Best Glamping near Bangs, TX

Reserved 159 days prior 

Pros

No reservation fee charged for marking online reservation 

50% discount with National Park Pass 

Roadways easy to maneuver without any low-hanging branches 

Quiet except for middle of the night party animal noise and distant trains 

Good dark sky viewing as there are NO street lights in campground 

Concrete treads where RV wheels land were level requiring no additional leveling efforts 

Metal cover over concrete picnic table 

Entrance gate closed10pm-6am so exit only without any reentry until 6am

Saw 1 squirrel and 5 deer 

Nice Golf Course next to campground 

Nice fishing piers 

Plenty TP in toilet/shower rooms 

Very nice large group picnic pavilions 

3 bars 3G Verizon 

Cons

Site consist of sandy gravel which high winds created a dust storm making a gritty mess of everything inside and out

Site water hookup below ground 

Campsite had unusual amount of trash and cigarette butts 

Campfire ring full of ash and trash upon arrival and there has been a county burn ban for the last 6 months

Campground toilet/shower facility lit up at night like a Christmas tree 

County Burn ban, which we discovered ourselves and confirmed by calling park prior to arriving with campfire wood

Upon check-in, friendly woman at gate told us one thing then a man at the gate contradicted the woman regarding charcoal fires

Quiet hours not enforced. 4 toilets for 24 campsites for possible 8 people per campsite PLUS boaters and fishermen. Phew! 

Half of park closed during winter so 37 campsites only open April-September

The park 3 dumpsters were overflowing; 1 was over flowing upon our Thursday afternoon arrival and the other 2 were overflowing Sunday morning so we had to pack out our trash

No number sign on our site

No patrolling host or ranger. 

No privacy from one campsite to another

No playground, basketball or tennis courts 

No campsite BBQ grill 

No hiking trails 

No soap or hand towels in toilet facility 

No trash cans in or outside toilet facility so people threw trash on floor 

No WIFI

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Eat at Granny Clark’s in Dublin TX. Blue plate special and buffet. Brookshires Grocery and Tractor Supply in Comanche Stephenville 30 miles from campground has Walmart, H‑E‑B, CVS, Walgreens, but no Lowes or Home Depot.

1. Take plenty of water, Insect repellent, and sunscreen with you if you decided to bike the Nopales Ridge Trail in the middle of June. Note that there are several areas along the trail where you may need to carry your bike.
2. There are air conditioned cabins available, many with lakeviews.
3. There are at least two floating piers (with lights!) and one wooden fishing pier (with lights!).
4. The park has many trees and is beautifully maintained.
5. The public facilities (restrooms, showers, picnic areas) were clean and usable. Toilets flushed, TP was available, there was cold AND hot water, overhead lights worked, mirrors above sinks were usable
6. It is well worth the time to visit the beautiful and elegant CCC Lodge.
7. Black ants rule the park. Plan accordingly.

The remarkable area of this park lies not in it's campground loop. The loop is pretty, lovely even, and it looks like a lot of other campgrounds on a beautiful lake. But take a walk along the lakeshore trail and see the cabins, dance hall, and steps constructed by the CCC and you'll be transported back in time. In 8.5 years on the road, I've never been more tempted to go inside than by these simple, lovely, stone structures.  Just a bed, small kitchen, table, and a bathroom complete with vintage rustic decor, and that's all you'll think you ever need.  So adorable!

But this is a campground review so let's get back to it. The campground seems like the perfect bustling summertime holiday vacation spot. It's set up more like a city park with lots of open space and grass, than individual sites carved out of the woods. Walking around during winter, you can imagine the families gathering at the water, renting stand-up paddle boards, playing volleyball, or chasing a frisbee into the water. It has a reputation for being a place where families gather year after year, and I can see why. There are electrical/water sites as well as tent only sites right by the water, which really have the best location in the park. The bathroom is a little dated, but functional and clean with hot showers. 

Brownwood is within a 20 minute drive and has all the services of a modern suburban city. There are several trails throughout the park, but getting out on the water seems to be the focus of this park.

General: Approximately 140 sites (plus 12 cabins) spread out all around Hords Creek Lake in two areas: Lakeside Park and Flat Rock Park. According to the map, two of the four gatehouses are closed – not sure if this is a permanent closure (and don’t know if these campsites are also closed). There was no attendant at the gate when we arrived.

Site Quality: Paved/gravel driveways, some are pull-through, some have sewer hookups, and some have 50 amp electric. A bonus for us that we did not know when we reserved is that several sites have screened-in shelters with electricity and a generous-sized concrete picnic table. There are many trees throughout the campground and although we didn’t need the shade when we were there, I imagine it would be nice during the hot summer. There is also a fire ring but there was a strict fire ban when we were there (In fact, there was a large wildfire about 8 miles from the campground and we had been warned to stay ready to evacuate if the wind changed direction).

Bathhouse: There seem to be more than adequate bathhouses located throughout, however, the one closest to our site was small and somewhat inadequate: one shower, one sink, and two toilets. If the campground was completely full, this may pose a problem. There was no hot water, even in the shower and the shower door did not have a latch for privacy. Also, no hooks or shelves, or soap dispensers. Make sure you bring a towel if you do not want to use the air dryer. 

Activities/Amenities: There are several boat ramps, fishing docks, and swimming areas at different points of the lake. There was a nice, covered playground in the Lakeside Park campground. It is a bit of a hike to the dumpsters. 

This was an overnight stay for us as we continued to travel through Texas, but we appreciated some of the amenities offered at this campground

Copperas Creek COE in Comanche, TX (Lake Proctor) Site #63 50 amp Full hook up Back-in site March 2024

Beautiful park! The lady working the gate should have her picture in the dictionary under customer service. Very pleasant & welcoming!

The site has lots of shade trees with a view of the lake (not lakeside). Sites are not on top of each other, but no type of barrier between sites. Water had a terrible smell.

Despite it being the beginning of spring break in Texas & the amount of people here, it is fairly quiet.

If you’re camping with others, there are 3 double RV sites on this end of the park.

Would definitely come back here again. — at Copperas Creek Park.

I would rate this park 3.5 out of 5 stars. The park has a variety of facilities which earns it a 4 star rating. But the quality of the facilities only earns it a 3 star rating. So it averages out to 3.5 in my opinion.

Lake Brownwood State Park is pretty much located in the center of Texas. However, it is a bit of a drive from many of the major cities like Houston, San Antonio, Austin and Dallas. It is fairly convenient to reach from Abilene and San Angelo. If you need to pick up camping supplies there are grocery stores and sporting good stores in the nearby town of Brownwood.

The main attraction of the park is that it is situated on the shores of Lake Brownwood. There are ample opportunities to take advantage of lakeside activities like swimming, boating and fishing. There are a variety of camping options with tent sites, cabana sites and RV sites. At most of the sites there are nice oak trees that provide shade and can support a hammock. Note that Texas State Parks require 2 inch suspension straps when hanging a hammock. There are boat ramps, fishing piers and a loop hiking trail. The hiking trail is a loop trail, fairly level, but I would say moderately interesting. The real attraction of this park is the lake.

Some of the facilities such as the restrooms and the cabanas are a bit dated and could benefit from an update. The staff was very friendly when I visited. And the other campers were respectful.

I would like to say that I visited the park during a weekday when the park had few visitors. However, I've heard that on the weekend the park fills up quickly and can be quite busy.

Hords Creek COE in Coleman, TX Site #73 50 amp Full hook up Pull through site March 2024

In the last 23 days, we’ve stayed in 6 parks, I have to say that this is my favorite park so far.

The site is roomy with lots of shade trees with a lakefront view (even though the lake is WAY down). Sites are not on top of each other.

There were a few people here when we arrived, but never heard a peep out of them.

The peace & quiet that we’ve experienced in this park is beyond words. Relaxation at its best!

When we come back, we’ll either get the same site, or #76. — at Hords Creek Lake- Lakeside Park.