RE: Garner & Lost Maples SP s, Texas

[Turn Key]

 
While we are camping at one park, we often take the time to check out other parks in the area.  Our last trip to Guadalupe River SP was no exception.  We had one day that promised to be a bit cloudy and misty so we felt that this was the time to do a bit of touring.  I had heard and read a lot about Garner and Lost Maples SP s but had not checked them out as yet.  The following is what we found about these two parks.
 
 Garner SP is located about 70 mile west and a little north of San Antonio.  It is at the northern extreme of Uvalde County, near the town of Leaky.  We found it to be a very large park with much to do, the main recreation appearing to revolve around the Frio River.  There is a lot of interest in tubing and canoeing.  Even though the river was nice enough, I must say that I have seen prettier in Texas.  There is also other types of activities, two of them being miniature golf and bike rental.  Park has a large number of camping sites set into 7 loops.  All appears well cared for and clean.  Camping is very " open"  which is not something we like.  Also, shade is at a premium.
 
 We only spent about 30 minutes at this park.  Driving in you will notice a very large and extensive " check-in"  area.  This will give you a clue what this park must be like during the warmer parts of the year and on weekends.  Even though I can find nothing wrong with this park, it is not the type of place DW and I are likely to return to.  It just does not fit our idea of camping.
 
 On the same day we took a drive through Lost Maples SP.  This park is about 20 miles northeast of Garner, near the town of Vanderpool in Bandera County.  It is set in the valley of a couple of mountains (big hills?) and better fits our idea of what we like in a state park.  This parks " claim to fame"  appears to be about 13-14 miles of what looks like great hiking trails.  I understand that these trails are well known and take you to and through some beautiful areas.  According to " Mr. Ranger" , this park gets a large contingent of out-of-state and even out-of-country visitors who take part in some excellent " birding" .  Being as we had not planned for it, DW and I were ill equipped to do much more then take a quick look.  What I saw just left me wanting more.
 
 Camping in this park is on a very small scale.  There are only 30 " power & water"  sites in one loop.  Camping area is very " open"  with little privacy and not much shade except for the covered picnic table.  Best sites by our judgment were numbers 16, 17 & 30 (limited privacy due to distance from other sites) and sites 5 & 19 (limited shade).  Shower house is modern and clean.  There is also a very nice Interpretive Center at the main entrance.
 
 DW and I both liked this park and are considering a " fall"  trip.  Most likely we will return here for a full day of hiking the next time we take one of our " long"  trips to South Llano River SP.
 
 That about raps it up for these two parks.  Hope you find this info of some help.
 
 Happy Camping!

[Trlrboy]

 Turn Key
DW and I spent about 5 days at Garner SP while we were still in a tent.  You are right in that it revolves around the Frio (cold) River.  We had a couple of air mattresses that we floated down the river on and the water is absolutely crystal clear.  You could see fish down to the bottom that I guessed was about 10 feet.  It s a very relaxing float down the river to the dam and not a really long walk back to the campground to do it over again.
 
 They have dances during the summer in the community hall so I d say it gets crowded on summer weekends.  The mini golf course is a piece of junk.  The campsites are OK but nothing special except for all of the buzzards that sit in the trees and look at you.  Very eerie.
 
 The scenery in the area is TX hill country minus a lot of the trees so the terrain is rugged and rocky.  We had 5 skunks in our campground around sunset.
 
 There are other parks in TX we would rather go to.

[redfish]

 Turn Key
Lost Maples is a " must see"  SP in the fall, but make reservations early.  Aside from the trees turning color, the main attraction is the network of trails.  The last time we were there, fishing in the Sabinal river was not allowed.  
 
 

[Unregistered]

I think that Garner is really well suited for kids.  It was my favorite campground as a teenager (a while back!), because of the dances that they have every night in the summer.  The river is great, and the hiking is neat too.  We are going to try to get in this summer to see how our kids like it (ages 11 and 15).  Apparently they book up well in advance.  The reservation people recommended making reservations 11 months ahead to get a spot with electricity!  Will let you know if it is as neat as I remember it!

L. Irvin
Richardson, TX

[ASDAVISTX]

I am 40 years old. We LOVE this park. We live in East Texas (Greenville) but we love this park. Close to Mexico for short visits but to be honest, we never left the park for long.

I LOVE the Frio. Wonderful place to take our pop-up. Wonderful employees.  Wonderful Site.  Wonderful Frio river to float on.  We usually go in May since the temps start to warm up some.  Cold but it is hot in May at Garner State Park. Don't get our favorite site but this park is awesome.