Best Cabin Camping near Bonham, TX

Campground review

Paradise on Lake Texoma is on the Big Mineral Arm of the lake, on the Texas side and only a short 90 minute drive from Dallas. This proximity makes it a great spot for a quick weekend getaway. Texas and Oklahoma’s border share the 89,000 surface area of Lake Texoma which just happens to be the 12th largest Corps of Engineers lake in the U.S. Lake Texoma is home to great fishing for Striper, Catfish, Black Bass and Crappie. Because of heavy rains in the Dallas area the boat ramp was closed. The area has cruise activities if you don’t have your own boat, and for those who prefer, kayaking is also available, or simply swimming. Believe it or not, Lake Texoma has sandy beaches!

The people at Paradise campground were amazing. We got a call the afternoon of our reservation to confirm that we would arrive before closing time and if not, they would give us after hours information. We did arrive in time and our hostess was pleasant and provided us with all the information we needed. We reserved a primitive campsite and were the only tent campers in the campground (it was a Monday night though). The primitive campsite is just a vacant lot on the waterfront across from a bathroom/shower area. Parking in the bathroom lot, you take a very short walk to the primitive site and pitch your tent in any spot you choose. The lot had been mowed and our only issue was mounds of fire ants which are rampant everywhere in Texas.

The bathrooms had not been cleaned and the recent users had left a bit of a mess. The bathrooms did have all the supplies we needed and we always welcome flush toilets and hot and cold running water. 

Being a primitive site, there was no picnic table so we drove over to an empty spot to prepare and eat our dinner. A staff member came by to check our credentials and while we weren’t really supposed to be using that area/spot, he let us since the campground had plenty of room/spots. He was so friendly, he gave us lots of information about the lake and the campground. The RV sites and also lakefront and very roomy. The campground also has the cutest glamping tiny cabins and other regular size cabins to rent. There is a nice hammock garden which we took advantage of. Cell service was strong, no issues and the only noise we dealt with was the sound of the lake and the birds and critters.

We want to encourage our family to come to Paradise on Lake Texoma for a fun family weekend, we will definitely return.

Product Review

As a Ranger for The Dyrt, I get products to test from time to time, today I am testing Wenzel’s Double Never Flat Fabric Air Pad. My husband and I had individual sleeping air pads, but were looking for something that wasn’t so slippery and would allow us to cuddle, this Air pad fit the bill, it was exactly what we wanted. It was very comfortable and roomy. We were able to use an existing pump for inflation which was great as I wasn’t sure about the specs for the pump. Deflating the air pad was easy and great news it fit back in the carry bag easily!  

Www.wenzelco.com

For our first RV camping trip of 2018 we took a short drive north to Bonham State Park right outside of Bonham, Texas. This great little Texas State Park was constructed by the CCC back in the 30's. There are plenty of things for a family to do while camping at Bonham State Park! Hiking, fishing, boat rental and best of all Smors cooked over a roaring camp fire! At every Texas Stae Park you can check out fishing equipment from the front office and you do not have to have a fishing license! Bonham State Park takes the fishing to a whole new level by providing boats so you can get out to where the fish are hiding! Bonham State Park is a great place to take the family for a long weekend of camping fun as it is just a short 45 min drive north of the DFW metroplex!

Check out my YouTube video here...

https://youtu.be/cxcORiV_zmA

This campground was one of a few we could find locally that had spots available while state parks were closed. We typically prefer state parks because of their spacious/private sites. Lighthouse is mainly cabins (some are for rentals, some are full-time residents), but there are approximately 15-20 RV sites right on the water near the marina. The sites are nothing fancy - grass pads, concrete picnic tables, but are convenient if you plan to spend the day in the lake. You can easily walk to the water’s edge and get in the lake. There isn’t a beach - you pretty much get in rom the edge of the road that leads to the boat ramp.

The RV pads are not at an angle and, depending on the size of your rig, can be challenging to get into depending on its location and if you have a tree on your site.

We also have two dogs, one of which is a super friendly pitbull. Because of that, we sometimes run into problems finding campgrounds without breed restrictions. We had no issues here.

The marina store doesn’t have much in the way of a variety of supplies/gifts/trinkets, it did have necessities like food items, milk, some camping supplies, etc. I think the store could really up its game and offer more.

All in all, we had a nice long weekend.

First RV stay so this review is from the perspective of a family that has no experience with any RV Parks. 3 Stars is my starting point and as we stay at more campgrounds I would like to think that we will have a better understanding of what makes an RV stay "5 stars". This location is "first come/first serve" sites so for a beginner that can be a bit challenging. Working with Thousand Trails and the experience with that service was great. The road into and around the park was okay, there was room to drive around the entire park while looking for a spot. The spot's varied in size and there were no fire pits or grills provided by the park in the spots that we were able to see. The picnic tables have seen better days and i'm sure that is not uncommon. The 30 amp S/E/W hookups were clean and no issues with any service during the stay. There was not cable so TV was over the air antenna only. Cell coverage was fine during our stay. The park had activity areas but with COVID restrictions most were still unused. There is road to the lake that you can take to go to a small fishing pier and some rocky lake area access. The restrooms/showers were clean and the garbage bins were full but never overflowing with trash. There are multiple pools and the water appeared clear from a distance. Saw lot's of pet's and every size RV, there appeared to be quite a few long term RV sites. We would visit again since this is part of our Thousand Trails membership.

Campground Review:

For Full VIDEO Review: CLICK HERE

I decided to visit Eisenhower State Park during the last part of November, just before Thanksgiving when the leaves were putting on their final showcase of the season and casting their amber and red tones everywhere. It was absolutely breathtaking to pull into the park and start to see this area unfold around me.

Eisenhower is named for our former president, Dwight D Eisenhower, who was born in nearby Denison, Texas. Opened in 1958 to tourists as a Texas State Park, the area is divided amongst lake activities and wildlife preservation. In more recent years they have added ATV trails to accompany the bike and walking trails, the swimming beach and the outdoor amphitheater and pavilion.

Day use here is only $5 or for those camping you can easily find a perfect fit for your needs between $12 and $25. I noticed depending on the loop of camp you are enjoying amenities do vary as to site sizes. All sites except primitive and a single specialty reservation lot were equipped pretty standardly with a metal picnic table and fire ring with grill. The biggest differences were in that some had electricity and water while others had neither. (You can book your campsite online by clicking HERE )

I really enjoyed the spacing of the campsites, though the area I was visiting for the day had neighbors the spacing managed to mask any noise that might come from their camp. The tree coverage in the area was amazing and shady, I can only imagine this to be a necessary feature during the hot Texas summers.

Since I was only able to enjoy the park for a day, after enjoying one of the campsites for a lunch, I took to the hiking trails and explored the many areas there are to check out. I was most excited about the swimming beach, it reminded me of the beaches I had seen in Nevada nestled along the Colorado River in groves of mountainous rocky mountains. It felt secluded and while the beach area itself was a mix of rocks and sand, it could be a great retreat on a warm day for some fun with the family. The steps down to the beach captured my attention, I later noticed the same steps repeated by the marina and also by the amphitheater. They were unlike poured concrete and made for a more organic feel to the landscape. Created by bags of concrete hardened then used as pavers the surface provided a perfect step that was both functional and aesthetically pleasing.

A few things to remember about Eisenhower:

In this area throughout camp and other parts of the property you might see bats, armadillos, beavers, coyotes, deer, opossums, rabbits, bobcats, raccoons, foxes, squirrels and roadrunners. In addition, during warm months you can see a variety of snakes hiding on rocky surfaces so always be aware of your surroundings and remember to keep your food items secured inside your vehicle.

• The Lake is a BIG draw. This is one of the more popular stops along the massive Lake Texoma. Because of this you can take advantage of fishing, utilize the boat ramp and boat houses or rent one of the many watercraft they have to offer. CLICK HERE for more information about the lake, requirements of fishing and boating, activities available and any current advisories.
• There is an interpretive guide online which will completely give you a better perspective of the park and some of what it has to offer. CLICK HERE

Rating:

Overall I would give the State Park a 4 of 5 stars. I feel as though the park is large enough to accommodate large groups, essential during the busy lake season including holidays such as the 4th of July, Memorial Day and Labor Day. With the spacing it provides, not only can it accommodate crowds but it can make for a still enjoyable experience when visiting on these busy seasons.

Activities vary for those seeking non-lake related things to do, this is of great interest to me as a traveler who does not often hit the lake on one of my adventures. I like that there is an option for someone like myself to be able to if I choose however it isn’t the sole focus of the site.

We were driving through this part of Texas headed home to Oklahoma and saw the signs and needed to stop for lunch, so we decided to check this place out.This was a really beautiful park with a very nice campground that was really kept up. It had screened shelters, cottages with heat & air, shelters, nice playground, Amphitheatre, volleyball court, boat ramps, picnic areas, hiking & biking trails and a swimming area. The bathrooms and showers were nice and clean. The lake was beautiful and clear. I would absolutely recommend this place and I plan on going to stay there for a week in June.

This campground is mostly cabins with a small RV area up near the water. The sites are situated very close to each other and can be difficult to back into depending on the size of your rig. Not every site has it’s own picnic table, and we were forced to share with our neighbors, but luckily we knew them and it was ok. It was very crowded with overpopulated sites and was loud and many people walked through our site all throughout the day and night. MAJOR ELECTRICAL ISSUES. We had to have the maintenance crew come out to fix our electrical hookups and learned through this ordeal that many other people were having the same problem.

Pros: There is a pay to play beach down the road that is nice, but also a small swimming area right at the campground that was sufficient.

While we had issues with electrical, the maintenance crew came and took care of the problem and there were no further issues after that.