Real County, Texas

7 local notes for Real County — practical, plain-English, and pointed at the official source to confirm. Austin / Central Texas / Hill Country.

Money & Taxes

Property Tax

Who Handles Property Tax in Real County

The Real County Appraisal District in Leakey values all property and handles exemption applications, while separate taxing units set their own rates.

Home & Property

Water & Wells

Real County Has Its Own Groundwater District

If you plan to drill a water well in Real County, you must deal with the Real-Edwards Conservation and Reclamation District, which regulates groundwater use in the area.

Outdoors

State Park

Garner State Park: Hill Country Swimming on the Frio

Garner State Park sits along 2.9 miles of the Frio River and draws large crowds in summer — reservations are essential.

River Access

Floating the Frio: What the Law Says About River Access

The Frio River rises in Real County and much of it is a public waterway, but you cannot cross private land to reach it without permission.

Rules & Licenses

Licenses

You Need a State License to Hunt or Fish in Real County

Texas requires a valid state hunting or fishing license for most outdoor activities in Real County, and you can buy one online through Texas Parks and Wildlife.

History & Culture

Park History

The CCC Built Garner State Park in the 1930s

Depression-era workers from the Civilian Conservation Corps built most of what you see at Garner State Park between 1935 and 1941.

County History

How Real County Came to Be — and Why Goats Were Central

Real County was carved out of three counties in 1913, largely because residents were too isolated from the nearest courthouses, and its early economy ran on angora goats.