Pampa is the second largest city in the Texas Panhandle plains, located about 60 miles northeast of Amarillo. It was settled by frontiersmen in 1902, and its rich Western heritage is proudly on display today with the rodeos Pampa is known to host. It is also an active town, and the city sponsors activities such as softball, volleyball and kickball. With its close proximity to lakes and grasslands, this makes it an ideal spot for an active traveler to set up camp.
RV Parks
The Red Deer Villa RV Ranch provides full hookup RV sites on its property, complete with patios and sidewalks. Wi-Fi and cable also are available, and the park is easily accessible to a public golf course as well as the area's three lakes.
There are hiking and biking trails as well as wildlife and birding trails for the nature enthusiast. As of 2010, the website advertises that showers are coming soon to the park.
Public Parks
Pampa's 134-acre public recreational park also provides RV camping for visitors with its 25 sites that have hookups for water and electricity. Traditional tent camping is also allowed with a permit and fees to cover after-hours restroom use or use of the showers.
The park has a 7-acre lake for fishing, and it also provides a sand volleyball court, indoor pistol range and has skeet shooting in addition to a hiking trail.
Panhandle Weather
There is a saying in the Panhandle. "If you don't like the weather, stick around a few minutes. It'll change." The climate here can range anywhere from 100-degree Fahrenheit weather in the summer to winter snowstorms.
This region is susceptible to dangerous thunderstorms which can contain tornadoes, and some RV parks such as Urban Hidden Acres provide storm shelters for their guests. Spring Meadow Mobile Home and RV Park also have carports to protect vehicles from hail.
Lake Meredith
Lake Meredith, located roughly 50 miles from Pampa, was created to provide water for 11 cities in the Panhandle. This large body of water also provides many recreational opportunities, such as boating, sailing and scuba diving.
Boating is so popular at this lake that the park service enforces boating regulations, and permits are required. Visitors also can hunt, fish and hike in the backcountry recreational area that surrounds the lake. There is no fee to camp on the campgrounds here, but no RV/trailer hookups are available.
McClellan Creek National Grasslands
In the 1930s, this area was rescued from the destruction of the Dust Bowl and restored to its natural state. McClellan Creek National Grasslands is 1,449 acres located approximately 30 miles south of Pampa and provides many recreational activities for visitors.
Open spaces invite horseback riders, as well as hikers and nature enthusiasts. There are several campgrounds in various areas of the grasslands, including full-hookup sites with access to Lake McClellan located on McClellan Creek.
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