Garner State Park in Concan, Texas, has some of the state’s most beautiful fall foliage—and the sights are especially beautiful along the Frio River, which is lined with elegant cypress trees.
When it comes to leaf peeping, places like the Smoky Mountains, the bucolic roads of New England, and the rugged Rocky Mountains often come to mind—not Texas. You don’t have to leave Texas to enjoy the fall foliage. gorgeous fall colors. A short drive away from Austin.
Garner State ParkConcan is located about three-hours southwest of the Live Music Capital of the World. Tubers love to visit this park to float down the Frio River. But in the fall, the trees transform from green to orange and red.
Garner State Park was founded in 1941 and is one of the many parks constructed by the Civilian Conservation CorpsFranklin Roosevelt created the program to combat the Great Depression’s unemployment crisis. In the United States, young men were hired to build national and State Parks. They built foot trails, lodges and cabins, roads and other park amenities. Here at Garner State Park, bald cypress trees and native limestone were used to construct the dance pavilion, which has been in use since the ‘40s for summer dances.
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The park is home to 1,774 acres that include the picturesque Hill Country and the Frio River. 16 miles of trails for hiking. Visitors can go swimming, float along the river or kayak, play mini golf, geocache or bike along the trails. Birders are always on the lookout for the golden-cheeked Warbler, which only nests in the mixed Ashe Juniper and Oak woodlands of Central Texas.
While outdoor enthusiasts keep the park busy in the warmer months, the fall foliage keeps it busy in the cooler months. Jacob Resendiz says the best fall foliage comes from the cypresses along the Frio River. The trees will change color to a deep reddish hue in the autumn. It’s an amazing sight to see the Frio River outline in orange-red hues when you reach the top of Old Baldy, or Painted Rock. The rest of canyon remains green, making it a striking sight.
Old Baldy, and Painted Rock can be reached by hiking Bridges Trail. It is a challenging.7 mile hike that has loose rocks and steep terrain. Old Baldy Trail, which is half a mile long and steep with rocky terrain and is graded as difficult, also exists. Ashe Juniper Trail gives you views of Old Baldy from the backside. At 2.5 miles it is rated moderate.
Resendiz is a word that means “resendiz” best time to see fall foliage He recommends contacting the park ahead of time to receive an updated schedule. The changing colors of the trees are affected by temperature and moisture throughout the entire year, he says.
You can also confirm that the park has enough cabins and campsites if you plan to reserve them. It’s still warm enough in Texas to swim underneath the yellowing leaves, especially since it is autumn.
