The beauty and peacefulness of the Concan, Texas area never ceases to amaze us. Just over a three-hour drive from Austin, this area offers a gorgeous natural setting for hiking in the scenic Hill Country terrain, camping, stargazing, bird watching, and of course enjoying a swim, tube ride or paddle down the clear waters of the Frio River.
Our editor’s family took a fall weekend trip to Concan, and we’re sharing some thoughts and photos below to help inspire you to put this area of Texas on your travel bucket list. In the fall you can typically expect some color changes in the foliage, the winter offers cooler temps to help make challenging hikes a little more comfortable, and spring is the perfect time to make a splash in the river. (Note that summer water levels vary depending on rainfall, as with any local bodies of water. It’s best to check before you visit.)
Concan is a small community in Uvalde County in the southwestern portion of the Hill Country. It sits along the Frio River close to Garner State Park. Other nearby destinations include Leakey, Utopia, Lost Maples, Hill Country and Devil’s Sinkhole State Natural Areas. You’ll find that Concan is a very popular summer vacation spot with lots of private cabin rentals along the Frio. You’ll find a few quaint shops, kayak rentals, private river access points offering day-use passes, and guided nature tours. For a best overview of lodging, dining, and rental options in this area, we suggest visiting www.visituvaldecounty.com
Garner State Park: When we weren’t swimming in the river at our waterside rental cabin, we were spending our time hiking around Garner State Park. Garner is one of the most popular state parks for a good reason! It features 1,774 acres of beautiful land with 2.9 miles of the Frio River winding through it. If you are savvy enough to plan far in advance, you can book one of the park’s cute cabins or opt to camp in a screened shelter or campsites. It’s a lovely place for beginning campers because there is so much to do on this park land!
Swim or float in the Frio, rent a paddle boat, fish, canoe or kayak, geocahce, picnic or you can even play a round of mini golf on site or pop into the sweet shop for an ice cream cone. The park includes concession shops selling meals and snacks during the busy season as well as a gift shop at the visitors center.
Of course, you can do plenty of hiking! There are 16 miles of trails in Garner State Park. Some of the trails are very steep and challenging for little ones, so read through this helpful trail outline before you pick which paths to try. Even though it was listed as “challenging” we could not resist a journey to the Crystal Cave. A rocky trail leads to one of the park’s natural wonders, a small cave that you can enter freely. It was slick getting in and out of the cave, but we did spy a bat and used our flashlight to find the crystals, which made for a very exciting adventure! We continued on hiking for pretty views of Old Baldy and had such a great day enjoying the natural surroundings.
Because Garner State Park is such a popular spot, it’s best to book your day-use or campsite reservations far in advance. Visit the Garner section of the Texas Parks & Wildlife website for plenty of details and reservation info.
We hope you enjoy exploring this beautiful area of Texas!
