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. But you don’t need to travel outside of the state to see gorgeous fall colors. And one of the most popular places in the Lone Star State to leaf-peep is just a short drive from Austin.
Garner State Park, located in Concan, Texas, about three hours southwest of the Live Music Capital of the World. It’s a popular destination for tubers who like to float the Frio River, but come fall, the park dazzles as trees turn from green to golden, orange, and red.
Founded in 1941, Garner State Park is one of many parks built by the Civilian Conservation Corps, a program created by President Franklin Roosevelt to combat the unemployment crisis of the Great Depression. Young men were hired to develop national and state parks, and they created foot trails, lodges, cabins, roads, and other park amenities all across the U.S.. 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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Today, park-goers can enjoy the 2.9 miles of Frio River that twist through the park, plus 1,774 acres of picturesque Hill Country that includes 16 miles of trails for hiking. Visitors can swim, float, or paddle along the river, play mini-golf, go geocaching, or cycle along the trails. Birders love to try and spot the endangered golden-cheeked warbler (which nests only in the mixed Ashe juniper and oak woodlands of Central Texas) or the black-capped vireo, which nests here and was recently taken off the endangered species list.
And while outdoor adventurers keep the park occupied during warmer months, it’s the fall foliage that keeps the park busy during cooler months. “The best fall foliage is the cypress trees that line the Frio River, which will change to a reddish color in the fall,” says Jacob Resendiz, an interpretive park ranger with Garner State Park. “It’s a stunning sight when you arrive at the top of Old Baldy or Painted Rock, as you see the outline of the Frio River in stunning orange-red colors. The rest of the canyon stays green, so it’s very striking.”
To access Old Baldy and Painted Rock, you can hike Bridges Trail, a .7-mile-long challenging hike with loose rocks and steep terrain. There’s also the half-mile Old Baldy Trail that is steep and rocky and graded as challenging. The Ashe Juniper Trail will give you views of the backside of Old Baldy, and while it’s a longer trail at 2.5 miles, it’s graded as moderate.
Resendiz says the best time to see fall foliage is in October and November, but he recommends calling the park in advance to get a better update. “The changing colors depend on temperatures and dryness throughout the year,” he says.
Calling ahead also helps confirm how full the park is in case you want to book a cabin or campsite. But best of all, since autumn in Texas is still fairly toasty, it’s often still warm enough to swim beneath branches of yellowing leaves.
