Garner State Park is a

state park State parks are parks or other protected areas managed at the sub-national level within those nations which use "state" as a political subdivision. State parks are typically established by a state to preserve a location on account of its natural ...

in the community of Concan, Texas located in Uvalde County,

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...

in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

. Garner State Park, in the

Texas Hill Country The Texas Hill Country is a geographic region of Central and South Texas, forming the southeast part of the Edwards Plateau. Given its location, climate, terrain, and vegetation, the Hill Country can be considered the border between the Ameri ...

, is the most popular state park in Texas for overnight

camping Camping is an outdoor activity involving overnight stays away from home, either without shelter or using basic shelter such as a tent, or a recreational vehicle. Typically, participants leave developed areas to spend time outdoors in more nat ...

. 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 The Frio River is a river in the U.S. state of Texas. The word ''frío'' is Spanish for ''cold'', a clear reference to the spring-fed coolness of the river. Geography The Frio River has three primary tributaries; the East, West, and Dry Frio Ri ...

and the dances held nightly during the spring and summer.

History

CAMPERS AT GARNER STATE PARK - NARA - 546215

In the early 1930s the park was built to save a portion of the hill country for the public, and to provide work for unemployed men during the economic depression. 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 The Texas Legislature is the state legislature of the US state of Texas. It is a bicameral body composed of a 31-member Senate and a 150-member House of Representatives. The state legislature meets at the Capitol in Austin. It is a powerful ...

provided funding for state parks. The

Civilian Conservation Corps The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) was a voluntary government work relief program that ran from 1933 to 1942 in the United States for unemployed, unmarried men ages 18–25 and eventually expanded to ages 17–28. The CCC was a major part of ...

built the park’s original improvements, which included a large

pavilion In architecture, ''pavilion'' has several meanings: * It may be a subsidiary building that is either positioned separately or as an attachment to a main building. Often it is associated with pleasure. In palaces and traditional mansions of Asia ...

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 John Nance Garner III (November 22, 1868 – November 7, 1967), known among his contemporaries as "Cactus Jack", was an American History of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic politician and lawyer from History of Texas, Texas who ...

, former

Vice-President of the United States The vice president of the United States (VPOTUS) is the second-highest officer in the executive branch of the U.S. federal government, after the president of the United States, and ranks first in the presidential line of succession. The vice pr ...

who lived and practiced law in the Concan area. The park's size more than doubled when were added in 1976. Another park named Garner State Park, later known as Stephenville State Park, began construction in 1932 in Erath County, Texas, though the name was soon transferred to the Uvalde location. The city of Stephenville, which operated the park, returned the land to the state in the 1940s. The property was returned to the local Collier family in 1953 and, after being sold in 1982, is now known as Garner Park Ranch.

Nature

Geology

The area came about in the

Cretaceous The Cretaceous ( ) is a geological period that lasted from about 145 to 66 million years ago (Mya). It is the third and final period of the Mesozoic Era, as well as the longest. At around 79 million years, it is the longest geological period of th ...

age when the

Edwards Plateau The Edwards Plateau is a geographic region at the crossroads of Central Texas, Central, South Texas, South, and West Texas. It is bounded by the Balcones Fault to the south and east, the Llano Uplift and the Llano Estacado to the north, and the ...

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 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, can grow to 120 feet, and live up to 600 years. Their name is derived from the length of time that they are leafless, since they shed leaves in the fall and don’t bloom until late spring. The bald cypress help the Frio River by slowing floodwaters, trapping sediment and pollutants. They also provide nesting sites, food and shelter for wildlife.

''Arbutus xalapensis''

The '' Arbutus xalapensis'', also known as the Texas madrone, is a rare tree that grows to 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 much wildlife in the park such as deer, squirrels, raccoons, turkeys, skunks and other animals. Two endangered species of bird nest in this park.

Golden-cheeked warbler

The

golden-cheeked warbler The golden-cheeked warbler (''Setophaga chrysoparia'') is an endangered species of bird Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the laying of ha ...

are birds that nest only 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 in building their nests. They are endangered due to loss of nesting habitat.

Black-capped vireo

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

Housing and facilities

Campsites

Visitors require a reservation made in advance due to the popularity of the park. Visitors may choose between a tent/RV site, a screened shelter or a cabin. Some cabins have fireplaces, all have kitchen facilities and indoor plumbing. If a campsite or screened shelter is chosen, there are public restrooms and showers available to all park guests.

Garner Grill

During the day, the Garner Grill adjacent to the big pavilion is open. There is even a new souvenir cup style every season that can be collected. The Grill is open daily during the summer but is closed during the off-season, typically October through February.

Gift shop

At the gift shop one can purchase souvenirs like jewelry, boots, toys and other items. Customized apparel featuring the park's name is available. There is also an online gift shop, updated regularly, providing merchandise as well.

Recreation

Activities at the park include hiking, nature study, picnicking, canoeing, fishing, paddle boat and kayak rentals (spring and summer), bicycling and miniature golf.

Day Use Visitors

Garner State Park is the most sought after park in the Texas State Parks system. Due to high demand, a Day Use reservation is highly recommended during the off-season months of October to February. During the high demand on-season months of March to September, Day Use reservations are required before visiting the park to guarantee entry.

Ranger programs

To learn more about the park, there are ranger instructional programs. In these 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.

Volunteer opportunities

Volunteers can help by keeping the park clean by maintaining trails, renewing habitats, becoming a park host or leading educational programs.

Gallery

File:Frioriver2.jpg, The Frio River flowing through the Garner State Park File:Garnerview3.jpg, The view of the Texas Hill Country from Garner State Park File:Garner state park.jpg, The Frio River winds southward on east edge of Garner State Park (on the left) File:Garner dance2.jpg, Dancing under the stars at the park's pavilion File:Garnersp12.jpg, Bald cypress trees along the

in Garner State Park

References

External links

Texas Parks and Wildlife - Garner State Park
*
Home movie of Garner State Park from the Peggy Shiman Collection
on the

Texas Archive of the Moving Image The Texas Archive of the Moving Image (TAMI) is an independent 501(c)(3) organization founded in 2002 by film archivist and University of Texas at Austin professor Caroline Frick, PhD. TAMI's mission is to preserve, study, and exhibit Texas film h ...

{{authority control State parks of Texas Protected areas of Uvalde County, Texas Civilian Conservation Corps in Texas Protected areas established in 1941 1941 establishments in Texas