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The clear Frio River with bald cypress trees in Garner State Park

State Park · Texas

Garner State Park

Texas's most loved overnight park: the Frio River, Old Baldy, summer jukebox dances, and a reservation race that starts the day the window opens.

Old Baldy hill rising above the Frio River canyon

Field briefing

Garner State Park changes fast with season and elevation.

Before you go

Garner is the most popular camping park in the Texas system, and it behaves like it: summer weekends sell out the day the five-month reservation window opens, and the park regularly hits day-use capacity.

Lock the reservation first, then plan around the Frio River, Old Baldy, and the evening dance.

Best window
Memorial Day through Labor Day, when the Frio River is the whole point
Signature routes
The Frio River, Old Baldy
Pack focus
Water, weather checks, layers

The landmarks worth the trip. Tap any photo to enlarge.

Location
Texas
Best time
Memorial Day through Labor Day, when the Frio River is the whole point
Entrance
$8 daily per person 13 and older; children 12 and under free

When to go

Weather, crowds, and what the season changes about the trip.

Spring

High crowds

Mild Hill Country weather, green hills, and a clear river before the rush.

Pack Layers for swingy temperatures, river shoes, and an early reservation.

Summer

Peak crowds

Hot, with July highs near 97 and the cold Frio as the relief valve.

Pack Sun protection, river footwear, a tube or floatation plan, and hydration.

Fall

Moderate crowds

Cooler hiking weather and spectacular color along the river cypress.

Pack Warm evening layer and footwear for limestone trails.

Winter

Low crowds

Cool to cold and quiet, with January lows around 37.

Pack Insulation for camp and flexible plans around cold fronts.

Top things to do

  • The Frio River

    2.9 miles of clear, cold river through the park: swim, tube, paddle, or fish (no license needed from shore inside the park).

  • Old Baldy

    The short, steep scramble up the park's signature hill for the classic Frio Canyon view. Loose limestone makes footwear matter.

  • Summer jukebox dances

    Since the 1940s, summer evenings end with a jukebox dance at the CCC-built pavilion. Arrive early; lots fill and gates can close by 8:30 p.m.

How long to spend

Anchor the day around The Frio River

Put the access rule first: shuttle, parking, timed-entry, or reservation windows should decide the order of the day. For one day in Garner State Park, make The Frio River the non-negotiable, add Old Baldy only if the first stop runs clean, and keep Summer jukebox dances as the flexible finish.

  1. 1Start with The Frio River: 2.9 miles of clear, cold river through the park: swim, tube, paddle, or fish (no license needed from shore inside the park).
  2. 2Add Old Baldy: The short, steep scramble up the park's signature hill for the classic Frio Canyon view. Loose limestone makes footwear matter.
  3. 3Use Summer jukebox dances as the optional finish, not as a reason to rush the whole day.

Plan your trip

Turn Garner's conditions into water, pack, and sleep-system decisions.

The clear Frio River with bald cypress trees in Garner State Park

Build around conditions

Let season, elevation, and weather set the plan.

Plan your trip

4 quick tools, already seeded for Garner State Park. Tune the numbers around temperature swings, footing, layers, and how much margin the route needs.

  1. 01Size your water for a mild day on the trail
  2. 02Find the right daypack size for a day out
  3. 03Check you will sleep warm down to about 30F
  4. 04Estimate the stove fuel to pack for the trip

What to pack

Start with the gear decisions this park changes: footing, weather, camping, and water.

Pack planning

Decide what Garner State Park asks of your kit before you start checking boxes.

Use this as a constraint check while you are still shaping the trip. The active checklist becomes useful once your route, dates, and sleep plan are set.

  • First constraintHydration and exposureWater, Electrolyte mix, hat, sunscreen, sunglasses, 4 more
  • Route realityFooting and tractionHiking boots, Hiking socks, Trekking poles
  • Load choicePack and carry systemDaypack
  • If overnightSleep and shelterTent, Sleeping bag, Sleeping pad

Checklist mode

22 items, grouped for the trip you are actually taking.

  1. Dates and season are set.
  2. Primary route, campground, or lodge is chosen.
  3. Water, footwear, and overnight needs are sized.

Gear for Garner

The buying guides that match what Garner asks of your kit, with our current top picks across budget and use case.

Where to stay

Inside the park, choose between campsites, screened shelters, and historic CCC cabins, all booked through Texas State Parks. Outside, Concan's river-cabin market sits minutes away, with Leakey and Uvalde adding motels. In-park is worth the reservation fight: day visitors can be turned away at capacity while campers are already inside.

Camping reservations

Camping reservations

Book Garner the day the window opens, five months out.

Texas Parks and Wildlife runs reservations on a rolling five-month window, and Garner is the state's most reserved overnight park. Summer weekends, spring break, and holidays go almost immediately.

Reviewed June 8, 2026

Booking window

Texas State Parks reservations open on a rolling window five months ahead. Book online through the Texas reservation system or by phone at (512) 389-8900, and reserve day-use passes too because the park often reaches capacity.

  • TPWD highly recommends reservations for both camping and day use; vehicle license plates are entered during booking.
  • Overnight options include campsites (water-only through full hookup), screened shelters, group facilities, and historic cabins.
  • Watch for feral hogs: do not leave food or coolers unattended at campsites.

Where to book or verify

Garner State Park official page

Official TPWD page with fees, hours, alerts, and facility links.

Texas State Parks reservations

Official reservation path for camping, shelters, cabins, and day-use passes.

Search Recreation.gov

Check for federal campground, backcountry, tour, and permit inventory tied to this park.

Campgrounds to know

Frio River area campsites

Details
Booking
Rolling five-month window through Texas State Parks reservations.
Sites
Tent and RV campsites across multiple loops, from water-only to full hookup.
River-adjacent loops are the first to vanish when the window opens.

Screened shelters and cabins

Details
Booking
Rolling five-month window through Texas State Parks reservations.
Sites
Screened shelters plus historic CCC-era cabins.
The cabins are the park's comfort play and among the hardest bookings in the Texas system.

Getting there and practical info

The clear Frio River with bald cypress trees in Garner State Park

Build the arrival around the reservation.

Entry windows, permit pickups, and drive time should be checked before the itinerary gets crowded.

Getting there

Get to Garner State Park with the required window already protected.

Access rhythm
Plan the last mile
Region
Texas
  1. Arrival note

    Garner sits on the Frio River near Concan in the western Hill Country.

  2. Fly in

    San Antonio International is the practical airport, roughly an hour and a half east.

  3. Car strategy

    A car is required, and on summer days an early arrival or a pre-booked day pass is the difference between swimming and being turned away at the gate.

Pair this with lodging: choose the base that keeps the reservation or permit pickup from becoming the hardest part of the day.

Frequently asked questions

How far ahead can you reserve Garner State Park?

Texas State Parks reservations open on a rolling window five months in advance. Garner is the most reserved park in the system, so summer weekends and holidays should be booked the morning the window opens.

Does Garner State Park sell out for day use?

Yes, regularly. TPWD says the park often reaches capacity and highly recommends reserving day passes online or by phone before visiting, especially Memorial Day through Labor Day.

How much does Garner State Park cost?

Day entry is $8 per person for ages 13 and up, free for children 12 and under. Camping, shelters, and cabins carry separate nightly rates booked through the Texas reservation system.

What is the Garner jukebox dance?

A summer tradition dating to the 1940s: nightly jukebox dances at the CCC-built concession pavilion. Arrive early, because parking fills and gates can close as early as 8:30 p.m. on dance nights.

Keep planning