautiful. The water was great, the people were friendly and I was reminded once again why this place is so hard to get into (we RV camp). If you can snag a spot in Oakmont, do it.

Beautiful park for camping, barbecuing, hiking, swimming, and other outdoor fun. My favorite past time here has got to be floating the River, using the rope swings into the water, and finding good spots to do cannon balls. On my most recent visit on Memorial Day, there were lots of visitors, tight capacity but still was able to access entry with reservations and last minute entry. My grandpa barbecued for the family, my mom rented a large canopy and the on-site barbecue pits were just what we needed. I have lots of fond memories here, it's great for a day time outing for family, or locals trying to get some sun and river!!

We went Thanksgiving weekend and it was so beautiful! Better views than Lost Maples. We did the hike towards the cave and it is pretty steep but short. You can get up in 20-30 minutes. The foliage near the river is the best part! The gift shop workers were so nice. They were doing an open house event when we went, so they were giving out free cookies and wassail! Would definitely come back again.

Always a great spot for family trips. Recommend to come early to get good spot. Water is low and also has deep places. Place and ropes to jump off

Garner State Park is beautiful. We hiked several of the trails while we were there. The scenery was beautiful. I will definitely be returning. My only complaint is that the trails could be marked a little better with flags or something other than a yellow foot that could get covered up by nature.

We can see why Garner State Park is one of the top 10 parks in Texas. It has beautiful scenery, interesting rock structures, hills, and lazy river. Running through it. Keep your camera charge because you're going to want to take a lot of pictures. They have camping with tents, RV sites, and cabins! It's an older park, so it doesn't have dumping stations at each of the RV sites but we can't have everything.

We were here one night in our way from Fort Worth to Big Bend. What is there to review on a camp ground? Well, the shower facility is to me the most important item you want when it's warm outside. The sites were nice and spread out. Lots of shade too. Great that you can pull right up to your site. The best part was the showers though. Nice building, big area to shower and shave and plenty of hot water. Great job Garner State Park.

COVID UPDATE: Make sure that you book a pass online before coming, if reservations are full they will NOT let you in if you drive up. I was really impressed at how developed this State Park was - they have their own store, mini golf, plenty of restrooms, and lots of camping sites. The park is well maintained and very busy, even with COVID restrictions. The main hike here is heavily trafficked and steep, and the trail can be narrow at times so there can be a lot of waiting involved. There are many other trails around though so if that is not your speed there are other ways to explore! Prepare to wear proper hiking shoes if you plan on hiking as it is easy to fall/injure yourself without a good grip I went in mid-november which was the perfect time to see the leaves change color. It was truly a magical experience and I highly recommend coming at this time of year!

In the year 1986......I spent the best 2 weeks at Garner with my BFF and his family. We grilled out everyday, took hikes up the hill (maybe even did some spray painting), floated on tubes, and even attended the nightly dances (where I learned to 2 step). There was not a care in the world, we ran free and met others our age and engaged in carefree touch football games, and playing kissy face with the girls we just met. It was some of the best times of my life. My BFF has passed and each time I think of him I see us hanging out at Garner before we became adults and were swept up in our jobs, family and the worlds problems. This place is magical.

We went in a group camping trip and make sure to reserve a spot months ahead fills up quick! We went during November for the Fall Foliage and saw the different autumn color change throughout the park which was great! The water levels were low for fishing, but hiking was great and there wasn't a burn ban so having a campfire at night in the cold weather made it comfortable.

Located outside Concan, TX. Pretty long drive from Houston. It's a pretty small park near the Frio River. There's a few trails that overlook the river. The trails are extremely rocky and loose; slightly sketch on tennis shoes. There's two "caves" on the trails; don't expect much from the cave itself. The river is nice to look at but there's definitely much prettier portions of the Frio outside the park to wade or float in.

GSP is a Texas hill country staple - many spend the long summer days in the cold water of the Frio River that runs through the park and warm weekend evenings dancing under the stars. So much history at this park! The facilities that this park has to offer are pretty unique when compared to other state parks - tons of camp sites, several information/visitor centers, a couple of shops and food stands, mini golf, paddle boat and kayak rentals...Garner really has it all. If hiking is your thing, there are trails that range from flat and easy (Frio Canyon Trail) to steep and challenging (Old Baldy). GSP cannot be missed if you are in the area! During COVID, day reservations are required so be sure to check online about a month in advance of when you want to go to snag a pass.

First time to visit here today. My sister in law and her family has come here a few times already and invited us to join today. The drive was about 2 hours for us, which initially felt long for a day trip. I will say after we were on the road the drive was beautiful through Castroville and Hondo. In another time I would like to stop by Utopia. This is much larger than I expected. It is expansive, more people, and things to do. I saw several people on the paddle boats and kayaks. It surely very relaxing to sit under the shade and feel the breeze. I didn't get in the water this time but definitely next time.

Always have a blast here no matter how old my kids are. This is definitely a family fun environment where even the adults get some peaceful moments. Paddle board rental, board rental or kayaks rentals available. Definitely a spot to check out.

It's such a peaceful and tranquil park with beautiful and breathtaking sites and sounds. Truly an experience to feel the nature and spirit of Texas enchanting and ethereal sites to behold. Be sure to pack hiking shoes and water shoes!

Nothing better than relaxing on the Frio River. Check ahead for burn ban. If there is, propane use only.

Great camping in the old area, good camping in newer areas. Always fun for tubing, floating, kids love the dance in the evening. Good burgers, water is very brackish- bring a water filter or bottled water.

Great family fun!!!! Water has been low for the past two years but the family dance nights are so fun! Great memories every time

A large and established state park that has served several generations of Texans, Garner State Park stands out as a beacon of hill country beauty. Because of its gorgeousness, amenities, and close proximity to the city, it's also one of the busiest parks, especially during the summer. The spring fed Frio River flows cold and clear all year round through the park and is the main draw. Its serene picturesque beauty makes it my personal favorite river in Texas. Swimming, tubing, and kayaking are all popular activities on the water. A rental service is on site and provides shuttling services for tubing in the summer time. Hiking is another popular activity within the park. The three trails marked challenging are a joy to hike, and offer steep inclines and descents. I highly recommend hiking shoes and a walking stick or trekking poles for the challenging hikes. The climbs can be done without them, but you will regret not having them. Loose rocks are abundant, and nearly every step you take must be calculated during elevation changes. Hiking Old Baldy is a must. Bridges and Painted Trail were also great, especially for the summer due to the shade. Camping is in high demand here. If you want to be close to easy water access to a pretty area and don't mind crowds, stay at the Old Garner section. I prefer the quieter New Garner areas further up river. Bring an electric fan if you camp in the summer. Mosquitoes weren't too bad, but there were other biting insects. Saw plenty of wildlife, especially birds and insects galore. Flowers were plentiful. I even encountered wild turkeys while driving through the park. Amenities include the park store, visitors center, mini golf, an on site grill, rental service, and a candy store. Pretty much if you forgot to pack something, they will have it here, and if not here, there's a small convenience store right outside the park that sells a bit of everything. My one negative is not necessarily the fault of the park. This new generation of visitors have little respect for the park and other visitors. The showers had used feminine products on the floor. One had a diaper in it. Long strands of hair were all over the shower. Trash is everywhere. One shower stall reeked of pee. It was pretty darn gross. The line to use the showers was also long at peak hours. Consider bringing your own pop up shower. Also, there is no soap at any of the bathrooms so be sure to bring your own. Visitors try to stack way too many people into one campsite and do not respect the quiet hours, which start at 10pm. All and all, great park with everything you could need. I felt so rejuvenated after spending a few days camping here and connecting with nature despite the neighbors. Can't wait for a return visit!

Before I say anything a word of caution: Do Not stay in cabin 14. Especially if you value your loved ones like kids, pets, and family. It's the worst of all the cabins. We have been to them all. (Also, this park feels abandoned. If you have been here have you noticed that? It has so much potential to be better.) I love the park but it's largely abandoned by uncaring staff. Here are the reasons why you shouldn't stay in cabin 14: 1. Giant ant colony next to the front door. Nature is cool but there has got to be a way to move it. Ranger said they can't do anything about it which I understand, but I'd rather would have know beforehand. 2. The front door and back door have giant cracks, are duct taped to "seal" giant cracks, and the door doesn't even fit in the frame so somebody attempted to seal the bottom of the door with more duct tape lol. 3. The complete lack of cleanliness is horrifying. I'm all for roughing it completely but my family wanted to glamp since we have a toddler and it's over 100 degrees. We paid good money to stay in this cabin. The whole floor was caked in muck. Looks like they probably rarely mop. But they expect you to sweep. I don't mind sweeping at all because I want to leave it better for the next fellow campers. But the park gives no shits and hopes you'll deep clean for them; which we did by buying a mop and cleaning supplies at the local family dollar (better than the park's supply store). The bathroom was the worst. No amount of 409 could clean up all the layers of muck and neglect. Worse than any shower I've ever been. Major health hazard. Bring cleaning supplies. Its required. 4. Calcium and rust build up everywhere around any water source. Pipes must have bursted and rusted over time and now the water is yellow, sometimes smells like harsh gun powder. Super hard water so your skin will be try. 5. Layers of caked dust everywhere. The staff does not clean these rooms daily so be prepared for air quality being nasty. 6. Rangers and staff drive around on green gas powered little dirt buggies, and white trucks with logo from 8 pm - 5 pm. You can get away with whatever before and after. They all have a chip on their shoulder and huge egos so be prepared for a show of their "power". 7. You won't be able to make calls so if you have to report things broken in the cabin youll have to drive back to the office and wait in line. Speaking of which... 8. The office is the worst. It's like DMV had a baby with border crossing offices. But the baby ran away to start it's own empire. The river is amazing and worth it. If you play music don't be a tool and blast it like you are at a concert unless it's for a real reason, and not to assert your taste in music. Bring everything and don't forget anything. The park stores exploit you if you want basic things like a towel ($22.00), fire wood ($30.00), shoes ($100.00+ dollars), etc...

There's PLENTY of stuff to do at this park. Enough to stretch out to 3 maybe even 4 days and still not get bored. Cabins, tubes for sale, grilling meats, LOTS of stuff available (all within the park) if you forgot something. There's also a convenience store right outside the front gate. They even have mini golf and a permanent food truck inside the park for crying out loud! The check-in experience is a little different than most state parks I've been to. You go inside the office, take a number and stay in an enclosed waiting room until they call your number. Then and ONLY then, may you enter the room where the staff take your payment. I visited in December, and it took about 10 minutes to get in, so I can only imagine it's much slower during the busier spring and summer months. It's a large park, but the road signage is decent and does a good job directing you to the different camping areas, attractions, trails, etc. Now, on to the hiking experience! I must say the trail marking is decent. I never got lost and always knew which trail I was on. They use yellow shoe prints painted on the rocks every once in awhile to let you know you're on the trail. Highlights - you MUST check out Old Baldy Summit. It's a short but challenging hike. Expect a 600ft elevation increase within a half of a mile - so that tells you it's pretty steep! But the views from the top are SO worth it! The Crystal Cave Trail - challenging in a few areas, but it leads to a cave. The cave isn't that impressive though. It's about 30 feet deep and wide. Easy to get in and out of - I even saw a couple of 8 year old kids in there. I'm claustrophobic when it comes to caves but I was able to handle it for a couple of minutes. Just not a lot to see there. The Bridges Trail is also considered challenging and includes a few ledges that might make you a tad nervous. But if you just finished the Old Baldy Summit, it gives you a good vantage point to view what you just accomplished. Old Horse Trail - wow. It's pretty rocky and on narrow ledges a couple hundred feet above the trail below. It's pretty intense. This is the kind of stuff that makes me nervous and gives me nightmares, LOL! Old Entrance Road Trail - it's paved, and parts are a little steep, but don't waste your time on it. Based on the map description, I was expecting to view some awesome old stonework built by the CCC back in the 1930's. I hiked all the way out there and wasn't impressed at all. Take the Old Horse Trail above this trail instead. Pro Tip - the ONLY place I got cell signal was at the top of Old Baldy - and not even for miles around the park perimeter.

Beautiful park, year-round. Awesome hiking, biking, and camping opportunities. I love it here!

Is beautiful, but the service is extremely bad. They do not have an over night arrival plan. Their plan is they close the gate at 12 and thats it. Left me and my family sitting outside in the heat full of mosquitoes. Spoke with the park host over the gate key pad and pleaded with him and told him one of my kids has asthma. It was pointless, it is the last time I Reserve. My family, my 3 brother's families always would come here. The guy was a jerk, sounded like he was enjoying it too.

Garner State Park is one of the busiest state parks in Texas. The day passes can be purchased about 30 days in advance and camping up to 5 months in advance. You'll want to book early. Bathrooms and showers are clean. It is a beautiful park right on the Frio River with lots of spots to rent tubes to float the Frio in the summer. The Crystal Cave isn't too spectacular as it is just a small cave with one room. I'd recommend hiking up to Old Baldy instead!

Beautiful river. Lots of wildlife. Nicely maintained. Friendly and helpful staff. Plenty of campsites, picnic tables, volleyball courts, showers, restrooms, RV hook-ups, trails (easy to challenging), grills, parking, gift shop, restaurant, info center, breathtaking views... this park has everything. Great fishing, swimming, trekking, bird watching, or just relaxing. We saw the following wildlife: Guadalupe bass, large mouth bass, red ear sunfish, jack rabbit, white tail deer, Rio Grande turkey, black rock squirrels, feral house cat, numerous waterfowl. We left with smiles on our faces and a bunch of great memories and photos.

There's so much to do at this SP. Great trails! For lodging there are tent and RV campsites and cabins are available to rent. There's a boat house with paddle boats to rent (check when it's open), a place to fish, and lots of areas to enjoy a picnic. This SP also has a store. Recommend trekking poles to go up and down Old Baldy.

Beautiful park! So happy we decided to come here! My 4 year old enjoyed the hikes we did old mt baldy and crystal cave.

I have to start with the check in process/experience which is a nightmare. When we arrived we had 20 numbers ahead of us, it took two and a half hours to check in!!!!! They had four park employees processing check ins. The worst part was the park attendant's attitude about it, she said "it doesn't bother me, I'm sitting in here and they're out there" referring to the people standing in the waiting room. She also said this is not a busy day! This is worse and slower than the DMV. We stayed in "old garner" Pecan Grove #10. This campsite is like camping at a regular neighborhood park. Loud, crowded, dirty restrooms, and absolutely no privacy. There was a group of about 30-40 campers in the middle sites near the restroom that made so much noise and had giant tents set up all weekend, terrible neighbors. Campsites are so close to each other you can hear each other's conversations, first thing you see when you step out of your tent is more tents and cars parked all over. There was poop smeared on the restroom walls, men's and women's, will someone ever clean it? The river is pretty, we did not swim as it was still a little too cold for my small kids, but others were swimming. Hiking old baldy is the only reason we would ever consider coming back. Great and challenging hike, but definitely worth the effort. My 5 year old son made it to the top while battling an ear infection, I carried my 3 year old but at times did have to pass her off to my wife in order to climb or descend safely. The on site store was overpriced, no surprise there. The line to pay was a good 30 minute wait, these people have molasses running through their vanes. The park rangers make regular rounds, so if you plan on drinking don't be obvious. Before we left, we drove around the other sites which I guess are "new garner" and these sites looked somewhat more spaced out. If you plan on swimming old garner is probably your best bet even with the downsides. If you don't, I would suggest new garner. Ps...use some kind of tic repellent, we found one on my son. Expect a long check in. Don't plan on drinking water from the camp site (looks very heavy on minerals). Do hike to the top of old baldy. It's almost impossible to take pictures without tents and cars or other people coming out in them. Not a get back to nature kind of place. I don't know why some people are in love with camping here. We may come back in about 5 years.

Love this park good hiking with some challenging spots and some Easy trails, good biking trails and lots to Do and see. Colors beautiful in the fall. River is amazing great for kayaking and canoeing. Summer is super packed but can float the Frio and that's always fun.

When I saw beautiful pictures of fall foliage, I decided to go to the park. I stayed in San Antonio, I drove to the park. It took one and a half hours, I found the park. I was told at the gate, " Why don't you stay overnight?" Actually, I met a lot of campers. I just wanted to stay for two or three hours to take pictures. I drove around the park, but I couldn't find a big hill. Finally, I found the hill. I took a lot of pictures of the fall foliage! Thank you!

The scenery ranks 4 or 5 stars. The park service is a 2. My 20 minute wait for my reserved check-in was quick according to another camper who had previously waited 2+ hours. The check-in was comparable to waiting at the DMV. At 2 AM I called the park's after-hours law enforcement number to report a site of drunk, loud campers. I called 4 times with no answer.

My girlfriend and I recently camped in Garner for a few nights as our first serious "getting into camping" adventure. So glad we started our camping future in Garner! We camped in the Persimmon Hill campsites - on the north end of the park, which is the main reason for the missing fifth star. Although we got lucky (we were practically alone during most of our stay), campsites are very close together and we wouldn't have enjoyed our time as much had the area been more populated. Also, the campsites on the north end of the park border FM 1050, leading to a lot of highway noise. Although we had a great experience being fairly isolated, the noise served as a constant reminder of civilization while seeking isolation. This was really the only downfall of our stay. In terms of wildlife - we saw turkeys, bunnies, jackrabbits, and heard PLENTY of coyotes! You'll hear a lot of things rustling around after you retire into your tent! Wonderful wildlife experiences! Two days of hiking revealed some of the most beautiful views I've ever seen in Texas. "Old Baldy", is A MUST as well as the Crystal Cave, Foshee, and Old Horse Trails. I must say, I read another reviewer and can agree completely - hiking these trails saddened me as to the public's disregard for our parks and their natural wonders. While summiting "Old Baldy" and exploring "Crystal Cave" - it becomes obvious people are more interested in "leaving their mark" than simply appreciating the natural beauty. Inside the cave was covered in names, dates, and other graffiti. So disappointing. Overall, we had a fantastic experience - highly recommend Garner State Park - as long as it's not too crowded. They really try to "pack 'em in" there!

Garner has been our families favorite park for over 30 years. We love camping or going for the day. We have rented cabins, shelters and roughed it out in tents. Each time we have had a blast. This park is close enough to the city and far enough to be out in the middle of nowhere. It is beautiful. It is always clean. The water is crystal clear and refreshing. For those camping, they have bathrooms and showers that are always clean. They have a camp store with reasonable prices. On some summer nights, they have a dance at the pavilion. They have events with park rangers such as star gazing. Book your reservation online and start exploring. You can also hike up for beautful

What a beautiful park, we went for the night, rented a screen cabin. It was cute,clean and nice. Perfect for us. We happened to go when it was cold so we didn't get to enjoy the water as much but still had a great time. Beautiful scenery, the hiking was amazing also.the view you get when you are up there is breathtaking. When built a fire and grilled some steak, kids had Smores. They even have a nice clean shower room and the bathrooms were clean, just didn't have any soap :/ the screen cabin even had electricity, so we had lights. What a nice time we had.

Great park and beautiful scenery. Very peaceful and quiet. You will definitely get to see animals; deer, raccoon, opossum, armadillo, birds. And, at night, the stars. Hiking trails, swimming, birding, fishing, dancing are just a few of the activities you can enjoy

My husband and I went here on a whim last week, and we enjoyed it. We have been to well over 20 Texas State Parks, and here is my review of this one. Access was easy; though, service at the gate was super slow. The park itself is very small, cute gift shop, and nice camping accommodations. Hikes are sufficient, but very short. Despite Covid restrictions, the park was very crowded. I can only imagine what it would have been like at full capacity. Bathrooms at the main office were nice and stocked, but in the park, didn't flush and lacked any sanitizer or soap. We will eventually go back to explore the Frio more, but we'll visit a few other places first. We recommend planning your visit in advance with regard to camping location and supplies, and making reservations way in advance. Oh, and the hike down Old Baldy is slippery, wear hiking shoes!!!!!!

Ole GSP! This place is great. The river. The back drop. The wildlife. All amazing. However Texas parks and recreation is the bottleneck of why this is a two star review. The check in process I thought would have been fixed with the implementation of the online reservation system. You can literally pick your own space! Pay for it upfront, and when you get there you still have to wait in a, for me two hour queue. Now, the last time we went it was a 5 hour check in process so it's been improved on immensely. However, waiting two hours when you've already paid for your site is just dumb to me. They won't let you back without your arm bands and it's just a silly system. It needs to be greatly updated, again, and smoothed out to let us enjoy our trip. The candy store? The dance under the oak tree st night? The park itself? ALL AMAZING. This place is somewhere you must go at least once to enjoy it. But dammit man. Fix the check in process. For Pete's sake.

This park was probably good for families, but not for people who want a more... rustic (?) experience. Maybe it was our mistake for coming here and not doing more research, but we knew we were in trouble when there was a line out the door to check in at 9pm, and they gave us a map including a souvenir/candy store, a restaurant, and a place we could do laundry. We got all the way to our campsite, saw the basketball court mere feet behind where we would be sleeping (with some kids playing ball, even though it was 10:00 at this point), heard the raucous shouting and crying of small children, and turned around and left without even getting out of the car. I just feel like camping is supposed to be more secluded than this. If you have dozens of people around you and a restaurant to eat at, what really is the point? It's okay for people with families who want to be around other families, but anyone who goes camping to escape the loudness of a city center should go elsewhere.

To summarize my experience with Garner State Park, it was a major disappointment, especially after reading about how "amazing" and "beautiful" it is. Daily entrance fees are considerably more expensive compared to other Texas State Parks and, unfortunately, the experience was the complete opposite for the price. My friends and I were greeted with disgusting restrooms, black plastic bags for shower curtains, clogged toilets, and caution-taped urinals. None of which were even attempted to be repaired by anyone during our stay. We paid for 3 nights on a campsite, with 5 guests (~$300 total) and ended up leaving a day early without even bothering for a refund. The scenery was decent, but definitely not worth it when considering the horrible condition of the amenities. Deciding to leave a night early may have been the best decision we made during this camping trip.

Gorgeous park! The only problem we had is bees around us during the day. At campsite and at the river area.