Georgetown Parks & Recreation

Garey Park Programs

 

A representative from the Good Water Master Naturalists showing a family a program at Garey Park

Garey Park offers a range of programs that will enrich your experience while in the park. With hiking, nature programs, yoga classes and more, our programs showcase the natural beauty of the park and provide opportunities to learn new skills.

Program Cancellation and Withdrawal Policy

Questions about Garey Park programs? Please contact gareypark@georgetown.org or 512-930-6800.

REGISTER FOR GAREY PARK PROGRAMS

 

Park Activities

Passive Park Activities

Hiking

New Year's Day Hikes

Group on an interpretive hike at Garey Park in Georgetown, TX

All ages
9 a.m.
11 a.m.
1 p.m.

Happy New Year! Start the year off right with a guided hike at Garey Park. Hikes will start in the Meadow/Garey House parking lot and will cover approx. 3 miles, with some areas having steep inclines. A volunteer will guide you along the trails and be available to answer any questions you have about Garey Park.

$2/resident
$4/nonresident
Free – 3 and under or with a Garey Park annual pass

Appropriate for all ages. Pre-registration required. Participants 12 years old or under must be accompanied by a registered adult participant. Registration includes park entry for the day.

Outdoor Skills

Family Fishing Fun

Man and child posing with fishing gear next to the Upper Pond at Garey Park

Ages 5+
$15 Resident/$20 Nonresident
Saturday, April 6
Saturday, April 27
8-10 a.m.

Join us for a morning of fishing fun at the Garey Park ponds. We will provide fishing equipment, instruction, and bait. Children under the age of 12 must have an enrolled parent to participate in the program. Ages 17+ must have a valid fishing license. Fee includes entry into Garey Park.

Photography/Art

Nature Photography

Ages 14+
$25 Resident/$35 Nonresident
Saturday, April 20
8-11 a.m.

With the hustle and bustle of a busy life…it’s important to find your patch of green space to connect with nature and step away from the noise of the daily grind. Garey Park has 525 acres and a variety of trails for hiking, viewing wildlife, and opportunities for you to enjoy the great outdoors while providing a perfect backdrop for enjoying nature photography. In this photography class, we’ll explore at a comfortable pace and look for a variety of subjects that pique your interest. But more importantly tell a story. We’ll cover basic photography tips like composition, light, and creativity to make images that are interesting and captivating. This class is designed for anyone who enjoys time in nature and the variety of subjects it has to offer. All levels of photographers are welcome, just wear comfortable shoes and bring an extra camera battery!

Linda Nickell is a Texas-based nature photographer and the host of a weekly photography webinar series, the “Happiness Hour.” Linda’s work has been recognized by texashighways.com as one of the “Top 25 Travel Photographers to Follow on Instagram.”  She is the co-author of “Composition:  15 Photography Tips to Creating Captivating Images,” and as an active user of Instagram, she curates multiple feature accounts to inspire and promote the work of other photographers.  Many of  Linda’s images have been published and licensed for commercial use.

Painting in the Park

Ages 16+
$25 Resident/$35 Nonresident
Saturday, March 16, 10-11:30 a.m.
Saturday, May 18, 6-7:30 p.m.

Escape to the enchanting landscapes of Garey Park and let your creativity flow! Join us for a Watercolor Workshop amid the soothing sounds of nature. Whether you’re a seasoned artist or a first-time painter, discover the joy of expressing yourself with watercolors. We will supply all the materials for this guided tutorial.

Ages 9-16
$15 Resident/$20 Nonresident
Saturday, March 30, 10-11:30 a.m.

Join us for a guided, kid-friendly watercolor tutorial utilizing natural features found in Garey Park. All supplies will be provided for this guided tutorial.

Sun Printing: A Cyanotype Workshop

Ages 14+
$50 resident/$65 nonresident
Saturday, April 6
10:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.

Participants will be introduced to the history and science behind cyanotypes (sun printing). They will learn about the process and be able to make their own cyanotype prints on both paper and cotton fabric.

All levels are welcomed with step-by-step instructions for those with no prior knowledge of cyanotypes. Materials are provided for this guided course.

Nature Programs

Sparrow Identification

Ages 14+
$15 resident/$20 nonresident
Wednesday, Feb. 21, 8:30-11:30 a.m. (classroom)
Thursday, Feb. 22, 8-11:30 a.m. (bird walk)

Are you interested in learning about birding? Taught by Texas Master Naturalist Jim Hailey, the classroom portion of this course will offer information on identifying characteristics of each sparrow, habitat preference, and wintering range. The field portion of this course will be a birding adventure at Garey Park utilizing the wildlife viewing blind and the park’s trail system. Please Note: This course will occur over two consecutive days.

SSSuper Snakes!

Ages 4-16
$20 resident/$30 nonresident
Saturday, March 2
Saturday, July 27
9-10:30 a.m.

Is your child curious about reptiles? This program provides them with a safe environment to learn about and interact with snakes with the help of an experienced professional. Through education and experience, your child will learn all about snake identification which includes a combination of live snakes from Texas (nonvenomous) as well as a digital slideshow that includes side by side comparisons of venomous and nonvenomous, snake safety information, recommended reading/resources and more.

This program is presented by Michael Foux with Austin Reptile Shows.

Loose Parts Nature Play

All ages
Garey Park entry fees; no pre-registration required
Saturday, March 9
Tuesday, March 19
Saturday, April 6
Tuesday, April 16
Saturday, May 4
Tuesday, May 14
10-11 a.m.

“The Theory of Loose Parts” proposes that items which can be moved around, built, tinkered with, and arranged in a variety of ways foster creative thinking and engagement in people better than other learning methods. LPNP takes that same theory and applies it to nature-based learning! Staff will provide baskets full of items pulled from nature (think leaves, pinecones, sticks, bamboo, tree cookies, etc.) and let kids imaginations run wild! This is supervised, but unguided, free play time.

Parks for Pollinators Bioblitz

Moth tiger with the word Parks for Pollinators BioBlitz written over in white text

Help us chronicle pollinator species at Garey Park!

From experts to novices, all curious naturalists are welcome. The goal of this BioBlitz is to document as many different pollinators as possible in Garey Park.

Participation is as easy as taking a photo and recording a date, time and location (your phone does this automatically via geotagging) and uploading to iNaturalist.org via the phone app or website. You can explore and make observations on your own time and pace, and as often as you’d like!

What is a pollinator?

A pollinator is an animal that moves pollen from a male plant to a female plant. This allows the plant to grow and produce. Examples include: bees, flies, wasps, ants, butterflies, moths, sawflies, bats, hummingbirds, dragonflies and damselflies.

What is a BioBlitz?

A BioBlitz is an event where participants take/upload photo of wildlife to learn about the pollinators in our area. Participation is of the utmost importance! The more observations made, the greater the positive impact had on the scientific community. You might find something nobody has ever documented at Garey Park before!

How do I participate?

  1. Download the iNaturalist app on your smartphone.
  2. Create an account and familiarize yourself with the program. Practice looking at the Explore, Activity, and Observe tabs on the app.
  3. While in the app, join the project page, when available.
  4. Visit Garey Park and make an observation – or make many! You can submit findings in real time using the iNaturalist app on your smartphone or save the photos and upload them later.

Why should I participate?

  • Parks are essential to the health of pollinators and help make a difference in saving these critical species. Parks help pollinators in several ways – including documenting the species present within their boundaries.
  • Pollinators are a vital component of our ecosystem, and an essential link to the world’s food supply.
  • The United States has seen a steady decline of pollinators – a rate of about a 30% decrease annually. These projects help scientist (and citizen scientists, like you!) better understand where there is a greater need for preservation efforts. 

Questions?

Give us a call at 512-930-6800 or email gareypark@georgetown.org. Or, stop by the gatehouse on your way in for a quick tutorial.

Stargazing

Public Stargazing Nights

All ages
$2 Resident/$4 Nonresident
Ages 3 and under free
Wednesday, Jan. 17, 7-9 p.m.
Wednesday, Feb. 14, 7-9 p.m.
Wednesday, March 13, 8-10 p.m.
Wednesday, May 1, 8:30-10:30 p.m.

Come enjoy an evening under the stars at Garey Park! Talented volunteers from the Williamson County Astronomy Club will be on hand with telescopes and/or cameras to help visitors view various celestial objects. Participants are encouraged to bring chairs or blankets as well. Registration is limited and pre-registration is required. Walk-ins will not be accepted at the gate.