Best Tent Camping near Calliham, TX
Looking for the best options for tent camping near Calliham? With The Dyrt, it's easy to find Calliham campgrounds for you and your tent. Search nearby tent campsites or find top-rated spots from other campers.
Looking for the best options for tent camping near Calliham? With The Dyrt, it's easy to find Calliham campgrounds for you and your tent. Search nearby tent campsites or find top-rated spots from other campers.
About the Park
The towering pecan trees, flowing river, and welcoming pavilion at this 98-acre nature park, owned by the San Antonio River Authority, create an ideal destination for outdoor recreation enthusiasts, nature-lovers, and athletes alike. Whether you bring your family to the park for a reunion under the 5,000 square foot pavilion, tackle the trails on your mountain bike, camp with a club or organization, or meet up with friends for a day of soccer and basketball, you’ll find John William Helton Nature Park to be a true natural treasure. The River Authority Parks Staff proudly maintain the miles of trails, campgrounds, and other amenities.
Helton Park Campground Rules - campsites only available from Friday-Sunday
• Camp only in your designated site. Check in: 3pm; Checkout 11am
• 8 people per site maximum. Only up to 2 vehicles per site.
• 10 mph SPEED LIMIT throughout the Park
• Quiet hours from 10pm to 6am. During daylight hours, please be respectful of other campers by keeping noise/music at a low level
• Please take all your personal belongings back with you and pack out your trash. There is a dumpster available for your camp trash. Please help keep this beautiful park clean!
• Do not carve, chop, cut, nail, or otherwise damage trees or vegetation.
• Campfires are allowed in provided fire rings. If a county burn ban in in effect, fires will be prohibited. Unattended campfires are prohibited. Completely extinguish fire using only water before leaving. Please do not use dirt.
• Please no trash in fire rings including glass, cans, bottles or aluminum foil.
• Pets must be kept on a leash not longer than 6- feet at all times. Please clean up after your pet. Please keep your pets quiet and do not leave pets unattended. Please do not leave your pet’s food out- it could attract wild animals.
• Please keep all food, drinks, and trash in an enclose container or in your vehicle. • Vehicles must remain on roads or parking areas. Please do not block the road.
• Discharging a weapon is prohibited including paintballs, bow & arrow, BB guns and air guns.
• Fireworks and explosives are prohibited.
• The campground is in a low-lying area which may be subject to flooding. Please be mindful of flood risks when at the Park. Should you hear the warning siren go off, please evacuate the campground and meet at the pavilion.
• River Authority does not provide emergency service personnel. In the event of an emergency, call 911 immediately. Camping has many hazards and that there are risks that cannot be eliminated, particularly in a wilderness environment. All guests/visitors assume all risks and danger incidental to the activity of camping in a rustic outdoor environment including but not limited to the danger of being injured or killed by insects or other animals, of being injured while participating in recreational activities at the campground and/or being injured as a result of inclement weather conditions, and agrees that the campground and the River Authority and its Board members, agents and employees are not liable for injuries or property damage resulting from such risks and danger. Further River Authority is not responsible for any theft, loss or damage incurred during my stay.
Entrance into the Park constitutes permission for the River Authority to photograph the visitors while on the premises and to use any resulting pictures or video for any lawful purpose without compensation to the visitor.
I understand that I may be asked to leave the Park, without refund, for failure to follow said rules, policies, and applicable law.
Hiking and Biking
With over three miles of trails, Helton Nature Park is a great place to exercise without having to worry about vehicle traffic. The trails are natural surfaces, so proper footwear is suggested. Bicycles with wide tires, like BMX and mountain bikes, are recommended. Road bikes are discouraged due to rough, natural terrain.
Paddling
Historically, Helton Nature Park was the final takeout point on the SASPAMCO paddling trail. Recently, the paddling trail has been extended and now continues south to Floresville River Park with take-out points at County Road 117 (nine miles downstream of Helton Nature Park) and US 97 (eight miles downstream of County Road 117 and 17 miles from Helton Nature Park). This extension makes Helton Nature Park a perfect picnic lunch destination in the middle of a paddling journey or a nice starting point on a paddling journey to Floresville. SASPAMCO Paddling Trail.
Parties and Events
Some of the newest amenities added to the park are up and away from the river, including a basketball court, playground, restroom, and a 5,000 square foot pavilion. The basketball court and pavilion are available for reservations up to one year in advance.
Discovery Information
Intriguing geologic features, tall shady trees, and peacefully flowing waters make the SASPAMCO Paddling Trail a paddling adventure that is unmatched in the San Antonio area. This trail has a wild feel as it courses a little over 29 miles through parts of Bexar and Wilson Counties, yet it is connected to rural parks to access amenities such as picnic tables, restrooms, and parking. The flow rate can vary, so it is a good idea to check out flow conditions before heading out to the paddling trail. If you time your excursion just right, you might happen upon a community event at John William Helton Nature Park when you conclude your paddling trip.
$10 / night
The sites are large with plenty of room for kiddos to run around. Sites typically have plenty of room to park a boat as well. Each electric site has a picnic table with covering and a fire pit grill. Some sites offer large trees for shade, but overall shade is sparse.
Well maintained and laid out facility with lots to see and do!
Very small Pull through sites (with very sharp turns). No good hiking trails. Seems great for boating or fishing, though. Good location for visiting Corpus.
Clean campground, was very windy right off the lake in spot 063. But quick access to the beach and fishing were nice. Picnic table was gross with bird droppings all over it and the concrete pad. Bathrooms were hit or miss. Men’s was clean and usable, women’s was ok but got worse throughout the day and evening and unusable (toilets were clogged) by the evening.
Recently stayed here cause we got in late and they were the only 1 open to take us in. Well lighten up and loved the laundry room. The manager came out to settle up the next morning and even gave us a free rv mug for our stay. Pet friendly. Showers were nice & clean! Wish the pool was open because we had to stay another night but we were told it will be ready soon. The friendly German Shepherd was a bonus since we had our pets out and seems to be unbothered them😳. We will be back for sure. Thank you for the pleasant stay.
Very nice and clean park. Quiet and beautiful. Walking trails well maintained.
My family and I camp here every year at the least. We enjoy the RV sites, the fishing pier and swimming. Park is always kept nice
The bird sanctuary was extremely busy even though it was overcast and cold. Great sightings of cardinals, green jays, hawks, and sparrows. Duck season was in full swing from dawn to dusk in the neighboring areas. Water level is extremely low, trails are nice, wide and clean. Restrooms and showers were in great working order, clean, and fully stocked of TP.
We stayed here for Christmas and it was very relaxing think I had the best sleep in a while pads are level and spots are nice covered tables
RV Park, not a "campground ". Super friendly check-in office staff. Propane on site, large laundry. Gated and clean. Everything I needed. Would recommend for price it's great!
Check in is easy, staff was polite. The sites are oozy and easy to back into. There are trails to the water, but my experience is fishing is much better from a boat rather than from shore. There are some beautiful birds here including the Green Jay. A lot of people put out bird feeders. But if you don’t have one, no worries they have a great bird blind.
State park offers a lot of space. Full hookup sites available. Mosquitos were brutal, so take lots of mosquito repellent. We loved that you can rent kayaks and paddle boards for the lake and you can even buy firewood there.
Stayed here for a weekend with my family. So nice to have AC in the cabin with shade on the little patio area. I’m convinced site 13 is the best. Only con was that others were using it to get down to the lake so we had a few people walk right up next to the cabin with their fishing gear. Bathrooms are a short walk away, as well as trash cans/dumpster. Woke up to a large group of javelinas at our site who were sniffing around. We set up a tent at the cabin area and were able to have lots of shade.
I had such an amazing experience when I went here last weekend. The park is lovely, very well maintenance. The staff were so friendly and genuinely cared about my family and made sure we had a great time. 10/10 would recommend.
We stayed here 2/13/21 to 2/18/21 during the Texas Extreme Cold and Snow event!
We had originally planned to go to Junction after our time in Lockhart State Park, but wanted to get further South away from the snow and cold. We easily switched our reservation to here although it was supposed to be full. Due to the weather, very few people around. Sites are huge. Had water and power at our site and we were close to restroom. We were in #108 which was also a Handicap site. After a day or so the water froze up so the bathrooms were closed as they were flush toilets' with showers. Luckily we filled our tank so we had water to use. We lost power for about 12 hours total but then got it back. It was down to 15 degrees a couple nights and we got a little snow and ice but we survived being from Wisconsin LOL
Also just down from us was a Bird Sanctuary where they put out fruit and seed. The Bird watching all over the park was fantastic. Not sure what's going on in the area where the buildings and nature center are, pretty run down and seem almost vacated. Saw tons of deer and feral hogs and Javelin and roadrunners etc.
Didn't plan to come here but really glad we did!
Stayed 12/01/2020- 05/09/2021 the only amenities they offer is laundry and internet. The internet does not work one bit. And the laundry machines are constantly dirty due to the large amount of people staying there. The pest are ridiculous. Ant plies all around concrete slabs. The park is 90% full of people from one company. The manager only cares about the company(IEA) And will kick you out if they tell them too. Do not stay here. And just remember they don't give a s*** about you 0/10 the biggest bullies out there.
Early spring 21 just went and had a blast. Fairly packed now that the state opened up fully. Over all though that time was perfect weather for kayaking and hiking the short trails that this park has. Tent camping is great and the spots are well payed out with plenty of space between them. Shower and bathroom facilities are in decent shape and do the job. Was impressed for havi g never heard of it prior to arrival. Online reservations available to make it easier.
We stopped for the night on the way into North Padre Island. It was a perfect stop after a long day of driving. The sites are large and well spaced. With 50 amp power and water at each site as well as a dump station at the entrance, it has all we need. And it was fun listening to an owl just after sunset.
Camped in non electric site, right by 75 acre reservoir. Good birdwatching, walking trails. Only ones camping here. Electric sites full up. Flush toilets, no showers, covered tables. $22 for 2 which include admission fees.
Pros:
• Super friendly Park Headquarters personnel
l• Great aluminum floating fishing pier with a covered fish cleaning pavilion
• Site aluminum picnic table on concert pad under a tree
• Park entrance gate closed 10 pm to 7 am, but an access code was provided at check-in
• Toilet/shower clean, but just worn out and desperately needing renovation
• Great CCC-constructed pavilion
• 3 bars AT&T cell service
• Howling coyotes nightly
Cons:
• Overused park that desperately needs some infrastructure improvements
• Unlevel side-to-side concert site parking pad was in poor condition and barely long enough for 28 ft trailer
• Septic system cleanout pipe smack in the middle of our campsite causing a tripping hazard
• Metal fire pit with cooking grate was overflowing with ash upon arrival
• No vegetation between sites= no privacy from neighbors
• Constant vehicle traffic through campground loop• Toilets were difficult to flush and clogged easily.
• Toilet/shower building interior walls crumbling exposing the structure
Overall, Choke Canyon SP is a nice park. Large footprint in southeast Texas between San Antonio and Corpus Christi. Good trails overall, however, could use better markings at trail intersections. Choke Canyon Reservoir is large and the area we were at had very little motorized boat traffic, which made it great for kayaking. That could be attributed to the low lake level and the overgrowth of hydrilla. Saw a lot of wildlife, rabbits, deer, coyotes, alligators, many fish species, many birds and a sounder of hogs. Sites are well kept and the boat ramp is large and long. Could easily launch/recover up to 4 boats at once. Lots of places to fish from the banks and jettys (but due to low lake levels, some are not accessible). Will definitely return some day.
While the lake is beautiful,the park feels neglected. Our campsite #64 in the catfish cove campground was awful, not sure when they had last mowed, there were stickers/cockle burrs everywhere. We spent time pulling as many of those and high grass as we could,but still got them all in our shoes and socks. The shelter over the picnic table had many bird nests and the picnic table was nasty. The bathrooms were ok, the shower curtains had mold/mildew. We hiked the catfish point trail which had not been maintained. We went through the online process to rent a kayak, had some problems which were easily resolved.
We enjoyed our one night at Corpus Christi State Park. As with other state parks, it's a bargain, especially with the State Parks Pass. We had a nice pull through site with a view of the lake and the marina. The covered picnic table was nice and we were able to use the grill to make a great dinner. The sunset was spectacular. We would return to this quiet and beautiful setting anytime.
Clean, spacious and owner is awsome.
The sites were very large, the lake is beautiful and it’s about 40 miles to the ocean.
My first time camping and it was so much fun! I’m 68 so it doesn’t take much to entertain me. The park is very pretty, beautiful lake but the water was down by 16 feet🙁, that’s why the 4 stars. The wildlife is abundant as the park is a refuge. We saw wild turkey Tom with his harem of hens, numerous birds, rabbits and deer.
Very large spacious campsite . Restroom and shower located very close by. Camped site 60/61. Beautiful grounds. Lake walking distance . Had a wonderful time
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Calliham, TX?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Calliham, TX is Escondido Ranch with a 0-star rating from 0 reviews.