Carl Park
Just a boat ramp
Boat ramp with multiple tables and piers. No overnight camping allowed. Nice for Day camp for free.
2 campgrounds with availability this weekend
Pet-friendly camping near Bay City ranges from full-hookup RV loops along the Colorado River to free primitive campsites where dogs are welcome with minimal restrictions. Riverside Park's spacious campsites accommodate pets throughout both camping loops along the Colorado River and Hossey Slough, with well-maintained gravel sites for RVs and tents. Dogs must remain leashed at all times in public areas, with designated pet relief stations located near each camping loop. The park's wilderness loop offers electricity and water hookups in a more rustic setting while the Colorado River loop provides full hookups with sites positioned closer together. Very clean facilities and concrete slabs provide comfortable spaces for pets and their owners, though some campgrounds like 60 North RV Park restrict certain pet activities and may have breed limitations. Most campgrounds in the Bay City area charge minimal pet fees, typically $5-10 per pet per stay.
Travelers Paradise RV Park, located minutes from essential services in Bay City, offers fenced areas where dogs can exercise off-leash during daylight hours. The park requires vaccination records for all pets at check-in and prohibits leaving pets unattended at campsites. Stonebridge RV Park features a fishing pond where leashed pets can accompany their owners, with dedicated pet waste stations positioned throughout the grounds. The train tracks behind some campgrounds create noise concerns for pets sensitive to loud sounds. During summer months, campers should exercise caution with pets on concrete pads that can become extremely hot during afternoon hours. FM 521 River Park provides a free alternative with primitive camping where pets are welcome, though owners must bring their own waste bags as facilities are limited to portable toilets. Veterinary services are available in Bay City, approximately 10-15 minutes from most campgrounds.
"Alright first off the bad There are train tracks right behind the park and lots of trains running
The good Good price, $375 a month+ electric,concrete spots, plenty of shade,wind blocks, very good location"
"This park is about 7 miles from Bay City and is between the Colorado River and Hossey Slough. There are two camping loops."
from $25 - $35 / night
"Besides the highway being so close, it's really nice. Can't complain...it's freeeee! Happy New Year everyone."
"Our site was within walking distance to the pool which was amazing and our kids loved it."
"This location is absolutely awesome. Right where the Colorado River flows into the Gulf of Mexico. The fishing is awesome and the sunsets are spectacular! "
"Miles and miles of beaches to drive on and enjoy, plus tons of small ponds on the other side of the dunes. The small ponds contain numerous small fish and hermit crabs."
from $27 - $50 / night
from $60 - $475 / night
"Stocked fishing lake, swimming pool, game room, gym. Beautiful outdoor kitchens w/tv’s. Kelley & Seth were amazing! Love, love, love this place & their staff!!! ❤️"












Boat ramp with multiple tables and piers. No overnight camping allowed. Nice for Day camp for free.
Free ocean beach camping, the water is clean and the sand is soft, but packed down enough to drive on. I have my 24ft camper trailer here no issues. Very private and peaceful. We are beside a road but there are sand dunes that block the noise. Stores are about a 15min drive away.
If you are a drinker who likes to party and pay for over priced, watered down drinks, then this place is right up your alley. The weekends are full of loud, obnoxious people driving around in illuminated golf carts blaring loud, explicit music and screaming to each other across sites. On Sundays, everyone leaves and the place becomes a ghost town with only a few sites occupied the rest of the week. They close everything up early during the week because of it, typically an hour early. We drank one night and was served arguably the worst margaritas we've ever had served in a small, clear plastic cup that was filled to the brim with ice. There are no posted prices anywhere and I found out those horrible drinks cost$10 each. This concept is clearly built into their business model because they have you pay for all the amenities with your wristband that's linked to your credit card so when you buy something, they scan your wristband and don't inherently inform you how much they are pulling. You have to explicitly ask every time. The pool layout is designed with the drinkers in mind with two pool side bars, band stage, and lots of tables and cabanas(additional fees to use of course). It's not conducive for kids playing or anything like that. The lazy river is a terrible design because the ledge is continuous sharp rocks that catch your raft/floatie and sounds like it's going to pop it. It also contains several areas where you have to watch your head from contacting low bridges, rocks, etc., and then at the end, it spits you out into the pool with all the tables and you bump into people eating and drinking. In order to return, you have to paddle your way back to the entrance, through the people and tables, or get off and walk over. The experience is hardly a lazy or relaxing one. Another fundamental complaint about this place is that almost everything costs additional money above your base site fee, including WiFi, RC cars, pool obstacle course, arcade, floaties/rafts, etc. Also, the place claims it's completely cashless, but that's not 100% true. The laundry takes coins and so does the arcade. I wasn't fond of the staff either, because they were rude and snooty. The El Campo and Wharton areas have a lot of nice, down-to-earth people...they just don't work here. The bugs are REALLY bad here too on top of everything else. There is simply WAY too much competition in this areas of Texas to sell yourself short and stay at El Campo Lost Lagoon and get eaten alive by fire ants and flying insects.
My wife posted a review after our stay, and the owner responded to it. The response was later removed, but we captured a screenshot beforehand for documentation. I am adding this review to provide a clear record of our experience and the sequence of events. Prior to arrival, we spoke with a staff member named Barbie, who quoted a monthly rate of$1,300 plus a$200 event fee for the weekend of September 11. During that conversation, we asked whether the initial payment could be applied toward the monthly rate if we chose to extend our stay. We were told this would be possible. After the weekend, I returned to the office to request the monthly rate and apply the amount already paid, but management declined to honor that verbal agreement. The amenities differed from what we expected based on the website and photos. Many features require additional fees, including Wi‑Fi, and several amenities are limited unless those fees are paid. During our stay, the park was significantly busier on weekends than weekdays. We observed approximately five to ten occupied sites out of more than 200 during weekdays. Because of the lower weekday activity, certain facilities—such as the kitchen being closed during the week, pools closing earlier than expected, and hot tub jets not being available—made the experience comparable to a standard RV park rather than a resort. The site length also differed from our expectations. The park advertises 80‑foot sites, but our 40‑foot RV plus 20‑foot trailer left very limited space for our vehicle. At other locations with 80‑foot sites, we can park our vehicle normally and parallel to the RV without issue. At this location, we had to park the vehicle sideways to fit, which suggests the listed site length may not reflect the usable space. We also attempted to use the on‑site propane service. Staff were unable to fill our tank and suggested the issue was with the tank itself. We later had the tank filled at Love’s in Wharton, where it accepted 23 gallons without issue. For visitors primarily interested in weekend recreation, social activities, or events—and who plan to use the paid amenities—this location may be a good fit. Our experience differed due to the length of our stay, the change in the verbal agreement, the limitations of the amenities during weekdays, and the owner’s now‑removed response to my wife’s review.
We stayed at El Campo Lost Lagoon for three weeks, including multiple weekends and Labor Day, so our experience wasn't based on a single busy weekend. There are positives. The property is new, the main pool is nice, and we genuinely enjoyed the live music. Unfortunately, the overall experience—particularly the pricing and handling of a serious incident involving minors—left us unwilling to return. PRICING: We were quoted$1,500 for a month. Because we didn't know how long we'd need to stay due to my husband's job, we specifically asked whether our weekly payments could be rolled into the monthly rate if we stayed longer. We were told YES. We therefore booked at$650/week. We ultimately needed three weeks, but management refused to convert us to the monthly rate. We paid$1,950 for THREE weeks—$450 more than we'd been quoted for FOUR weeks. Different weekly/monthly rates are normal; our issue is that we specifically asked beforehand and were told the payments could roll over. Extended-stay RVers: get your rate arrangement in writing. AMENITIES/INTERNET: We weren't told when booking or checking in that essentially everything except the main pool would be closed. The hot tub required asking an employee to turn on the jets, which didn't always happen, and over Labor Day weekend bar staff told us it wasn't working. There was no included campground Wi-Fi available to us. We purchased the third-party service we were given information for and found it terrible. Bring your own hotspot if reliable internet matters. POOL/WEEKENDS: We enjoyed the live music, but during performances the main pool becomes much more of an event/party area. The stage and reserved tables, combined with people gathering near the stage, substantially reduce swimming space, and the speakers were so loud that normal conversation in the pool area was difficult. Across multiple weekends—not just Labor Day—we observed guests who appeared highly intoxicated, loud golf-cart music, profanity/adult language around children, and groups socializing beyond the resort's 10 p.m. music cutoff. Adults drinking and having fun isn't our complaint. Our concern was the lack of consistent enforcement and balance for a property marketed toward families. OUR BIGGEST CONCERN: During Labor Day weekend, our minor son's property was vandalized by another minor camper. When our son attempted to address it with the child's family, an adult family member became extremely aggressive toward him and appeared highly intoxicated when we arrived. Multiple minors witnessed the incident, including children 13 and younger. Management's immediate focus when we arrived was how quickly my husband had driven through the campground to reach our son. He was pulled aside, leaving me, our minor son, another minor child and the aggressive adult while the underlying situation remained unresolved. We ultimately called law enforcement. Multiple minor witnesses spoke with officers, and one child had recorded the incident and provided the video directly to police. Afterward, that child expressed fear of retaliation. Our son walked him safely back to his campsite, where I instructed my son to remain until I personally picked him up after another camper reported that members of the other family were driving around looking for the boys and asking where they were staying. We cannot speak to anyone's intentions, but given what had just happened, we took it seriously. Despite law enforcement responding to an incident involving multiple minors, we received no follow-up from management asking whether the children were okay or whether there were continuing safety concerns. The matter is currently being investigated by a detective. Because the investigation is active and minors are involved, we aren't publicly posting the video or other evidence at this time.bAfter I posted our experience on Google, the business account initially responded,“Sounds about right….😒” The response was later removed. I’ve included the original screenshot with this review and will allow readers to interpret the response for themselvesOTHER RV NOTES: The property is new, so there are essentially no mature trees or natural shade. We experienced a tremendous number of bugs. We also regularly heard repeated gunfire during the day; there is an outdoor gun/rifle range in the El Campo area, although we cannot say it was the source. You'll also hear nearby cows and roosters. BOTTOM LINE: The pool and live music were enjoyable and the property has potential. But after paying$1,950 for three weeks after being told our weekly payments could roll into a$1,500 monthly rate, unavailable amenities, poor paid internet, the recurring weekend atmosphere, and especially management's handling of the incident involving minors outweighed the positives for our family. We would not stay here again.
Great pool, hot tub and lazy river. Very attentive staff. Only downside was dirt roads and gravel sites. Friendly people enjoyed my stay
We were doing a little Texas coastal crawl and wanted a quiet place to use as our home base for about a week. Magnolia Beach RV Park turned out to be exactly what we were looking for. If you're expecting a big resort with lots of activities, this isn't it, and that's exactly why we enjoyed it so much. The park was peaceful, well maintained, and never felt crowded. It was the perfect place to come back to after spending the day exploring the coast, fishing, or just relaxing by the water. One of the things we appreciated most was being within walking distance of Magnolia Beach. It was easy to head down to the shoreline (shell beach) whenever we wanted. We'd definitely stay here again the next time we're exploring the Texas coast. Their weekly rates were really low!
Love it here the best rv park we have been to they have honestly everything you could ask or need to vacation here its the place to be and very family-friendly
The pool is the center piece for sure. With a swim up bar, lazy river, hot tub, rope swing, and water slides.
We stayed in the cottages. (Bring extra pillows and coffee, they wont give you any)
Staff was friendly I did feel a bit nickel and dimed I mean I had to buy a basketball in order to play on their court ($17.99)
Overall a great time, great place to have a family meet up!
Bay City camping areas sit on flat coastal plains just 20 miles inland from the Gulf of Mexico, with elevations rarely exceeding 50 feet above sea level. The region experiences a humid subtropical climate with mild winters and hot summers, making spring and fall the most comfortable camping seasons. Mosquitoes can be particularly intense during summer months, especially near water features.
Fishing opportunities: At Matagorda Bay Nature Park, campers can fish directly from two large wooden Colorado River fishing piers that are lighted from dusk until dawn. "Great location at the junction of the Colorado River and the Gulf of Mexico...Great sunset viewing," notes Crystal E.
Wildlife observation: The coastal region provides excellent bird watching, especially at the river-gulf junction. "This location is absolutely awesome. Right where the Colorado River flows into the Gulf of Mexico. The fishing is awesome and the sunsets are spectacular!" writes Debbie J. about Matagorda Bay Nature Park.
Astronomy: Visit Brazos Bend State Park Campground for stargazing at their observatory. "The best part of this park is the observatory, which has special events and regular weekend hours pretty much all year. It's absolutely worth staying up late for this!" shares Kim B.
Beach access: Several campgrounds offer walking paths to nearby Gulf beaches. "The public beach access is about 5 miles away and it's a pretty nice beach but you need 4 wheel drive to access," explains Dan D. about Jetty Park.
Concrete pads: Many campers appreciate the level, concrete parking areas at Stonebridge RV Park. "Very clean, full hookups, good price, friendly people, fishing pond, food/drink truck, concrete slabs," notes Matt B.
River views: Campsites along waterways offer scenic vistas. "This park is about 7 miles from Bay City and is between the Colorado River and Hossey Slough. There are two camping loops," explains Larry R. about Riverside Park.
Fishing ponds: On-site fishing opportunities are available at some campgrounds. "Stonebridge RV Park features a fishing pond," confirms Matt B., making it convenient for anglers who want to fish without leaving the campsite.
Free camping options: For budget travelers, FM 521 River Park offers no-cost camping. "Arrived, Beautiful place. A few other ppl here. Boat launch, Porta potties. Besides the highway being so close, it's really nice. Can't complain...it's freeeee!" shares Ang W.
Train noise: Several campgrounds in the Bay City area are located near active train tracks. "There are train tracks right behind the park and lots of trains running," warns Matt B. about Travelers Paradise RV Park.
Limited shade: Many Gulf Coast campgrounds lack tree cover. "No shade what so ever. Some sites had a pergola over their concrete picnic table," reports Napunani about Matagorda Bay Nature Park.
Mosquito intensity: Coastal camping often means dealing with biting insects. "We had a full hookup site on the Colorado River, and it was huge and pretty. Thank goodness we had our Clam screenroom with us, because the mosquitos got really bad at times," shares Debbie J.
Distance to supplies: Most campgrounds are not within walking distance of grocery stores. "No camp store in Park. Closest H-E-B, Walmart and Tractor Supply in Bay City. No grocery stores in Matagorda but there is a Dollar General store," notes Napunani.
Nature centers: Some parks offer educational opportunities for children. "Nature center with interactive exhibits, gift shop, snacks, mini golf and 5 minute walk to beach," describes Crystal E. about Matagorda Bay Nature Park.
Wilderness camping with kids: When bringing children to more remote sites, prepare for bathroom distance. "The Wilderness loop has electricity and water on the Hossey Slough and is accessed on a gravel road and the sites are also gravel. It has a very rustic feel and is beautiful. The only downside is the showers and bathroom are about a quarter mile away at the office," explains Larry R. about Riverside Park.
Dog friendly campgrounds near Bay City: Most campsites accommodate pets, but rules vary. "Lighthouse RV Park features pet-friendly sites with level, paved hookups and picnic tables," notes Liz P., though she cautions about facility maintenance issues.
Beach safety with children: When visiting coastal campgrounds, be aware of access challenges. "Close to the beach which made it easy to take a break to allow my toddler to take a nap," shares Karissa D. about Jetty Park.
Hookup options: Different camping loops offer varying levels of service. "The Wilderness loop has electricity and water on the Hossey Slough...The other loop is on the Colorado River and has full hook-ups," explains Larry R.
Site spacing considerations: RV parks vary significantly in how close units are positioned. "Tight spots, could be harder for longer trailers, not a lot of parking when full," warns Matt B. about Stonebridge RV Park.
Water quality concerns: Some campgrounds have water quality issues to be aware of. "Water from the site hookups was tinged yellow but didn't feel slimy," reports Liz P. about Lighthouse RV Park.
Weather preparation: The coastal location means dealing with intense elements. "Brisk ocean 'breezes' made it impossible to deploy our trailer awning," notes Napunani about camping at Matagorda Bay Nature Park.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular dog-friendly campsite near Bay City, TX?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dog-friendly campground near Bay City, TX is Travelers Paradise RV Park with a 4-star rating from 1 review.
What is the best site to find dog-friendly camping near Bay City, TX?
TheDyrt.com has all 78 dog-friendly camping locations near Bay City, TX, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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