South side of Garner State Park to close starting Dec. 1 for repairs

The cabins, pavilion and campground on the south side of Garner State Park will close for repairs starting Dec. 1, 2024. Pam LeBlanc photo

Heads up, campers. The old side of Garner State Park – including the pavilion, the Pecan Grove and Oakmont camping loops and cabins, park store, day-use picnic area and main swimming area near the dam – will close starting Dec. 1 for road construction and facility repairs.

All trails, except the Nature Trail and Frio Canyon Trail, will close too, so you’ll have to skip your climb up Mount Baldy.

Construction is expected to last until summer 2025, with a limited reopening in March.

The main swimming area near the dam will close as part of the repairs. Pam LeBlanc photo

The north side of the park, including more than 200 campsites at the River Crossing, Shady Meadows, Rio Frio, Live Oak and Persimmon Hill campgrounds, will remain open during construction.

That’s where I stayed during a recent overnight at the park. Even from those sites, you can access the river upstream of the main swimming area.

In all, Garner has 2.9 miles of Frio riverfront. The park consistently ranks as one of the most popular in Texas. In 2023, it saw 475,898 visitors.

Read more: Prepare for a new detour on the Butler Trail around Lady Bird Lake

The high visitation makes it difficult to do large-scale maintenance projects in the park’s most popular areas, according to Jaime Creacy, regional director for Texas State Parks.

“It is our hope that by completing these necessary construction projects during the slower winter months, we will be able to better serve our visitors in time for their upcoming spring and summer vacations,” Creacy said in a press release.

Among the planned repairs is the scenic overlook on Park Road 29 along the Madone Trail. The overlook has been closed for three years.

Interpretive programming and activities will continue during the closure. For more information, go  the Garner State Park webpage.