Best Equestrian Camping near Arlington, TX

Roberts Lake State Park has two main campgrounds, the Isle du Bois unit and Johnson unit. These are what I would call twins. They are very similar in layout, scenery and activities. They are on opposite sides of the lake.

Isle du Bois is a little different in that it has legitimate equestrian camp sites with horse pens built into each site. The park has several equestrian trails and is perfect if you like to ride and camp with your horse.

The rest of the park has several walk-in camp sites and then a section for campers and RV's. It is a good park and I would normally rate this park as a three but I think that all of the equestrian activities and amenities for horses moves it up to a four.

This place is just far enough from DFW to not be to far. Great place to camp, fish and hike. Bring your horses for a equestrian trail as well. Great beach for some sand castles and swimming. And don't forget to hit the Dam store and get the dam special. Good burgers there.

The first thing that brought me here was the option to fish without a license! It's been several years now since my wife and I stayed here the first time. It's a good size park with several options for activities: boating, fishing, picnicking, equestrian, hiking, camping, etc. The trails are thorough through the park. The lakefront is great as it gives you a good sense of the size of the lake. I'm looking forward to our next stay here!

This place fits me. Dog park, horse stall rentals, storage unit rentals, recreation room, bathrooms and showers, tiny home rentals. Most people stay here long term. Country feel but not far from Walmart, gas stations, eateries, etc...

For a more tranquil experience, book a site at the Hawthorne grounds. Showers are available at Deer Ridge and Quail Run campgrounds (less primitive). Hawthorne has water, restrooms, and some tree coverage. “Luxury” camping features can be found at other grounds (ex. Fish cleaning, electric). Camping tends to book up fast so plan your trip in advance. Fishing, swimming, lots of trails (horse, hike, bike).

Campground Review

I spent a night at Holiday Park which is one of three on Benbrook lake. It used to be father outside of town, but as the suburbs creep in, it is slowly becoming surrounded. In fact, it appears part of the property had been sold off for development as one camp road ended and houses began. It must be a wonderful perk for those residents to be able to just walk in for swimming or fishing. I neglected to do a satellite view before choosing my spot, so I was in one of the handful that had no trees. It was fine though as there are covered tables and the polls were strong enough to hold me in a hammock as well as put up shade. I was also right on the water, so there was a nice breeze.

If you’re into fishing, this spot is for you. Every couple of minutes there was a “plop” from another fish popping out of the water. If you have a small boat, you could drop in right from your site and head out across the lake. Take care though, there are a few boats and some moving pretty quick.

Love wildlife? There were dozens of deer out of all sizes. I came across 5 different groups of them as I was driving around taking in the entire campground. Of course, where there are deer there are ticks. Make sure to use insect repellent and give yourself a check.

The toilets and showers are showing their age, so they are not for the squeamish. There are no hiking trails to speak of, but they do have an equestrian trail and sites if you have horses. Bicyclists seem to love it here as I saw dozens riding the streets. I got to barely hear a Friday night football game being called across the lake with bright stadium lights and all. Site prices were $14 for just the covered table or $28 with water and electric

Pros

• Close to town
• Easy online check in
• Friendly park staff
• Access to various water sports

Cons

• City is encroaching
• Relatively expensive
• Not many hiking trails
• Aging facilities

Product Review

As a ranger for The Dyrt, I get to test products from time to time. I was given the opportunity to test the Hellagood blanket by Belmont Blanket. As a cover, it is very warm. The soft layer is a faux fur with medium plush. The other side is a rubbery, waterproof material. The soft side tended to hold onto debris and pet hair, but cleaned up with a few shakes. It's a bit heavy, weighing about 3 lbs, so it's not bad for day hikes, but I would not recommend it for long excursions. I laid it out on the wet ground and it is completely waterproof. If you camp in a rainy area, the blanket would act as a decent rain shield. It got a bit chill once the sun went down and the breeze came off the lake. Soft and warm by the fire. When I went to sleep, I realized I’d forgotten my pillow so I folded it up with the soft side out and slept like a baby. All in all, I love the blanket and look forward to using it on other trips.

Pros

• Soft
• Waterproof
• Washable
• Durable
• Handmade in the USA

Cons

• A bit heavy
• Tricky to roll up
• Kind of pricey

In the hot month of July 2020 I loaded up Little Red and headed out to spend several days camping at the Isle Du Bois Unit of Ray Roberts Lake. Located north of the greater DFW Metroplex Isle Du Bois is one of the busiest Texas State Parks in North Texas. Ray Roberts Lake is situated in the Cross Timbers region of Texas as a result there are plenty of big oak trees to provide shade and there is an abundance of wildlife as well. The Isle Du Bois unit features well over 2 miles of concrete hike and bike trails as well as one of the nicest beaches found in North Texas. Isle Du Bois State Park on Ray Roberts Lake is an excellent place to catch a whole lot of fish! A five lane boat ramp means there is very little wait time to launch and recover. No boat? No worries! Isle Du Bois features an excellent fishing pier and plenty of easy to access bank. Come along with me as I explore the Isle Du Bois Unit of Ray Roberts Lake State Park!

https://youtu.be/iS52vk-nY3o

It’s okay but it’s too pricey for how small it is. Good representation of Texas wildlife and a good spot for family camping. Lots of traffic and places for rvs and such. Good trail system

Big, beautiful Texas State Park. Very clean and nice level camping sites. The beach area was closed due to past flooding and cleaning but all else was open. My rig and I enjoyed site 136 🚐

St Patrick’s Day 2018 we head out to Cedar Hill State Park on the banks of Joe Pool Lake. Cedar Hill State Park is one big Texas State Park! With over 300 campsites you are sure to find one to your liking! A visit to the historical Penn Farm, heavy spring rains and lots of paved roads for scooting make this visit to Cedar Hill State Park a truly unique Texas State Park Visit for the Dude RV crew!

There are 5 camping loops in this park! If you are wanting a lakeside campsite there are many options. The 3 loops on the north end of the park are close to the very busy road so there is road noise all the time.

The Penn FArm exhibit is very cool for the whole family and is ADA compliant but a bit on the rough side for handicap scooters. 

The day use area was in need of some work on my visit but I think the day use area has since been rebuilt.

You can see the several videos of my visit on my YouTube...DudeRV

Cedar Hill State Park, Cedar Hill, TX Site# 42

Cedar Hill State Park is only 10 miles southwest of Dallas, but its topography will remind you of the Texas Hill Country. The park is situated on the shores of Joe Pool Lake and it features 30 primitive hike-in camp sites, over 300 wooded modern sites, and more than 1,200 acres of mountain bike terrain. The park also offers multiple boat ramps, kayak rentals, and a swimming beach.

Not as quiet and a bit more busy than most Texas state parks we frequent but the kids really enjoyed watching the planes and the skyline views at night. Cant beat full hookup either.

There are plenty of city comforts 10 minutes away. We stopped in the area mostly to disc golf and hang out at the campsite so didn't try any local places eat. At the park there is a nice variety of trails and lake access as well but there were lots of renovations going on so some of the areas were closed.

It was a great place to stop after dealing with the Dallas traffic heading south and will stay again.

I stayed at Abilene State Park the night before and loved it so I chose another Texas state park. I had some issues with getting settled. I was first put in a loop and site that was next to a freeway and it was just too loud. I was switched to another site that was too small for my 25’ rig. The third time was a charm. The staff was apologetic and helpful. One of the loops I tried had a bathroom closed down for renovation so I am not sure why they were putting people there. A lot of the infrastructure I saw was a bit dated. Overall a good park but not as nice as Abilene.  It needs some TLC.

The campground is nice and well maintained and sites are fairly well spaced with lots of grass, trees and open areas. The park staff were very friendly and helpful. We were in site 78 for 5 days. Only a few of the sites in the Deer Ridge campground loop looked level, fortunately ours was one of them, but we saw one 5th wheel with the wheels on one side off of the ground by several inches and one Class A whose front wheels were 8-10 inches off the ground. AT&T coverage was fairly good here, generally between 1-3 Bars of LTE service, with speeds up to 4.5 MB/s. There is no WiFi, cable or sewer hookup and the dump station can get a little busy around checkout time. Restrooms and showers were clean and the shower was nice and hot. 

If you don’t already have one, you do have to purchase a Texas State Parks Pass for$70, which did add considerably to the cost of our stay. 

There are quite a few trails in the area.

The campground is nice and well maintained and sites are well spaced with lots of grass, trees and/or open areas. The park staff were very friendly and helpful. This was our second stay in site 78, this time for 4 days in late March. There is no WiFi, cable or sewer hookup at the camp sites and the dump station can get a little busy around checkout time and is a goodly distance from the CG if you plan to use a portable waste cart. Restrooms and showers were clean and the shower was nice and hot. There is a nice paved 2.25 mile trail through the CG and the surrounding area.

AT&T coverage was not as good as the last time we stayed here a couple of yeas ago, with generally 1 Bar of 5G service and speeds up to 1 MB/s. We had an unobstructed view of the sky and so we were able to receive all 3 SW Dish satellites and good Starlink coverage with speeds between 2.5 and 4 MB/s. We didn’t try to load any OTA channels. 

You do have pay a daily$7/person entrance fee or purchase a Texas State Parks Pass for$70 if you don’t already have one, which did add considerably to the cost of our stay.

• Sites are first come first serve - there is no holding sites especially if you are going as a group
• No open fires - only propane or charcoal
• Bathrooms were nice, clean and air conditioned...definitely a couple of notches above the Texas State Parks   
• No wildlife here...just the human kind
• Nice shady sites but not a lot of elbow room (pretty cramped)
• Take lots of allergy medicine if you are allergic to Red Cedar
• 30 AMP sites with full hook ups
• A lot of kids activities - water melon eating contest, face painting, etc.
• Could see a lot of stars in the night sky
• Don't hang anything from the trees..will get in trouble
• No place to hang a garbage bag outside
• Overflowing trash dumpsters
• Propane filling station on the campground property
• Cell service with T-Mobile was sparse. Verizon seemed to work fine.

We got a free Thousand Trails membership from the dealership when we purchased our new camper so we decided to use it for Labor Day at Lake Whitney RV Campgrounds. We went with our camping buddies (theDyrt Ranger Jenny S and family) who also pulled their camper. The sites are first come first serve and there is no holding sites, so if you go as a group finding sites that are together is tough (several sites were bagged and not usable).  We picked Sites #6 and #83 on Loop B. Luckily these sites back up to each other and the kids could roam between the two sites. The sites were 30 AMPs with full hooks up and that part was nice. Didn't have to watch tank levels every time someone (kids) flushed. 

The campsites were pretty shady with red cedar trees which created havoc with my son's allergies. Poor kid was stuffed up the entire time we were there. The sites were pretty cramped, we were not able to extend our awning without hitting the tree branches. The road inside the campground is pretty beat up with lot of bumps. The amenities were nice - a family swimming pool, shuffleboard, washers, putt-putt golf. The campgrounds had several activities for Labor Day such as a water melon eating contest, frozen T-shirt contest which kept the kids entertained.

Don't hang anything on the trees. We had some LED light up and the park ranger had us take it down.  Was actually a little harsh about it. Following that encounter we took down the clothesline that we strung up to dry our swimming suits and wet towels. No place to hang a garbage bag either.

Politeness in customer service was hit or miss.

Our stay was free because of the Thousand Trails membership but otherwise each site goes for about $45/night. I'll do it again for free, if I have to pay...I will go down the street at Lake Whitney State Park for $25 with full hookups.

This city run park is one of our favorites, and only minutes from our home. All sites are paved, several are lake front, and the majority of them are well shaded. We camp here often - by ourselves, and with friends. Beach area and playgrounds are great, although you do have quite a few "day users." The park also has a boat ramp.

Spacious lots that are very easy to back into. Covered picnic tables, fire pit, and grill at each site.This is a fairly large park, but very quiet and peaceful. Lots of trees and birds. Would definitely recommend this park.

Public urination is not tolerated