Carbon512

Hi all,

I'm thinking of car-tent camping at Garner (never been) on a weekday, the week before memorial day.

Garner sounds great, (especially the shady Persimmon Hill campsites) but I understand it can be busy during season and on weekends. I've only done weekday camping at smaller parks, and never in peak spring/early summer like this. Do you think the park would be very crowded on say a Mon- Weds during that time?

The main things I am looking for in this 2-3 day weekday trip are: swimming/wading access close to the tent site, for cooling off; pleasant hiking trails; and a peace-and-quiet experience in nature as opposed to a busy recreational experience. Think Garner would fit the bill? Any other parks known for being quiet during the week even in summer? (looking in Central Texas -- 2-3 hr drive from Austin)

Thanks!

rockhill

While certainly less crowded, "solitude" would probably not be found at Garner that week. Some of the other, less popular parks could provide the camping experience and provide some peace and quiet. Where ever you end up, enjoy yourself.

4everfrio

The week prior to memorial day will be fairly quiet. But after that , all bets are off. We have came in on a thursday before the holiday and the park had few campers. Come friday, it was like a day after christmas sale!! What a difference. Don't let the horror stories discourage you from going. The weather is beautiful and the water flow is great. Git out there and have fun!!!

~~~~4everfrio~~~~

Carbon512

Hmm, so the votes are a little mixed. I'm not expecting total isolation, just a sense of some space and a little distance from other campers. It was my hope that eaarly that week (mon-weds) would beat the early Memorial Day weekend rush...

Maybe Pedernales... haven't been there in ages and never camped there. Not exactly a "smaller" park, but I'm not finding a smaller park that has all those thiings I'm looking for (it's the first time my girlfriend wil be joing me, so the bar is set kind of high.) South Llano is lovely but a bit of a hike to the water; Colorado Bend also is great but the sites by the river offer very little privacy at all. Those are the only others I've been to -- is there another small park you all would suggest I look at ? (I've been searching the forum archives here and the tpwd site a lot, too.)

4everfrio

Come on don't wimp out on me now! The park will be OK.
Git your gear loaded up, take that girl by the hand and GO!!
If it don't work out ( I know it will) , you can bash me to no end.
~~~~~4everfrio~~~~~

Carbon512

I don't know, man -- there is just something a little bit freaky about going camping, getting away from it all, out in nature, at a place with almost 500 camspites...! Especially if a lot of them could be occupied. And it looks like the hiking trails are all in Old Garner, but the more remote tent sites are in New Garner... so, you drive to the hiking trails? That's weird. (Sometimes walking the car roads from one end of the park to another feels like walking through a mobile home subdivision in the suburbs... nothing wrong with that, but a little odd.)

4everfrio

Ok, your right. There are alot of spaces in the park and you have to drive to old garner to go hiking. Check the topo maps and you will see that this isn't flat land hiking. Almost all of the trails are in the hills of garner, this ain't no cake walk. People come to enjoy garner for so much more. Tubing the river, dancing at the pavilion, playing putput golf, chilling out at rock beach, watching the crazy ones jump out of the tree into the river, hiking the trails or crawling up baldy, etc., etc. The crowd won't hit until late thursday and most definitely friday. Your missing out on one great trip. Just a question, what is a camspite ?? ha ha Hope you have fun where ever you go.
Best wishes. ~~~~4everfrio~~~~~