Best State Parks To Camp In Texas

With easy lake access, you can set up camp before venturing deeper into the park for fishing, hiking, and biking. Located near the Superstition Mountains and just about 40 miles east of Phoenix is Arizona’s Lost Dutchman State Park. As you might suspect, the park is full of towering red rock formations, cacti, and enough hiking trails to keep you occupied for days.

And whether you’re interested in a cup of coffee or an evening cocktail, everything you’ve come to know and love is right at your fingertips. In this beautiful Pennsylvania state park, you’ll find natural water slides, fossils, great backpacking , and over 25 miles of mountain bike trails. The park is on the Palo Pinto Loop of the Great Texas Wildlife Trail as it is home to many bird species including herons, egrets, and bald eagles.

During these uncertain times, please keep safety in mind and consider adding destinations to your bucket list to visit at a later date. If you’re interested in taking this tour, you will need to schedule it with them. When you want to relax, you can also chill on the porch swings. It is the second-largest canyon in the country that lies in the heart of the Texas Panhandle.

Pennsylvania: French Creek State Park

There is access to the Greenbelt Corridor here, as well as other trails such as the 4.5 mile Jordan Park Trail, and 3.5 mile Elm Fork Trail, both of which run parallel to the shoreline. The Greenbelt Corridor is a 20 mile multi use path that runs from the Ray Roberts Dam to Lake Lewisville, and can accommodate horse riders, hikers, and bikers. When not in the water, stay in a cabin, developed campsite, or primitive campsite, from $10 to $135. Or hike on one of Possum Kingdom’s rustic trails, such as the 1.37 miles long Lakeview Trail, or the shorter Longhorn Trail or Chaparral Ridge Trail.

In addition to fewer people and more space than the Grand Canyon, you’ll find miles of trails suitable for hiking, biking, and horseback riding. Hocking Hills State Park almost feels like seven parks in one thanks to the varied terrain found within. You’ll find over 25 miles of trails, awe-inspiring rock formations, waterfalls, and plenty of caves, including Old Man’s Cave, Whispering Cave, and Ash Cave. Pedernales Falls, Photo by Tarlie HarrisWhen the Pedernales River is flowing, the water cascades down huge, limestone boulders in the falls section of Pedernales Falls State Park. No swimming is allowed in the falls area, however climbing and traversing the boulders is great fun, yielding unique views of the falls from every angle.

Why Youll Love Oak Creek Rv Park

Village Creek State Park is the perfect camping destination if you love to canoe or kayak. Its multiple paddling trails and launch points allow you the freedom to make this state park your playground for as many hours as your heart desires. Village Creek Paddling Trail, a 21-mile long journey, even has places to fish and camp along the way.

The half-mile Creekfield Nature Trail is an excellent first place to start exploring Brazos Bend. Information about the area lines this interpretive path alongside several wildlife viewing opportunities. Other trails, like the 40 Acre Lake Trail, offer the best chance to spot alligators. Electric campsites, screened shelters, and cabins are available at Brazos Bend State Park. From canyons in the Texas Panhandle to churning waves on the Southern Coast, the state is as varied as it is large. Several state parks are easy to reach from big cities in Texas, including Houston, Dallas, and Austin.

This makes the campground popular for tent campers interested in day hiking. Take advantage of the unique experience Monahans Sandhills State Park has to offer among the sand dunes. Speaking of reins, you might even see campers riding their horses, and if you have a long-nosed friend of your own, you can too! With sand disks for rent and unlimited space to roam, this is a great place to bring the whole family while remaining close to your campsite, nestled within the sandhills. You can also take the opportunity to learn all about this state park at the Dunagan’s Visitor Center. In the Isle Du Bois Unit, there are both developed campsites and primitive walk in sites, many of which are waterfront.

Camping In State Parks Of The United States

Various primitive and developed campsites are available, where you can get stunning views of the mountains in addition to a lodge and on-site motel. Spend your day hiking, bird-watching, or mountain biking, and when the sun goes down, there are various stargazing tours that are popular. For a unique experience, go birdwatching at the “best little bird blind in Texas” where you’ll find an enclosed viewing area and feeding station. Koke’e State Park offers tent camping and lodging with commanding views of the lush Kalalau Valley from 4,000 feet elevation.

Access to the Rio Grande river also means floating, fishing and rafting. Forty-eight species of mammals have been found in the park and over 300 species of birds have also been recorded. Keep an eye out for snakes, bats, mountain lions, mule deer, lizards, lizards, bighorn sheep and more.

Colorado Bend State Park

While hiking trails meander throughout this diverse area, the best way to explore Caddo Lake is by kayak or canoe. Waterfalls, rivers, caves, and trails, Colorado Bend State Park is the perfect paradise for all those who want to wander away through wilderness. Natural camping with tents, fishing, paddling, and giving in to the music of nature is the perfect way to enjoy this atmosphere. Exhaustive trails encourage you to go beyond your limits of hiking or biking, and after a challenge like that, it is best to wash it down under the cascades of this park. While most of these options are state parks and other nature preserves, El Cosmico is easily one of the more unique options in the state. The site sits on 21 acres and calls itself a “nomadic hotel and campground,” inviting visitors to pitch tents, trailers, stay in a yurt, or even a Sioux-style tepee.

Possum Kingdom State Park caters to those who love the water, with scuba diving and snorkeling, swimming, boating, and fishing. There is a boat ramp, a fishing pier, and a fish cleaning station, as well as canoe, wakeboard, kneeboard, water ski, and tube rentals. There is also a fishing supply store located within the park borders. The 18-mile long island earned its nickname from the species of horses that previously roamed freely on the island. The state park makes a great spot for sunbathing, surfing, fishing, and biking. Find the nearest accommodation for this park at Best Western Port Aransas.

In the summer, an outdoor musical drama about the lives of early settlers runs at Pioneer Amphitheater in the park. Campsites with water and electricity are available, as well as primitive drive-up sites and backpack camping areas. Near Amarillo in the Texas Panhandle, Palo Duro Canyon is also known as the Grand Canyon of Texas. A park road, built by the Civilian Conservation Corps, descends into the canyon and connects several campgrounds, hiking trails, and day-use areas.

It’s best to visit here in summer when the water is low so you can explore the dinosaur trackway. It’s easy to make family memories at the tranquil Lake Livingston State Park, which is located just an hour north of Houston. You can fish in one of the largest lakes in the state, soak up the scenic nature views on the quiet trails, or enjoy a camping adventure under the trees. There’s even a park store with souvenirs, snacks, drinks, and camping and fishing supplies.

Why Youll Love Hidden Valley Rv Park

Just an hour northwest of Austin, the park is the perfect weekend getaway in the summer where you can swim, boat, water ski, and scuba dive. Due to its constant lake level, the park is accessible all year round. A unique experience along the Gulf Coast, camping overnight on the Padre Island National Seashore is the perfect escape for beach lovers.

Experience both sea, sand, and wildlife viewing here, as the 70 miles of coastline, dunes, and prairies separate the Gulf of Mexico from the Laguna Madre. The longest remaining undeveloped stretch of barrier island in the world according to the U.S. National Park Service, a camping trip here offers days filled with the salty breeze running through your hair and serene sounds of the waves, a combination that is sure to have your worries melt away. Five year-round campgrounds are available for public use, where you’ll find remote stretches of seashore and plenty of water-based activities. Known as the “Grand Canyon of Texas,” Palo Duro Canyon is the second largest canyon in the U.S., located in the Texas Panhandle. The canyon is about 120 miles long and 20 miles wide and began forming a million years ago.

Caprock Canyons State Park & Trailway

So why not dust off the old adventurer’s cap and take the road less traveled? The “spring parks”, several natural springs gone state parks on the northern shore of the Gulf of Mexico, are less crowded gems. Swim with the massive sea cows (but don’t touch!) at Manatee Springs or kayak through a pristine river full of schools of fish at Rainbow Springs State Park. If you’re desperate to see an alligator, O’Leno in the state’s north will be your first easy sighting as you cross the Georgia border into the state. This Maine state park is huge, at 200,000 acres — so it’s no surprise that the recreation opportunities are endless. There are hundreds of miles of biking and hiking trails , lakes, streams, and, of course, excellent camping.