Best Places to Go Camping in Texas

The State of Texas has various National and State Parks and Recreation Areas that allow individuals to camp on-site. Those who enjoy outdoor activities and sports ranging from hiking to hunting will find various different campsites across the country offer a broad range of amenities and located within various different environments.

Amistad National Recreation Area

Camping at the Amistad National Recreation Area, in Del Rio, are primitive with no electrical or water hook ups. All site reservations are on a first come, first serve basis with no reservation accepted. The campgrounds are open year round with five different locations in which to camp. These five locations offer different amenities. For example, the Governors Landing has 15 campsites with a covered picnic table, a BBQ grill, and potable water available. Another of the sites, Rough Canyon, has only four sites with a picnic table and a BBQ grill, but no potable water or hook ups.

Big Bend National Park

Located in Rio Grande, TX, this park often considered to be three parks in one, has many options fro camping. These locations are at the Rio Grande Village, the Chisos Basin, and the Cottonwood campground. Primitive camping can be located in the Chisos Mountains, but the Chisos Basin has 60 campsites with flush toilets, a dump station available, and plenty of hiking trails nearby. Cottonwood has 35 sites with pit toilets and good for those interested in birding, and Rio Grande Village has 25 full service campsites.

Padre Island

Padre Island National Seashore, located on the Gulf of Mexico, has campground that are open year round, and obtaining a campsite is on a first come, first serve basis with no reservation accepted. Camping is permitted in the Malaquite Campground, Bird Island Basin, North Beach, South Beach, and Yarborough Pass. Malaquite Campground has 50 campsites with flush toilets, cold water showers and picnic tables while Yarborough Pass is free of charge, located on the Laguna Madre and only accessible by four wheel drive, with no hook ups or toilets.

Lake Meredith National Recreation Area

Lake Meredith, located on the Texas Panhandle in Fritch, offer shoreline camping, and wooded campgrounds. All campgrounds are free of charge and no reservation are needed. You may stay at any campsite for as long as 14 days in a 30 day period, not to exceed more than 60 days in one year. Hunting is allowed in the area between October 1 and December 31. Some campsites have flush toilets and potable water while others (in the Blue West region) have neither.

Guadalupe Mountains National Park

Visitors to Guadalupe Mountain may camp at either Pine Springs, near the visitors' headquarters, or at Dog Canyon, on the north side of the park. Pine Spring offers 20 full service campsites with potable water, pay phones, flush toilets, and access to a soda machine. Dog Canyon is more secluded with only nine tent sites and four RV sites. Dog Canyon, in a slightly cooler climate due to its elevation, has no showers but flush toilets and sinks in restrooms.

Sources:

• National Park Service: Amistad National Recreation Area
• National Park Service: Big Bend National Park: Campgrounds
• National Park Service: Padre Island National Seashore
• National Park Service: Lake Meredith National Recreation Area
• National Park Service: Guadalupe Mountains National Park