Garner State Park
| Garner State Park | |
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| Location | Uvalde County, Texas |
| Coordinates | 29°35′00″N 099°44′20″W / 29.5833333°N 99.73889°WCoordinates: 29°35′00″N 099°44′20″W / 29.5833333°N 99.73889°W |
| Area | 1,420 acres (570 ha) |
| Established | 1941 |
| Governing body | Texas Parks and Wildlife Department |
Garner State Park is a state park in Uvalde County, Texas in the United States. Garner State Park, in the Texas Hill Country, is the most popular state park in Texas for overnight camping. It often fills by noon in peak parts of the season. The park is popular with campers and local residents for the dances held nightly during the summer and spring.
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[edit] Location
Garner State Park is located at 29.591 North, 99.744 West: 76 miles (122 km) west of San Antonio, and 10 miles (16 km) north of Concan, Texas, on west side of the Frio River. Entrance is ca. 10 miles (16 km) north of Concan via US Hwy 83 to Ranch-to-Market Road 1050, then 1.2 mile (1.9 km) east of US Hwy 83.
[edit] History
The land for Garner State Park was acquired in 1934 through 1936. In 1934, the Texas State Parks Board approved the location for a future state park, and the Texas Legislature provided funding for state parks. The Civilian Conservation Corps made the park’s original improvements, which included a large pavilion and a concessions building. The property was conveyed to the State Parks Board in 1936, and it opened as Garner State Park in 1941. The park was named for John Nance Garner, former Vice-President of the United States who lived and practiced law in the Concan area. The park's size more than doubled when 790 acres (320 ha) were added in 1976.
[edit] Recreation
Garner State Park is the most popular state park in Texas for overnight camping,[1] with more than 200,000 campers per year.[2] Some WPA-era cabins are available, and reservations are recommended during summer weekends and spring break. Cabins are under renovation and not available until ca. 2012.
Other activities at the park include hiking, nature study, picnicking, canoeing, fishing, miniature golf (seasonal), paddle boat and kayak rentals (spring and summer), and bicycle riding.
[edit] Gallery
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The Frio River flowing through the Garner State Park.
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The view of the Texas Hill Country from Garner State Park.
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The Frio River winds southward on east edge of Garner State Park (on the left)
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Dancing under the stars at the park's pavilion
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Bald Cypress trees along the Frio River in Garner State Park
[edit] Miscellaneous
- Frio County, Texas is named for the river.
- Some cypress trees, Bald Cypress Taxodium distichum, along the Frio River and including individuals within Garner State Park TX, exceed 22 ft (6.7m) circumference and about 86ft (about 26m) height, and may be over 300 years old. A flood-damaged Bald Cypress, on the Frio bank opposite Garner State Park and a short distance above the small dam that forms the park's swimming area, was removed in the early 1990s. Its stump, about one foot (0.3m) above ground level and about 10ft (3.1m) circumference, exhibits at least 160 yearly growth rings.
- In the community of Rio Frio about 10 mi (16 km) ENE of Garner State Park is the largest Live oak (Quercus virginiana) tree yet identified in Texas.
[edit] References
- ^ "TPWD: News Release: Jan. 23, 2006: Frio River Bank Work Begins To Save Garner’s Dance Floor". Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. January 23, 2006. http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/newsmedia/releases/?req=20060123a. Retrieved 2010-11-04.
- ^ Wilson, Janet (April 19, 2003). "Austin news, sports, weather, Longhorns, and business". Austin American-Statesman. http://www.statesman.com/travel/content/travel/042003/0420frio.html. Retrieved 2010-11-04.
[edit] External links
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