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When it’s about camping and outdoor recreation, nothing can beat Texas. It is so diverse that it would be hard for any other state to compete with it in any aspect. Camping in Texas has something for every camper. You just name it, and you’ll find it here.  

More than 20 million visitors enter Texas state parks each year. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department runs more than 140 state parks

There are some tremendous campsites in Texas to pitch a tent and spend the night under the stars. Due to its diversity and vast geographical regions, Texas offers campers a variety of ecosystems and landscapes to choose for their adventure.

One just can’t fully experience Texas without going on a camping trip at least once.

Here is a list of ten incredible campsites in Texas that will make you fall in love with camping even more.

1. Big Bend National Park

First on our list of campsites in Texas is Big Bend. It is nominated as an International Biosphere Reserve. Big Bend is easily the best spot for camping in Texas. It offers a variety of outdoor recreational activities in a primitive setting.

The park features mountains, canyons and other amazing, memorable opportunities for adventure.

Things to do in Big Bend National Park

• Camping
• Mountain biking
• Fishing
• Boating
• Hiking
• Nature watching
• Star gazing 

2. Garner State Park

Garner State Park is the most popular state park in Texas. Campers can choose either primitive campsites or cabins when planning to stay overnight. One day simply isn’t enough to enjoy the adventure and absorb the beauty of this place.

Things to do in Garner State Park

• Camping near the beautiful, big and scheduled Frio River
• Enjoy water sports like tubing, swimming, and canoeing in the beautiful, Frio River
• Hiking on 11 miles of tracks
• Bird watching, fishing, kayaking, and more. 

3. Colorado Bend State Park

This incredible park looks like an enchanted scene from Tarzan. Camping in the midst of beautiful lush greenery and a 70-foot-tall Gorman Falls is a dream of every camper.

This breathtaking waterfall will amuse you in the sunlight and gently soothe you at night in your tent with the sound of its trickling.

Things to do in Colorado Bend State Park

• Campers can go swimming
• Hiking
• Biking
• Explore mysterious caves
• Fishing

4. Big Thicket National Preserve

There are countless primitive campsites and access points to this exotic preserve, as it is spread out across seven districts. Annually, thousands of nature enthusiasts explore this exotic place that contains a diverse group of plants and animals.

This part of Texas is no doubt an ideal location to spend a tent vacation and offers great activities to the campers. There are no developed campgrounds or campsites in the Preserve, so be prepared to make your own.

Things to do in Big Thicket National Preserve

• 40 miles of hiking trails allow campers to observe many different ecosystems
• Bird-watching
• Hunting
• Kayaking

5. Palo Duro Canyon State Park (Canyon)

Number 5 on our list of campsites in Texas is Palo Duro Canyon, The Grand Canyon of Texas. The second largest canyon in the United States is a beautiful place to camp. Waking up surrounded by towering red rocks is an amazing feeling. Campers in Palo Duro Canyon can choose from campsites with water and electricity, primitive drive-up sites, equestrian sites, or backpack camping areas.

Things to do in Palo Duro Canyon State Park

• Hiking
• Mountain biking
• Horseback riding

6. Lost Maples State Natural Area (Vanderpool)

Lost Maples is known for its autumn color, but it is beautiful year-round. This breathtaking spot is right on the Sabinal River. You’ll not only enjoy the scenic river but also the abundant wildflowers and steep canyon walls.

Things to do in Lost Maples State Natural Area

• 30 campsites with water and electricity or backpack to six primitive campsites.
• Hiking
• Fishing
• Bird-watching
• Swimming

7. Enchanted Rock State Natural Area (Fredericksburg)

Climbing the magical, mystical and enchanted ancient dome of Enchanted Rock provides a panoramic view of the Texas Hill Country like nothing you’ve ever seen. The beautiful scenery, rock formations, and legends attract thousands of visitors annually.

Things to do in Enchanted Rock State Natural Area

• Camping – Most of the campsites have plenty of shade
• Hiking
• Rock climbing
• Shopping from the park store where you can buy gifts items, drinks, food and also wood for campfires.

8. Davis Mountains State Park (Fort Davis)

This beautiful and historic park offers a unique and remote destination for all sorts of adventures. The wild and remote Davis Mountains is considered one of the most scenic areas of Texas.

Things to do in Davis Mountain State Park

• Hiking
• Biking
• Camping
• Horseback riding – one of the most popular activities here.

9. Padre Island National Seashore

The longest stretch of undeveloped barrier island in the world, offering some of the most remote seashores to be found anywhere.

Padre Island National Seashore has a wide variety of opportunities for everyone to enjoy its natural beauty and wonder.  For campers wishing to get away from the crowd, Padre Island National Seashore is an ideal location.

Things to do in Padre Island National Seashore

• Camping – both semi-primitive and primitive campsites are available
• Canoeing and kayaking
• Fishing
• Bird-watching
• Hunting

10. Hueco Tanks State Historic Site

The last in our roundup of scenic campsites in Texas is Hueco Tanks. One of the biggest attractions to this historic place are the prehistoric pictographs that dot the cave walls there. This historic site offers a range of outdoor activities that give campers a wide variety of unique ways to spend their days while camping. Visitors today marvel at the imagery left by those ancient people.

Things to do in Hueco Tanks State Historic Site

• Hiking
• Camping
• Rock climbing
• Bird-watching
• Study nature and history
• Picnic
• Guided and self-guided tours to view rock imagery left by ancient people.

So get ready for the most exciting camping experience of your life. Go camp, explore, dream and discover!

All you need to do is grab a tent, prepare your backpack, wear your lightweight hiking boots and head into the wilderness.

“A bad day camping is still better than a good day working.”

Photo credits: Flickr

RV travel is definitely not for eveyone. You’re much closer to nature than you would be in a hotel.

Unless you have an expensive RV, you will also be sharing bathroom facilities with other people.

Do those things bother you? They sure don’t bother us!

We like campfires in the evenings… the kids particularly like making s’mores. We like hearing the birds in the trees… and going on hikes! And we don’t mind sharing bathroom facilities.

So we usually have a great time! 

Planning Your RV Trip

One of the first things we do when planning a camping trip in Texas is to decide where to go. We pick from one of the good Texas RV campgrounds in the area we’re interested in.

Texas RV Campgrounds

When choosing a Texas RV park, make sure that the park meets your family’s needs, like having activities to keep the kids happy.

Here are some Texas RV campgrounds currently listed on our site.

Before finally deciding on the best one for you among the Texas RV campgrounds, take a look these tips about RV camping in Texas. Here are another ten great places to go RV camping.

Your RV

If you’re planning an RV trip (as opposed to a regular camping trip), your next step is to make sure your RV is ready to go.

That’s if you have an RV. If you don’t, you’ll of course first have to contact a RV rental company to reserve one for your trip.

If you have an RV, before you leave home, check that everything is clean and that it works the way it is supposed to, like your stove, air conditioner, etc. Test everything. It is so much easier to fix things while you’re at home.

In Texas, in the summer, it is really good to have an RV with a decent, working air conditioner!

Camping Equipment

Once you know your RV is ready to go, it’s time to start packing all the camping gear… that is, everything that you think you will need while you’re there. Here are some of the things that we pack when we go camping:

• Cooking equipment, like a propane tank and a charcoal grill.
• Storage containers, like food storage bags and plastic trash bags.
• Cooking and food preparation utensils, like pots, pans, knives, a cutting board, etc.
• Dishes, disposable plates, and silverware.
• Food and drinks, including a case of drinking water.
• Cleanup equipment, like soap sponges, paper towels, etc.
• Clothing for the expected weather conditions.
• Personal hygiene products.
• Items for outside the RV, like lighting (lantern), chairs, table, etc. (Many campsites have wooden picnic tables, which are very handy.)
• Also don’t forget things like your camera, first aid kit, insect repellant, sun screen, jumper cables, and a flash light.

Of course, don’t get too obsessed with remembering everything. If you forgot something, you can probably buy it at the campground or closest town. I’ve done that, and it has never been a problem.

Before you leave…

I think it is a good idea to check reservations and the expected weather before you set off. I always do that because I don’t like being caught by surprize!

Plan your route before leaving home. There are many online map services that are great for this purpose. I like to use Google Maps. Keep an eye out for interesting places to stop at along the way.

The RV Trip

In our experience, any road trip can be made so much easier for parents if the kids have something to keep them busy during the trip. This is why our portable DVD player goes along on any road trip longer than an hour.

So take stuff along to keep the kids happy. 

If you found interesting places along the way during your trip planning, it will also help to break longer trips up and make it all seem like a breeze!

Once You’re There

Once you’re there, the fun begins… But do try to keep it safe fun.

For campfires, first check if it is allowed. If there are no fire pits, then it possibly isn’t allowed. If there are fire pits, make your fire only in the fire pit. Also don’t build the fire too big, and definitely supervise kids around the fire.

Speaking of fires, a campsite owner once advised us not to use cedar wood. Apparently the smoke causes headaches. I don’t know if this is true, but it is better to play it safe. I have!

Let the kids know upfront where the campground boundaries are, and where they may and may not go.

With all that being said, the most important thing is still to have a good time!

Remember to take pictures! Believe me, we once had so much fun over a camping weekend that all of us forgot to take pictures!

There’s no doubt about it — RV camping fans love the Lone Star State!

There are many great places to go RV camping in Texas!

Here are ten great reasons to pack up the RV and take a family vacation to Texas: 

1. RV Camping to Abilene – This north Texas town played a big part in frontier days, and it offers visitors the chance to experience the Lone Star State during the days of cowboys and cattle drives. Be sure to visit Frontier Texas, where multimedia experiences will teach your kids about the people and places that contributed to the development of Texas.

2. Austin for RVers – Looking for an urban destination with plenty of place to play outdoors? Go no further than Austin, where a string of lakes along the Colorado River march right into the middle of town. Fish, camp and hike at Lake Austin, Lake Travis or any of the four other lakes within easy driving distance of the city.

3. Enchanted Rock State Natural Area – A pink granite dome in the heart of Texas? That’s right — Enchanted Rock State Natural Area boasts a four-hundred foot granite dome that’s perfect for hiking and rock climbing. A day use area, this park doesn’t have RV camping facilities, but nearby facilities such as Fredericksburg RV Park offer comfortable camping.

4. Galveston Family RV Vacation – With fantastically fun places like Moody Gardens waiting to entertain your family, it’s time for an RV road trip to Galveston. Don’t miss the Battleship TEXAS, the Seaport Museum and the great RV campground at Galveston Island State Park.

5. Goliad State Park and Historic Sites – Park your RV at this state park northwest of Corpus Christi and then immerse yourself in Texas history. Ruins of an 18th century mission, the birthplace of General Zaragoza and the Mission Espiritu Santo State Historic Site are just three of the fascinating places to visit near the Victorian town of Goliad.

6. Lake Mineral Wells State Park – In an area once known for its healing mineral waters, this state park is popular with hikers, bikers and equestrians, thanks to a scenic twenty mile trailway. Just forty five minutes from downtown Fort Worth, the park welcomes RV campers with full-service campsites and nice amenities.

7. Port Isabel – Right across the Queen Isabella Causeway from Padre Island, the city of Port Isabel is an historic treasure. Port Isabel Lighthouse can be explored and photographed to your heart’s content, and the Treasures of the Gulf Museum and Port Isabel Historic Museum are a short walk away.

8. San Antonio for RV Campers – The City of San Antonio, TX is filled with cultural, historic and just plain fun attractions for the entire family. Why not park your RV at one of the many area campgrounds and then spend your vacation enjoying the city’s Paseo del Rio Riverwalk, historic treasures like The Alamo and a walk on the wild side at the San Antonio Zoo?

9. Seminole Canyon State Historic Park – An incredibly rugged setting near the US/Mexico border is home to some of the best preserved pictographs in the world. Take a guided tour into the canyon to explore ancient cave art, and take advantage of convenient RV camping on-site.

10. Toledo Bend Reservoir/Lake Sam Rayburn – Two top bass fishing lakes sit side-by-side on the Texas/Louisiana border. Toledo Bend Reservoir is surrounded by the unspoiled beauty of the Sabine National Forest and Lake Sam Rayburn cuts right through the middle of Angelina National Forest. If you’re looking for a spot to make an extended fishing and RV camping trip to Texas, these two lakes fill the bill!

Are you planning to go RV camping in Texas? I’d like to help you prepare for your camping trip by providing you with some information about Texas RV parks. Armed with this information, you will know what to expect and have more fun when you go RV camping in Texas.

Did you know that there are two basic ways in which people use their RVs and that RV parks that cater to each type of RV-er offer different features? I want to tell you all about that. 

I think it is also important that you understand RV park pricing and what may, or may not be included in the price.

Then there is another fun use of an RV that not a lot of people have ever thought of…

Two Basic Forms of RV Usage

There are several ways to use an RV and it turns out that the usage of your RV affects the parks as well. The two primary models are vacation RV usage and full-time RV usage.

Vacation RV Usage

Vacation usage means that you might store the RV a large portion of the year and you use it for vacations, like spring breaks, summer vacations, and Christmas.

Parks that focus on Vacation Usage

Typically, vacationers who go RV camping in Texas are interested in parks with amenities such as swimming pools, tennis courts, saunas, jacuzzis, work-out centers, and more. You’ll find more parks with amenities near vacation or tourist destinations, such as Texas coastal areas or Texas Hill Country areas.

Usually, these parks are almost always in better condition, have a more festive atmosphere, and have much nicer RVs as clientele.

However, if you go RV camping in Texas during an off-season, being in a park with 400 spaces and you are one of three RVs in the park, that might take away from the fun. I know my children enjoy meeting other kids, so a few neighbors isn’t a bad idea.

Full-time RV Usage

Full time usage means that people live in their RVs full-time. There are really two different types of full-timers – those that are living and working in the area long term, and those that are living in their RV, but really staying in an area for a month or more at a time.

Parks that focus on Full-timer Usage

I’ve found that parks that focus on full-timers tend to have fewer amenities and have to work very diligently to make sure that rigs are kept up. The “just-passing-through” types of full-timers usually have extraordinary RVs, so rules that limit the age of RVs tend to make neater parks with more travelers and have more amenities.

Parks that understand the dynamic of RV age have rules on the age of the RV, night time noise rules, and even have their park subdivided into a full-time section and a vacation section. I’ve seen this done very well with an Austin park called La Hacienda RV Resort.

Setting Your Expectations On RV Parks

If you use the knowledge above, you’ll be able to know that RV parks in Killeen, Corpus Christi, Longview, and other industrially-oriented towns are more for full-timers and are going to likely have older RVs and few amenities. This isn’t a perfect rule, but should help you locate places quickly.

Here is an example of a nicer RV Park in Corpus Christi, a city which has more parks oriented to full-timers.

Hill Country vacation towns like Wimberley and Fredericksburg will have nicer parks and a large vacation population. This is true around Bandera as well. For larger cities, if the cities have a strong tourist contingent you’ll find nice parks that cater to both crowds so you can expect to find what you want.

Understanding RV Park Pricing In Texas

To help you budget your stay, here are some guidelines about pricing.

What I’ve seen when we went RV camping in Texas is that parks range from $250 – $550 per month. These are monthly rates. Usually, to calculate a day rate, you could divide the monthly rate by 10. It is common to have a $30 rate for a day rate at an RV park.

This means that RV parks are priced below most hotels, but also priced so that you have an incentive to purchase an entire month.

Electricity and Internet? Included or Not?

There are no standards on whether or not you get free cable or internet, but the cable is usually off of an older box that does not provide HD signals. The RV parks’ internet I have found to be sporadic as well, even if offered by a service provider contracted by the park. This is so common that I never anticipate having WiFi, even if it is offered.

The one item that is worth exploring is the electric service. In Texas summers, the electric bill for cooling even a small camper will easily be $100-$200. In my personal experience, where I have had to pay for electric, it seemed higher than it would have been in my sticks and bricks house.

If you go RV camping in Texas during the summer and electric is included in the bill then that has some real value. In the rest of the seasons, it isn’t very important.

Tailgating – RV’ing In A Class By Itself

There is a usage for an RV that has nothing to do with RV camping in Texas that is worth mentioning. If you are in Texas in the Fall, taking your RV to a football game to tailgate is a wonderful experience.

Texas has a number of great colleges and I personally have been to College Station for a Fall football game. Rest assured, I’ll be doing that again! Be prepared to run off only your stored water and generator. Make sure you bring your college flag, and remember – BIGGER is better!

This should give you a good place to start with RV camping in Texas. Enjoy your trip!