Best Dog-Friendly Camping near Abilene, TX

We stayed in a tent only spot for 8 days in Dec. Really quiet even with a trail behind us. Lots of winding beautiful trails. One of the cheaper Texas State Parks so the trails aren't very long.

BUT the real hidden gem was in the bathroom by the yurts. They have a disabled shower. So it's within reach and the showerhead is lower. Awesome to use to clean my toddler without getting drenched.

Felt very safe, even walking around past dark. We saw feral hogs a few times at dusk. Really loved it.

The playground isn't very good but you are 20 minutes from Abilene with oodles of great parks and a small zoo.

We stayed here twice 10 days apart in December since it was convenient incident to a longer trip. Our first site was in Oak Grove which I thought was much superior to Pecan Grove, site-wise. Pecan Grove 66 was by some nice warm clean bathrooms and showers but the site was up a steep slant and was just barely long enough for our 24 foot trailer. The park host came by and checked on us which was kind. Both sites had oak tree shade and picnic tables and were paved with asphalt.

Sites are electric and have water and 50/30 but no sewer. There’s a simple dump station.

There was a burn ban on but you could definitely smell wood fires both nights.

Small playground, easy hiking trails, and plenty of birds and nature walks. In the summer they have a pool which looked like it would be really nice. Not far from Abilene, we visited the zoo there.

Fairly new park on top of hill. Stayed long term so very familiar with park. Next to I-20 so there’s that. Good pool, dog park, laundromat with pay per load on machines-card. Hard Gravel parking- most sites not completely level, astroturf yard. Roads are asphalt paved so great for walks. Did not use showers. Good sewer, water pressure and 50/30 amp available-included for overnight. Good Spots just for overnight folks-Pull through. Backin long term-very good- best in area for electric kWh price. Good long term rent price. First A.I. mega center being built in the area so wait list long term.

Honestly this place is way better than i anticipated. Gated, clean, several of the sites have a covered veranda over the private picnic tables. Dog park with separate areas for small and large breed dogs. Full hook up w/ 50 amp and well spaced out sites. The grass is nice too (a lot of places are mainly weeds and stickers/thorns that my dog doesn’t want walk in). $52 for one night so a bit pricey for us to stay longer than a couple days but definitely a good place to stop that i feel is clean and safe. Others complained of hearing a train but we were there in the summer and with our a/c on i can’t hear any exterior noises

The name is a little bit of a misnomer, because if you are from Texas…camping in Abilene doesn't sound that great.

The park is closer to Buffalo Gap, south of Abilene proper and well off of I-20.

Tent and RV camping options are available as well as yurts and screened shelters. All RV spots have water and electric, and a few spots have sewer.

This is not a place to do hardcore hiking or biking or back country camping. This is a developed park and not super big.

The pros though are easy trails that kids and all levels can hike and bike. The sites are well developed and make for easy camping. In the summer it is extremely hot but the pool is fabulous and you can even rent kayaks/canoes to take on Lake Abilene.

It is a chill campground, a great way to spend a long weekend in the summer hitting the pool and cruising around on your bike. A place you can let your kids roam free and explore.

Abilene State Park is an interesting park to visit in the middle of Texas. The park is a short drive from the City of Abilene so it receives quite a few visitors on the weekend. During the weekday, you'll find considerably more peace and quiet. 

You can pick up supplies in the city and there is also a small store within the park office with some snacks and souvenirs.

The park has a nice grove of trees scattered around the open spaces and the campsites which can provide sanctuary shade from the summer sun. The campsites have clearings for tents, picnic tables, fire pits and water. There are restrooms nearby which have sinks, toilets and shower, all of which could stand some updating. There's a swimming pool which is often the main attraction of this park. 

When I was planning a visit to the park I thought that it would be nice to be right on the shores of Lake Abilene. However, I discovered that the main park area and campsites are in one area and the access point to the lake is in another area. You actually need to drive outside of the park, down the road and enter into another part of the park. There's a dirt road to access the lakefront and once you are at the lakefront there is a little beach. I guess that this is one reason why so many people appear to prefer hanging out at the swimming pool. 

The arrangement of the facilities is a little strange and many of the facilities could use an update. For this reason I only rate this park 3 out of 5.

This trip was an odd one for us because we had additional family members who aren't outdoorsy joining us. Tent camping did not appeal to them so we reserved one of the yurts that Abilene State Park boasts. The yurt had electricity, a mini fridge, fan, and a small air conditioner. Even with the AC on it was well over 90° in the yurt, which we weren't thrilled about, especially since we had an elderly family member with some health issues in our group. Otherwise, the park is fine. It has a nice pool, easy walking trails, and access to a lake that is strangely located outside of the park a few miles down the road. The facilities were nice and the staff memebers werw mostly polite and helpful. I wouldn't recommend the yurts, but then again that's not really my thing to begin with.