Tent camping- recs for families with children? Garner SP? (Gonzales: home, price)

[Lauren0319]

4 families would like to get together for a weekend camping trip, mid Oct. We've all camped before but I wouldn't call any of us "seasoned campers." Kids ages range from 3-7.
We finally settled on a weekend and our first choice- Perdanales SP is fully booked with only primitive camping left. Same with Guadalupe SP :/
Garner has several spots open, with many many choices. Does anyone have a rec or could you steer me in the right direction for Garner? I see "New Garner," "Old Garner"... ?? Any other State Parks we should consider?

I understand a lot of people keep their lips sealed when it comes to their fav camping spot (and I don't blame you!) I promise we won't be super regular campers, so if you'd be willing to DM me advice or a spot I would be very thankful!
I'm not totally sure what we're looking for- hopefully nice weather in October, some hiking, maybe biking, wading in a river if the weather is agreeable... and just playing games and letting the kids be kids!

Thanks for any advice you can give!

[Ohky0815]

Not familiar with Texas but I can advise on the rest...

1) State Parks are hit and miss. Hopefully you have a good one out there, but they can be iffy because they dont seem to be as regulated as camp grounds strictly for camping. Personally id pay a little more and go to a camp ground but if youre looking for a camp adventure, i can see why you may choose a park instead.

2) Entertainment for kids...I had this grand idea that my children would love just sitting around the fire and playing with other kids, just playing card games. They didnt share my feelings. It was " Im bored". We know for next time to bring their bikes or scooters, a ball, etc.

3) 4 families. I would say this is good but youll want to sort of divide and conquer with supplies. Theres no need to bring 12 tents if 1 person has a 2 room tent for example.

[Azure110]

Did you try Lost Maples state park?

[CyVaquero]

I haven't been to Guadalupe, Lost Maples, or Perdanales.

However for large group camping, I would recommend Garner - it's the most popular state park and I have yet to go there when there weren't several family reunion weekends going on. It is a bit secluded (~35 minutes to Ulvalde Walmart) but they have a camp store stocked with (not too badly overpriced) camping and food necessities and a few nice-to-haves. There are a few overpriced shops in Concan. Garner is also one of the larger parks and as such there are a lot of activities available. Plenty of hiking and biking trails and of course 'swimming' in the Frio (I put that in quotes because last year the water was pretty low - there were some nice deeper holes but the flow was more of a trickle - that may have changed).

Old versus New Garner has more to do with the location than amenities. Old Garner is located around the camp store/mini golf/cafe area while New Garner is further away (convenience versus less traffic) - a bit of a hike on foot but quite doable on bike. We tent camp and prefer not having vehicles driving by every few seconds so have always stayed in Persimmon Hill - sites 218 through 222 offer more separation from your neighbors.

Another alternative which we like to day trip to is Palmetto, east on I-10 near Gonzales. It's a smaller park has are plenty hiking/walking trails through the Palmetto swamp (a neat change of environment) plus swimming - the campground is well maintained.

Texas Camping Tip: ALWAYS be prepared to deal with Fire Ants and ALWAYS keep water with you.

[sapphire]

I'm not posting this for the OP as it sounds like they know what they're doing, but the state holds camping workshops that are fun and educational so anyone coming to the thread may be helped by this information. Camping is a blast, so I hope you have an enjoyable experience.

Camping Workshops

[Chaka]

For Guadalupe, Lost Maples (in Fall), Pedernales and basically any of the Hill Country parks, be prepared to book months in advance during high season.

Garner is a nice park and good for groups. There's some easy hiking. it's the Frio river so it's cold - great in mid summer, maybe not so nice in fall. It's not my favorite park, partly because there are often huge groups who seem to think camping = all the amenities of home including super loud boom boxes (I'm a former backpacker, when I go camping it's to commune with nature....I get enough loud music in my 'hood). But it's an easy park for camping, IMO.

South Llano is nice, as is Blanco SP. We loved Colorado Bend SP but it's primitive drive up camping (so, pit toilets. If your kids are squeamish may not be for you) and the last 10 miles are on a dirt road so 3+ hours from SA. We haven't yet made it to Inks Lake because it's always booked, but our camping friends all love it.