Best Dog-Friendly Camping near Amistad National Recreation Area

The Southwinds marina is a nice area within the Amistad National Recreation Area with a boat ramp and camping. The boat ramp is open to the public but the camping options and boat rentals were reserved for military and law enforcement only as of 2013. Users often come from Laughlin Air Force Base, which is located on the eastern edge of Del Rio. U.S. Border Patrol also have access. I’ve never camped here but it’s a nice place.

We stayed 2 nights at San Pedro, using it as a base camp to explore Amistad National Recreation Area. It's very close to the Spur 454 boat ramp, which we used to launch our kayak. You can also get over Diablo East, Governor's Landing, and the Figueroa trail for good hiking by driving maybe 10 minutes. 

The non-tent sites all have covered picnic tables with a concrete pad and charcoal grill. There are quite a few pit toilets dispersed amongst the sites. There doesn't seem to be anyway to get down closer to the lake from this campground. 

When we were there, we saw 4 - 5 other campers in the campground and everyone setup spaced apart. We heard lots of coyotes in the distance just after sunset.

Two sunsets that went on and on, we hiked the Canyon Rim- Presa Overlook trails and back ( about 3 mi worth). We live in the PNW, so desert is not home territory for us. Much of the beauty is subtle, and Seminole Canyon really shines.

There is a small well done history museum in the Park Headquarters. Everything looks new and clean; restrooms, campsites are level, most have shelters. The trails are well marked and well mapped. It’s one of the best-designed and maintained camps I have been to.

They offer guided tours to the nearby Pictograph site; some of the pictographs apparently go back as far as 10,000 years. You purchase tickets for these tours and some moderately challenging hiking is required.

All in all, it’s a pretty fabulous place. But I sort of wish we didn’t bring our dog. It’s not a very pet-friendly environment because the desert is like that.

Cactus, no trees, hot sun. This is west Texas! Seriously, it’s a nice campground with covered picnic tables. Plenty of areas to walk with your dog. Just watch out for the cactus and thorn bushes. Sites are spaced and as private as you can be when there are no trees. Would I stay here again? Definitely if coming through the area. Beautiful stars and sunsets are an added bonus

Camp, hike, mountain bike, geocache and study history and nature. With guided tours into on of the most preserved and spectacular dwellings with rock art. This is a part of Texas that is a must see!

Campground is located just a few miles from Del Rio, Texas and is part of the Lake Amistad Nat'l Rec Area. Great location if your looking for a safe, quiet, level, overnight stay location with good cell service signal (AT&T). Not so good if you're here to enjoy the water as there is any lake access from the campground proper (hence the 4 versus 5 star rating). Nevertheless, very clean and numerous pit toilets, covered picnic tables, and 30 or so level sites await the road weary RVer. And if you do want to enjoy the lake, lake access is a few miles nearby.

Ok. On to the next. Its just north of Del Rio, TX...named the nations friendlist boarder town. Crime rate is reportedly almost non existent around here. I did notice a TON of boarder patrol agents and police cruising everywhere around here......anyway, this is yet another campground maintained by the national park service and they do a great job. Not quite boondocking perse..... but 10 bucks a night, 5 If your a senior. First come, first served. Only 15 spots. Can stay 14 days. Was talking to one of the park service workers and he gave me the scoop on a couple other nice spots around here and still part of this national recreation area....ill stay a couple night here, than I'll check them out.. (big bend will just have to wait). No hook ups but I don't need them. My solar is cranking away. There are several potable water stations, trash cans and vault toilets if ya need them. Some sites are level, some aren't. Vzw and att Cell/data service are both strong. Laughlin Air Force base is about 20 minutes south of here and is the largest air force training base in the country. ~350 air force pilots graduate from there every year. More planes take off and land there everyday than any other airport in the country....when I was driving in on rt 90...there was a steady stream of Talons coming and going....right over the road. I hear them buzzing around the lake too. This lake...is really a reservoir. Lake Amistad was a joint project between the US and Mexico. The damn was completed in 1969. Amistad means "friendship". It was made from both the Rio grande and the Devils Rivers. It covers almost 65,000 acres, 851 miles of shoreline (574 in Texas...rest in Mexico) and has a max depth of 217' and like many bodies of water in the SW water levels are low, however it is still a popular rec area and is well known for fantastic bass fishing. Several televised Pro tournaments are held here each year. It is the 2nd biggest lake in Texas. Pretty impressive right? Yeah...glad I stopped! Quiz to follow later...lol.

I camped here with my granddaughters and had a wonderful time. This is a small park that is centered around two main attractions. First is the actual cavern. Kickapoo Cavern is a moderate size cavern and completely undeveloped. The park staff conducts a hard hat and flashlight tour once a week, so reservations are a must. Next is the Stuart Bat Cave. About 1 million Mexican Free-tail Bats exit the cave at sunset to search for food. The viewing area is very nice and handicap accessible. You can also watch them return, which is quite impressive, if you get there before sunrise. Also there are many hiking trails to occupy the rest of your time.

The park has several campsites with full hookups. There is a dump station and fires are allowed in fire rings. Be sure to check the park website because the bats are seasonal and the park may not be open 7 days a week.

All in all this is one of the hidden gems in the Texas state park system.

This campground is your typical Texas desert environment, and has awesome pictographs that you can view via guided tour! There are hiking trails that trace the rim of the Seminole Canyon and have views of the Rio Grande. We did the Fate Bell guided tour which is not very strenuous and takes you down into the canyon to see 4000 year old pictographs. Definitely worth it as they are fading due to man made changes in the environment and won't be visible to the eye much longer.

We stayed in site 6, which was a bit disappointing. Since you're in a desert there's not much to divide the sites, but they are spacious. The prime real estate is in the loop with sites 18 - 31. The outer sites on that loop have a really great view! The no hookup sites on the other loop (9, 10, 11, 13) also have nice views. The primitive camping area is actually pull through RV sites that just never got their hookups so if you're up for camping with no hookups those sites can accommodate large rigs. 

Don't miss taking a few mile drive to the west to check out the Pecos High Bridge views!

Seminole Canyon State Park is located in the southwest part of Texas. The Rio Grande River and the Pecos River run through the park and have shaped the history of the area. The park is in the dessert, so the late fall, winter and early spring are the best times to visit. The summer can be very hot. The campground has developed sites with water and electricity, basic sites with water, and primitive sights without amenities. Some of the campsites have shade shelters and if one is available I highly recommend that you take it. The sun and heat can be brutal. Bring a tarp which can be tied up to the shelter for additional shade. The distinguishing feature of this park is the rock art. The art has been left in the area by different people groups over different eras. The Fate Bell Tour is the basic tour which is led by park staff. It provides an excellent overview of the history and rock art in the park. There are other tours to offsite locations that are also worth a visit if you have time. The White Shaman, Curly Tail Panther, Painted Shelter and Bonfire Shelter tours are all great. If you need a respite from the heat visit the nearby town of Langtry and stop in at the Judge Roy Bean museum. The museum contains some displays and a film about the Law West of the Pecos. One of the best features of the museum is that it also has cool water and air conditioning to escape the heat. ;)

Just 5 miles outside of Del Rio, Texas lies the limestone lined Amistad Reservoir which gathers the waters of the Rio Grande river on its journey to the gulf. Amistad means friendship, and as a dam project, was co-sponsored by the US and Mexico.  This park is a confluence of three distinct ecosystems, which makes the flora extra special.

There are many developed campgrounds throughout the Recreation Area, the San Pedro campground has a few sites that offer more privacy away from the main campground, and dozens in the larger, more open area.  Each is set up with a grill, picnic table and shade shelter. A large group campsite is available for reservation, but not during COVID. There are no electrical hook-ups (bring your solar!), and no water available at this campground.  Pit toilets were clean and hopefully they'll fix the lock on the doors soon (in the meantime, just use a stick).  Whaddya want for 6 bucks a night?  The stay limit is 2 weeks, and the rangers do check.

San Pedro is further away from the water than some of the other camping areas, but it was quiet, comfortable and lovely. Since the Verizon signal was super strong we were able to get a ton of things accomplished while also squeezing in some hikes, bikes, paddles, and runs. There are a few trails around, but lots of quiet dirt roads to stay active.  The boat launch was a short 2 mile drive away. And of course the crystal blue lake offers everything from swimming, fishing, paddling, and powerboating.

Del Rio is one of the larger cities along the border between Loredo and El Paso, so there really isn't much you can't get in town just a short drive away. We even got some work done on our truck and were able to just bike back to the campground whiel it was in the shop.  Drinking water can be filled at the Diablo East Campground dump station, about 4 miles away for no charge, and of course the town is full of water filling kiosks like all southern desert towns.

Devils River SNA is one of my most favorite parks in the Texas Parks system. I've been here only twice but both times this park was amazing.

Things you should know before you go:

*Cell service with ATT is non-existent (Not reliable at all. I had one bar along the river in certain areas and the rest of the time no bars)

*All of the campsites are offgrid, no electric, no water, no shade. Just a picnic table. Bring a canopy or umbrella because it can get very hot in the summer. There are no trees near the campsites as this is a borderline desert ecosystem.

*The river is the main attraction. It is pristine, clear, see-through untouched river system. Alligator gar and other fish are visible from the river side. Water can be deep in some areas so swim with caution. The river also flows at elevated speed in some areas so be careful. Generally you are fine swimming in the summer though. The water is cold.

*The river is day-use only. You cant camp alongside it, which sucks but it's meant this way to protect the river. Some people are dumb and litter or pollute.. they ruin it for the rest of us.

*The park is about 1hr off a highway, back on gravel and dirt roads. A 4x4 vehicle is recommended but not necessary. First time I went I had a 2x4 ford explorer and it was fine.. however there are certain mud holes along the way to the park, so be aware of that. The roads to the park are rough, cant drive faster than 20mph, which is why it takes 1hr to get to there.

*Top off your gas tank before you go to the park... there is no gas station within 1.5hrs or so of the park itself. Bring extra gas with you if you can. Again, cell service is almost non-existent around the park area... traffic is light, so you will be in a pickle if you run out of gas.

*There are only a handful of campsites, so reserve ahead.

*There is no vehicle access to the river. You basically drive from the campsite to a parking lot and then hike to the river about 1.5miles up two steep inclines and then down a hill to the river. Carrying a cooler sucked. Along with fishing gear and chairs. We brought a wagon the 2nd time we went.

*There is no ADA access to the river. No vehicle access, period.

*Ground fires not permitted. There is no water.

*There is one set of bathrooms are the park office - they are far from the campsites, so you'll need to drive to it if you need to use it.

*No electricity in the park whatsoever. Bring a battery for your electronics.

*Watch the weather... the river swells when it pours or storms. You dont want to be around it when that happens. The campsites are safe though... there is a creek between the campsites and park exit.. so if it does storm bad, you could be trapped. Defintely monitor weather and leave the park if it gets questionable.

*Again, there is no electricity in the park. It is pitch black when night falls. Have plenty of flashlights, batteries. It is pitch black out there.

*Stargazing is great and worth the drive to the park. Enjoy it.

Overall, this park is awesome. I'm glad it isn't popular. This being said, if you have time, visit this park. You will not regret it. Will add pics later.

My son and I tent camped at Spur 406 at Lake Amistad circa 2010 when the lake was high before the drought of 2011 and the low lake levels afterward. Simple campground with several sites. Great place near Highway 90 to camp. There wasn’t anyone else camping there that night. It’s on the opposite side of the lake from Del Rio and it gets very dark. There were lots of stars. We went wading in the lake at night where the old highway enters the lake and it’s easy to walk in the water or swim there farther out. The next day we caught a yellow scorpion in a jar and later released it. Good times. There was a simple bathroom. The sites have grills and maybe metal shade structures and picnic tables. There are no RV hook-ups but the road and sites might be conducive to RVs and trailers. The spur is a good 2-lane paved road but I don’t remember how big all the sites are. Per 2020 official website, camping fee was $6/night. Great place.

Stopped by here on a road trip in November 2020. Site fee was $6 if you wanted a covered spot, but there were dispersed sites down a dirt road off the left of the main road.

Main camping area did have one pit toilet. The road runs directly into a boat ramp at the end and there was plenty of shoreline for day use, hiking, and biking.

Lots of angler on boats out on the lake, but none on the shoreline when I was there.

Would've loved to get out for a paddle, but the winds were high and consistent for the two days I was there.

Would highly recommend!

We were planning on staying there Sunday, May 9, 2021. The only bathroom did not have a toilet seat. As two women, this was problematic. We opted not to stay.

Towering cliffs along the water. Rent or bring a bot and explore the whole waterway network. Also hiking trails. Visitor Center worth checking out too. Some camp sites are very private. Clean and well maintained as I’d expect from a national land site. Really neat site, check it out if you’re in the area.

These campsites are very nice. Each one had a shaded picnic table and a fine gravel tent pad. There are pit privies near each site. Sunsets and sunrises are gorgeous, stars are fantastic. Only downside is the noise from the highway is quite loud and there’s some light pollution from the highway as well.

This small campground sits high above the banks of the Amistad Reservoir, but unfortunately, a little too close to HWY 90. The campsites enjoy a stunning view of the Chihuahuan Desert landscape and the water. The sites are spacious with lots of room for bigger rigs, and enjoy a shade structure over the picnic table area. 

With potable water and clean pit toilets this campsite is worth the inexpensive fee.  Bring your solar panel because there are no electrical hookups.  With water recreation opportunities just a stone’s throw away, the boat launch is just below the campground, you can escape the heat of the day. There are just a few hiking trails nearby for more land-based recreation. 

We spent just one night at the campground and it was an easy drive in and park situation. But we found the numerous trucks along the highway a little disruptive of our sleep starting around 4 am, when they begin to hit the road. There are other campgrounds along the Amistad Reservoir that are not as impacted by the road, and they are definitely worth a look. 

The city of Del Rio, TX is a short drive away where you can get anything, including a Starbuck’s coffee – which has become, for us, the indicator of modern suburbia. Be sure to check out some of the amazing Mexican Food of this well-integrated, bi-lingual, boarder town.

First bathroom completely trashed, second bathroom, someone left the door open and the seat of the pit toilet up...was swarming with flies. Opted not to stay, witch was a shame because it was gorgeous otherwise.

Great views of the lake. Just a short hike down to the water. Best swimming area is under the bridge. Just $10 ($5w/pass). Vault toilets and water every few sites.

This campground has running water, pit toilets, and well maintained campsites (small camper van or tent - not good for big rigs). First come availability- we pulled in at 7pm and had plenty of spaces to choose from. No electric Beautiful views of the water Safe and clean Credit cards only to pay fee ($10)

The campsites were well maintained and the bathrooms were clean. The views are fantastic and all the other campers were respectful. NPS came through in the morning and checked the garbages and bathrooms. I would stay here again!

This is a small well maintained campsite next to the main road. It had potable water, clean sites, clean bathrooms, tent pads, BBQ, picnic table with shade covers, day use area and NPS workers showed up. It had an easy check in kiosk where we used a credit card. The sites that were on top of hill have a lot of road noise. The sites that sit lower and also further away would be your best bet. 15 was flat but noisy. There were not many sites available when we pulled in at night. 4? Available at 7pm on a Sunday.

Everything you would want out of a cheap campground. This was our first stop in our week long van-camping trip. We swung by the dispersed site past the reservoir going west on 90, but it was occupied by a large family with very little room left. Right before crossing the reservoir we noticed a campground overlooking the water and it looked somewhat open. The map showed it to be Governor’s landing and guided us into a sketchy road off the highway under the bridge, but once we entered the campground you can see Amistad Reservoir in all its glory.

$10 a night and first come first serve so you should get there early enough to find a spot facing the the water. You can hear the highway for sure but I didn’t mind it. The wind, on the other hand, was a challenge. I learned it’s more efficient to cook in a charcoal grill than a gas stove with high winds. The winds were so high, the overhang of my roof top tent lifted up taking the ladder up with it. By the way, if you ever get into that situation, tie down your tent to your vehicle. You’ll thank me later.

Come to find out, that wind fed a storm that freaked both us out inside our tent! We’ve weathered a storm before in the tent, but the added high winds had us holding on all night.

Concluding my review of this place, we went back as a bookend to our trip because we did love the place and learned how to deal with high winds since. Then, of course, we were hit with a storm. Again. Same camp. Same time. Same day of the week. But this time we sealed up the tent tight and hung out in the van watching movies on an iPad using the car stereo to over power the thunderous storm.

We see you Governor’s Landing. We’ll be back. We still love you.