Best Dog-Friendly Camping near Austin, TX

We came for the month of January to camp next to friends. It’s a family RV park and has nice amenities. We are just outgrowing the atmosphere. It’s nothing against the park, we just have a teenager. (14) I recommend it for any families with younger kids! If you have a teen who rolls their eyes as a bounce pillow and isn’t interested in miniature golf, probably keep looking.

Our site is wooded and has a nice fire pit—but unfortunately right now there is a burn ban in Comal County.

Pet friendly! Has a small dog park.

Pedernales is a classic Texas state park with a lot to offer and a short distance from Austin. It is often fully booked and your best chance to book a spot is far in advance or create a notification through the Texas State Parks site if a spot opens up. In the warm weather there's lots of swimming to be had, not in the falls themselves which are prone to flash flooding, but in another part of the park. Occasionally the water is home to poisonous algae which makes the water neither kid or dog friendly. Many of the sites have small shelters over their picnic tables.

McKinney Falls is great because it is in such close striking distance from Austin. It's not a spectacularly huge park, but the falls are definitely worth the visit. Especially on a hot summer's day! There are plenty of awesome shade trees to hang out under and catch a nap too.

If you're not able to drive far, McKinney Falls is a nice quiet getaway. It's a typical state park where you're pretty close to your neighbor, but there are a few good spots that give you space. The Airport is nearby so you'l get some of the air traffic noise, but other than that it's a nice quiet break away from Austin.

Large, spaced out sites with nicely covered picnic tables, lantern hook, and fire pit. It was nice to not easily see your neighbor. This park has it all with very many miles of trails for good hiking, rugged mountain biking, and has the beautiful falls to explore. You can even swim in parts of the river. This place is a gem and is not very far away from Austin! Two downsides: no cell service in the campground and only one dump station for quite a few RVs.

Honestly, the price wasn't too bad. Gated community with concierge service to your site. Most sites had some degree of shade and a decent amount of privacy. The pool and shower facilities are very nice and clean. The 2 dog parks (split into 2 sections each for small and large...so 4 dog parks) really helped keep our dogs entertained. Great rotation of food trucks and activities for kids. 100% recommended for a RV Resort stay.

An hour and a half away from Austin, we found Inks Lake to be a quiet and relaxing camp area away from the hustle and bustle of the city.

There are several sites set up across the state park. The more modern RV campgrounds nearest the designated safe swimming areas. And the more remote camp zones on the other side of the main entrance. We chose the more remote area, which was perfect! We were close to the water, it was dark and quiet, and the campsites are more spread out. We still had access to some very nice bathrooms a short walk away.

Overall, close to civilization, yet far enough to enjoy nature.

Lockhart State Park is a small park with simple facilities, but they do have a golf course and some of the best BBQ in Texas nearby.

The park is located a short distance from the town of Lockhart and about 40 minutes from Austin. The park has all the basic amenities like campsites with water, electricity, picnic tables, grills and fire rings. There are a few short trails to explore. For the family there is a swimming pool and little playground. Perhaps one of the unique features of this park is that there is a 9 hole golf course within the park.

Some of the facilities feel a bit dated. However, if you're looking for a relaxing time with family friendly activities this park might work for you.

Before or after your stay at Lockhart State Park be sure to pass through the town of Lockhart (nicknamed the BBQ Capitol of Texas) where you can choose between three of the best barbecue restaurants in Texas - Blacks BBQ, Smitty's BBQ and Kreuzs BBQ.

This is a great energy park for a city RV park. The pool is heated (although still cold in January). The bathhouses are nice and clean. It is very clean and just an overall nice place to stay with dogs and kids. They have a dog park for the dogs and playground for the kids!

Catching up on my reviews…Inks Lake SP is a superb park about 40 minutes from Austin in the Texas Hill Country.  Great lake with a large no wake zone in one area that makes it very family friendly and paddler friendly.  There are sites away from the NWZ that allow you to ski/tube right from your campsite.  Great choice of flat, easy access spots.  Tent-only spots with only water are available as-well.   Decent hiking and easy biking around the park is available.  The area around Devil's Hole is great for floating about and jumping from the rocks.  Just wish that folks would clean up after themselves better.  Great camp store with lots of products.  Lake was lowered in 2019 to update the docks and boat ramps (very nice now), lake is back to normal seasonal levels.  ILSP is close to Austin, so it stays busy during the season, so reserve well ahead of time.  No Wifi at the campsites, but decent mobile reception (ATT).  30/50 amp and water at most sites.  Fire ring and table on concrete pads at all sites.  Tables are not covered, however.  I've been told that there is Wifi available at the camp store, but I cannot personally verify that.

We have an annual Easter weekend camping trip every year and tend to reserve our campsites late as most parks an hour from Austin are always booked. Except for South Shore Park; they always have availability. They aren't cheap; campsite fees plus day pass fees and car fees; 2 nights was $50 for just me and my site. There are a couple hiking trails/trail walks and a swimming area with a volley ball net and grill areas, but otherwise not much to do. Bathrooms were kept clean and park staff are friendly. There is a power plant nearby and Friday early morning we were awoken by loud noises from the plant which was annoying. Didn't hear anything Saturday morning which was good.

Overall, this park isn't anything special but if it's your only option in the area then it isn't bad.

I stayed there for 3 months in my 24 foot motorhome. They usually have a waiting list. Very nice park with mostly permanent residents. Lots of trees. River access. Bathrooms with showers, laundry room, fenced dog park, common areas with rec room, huge grassy area.

Been here a few times now.  We camp all the way down back next to the creek (which was stagnant).  It's definitely more peaceful and scenic than the other sites, but also places you as far away as you can be from any facilities if you need them.  From the site you can walk to the swimming hole which is cool. The walk over is a bit uneven so if you're not balanced you gotta be a little careful. The swimming hole is cool but gets crowded on hot days, particularly weekends, and when crowded it isn't always super clean due to shitty people.  They don't do reservations so you can just pull up early afternoon and camp for as long as you like. Overall, it's nice for a quick/last-minute escape from Austin, but I wouldn't make it a destination for a roadtrip or anything.