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Some Traditions Can't Be Told...They Have To Be Experienced!!!
Garner State Park
Concan, Texas
For park reservations, please call (512) 389-8900 or click here.
History &
Trivia
History
of Garner State Park
Garner State Park is located on the Frio River in northern Uvalde
County, 31 miles north of the town of Uvalde and 7 miles north of
Concan. The park is named for John Nance (“Cactus Jack”) Garner, who
served as Vice President of the United States from 1933 to 1941
under President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
The effort to establish the park was led by Uvalde County Judge C.
P. Spangler, who recognized the tourism potential of the scenic Frio
Canyon and wanted to take advantage of the federal funding for parks
that became available in 1933 under the New Deal. He and members of
the Uvalde County Commissioners Court, with the help of local
businessmen, purchased land for the park from two ranching
families--the original 478 acres from the Streib family in 1935 and
an additional 162 acres from the Magers family in 1936.
There was also interest in a Frio Canyon park at the state level.
The State Parks Board approved the canyon as a state park site in
1934. The board had neither the authority to purchase parkland nor
money for park development, but in 1935 the Texas Legislature
appropriated funds for maintenance of state parks. This, in
combination with the availability of labor and funding through the
Civilian Conservation Corps program, smoothed the way for park
projects.
Vice President Garner apparently felt that it would be inappropriate
for federal money to be used for development of a park in his home
county while he was in office, but his wife, Mariette, was a staunch
advocate and encouraged Judge Spangler to proceed with the
application for funding. The park won approval as a Civilian
Conservation Corps project in April of 1935, and a CCC camp with a
blacksmith shop and sawmill was established at the park site. The
builders of the park were members of Company 879.
The park structures typify CCC craftsmanship and rustic design
incorporating local materials. Native limestone was used for the
concession building, park manager’s residence, fireplaces, and
culverts; local cypress and other hardwoods were used for shingles,
beams, and doors. The blacksmith shop produced iron hinges, latches,
hardware, and light fixtures.
The property was conveyed to the State Parks Board in 1936, and
Garner State Park was opened in 1941. The popularity of the park led
to the acquisition of land in 1977 that increased the park’s size to
1,456 acres. In 2001, the purchase of an additional 100 acres from
the Magers family brought the area of the park to its current 1,556
acres.
Today, Garner State Park is the most popular park in the state for
overnight camping. Annual trips to the park have become a tradition
for school sports teams, church groups, scout troops, and
families--some for several generations. We hope visits to Garner
will become a tradition with you, too.
Trivia
What are the
spotted deer in Garner State Park?
These are axis deer, or chital, an exotic species native to India
and Ceylon. They have been introduced into Australia, New Zealand,
the continental United States, and Europe, where their beautiful
coloring and markings have made them popular for parks and zoos.
Axis deer were introduced into Texas in 1932 and are the most
abundant and widespread non-native deer species in the state. They
are found in at least 94 Texas counties, either in free-ranging
herds--mostly in the Edwards Plateau--or confined on ranches. They
are usually found in herds ranging from a few animals to 100 or
more.
Adult males have antlers, which they shed annually. They are
broader-chested than the females, have darker facial markings, and
can weigh as much as 250 pounds. The females are antlerless and
smaller, with a maximum weight of 150 pounds. An interesting
characteristic of these deer is their vocalization. Male axis deer
bugle like elk during mating season, and both sexes have alarm calls
or barks. These deer can breed throughout the year, but the major
breeding season is from mid-May through August. In Texas, nearly 80
percent of fawns are born from early January to mid-April.
Axis deer have high reproductive and fawn-survival rates. They are
successful here because they have adapted to the temperature
extremes of the Texas climate; they will eat a variety of plant
species, from grass to forbs and woody browse; and they are
resistant to disease.
They are most active just after dawn and just before dark.
Are there many
snakes at Garner?
Many kinds of snakes, both poisonous and nonpoisonous, live in this
part of Texas, but snakes are rarely seen in the park. Most agree
that this is because of the heavy visitor traffic. Snakes like
peace and quiet.
What kinds of fish can we catch in the Frio?
The chief game fish in the Frio River are black bass (also known as
largemouth bass), channel catfish, yellow catfish, blue catfish,
bluegill, Rio Grande perch, and common carp.
What are the dark-colored squirrels we see
along the ground?
These are rock squirrels--or black rock squirrels. At 17 to 21
inches long, the rock squirrel is largest of the ground squirrels in
its range, which includes southern Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Arizona,
New Mexico, western Texas, the Oklahoma panhandle, and much of
Mexico. It is variegated, with a grayish brown or blackish upper
body, a brownish rump, creamy undersides, and a buff and brown tail
with white edges. Rock squirrels are shy, colonial animals that
usually den in burrows beneath rocks, but they are good climbers and
sometimes make dens in tree hollows. They will climb junipers to
harvest berries, and mesquite trees to feed on the blossoms and
beans. In addition to seeds, berries, nuts, and other plant
material, rock squirrels also eat insects and small birds and
rodents. They produce two litters per year, and the young emerge
from the burrow and begin to forage after about two months. Rock
squirrels communicate with a repeated sharp, clear whistle; when
alarmed, they emit a sharp call followed by a low-pitched trill.
They are most active in the early morning and late afternoon.
Though they may hibernate for short periods in the north, they are
active all year in their southern range.
What other animals might we see in the park?
Since well over 400 species of animals inhabit the Texas Hill
Country, we won’t list all the possibilities. But the park has an
abundance of white-tailed deer, and you may see fox squirrels,
skunks, armadillos, and raccoons. Bird species in the park include
Rio Grande turkeys, mourning doves, eastern bluebirds,
golden-cheeked warblers, mourning doves, ducks and geese, and, of
course, turkey vultures.