For our November Best Campgrounds Series, we asked Carla Mowell, D’Nita of the Tentless Texans and Jerry Thacker to share with us their favorite campgrounds in Texas.
Davis Mountains State Park – Fort Davis, TX
Photo by Meant For Adventure
Texas has 99 listings in their directory of state parks – my goal is to see them all in the next 5 years – so far I’ve been to 26 of them, with Davis Mountains State Park being my favorite! It is in the mountainous desert terrain of the Big Bend, and located less than 2 hours from Big Bend National Park. I loved the woodsy setting and proximity to historic Fort Davis and McDonald Observatory. There is a really nice trail with a great view, quite close to the campground. It’s a perfect place to enjoy the sunrise or sunset. The nearby historic Indian Lodge hotel is beautiful if you have non-campers in your group (they have a pool and café that are a nice treat). – CarlaMowell
Galveston Island State Park – Galveston, TX
Photo by Tentless Texans
We really are “lake people”, but since we live only 45 minutes from Galveston, Galveston Island State Park has become our “go to” park for a quick and relaxing getaway. The park has beach side campsites and bayside campsites. We prefer the bayside as we get to avoid the sand in the camper. Plus, on the bayside, there is easy access to wade fishing, kayaking, and walking through the bird trails. The beach is a quick drive across the road. All of the restrooms have been recently remodeled and some are completely new. If you decide to stay on the beach side, you just walk over the dunes to the beach. I want to add that the beach this year is the nicest I’ve seen in years! The added bonus of camping in Galveston is the access to all the shopping and restaurants in the area and on the strand. A trip to Galveston is not complete without a trip to the best old fashioned candy store called La Kings. – D’Nita, Tentless Texans
McKinney Falls State Park – Austin, TX
Photo by Kate at The Scenic Route
My favorite Texas Campground is McKinney Falls State Park.
The great thing about McKinney Falls State Park is that you are in the city limits of Austin, but you feel like you are miles away. The park offers spacious sites, hike and bike trails, upper and lower falls. The upper falls are perfect for swimming. You can literally jump from the top of the falls to the pool below. The lower falls are worth visiting as well. You are treated to an almost moonscape-like terrain down to the falls. It is more for viewing than swimming, but is worth seeing because of the unique terrain.
The big benefit of this campground is the access to the city. It is only ten minutes from everything Austin has to offer: great dining, beautiful parks, town lake, the best Whole Foods in Texas and endless natural sites. That is why I pick McKinney Falls State Park as my favorite campground in Texas. It’s the best of both worlds! – Jerry Thacker
