Oliver Travel Trailers

10 of the Best Camping Spots in Texas

Texas Best Camping Spots
April 2, 2024

Texas’s Best Campsites are adorned with beautiful landscapes.

Palo Duro Canyon and Guadalupe Mountains National Park offer some of the most spectacular and beautiful sites, such as Wichita Falls, Lake Travis, and Padre Island National Seashore. Texas is a blend of various flavors and a place for campers and travelers. There is something to do every day when you are here. The beauty of visiting Texas State Parks is that nearly all of them offer you good lodging and camping facilities. When you have the best travel trailer and are looking for some great camping sites or boondocking experiences, Texas will not disappoint you. Here’s a list of some of the best camping in Texas. 

1. Inks State Lake Park

Inks State Lake Park

While it is a famous place to go camping, you can try boondocking by finding an undeveloped area nearby. The life of this particular region is in Inks Lake, which provides a myriad of water sports and activities for campers. You could try jumping off the cliff right into the Devil’s Waterhole, a famous activity for young campers. It is only an hour’s drive from Austin and is called the gem of Hill Country. Most campsites will give you easy access to the lake. You can choose from 200 campsites and RV sites, all located in front of or very close to the lake.

Plan your adventure: Inks State Lake Park

2. Lake Bob Sandlin State Park

Lake Bob Sandlin State Park

This can be more like a treasure-hunting trip for egg campers who are also anglers. If you like to go fishing, you will find plenty of catfish and largemouth bass here. The magnificent whitehead and yellow-beaked eagle can be captured in a snapshot if you have a sharp eye. Mountain biking, swimming, hiking, and in-line skating are some other activities that tent and travel trailer campers like to do here. There are nearly 100 campsites. A more significant percentage of campsites have water and electricity hookups, but they are much more expensive than the ones that don’t have hookups.

Plan your adventure: Lake Bob Sandlin State Park

3. Palo Duro Canyon State Park

Palo Duro Canyon State Park

It’s a vast canyon system often called the Grand Canyon of Texas. This fantastic site rests on the Texas Panhandle grounds and can be accessed easily from Canyon and Amarillo, the two neighboring cities. Mountain biking, birding, catching fish, and hiking are the most common activities for campers in this area. The largest canyon is 60 miles long and has a depth of nearly 800 feet. There are almost 100 RV and tent campsites here with different amenities available. The group camping site is the most expensive, costing nearly $250 per night.

Plan your adventure: Palo Duro Canyon State Park

4. Guadalupe River State Park

Guadalupe River State Park

Guadalupe River State Park is easy to access from Austin and San Antonio. This place is most famous for swimming. However, bring your travel trailers for much more fun than just swimming. Aside from swimming, you can enjoy canoeing and fishing. They even give you their equipment for fishing if you are an enthusiast. You can go mountain biking, hiking, and bird watching on the land. The most fun activity here is geocaching – let’s see if you can find something unique and surprising. Close to 90 campsites are here, with 8 people allowed per site. Most sites have water and electricity available.

Plan your adventure: Guadalupe River State Park

5. Big Bend National Park

Big Bend National Park

This is camping in Texas at its best. Not only are the landscapes of this place breathtaking, but you get to meet 75 species of mammals, 56 species of reptiles, and 1200 species of plants in this area. This place is vast, with some artifacts that are said to be as old as 9000 years. Some areas in the park can get hot in the summer due to their low altitude, but the highest peaks are nearly 8000 feet high. There are over 200 developed campground sites and many backcountry sites. It is now up to you where you will park your travel trailers.

Plan your adventure: Big Bend National Park

6. Colorado Bend State Park

Colorado Bend State Park

If you call yourself a camper and an adventurer simultaneously, Colorado Bend State Park is the place for you. Located nearly 2 hours from Austin, this park is home to the spectacular Gorman Falls. There are miles of hiking trails for hikers, including the Spicewood Springs trail; it will be a favorite trail not only because of its 2.5-mile long path but also because of the many creeks that touch your feet on the way. This region is home to a significant number of swimming holes, too. There are over 150 camping sites, with additional sites nearly a mile from the facility.

Plan your adventure: Colorado Bend State Park

7. Davis Mountains State Park

Davis Mountains State Park

If you want to see the true colors of a day on earth, spend 24 hours in this place. As blue as it is during the day, the mountainous landscapes turn orange and red during the sunset. The nighttime gives you glorious views of the heavens in the sky. Mountain biking and hiking are the two most famous activities here. Bring your best camera to capture some birds you have never seen before. There are over 100 camping sites here, some primitive and others having electricity, water, cable TV, and sewers.

Plan your adventure: Davis Mountains State Park

8. Big Thicket National Preserve

Big Thicket National Preserve

This place is home to primitive camping, so come prepared with the best travel trailer. Hiking, bird watching, paddling, and hunting are the most famous activities in this area. The park is open throughout the year, and you can go adventurous camping for free. Talk about biodiversity, and this place beats almost any place in the world. It is so big that it touches and passes through 14 counties.

Plan your adventure: Big Thicket National Preserve

9. Padre Island National Seashore

Padre Island National Seashore

Take your travel trailer for some beach fun at Padre Island National Seashore. If the season is correct, you will see many newborn turtles making their first trip to the ocean. The white sand at the beach and a 70-mile-long natural area and waterfront will be more than enough for a 2-day trip. Once here, you can go for bird watching, beachcombing, fishing, swimming, etc. Remember that campers are served on a first-come, first-serve basis here. However, you can go camping at any time of the year.

Plan your adventure: Padre Island National Seashore

10. Garner State Park

Garner State Park

Frio River Sunrise is quite a term among campers who have visited this place. From standard to premium and full hookup sites, you find great convenience for campers here. There are close to 300 camping sites, many of which allow 8 persons to stay at each site. You quickly get water and electrical hookups at most of these sites. The site with maximum amenities can cost nearly $35 per night. This is a heaven for swimming and hiking. The scenes are splendid, with water in the middle, hills on one side, and beautiful multi-colored trees creating an enchanting aura.

Plan your adventure: Garner State Park

Be sure to plan your next outdoor adventure at one of these stunning locations.

Start Your Adventure Today

Are you ready to create the perfect travel companion for your next adventure?
Get Started
graduation-hatfilm-play