Texas has more than 90 state parks throughout the state. Maintained by the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department, the state parks offer many outdoor recreation options, plus sites for camping with a tent, trailer or recreational vehicle. And the mild southern climate of Texas makes camping a feasible year-round activity. Texas state parks offer features like free fishing within the state parks, guided cave tours and unique historical sites.
Facilities
From primitive and hike-in or boat-to campsites to full-service hookups, Texas state parks offer campsites that suit all sorts of campers. Sea Rim State Park, located in the southeast portion of the state, offers primitive campsites that can be reached by either hiking or boating in. Other state parks, including Abilene State Park, Caddo Lake State Park and Lake Corpus Christi State Park, feature electric, water and sewer hookups, as well as Wi-Fi Internet access. Check with individual parks to see what sort of facilities are available.
Activities
There is a wide range of activities that can be enjoyed at Texas state parks and from their adjoining campsites. From biking and geocaching to hiking, horseback riding and boating, active campers will find many activities to keep them moving. You can even fish for free; once you've paid entrance fees to a Texas state park, you are allowed to fish within its boundaries without a fishing license or stamp. Spelunkers can explore the caves at Colorado Bend State Park, Longhorn Cavern State Park, Kickapoo Cavern State Park and Devil's Sinkhole State Natural Area. In order to protect the non-renewable natural resources, caves in Texas, state parks can only be explored during guided tours.
Scenery
From red rock canyons in the north and west portions of the state to the Big Hill country of south Texas and the marshes and wetlands of the Gulf of Mexico in the south, Texas has a wide variety of landscapes that are viewable and accessible from state park campsites. Four Texas State Parks offer adventurous visitors views of waterfalls. From Pedernales Falls State Park, which has a 300-foot waterfall, and McKinney Falls State Park to Big Bend Ranch State Park and Colorado Bend State Park, visitors can set up camp and hike, bike or horseback ride out to the waterfalls.
Backpack Camping
A handful of Texas state parks have trails with access to walk-in campsites. Lake Mineral Wells State Park and Bastrop State Park both have trails that are less than 10 miles long. If you're looking for a longer hiking and camping trip, check out San Angelo State Park, which has 50 miles of trails, or Caprock Canyons State Park, with its 64-mile trailway that is open to hikers, bikers and horseback riders.
Considerations
Most Texas state parks campgrounds have fire rings, grills and fireplaces that can be used for campfires. However, if the county in which the state park is located has a burn ban, fires are prohibited. If you plan more than one visit per year to Texas state parks and campgrounds, consider purchasing a Texas State Park Pass. For a $60 annual fee, the pass will allow you entrance to Texas state parks, as well as camping discounts.
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