Leakey · Frio Canyon
The Canyon
3 Hollows sits in one of the best corners of the Texas Hill Country. The ranch gives you seclusion; the Frio Canyon gives you everything else - a spring-fed river, two of the finest parks in Texas, live music on the water, and a town small enough that people still wave.
Most of what follows is inside a half-hour drive. Bring the family, take a day off the rifle, and go see the country.
The Map
Hover any marker to find it below - or hover a card to find it on the map.
Illustrative map - positions are approximate and not to scale.
Nearby
The commercial heart of the Frio Canyon, and proudly small - the population sits under 500 and the only chain business in town is a convenience store. What you get instead are independent cafes, a wine bar in the old drug store, barbecue, burgers and hill country views.
The most popular state park in Texas for overnight camping, and the reason a lot of families keep coming back to this canyon. Climb the half-mile trail up Old Baldy, a 480-foot bluff with the whole canyon underneath you, then cool off in the Frio below.
Come evening, the CCC-built pavilion turns into a dance hall - a jukebox, two-stepping under the stars, nightly through the summer. It has been running since 1941.
Texas Parks & WildlifeSpring-fed, startlingly clear, and cold enough to earn its name. The classic float runs through Garner State Park, where tubes are rented on site and the water is mellow with a drop or two to keep it interesting.
Beyond tubing there is kayaking and canoeing on the quieter stretches, swimming holes worth hunting for, and fishing for bass and perch in the deeper pools.
A protected stand of Uvalde bigtooth maples tucked into the canyons near Vanderpool - and one of the only places in Texas that puts on a genuine New England autumn. Foliage reports start in mid-October, and October and November are far and away the busiest months.
The rest of the year it is quiet: over ten miles of trail, a loop that climbs along a 2,200-foot cliff, and some of the best birding in the state.
Texas Parks & WildlifeRanch Roads 335, 336 and 337 - roughly 96 miles of switchbacks through timbered hills, steep bluffs, secluded valleys and creek crossings. It is one of the most famous drives in Texas, and Leakey sits right at the hub of the loop.
Take the convertible, take the motorcycle, or just take an afternoon. The overlooks on 337 alone are worth the trip.
House Pasture Cattle Company in Concan has been a Hill Country institution for more than two decades, bringing some of the biggest names in Texas country music down to the banks of the Frio. Chicken fried steak, cold beer, and a stage under the oaks.
House Pasture Cattle Co.A par-72 championship course stretching 7,333 yards through Concan, wrapped in panoramic Hill Country views. There is a cantina at the turn, which is arguably the best part.
Frio Valley RanchGarner State Park's north end has genuine singletrack - the Foshee and Highway loop racks up more than 800 feet of climbing, which is real work by Hill Country standards.
For riders who want more, Camp Eagle near Rocksprings offers 12+ miles of technical singletrack, a dual slalom course and a pump track. It is a camp property, so check their open dates before you load the bikes.
Camp EagleA working vineyard just east of town on Ranch Road 337, growing and bottling since 2007. They make single-vineyard wines in the old-world style - small-lot blends and varietals built around texture and balance, approachable but with some life to them.
It sits directly on the Twisted Sisters route, which makes it the natural last stop on the way back from a drive. Tastings are by reservation, so call ahead and we will help you time it.
Frio Canyon VineyardEat & Drink
Small town, surprisingly good food. A few local names worth knowing.
Hours in a town this size can be seasonal. Ask us and we will tell you what is open the week you are here.
Availability
Hunt in the morning, float the Frio in the afternoon, and dance at Garner after dark.
