Garey Park — Local services in Georgetown

We visit Garey Park at least once a year and it never disappoints. We've gone since they first opened and explored around and they still maintain it very well. We typically visit the Play Ranch and back river area and the kids love it (I have a 2 and 5 year old and we brought my nephew who is 3, but have also met up with friends of all ages). It wasn't crowded at all this time around although we went on a Friday at 11:45 at the beginning of the school year. They also offer equestrian trails, hiking trails, a dog park, the Garey House for events and weddings, and bathrooms multiple places throughout the property. It costs per kid to get in the park but it's cheap, and cheaper if you're a confirmed resident of Georgetown.

The Play Ranch is to the left when you enter the gates and has a cute and fun splash pad, a large covered pavilion with tons of picnic tables, multiple other pavilions that can be reserved, bathrooms, zip lines, different types of swings, a large playground (the slides can be painful) and smaller playground, various play structures such as horse to climb on, log tunnel, large snake, etc. and trees for shade in some areas. There is something here for every age for sure!

If you go back and follow the signs and drive further down you'll pass the Garey House and park in the back lot for the hiking and river access. The trail to get to the main part of the river is jogging stroller friendly for the most part (we had our Pivot Explore wagon which also worked) because it's a bit of a walk for littles, especially in the heat. The water was flowing a bit and warm (but again it's the end of the summer in mid August) and there's some shade trees along the banks of the river. There is a bench in one spot but I suggest bringing your own seating if you want to hang some. We saw little dogs, large water snails, butterflies, dragonflies, birds in and out of the water, and lots of fish and minnows. We also climbed the large rock in the pictures....definitely a fun time for the kiddos, we...

I visited this park on 12/31/19, with my granddaughter and dog. It is easy to get to with Google Maps, and the entrance is well marked.

The entrance fee is waived on Tuesdays, which was very nice for a first time visitor. The booth at the entrance was well staffed and they were very friendly. The young lady offered me a park map, and offered to give me verbal directions, if I had something specific in mind. I was just wanting to explore, so I declined, but took the written map.

The map is easy to read and navigate the park. I took my dog to the Dog Ranch and he enjoyed playing off-leash in the enclosed area. They have separate areas for large and small dogs, and a few to choose from. They even have very small runs, in case your tiny hound just wants a small area to play. There were plenty of poop bags available, if you forgot yours, and places to dispose of the waste. I did not notice any "gifts" left behind by other owners.

The play scape area is wonderful, with zip lines for the kids and plenty of climbing equipment. The playground is well maintained and has the "soft" grounds for kids who fall. I loved the many different slides, rope course, stairs, etc for the kids. We spent two hours in the playground and my granddaughter was wiped out after!

There are plenty of picnic tables and pavilions to sit and relax while the little ones play. I did see that you can reserve tables and/or pavilions, but did not ask about the cost.

The bathrooms were clean and well stocked. I did not utilize the trails for hiking, although they did look well maintained. Will try that next time. We did see many folks there with their horses and trailers.

I will definitely go again, and probably on a Tuesday, to try the hiking trails. I do live in Georgetown, although not within city limits, so I will be charged a fee when entering any other time. I am okay with that, as it helps maintain the park and it does seem they are doing a great...

This is a huge park with river access, equestrian trails, and a fun splash pad and playground area. We went on one of the free Tuesdays in May, and it was quite busy despite school being still in session.

The splash pad was large and had several water cannons and numerous spray features, though I think it's most exciting for preschoolers and early elementary age.

The park next to it has a toddler play structure and one for older kids. The tube slides for bigger kids were very fast. My 10 year old reported that he could never land on his feet at the end of the blue one, and I saw numerous other kids fly out and land on their rumps. (This seemed to make that slide especially popular.) There are baby swings, regular swings, and platform swings, and the three zip lines were always in use.

While this was a couple hours of fun for a May day, I can't imagine paying the fee to get in: $5/car for the first two passengers if you're residents, $10/car for two non-residents, and $2/person beyond...