Best Tent Camping near Holly Beach, LA

This are has been hit by multiple hurricanes, flooding and fires. The rebuilding process is taking time but it is on it's way. Large viewing ponds of alligators, turtles and birds are surrounded by walking and biking trails for all different levels of activity. The sites are only full rv hookup because thats where the money is. Hopefully primative tent sites will open in the next year or two. Laundry, bathhouse and wifi are available. Ice, camping needs are NOT available for purchase but only an 8 minute drive away. Slight constant hum of traffic can be heard otherwise very quiet camp.

Small park with amenities. has a restroom. RV & tent spots available. very picturesque

This right here in Louisiana is a wonderful find. A great place you can kick back relax no hassles no problems listen to the ocean seagulls the wind. You can stay as long as you like just remember to pack it and pack it out unfortunately any real services are about 35 mi away so there is no quick run to the grocery store but it's just what you really want I look forward to coming back and visiting here many more times in the future.

If you like Louisiana Wildlife this is the place for you! I saw a couple of lounging alligators, egrets, snapping turtles, deer, and a chipmunk!!! I was kind of scared when I saw a sign on the trails warning of the gators! As far as RV camping, it wasn't a really nice area. The site we were in was 56, I don't reccomend it. Pretty unlevel and very close to other campers. When it rained, the water pooled on the backside and where the picnic table was. There was a shower house. It was old, but really clean.

The campground is located on the intracoastal waterway, just under a bridge. The sign says $4 for tents but the caretaker said it's $6 (still a bargain). He let us pay $4. Several of the sites had sheltered tables which was perfect for us since rain was in the forecast. The only problem was we were right on the water and near the bridge and my husband didn't sleep well with the traffic and boat noise. (I had a great night's sleep.) If you are a light sleeper I'd suggest a campsite away from both the water and the bridge. The showers were hot.

We camped here Memorial Weekend. The primitive camping on the beach gives an amazing view. The beach sand above the tide is so firm, that even a couple 5th wheel Camping trailers had driven out to primitive spots. The spaces are spaced out really far, though, so thankfully we could not hear the generators. The primitive "sites" are really just posts along the grass before the dune line that have a trash barrel. There is no real enforcement of how close you are to the post, and no designated tent pad or fire ring. You can just dig out an area of sand for your campfire.

There are no showers or restrooms for the beach. However, there are drop toilets in the RV camping area, that you can walk or drive to. There is also an outdoor shower in the day use area along with a spigot that we used to wash dishes.

If there is a light breeze, then camping here is awesome. Unfortunately, swarms of no-see-ums appear if the wind stops. The wind stopped during the middle of our second night, and we were bitten so many times that it looked like we had poison ivy. The little bugs found a way into our tent. We actually decided to skip out at bedtime on our third night because the wind died down again. The bugs were swarming us and our citronella candles, and nothing seemed to deter them.

On the marsh side, there are several paddling trails. The ranger station rents out canoes and kayaks by the hour. We saw a few alligators on those trails. On the beach, we were able to go crabbing. The beach gets pretty crowded during the day with lots of day use people playing and fishing, but they seemed to stay closer to the start of the beach and not come very far down into our primitive area.

Typical state park campground area to suite campers/rv's & tents. Must reserve sites for 2-day minimums or more on weekends. Many of the campsites are shaded. They have bath houses w/ showers and flush toilets. Since it is close to Lake Charles, LA and other towns, this park does get used by both locals and others. SHJSP is surrounded by water on 2 or 3 sides, and has low water areas within the park. Thus, it is a popular place to go for fishing, canoeing, kayaking. The birding is very good here most times of the year, and there is deer that live on state park property here. Mosquitos can be really rough here certain times of the year. Hiking trails are ok here, but nothing awesome, except a couple boardwalks & viewing platforms are nice.

This was a spur-of-the-moment trip from NW Arkansas so we could dip our toes in the ocean in the middle of winter. It's unfortunate that you have to go through Port Arthur to get to the state park, but totally worth it once you get there. WARNING: the mosquitoes are serious here. We have an Aliner and although we use pool noodles to seal gaps in the A-frame's roof, they found a way in--hundreds of them. We only stayed the one night because of it. Having said that, if you have a class A/B/C camper, you should be fine. I wouldn't recommend it to tent campers even with the best bug spray...and we went in December! Clean, beautiful facilities. You can park in a site, or if you don't want/need utilities, you're allowed to camp on the beach.

Campground Review

I have taken The Princesses to the coast three of the last four years for camping. We hit Galveston Island State Park and North Beach - Padre Island and had a mixed bag of struggles from sun burns to cloud bursts. I hadn’t visited Sea Rim, so that’s where we headed.

We arrived with little trouble taking a few of the back road highways to avoid going through Houston. We didn’t have to wait long to get checked it. We got to our site which had water and electricity, uncovered table, fire ring, garbage pole and plenty of flat area to place a tent. The first thing I noticed though was we were the only tent campers there. Everyone else was in RVs. The beach was a 300-meter hike over a boardwalk and was almost entirely vacant for our stay. There was a lot of wild life to see at night and the coastal waters were cool and inviting. There is lots of primitive camping if you choose to head down the beach.

The grounds are apparently being upgraded, which is a must. The only showers available were the outdoor, cold water for rinsing after being in the water. The toilets were unlit outhouses. The only concessions available for purchase are wood, ice and bug spray. Also, the temperature and humidity here didn’t seem to drop at all. It felt like a warm wet blanket all night. I’ve camped in some hot weather, but this was pretty miserable. We called it after the one night and headed to a hotel in Port Arthur.

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*****Product Review*****

As a Ranger for The Dyrt, I get to test products from time to time and had brought along a pair of Mishmi Takin Kameng Mid eVent waterproof hiking boot. They are light weight, cooling and basically water proof. I didn’t wear them much here, but I have been wearing them for hikes in my neighborhood trails.

https://youtu.be/uRwihvuiveg

I left my foot submerged for a while and my foot was dry. The sole has a solid grip for getting over terrain and the insole give you plenty of support. The boots are a little ridged out of the box, so take a little time to break them in.

Doesn't get much better. Boondocking on the beach. Shells everywhere. Hard beach surface to drive on.

This is a great spot that is way off the beaten path!  Rutherford Beach was awesome.  There is a dumpster there and a port o potty, but no hookups.  The sand was hard packed so we were able to pull our 31' Class A onto the sand with no issues.  The cell service is great and we had an awesome time.  It is in the middle of nowhere though so plan accordingly and stock up before you arrive!

The beach was easy access. Lots of room to pick a spot. New shells every day.

Not to many campers. Probably because it’s cold and windy today. You can drive on the beach. Plenty of Verizon cell service. The water is cold but the bird watching and drive here was beautiful, serene and no traffic (again cold, windy and February) There is a row of port of potties at entrance of beach. The camping is free

Easy access will lots of beach space to choose from.

This place is way out of the way you're going to be 45 minutes from the nearest Walmart. Cell phone service when it's working is good although there were two outages in the week I was there. There does not seem to be a time limit for staying, if there is it's not enforced. Plenty of spots along the ocean there's even two rows of compacted sand for a lot of it. Speaking of sand it will get everywhere in your camper. I was there beginning of February and the mosquitoes are relentless. Bring bug spray make sure it's got deet. Everyone I met there was very nice.

Apple Maps took me to the wrong place but Google maps took me exactly where I needed to be. If you see the sign for Rutherford beach “left” and Apple Maps tells you to keep going straight, just turn left and start following the signs. 2Wd accessible as long as you avoid some small pockets of soft sand. The mosquitoes mentioned in other reviews are not an issue when it’s 40 degrees and windy! Lol Also, this location is very far from most grocery stores and gas stations (about 30-45mins) so plan accordingly. Cops will roll through once or twice a day just to check on people.

overall good place to set up. There were some controlled burns in the area so a little smoky. There are porta-johns at the entrance.

Awesome free beach camping. As previously stated amenities are still here

I don't think I'll ever get over how cool it is to camp directly on the beach, for free.

There were lots of other RVs and vans here when we stayed in early March, but there was plenty of room for everyone to spread out all in a long line along the beach.

Lots of people here fishing, both day use and overnight campers.

There are porta potties and garbage bins near the entrance, and a large dumpster and a water spigot kit outside the entrance.

The sand here is crushed shells, so not so soft for bare feet.

A bit of wind at times, but maybe that's why we had no bugs.

The water looks kind of murky, not dirty, and some locals told us when the wind is just right the water is super muddy.

Lots and lots of huge shells here.

Beautiful sunset.

Good cell service for att and Verizon.

Variety of users groups regarding camping style and demographic groups. Plenty of local flavor on the weekends. Overall friendly folks. Frequently patrolled by local deputies.

The sand is packed hard enough to pull a trailer right onto the beach. Plenty of room and there are dumpsters, an outside shower and a water spigot. The kids loved fishing right from camp.

Quite and perfect. Beautiful breezes and in the heat I welcome it. I am very impressed and will come Back.

Our trailer has narrow tires that are hard to pull on most beaches. The sand here packs well and supports our camper. You will need to be self contained. No hookups here. There are port-a-potties and sometimes food trucks on weekends.