Garner State Park

view of campground from hiking trail

So I'm told Garner State Park is the most visited park in Texas. I can see why. There are miles of trails for hikers, mountain bikes, and road bikes. Plenty of bike trails look like old jeep roads--wide and smooth, generally easy to ride; hiking trails can get quite strenuous as they twist up and down through the hills. Sometime other than last night, they routinely host dances at the pavilion. The Frio River runs through the park for 1.5 miles. You can rent bikes, tubes, kayaks, or mini-golf setups (to play the on-site course). Fishing is good, floating is good; it's a family paradise for families who enjoy outdoor activities. Having said all that, this is not my kind of park, so if it sounds like I'm carping, well, that's just a reflection of what I'm looking for in a camping trip.

second-largest fish I caught

I'm not saying I didn't enjoy myself. I caught a fish on my first cast, then pulled in four more before the day was done. None of them was big enough to keep, but it was still fun. Then I did a lot of hiking through the trails and roads of the park. Dominant tree species include mesquite, Ashe Juniper, Live Oak, Hackberry, Spanish Oak, another oak I never IDed, Mexican Buckeye, Red Buckeye, Texas Persimmon, Pecan. I saw a lot of cardinals, sparrows, vultures, a few nondescript dark-colored birds, and one turkey. Park brochure tells me I might have seen endangered golden-cheeked warblers and black-capped vireos, but I didn't.

there's a turkey there just beyond the road

The tubing looked great. The water is shallow enough to wade in most places, but rocks have been piled along the way to create sluices that keep tubers moving without getting to any major rapids. Though "frio" means "cold" in Spanish, the water was pleasant if not a bit warm. I kept reading park literature that suggested there are areas that are much deeper, but never saw it. Maybe it's a timing thing--there were certainly a lot of rope swings along the banks that only a fool would drop from into the water as it is today. At any rate, it was beautiful, clear water, lined with massive baldcypress trees.

cypress trees along the Frio

The things I don't like are the things I don't like about any car camping. The most primitive sites still have water at every site. Each is in full view of at least three others within 20 feet. There is a loop road and the sites are arrayed around the loop. As always, the sites in the middle appeal to me least of all, though it would probably be fun to take up a lot of them for a reunion or something like that. Beyond the water-only sites, the park has four other camping areas, ranging from water+electric (RV) sites to screened shelters with lights and outlets. All sites that I saw include a fire pit. The store sells wood--even today, which is surprising since I thought the whole area was under a burn ban.

Worst of all was the placement of my tent. I chose the water-only area (Persimmon Flats or something like that), which is very close to the highway. My 8 am wakeup call was from the trucks and commuters roaring by (video above is 360 degrees from inside my tent when I woke up). The ranger said the spaces along the east side are most popular (probably because they are closest to the river) but if I went back I'd stay on the opposite side. I suspect it would make little difference to the noise. Other camping areas are farther from the road and seemed quieter. Trails are farther still, and they wind through canyons so that the noise is only noticeable when a big truck goes by.