Garner State Park

Garner State Park
Garner State Park
Location	Uvalde County, Texas
Area	1,420 acres (570 ha)
Established	1941
Governing body	Texas Parks and Wildlife Department

Garner State Park is a state park in the community of Concan, Texas located 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 its activities on the Frio River and the dances held nightly during the spring and summer.

History

In the beginning of the 1930s, the park was originally made to save a piece of the hill country for the public and to give men, suffering from the depression, work. 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.

Nature

Garner is very natural. The park is in a sense undisturbed. The river is allowed to take a natural course and not molded to meet the needs of profit. Silt lines the rocks and is washed away by natural occurrence when a flood comes through the Frio River. Plants and vegetation are allowed to grow within the rocks that line the shores of the river. Rocks that have plummeted from the mountain are allowed to redefine campsites. Allowing the nature to grow, change, and develop are an interesting and beautiful part of life; Garner State Park is one of the most popular parks in the state of Texas. The river attracts people from all across the state of Texas. It is an important part of the park.

Geology

The area came about millions of years ago in the Cretaceous age when the Edwards Plateau was formed when a section of land was lifted 2000 feet along a curving fault. It is now located on the southwestern edge of the plateau in the sub-region Balcones Canyonlands. Today, high mesas, limestone cliffs, deep canyons, and clear blue streams fill the terrain.

Flora

The area has rich vegetation due to the canyons angles from southeast to southwest as well as prevailing winds which cool and moisten the area.

Bald cypress

The bald cypress trees line the Frio River and can grow to 120 feet and live up to 600 years. They get their name from how long their leaves are gone, since they drop in the fall and don’t bloom until late spring. The bald cypress help the Frio River by slowing down floodwater and trapping sediments and pollutants. It also gives great nesting places, food, and shelter for the wildlife at the park.

Arbutus xalapensis

The Arbutus xalapensis, also known as the Texas madrone, is a rare tree that only grows about 20 to 30 feet. The trunk has red, inner bark and peels in thin sheets of orange and brown. White bell shaped flowers bloom in spring, and produce red and orange berries.

Fauna

There is plenty of wildlife in the park such as deer, squirrels, raccoons, turkeys, skunks(lovingly called security by the staff), and other animals. Two endangered species of bird nest in this park.

Golden-cheeked warbler

The golden-cheeked warbler are birds that only nest in the mixed Ashe juniper and oak woodlands of Central Texas from March to July. They feed on insects and spiders from trees and use spider webs to help build their nest and are endangered because of their loss of nesting habitat.

Black-capped vireo

The black-capped vireo are extremely small birds that also nest in Texas in the spring but from April to July. They make their nests in low shrubs but are endangered because of the destruction of their habitats by grazing, clearing and fire suppression.

Housing and facilities

Campsites

Upon arrival at the park, there are many options to choose on where to stay such as a campsite, cabin, or in a screened shelter. The least expensive would be staying at a campsite compared to staying in a cabin. In cabins, there is a fireplace that can be used, kitchen facilities, and indoor plumbing. If a campsite or screened shelter is chosen, there are public restrooms and showers that are available to all park guests to maintain hygiene.

Garner Grill

During the day, the famous Garner Grill is open under the big pavilion. Even though it does take a while to get food, it’s always cooked fresh. There is even a new souvenir cup style every season that can be collected.

Gift shop

The gift shop is also open to buy souvenirs like jewelry, boots, toys and other neat items. Even customized apparel with the park's name on it is available. When the gift shop is closed however, there is an online gift shop that is updated regularly to buy from as well.

Recreation

Many activities at the park include hiking, nature study, picnicking, canoeing, fishing, paddle boat and kayak rentals (spring and summer), bicycle riding, and miniature golf (seasonal).

Ranger programs

In order to get more involved in learning more about the park, there are ranger programs to sign up for. In ranger programs, park rangers teach students about the nature, history, and traditions of the park and let campers participate in geology programs and can be led on nature hikes.