Searching for a tent camping spot near College Station? The Dyrt helps you find campsites with tent camping near College Station. Each tent campsite offers quick access to one or more of College Station's most popular destinations.
It took 20 years of development, including weathering a flood and a World War, but in 1956 the community of Huntsville, Texas, finally got their own state park. Located just 10 miles south of town, in the Sam Houston National Forest, this 2,000-acre park of pine and hardwood forest is situated around man-made Lake Raven. Today, locals and visitors alike flock to Huntsville State Park for its hiking trails, water recreation and prolific wildlife. With so many outdoor activities to choose from, a good first stop is the park’s Nature Center. Here you can get information about the local flora and fauna, including the more than 250 species of birds, plus a variety of mammals and alligators, that make the park their home.
Campers at Huntsville State Park have access to 160 tent and RV campsites in three camp areas near the shore of Lake Raven: Prairie Branch, Raven Hill and Coloneh. Full- and partial-hookup RV sites are available, and can accommodate vehicles/trailers up to 60 feet. All sites are equipped with picnic tables, grills, and lantern posts, and drinking water faucets are shared between sites; some sites are ADA accessible. Each camp area provides flush restrooms, showers, playgrounds, picnic areas near the lake, fishing piers, and boat launches. There is a dump station located in the Raven Hill camp area. The park also has two camping cabins for rent. Campsite rates range from $15–$25/night, plus park entrance fee; cabins are $60/night, plus entrance fee.
When you’re ready to play on the water, head down to the lakeshore where you can take a dip in the designated swim area, rent a canoe or kayak (or put in your own) for paddling around the lake, or cast a line for crappie, perch and largemouth bass. A shop near the Prairie Branch day-use area has groceries, ice, fishing supplies and beverages. If you’re up for some roaming or wildlife watching, pick up a trail map and birding guide and go explore more than 20 miles of multiuse paths and nature walks. From the park’s bird blind, you can scan for a variety of songbirds and waterfowl. The park also offers ranger-led nature programs, and there are Junior Ranger activities for the kids.
$15 - $500 / night
15 Acres just 45min north of College Station, TX and 45min South of Temple, TX right off HWY 6
Enjoy a campfire, tent camping, hammocks, and peace and quiet in a secluded ranch. Only sounds you'll hear is a distant train on a still night, the occasianal coyote, and the sparks from a roaring camp fire.
2 beautiful ponds with fishing and a mix of both wooded and open areas.
Currently off-grid camping only with port-a-toilet. No water/electric. Cell service available for most carriers.
Closest grocery store 19 min drive in Hearne, TX. Only 10 min from cozy town of Calvert, TX Includes gas stations, restraunts, bars w/game room (billiards, darts, tvs)
$5 - $20 / night
Come explore Fort Boggy State Park – its trails, primitive campsites, cabins and 15-acre lake. We’re halfway between Houston and Dallas along I-45
Stay at a cabin in the woods or reserve a primitive hike-in campsite. The park has restrooms and an outdoor shower near the lake. Pets are not allowed in or around the cabins.
Primitive sites: Maximum distance from trailhead to site is one mile. These sites have no electricity or water. Pack out everything you bring in.
Cabins: They are within walking distance of the main parking lot (100 yards), restrooms and an outdoor shower. Cabins do not have bathrooms. No pets are allowed in or around the cabins. Up to eight people (five inside and three outside) can stay at a cabin.
$10 - $85 / night
Group Camp (Hike-in | Trailway) People per Site: 16 Number of Sites: 1 Wolf Pond Group Camp is four miles from the Birch Creek Unit. Access the site on foot, bike or horse via the 13-mile Lake Somerville Trailway. Potable water is not available. Ground fires are permitted in designated areas only. This site is available on a walk-up basis; it cannot be reserved in advance.
No Water Chemical toilets
$20 Nightly
Plus daily entrance fee
$20 / night
Primitive Campsite (Hike-in | Trailway) People per Site: 8 Number of Sites: 1 The Flag Pond campsite is located one mile from the Newman Bottom parking area and 4.5 miles from Nails Creek Unit. Potable water is not available. Access the site by hike, bike or horse via the 13-mile long Trailway.
No Water Chemical toilets
$10 / night
Traveler
Located on the west edge of the east Texas piney woods, this state park features excellent RV and tent camping facilities, and a beautiful network of heavily forested trails. The lake offers canoeing, kayaking, swimming and fishing, and affords visitors an occasional glimpse of alligators. We love this place.
GuideI took the whole family for a weekend getaway. We loved the park, it was our first time tent camping here and it did not disappoint. It has a swimming area, trails, fishing, and playgrounds. The park was very nice and clean, the showers had door! We will definitely come back.
Guide
Beautiful small state park. We usually tent camp but this time we decided staying at a cabin. Nice, beautiful and modern cabins. Love the enclosed porch and open porch as well. The cabin was spacious enough for our family of 6. The new family restroom close to the cabins was great, nice and clean. I will be back.
GuideThis is our favorite local (2hous from home) park. We’ve been coming here almost every year for close to 20 years. We’ve done primitive tent camping, tent camping with power, shelter camping and just recently became glampers!😂 Site 142 in the prairie branch loop is our favorite site. It’s on the water and at the trailhead. It’s recently been designated Accessible so our last two trips we chose the shelter sites 10 and 11. These sites are also on the water and have lots of space. The showers on this side are individual rooms as opposed to the semi private (too small shower curtain) ones in the big restroom. The water is nice and hot but I suggest bringing a broom or you will be sharing with some pretty big spiders. Overall the restrooms are clean but the campgrounds are busy lately so I’m sure it’s difficult to keep up. Staff are super friendly. Firewood is on a suggested donation basis and is available most days before 5pm.
Ranger
This is a wonderful very well maintained Corp of Engineers campground on Lake Somerville. RV sites are level with plenty of spacing, lots of people tent camping. Sites have water and electric and there is a dump station. Clean bathrooms, well maintained trails and miles of accessible shoreline. Great AT&T and 2 bars T-Mobile reception. Some areas are closed because of previous flooding. Tons of deer wandering around every evening. Highly recommend for a relaxing place to stay.
TravelerWonderful trails. Clear and well marked. Primitive (water only) tent sites on lakeshore side leave the camper hunting flat surfaces while avoiding runoff pathways. However the dip shields you from stormy winds. Be ready to share the park. Lots of day trippers enjoy this piece of bliss so close to Houston. Trails are marked for foot and bicycle travel. Birdwatchers bring your glasses and journals, you will not be disappointed.
Traveler
The lake is fairly warm, large amount of bass, huge gar, croppy, And catfish. when the water is right you can take a flat bottom boat up to any of the creeks. Overall a great campground with decent facilities. They do have horse stalls at many of the campsites so definitely bring your horse and trot around the lake !! They do have rv and tent sites with a lot of trails that are mowed down and well taken care of. Lots of picnic areas and covered areas S well!
Traveler
We were are spot T2, along with another group at T10 (only ones camping out there)! The spots are somewhat close together. It’s an all-around great camping spot. Has ample sites to camp either in tents or RVs, with both electricity and water hook ups. Really quiet, everyone is respectful of the 10pm silent rule. Good shade spot while tent camping in the summer. Campsite is a walking distance from bathrooms and showers. Close to water (walking distance) for swimming, boating, fishing, kayaking, etc. By the campsite (not the marine side) there is a small inlet of the lake that is great for swimming. Other parts are too deep, but are perfect for taking a boat out and fishing! Staff is very friendly with any questions. Very dog friendly. Good price!
TravelerWe went Thursday - Saturday, and will go again during the week to avoid crowds.
The check-in process is a bit troublesome if you're picky about getting a good tent site- you can't reserve specific sites ahead of time. Also, your visit will cost you more than listed on the website because they charge entrance fees for each person on top of the campsite rental. That was an unpleasant surprise.
The only other unpleasant surprise is that the campground store is closed on Thursdays. Lesson learned- bring your own Snickers!
However, the scenery, quietness, and availability of rental boats was wonderful. We camped in tent site #70, and I would grab that one again in a heartbeat. The 70's sites have water access and beautiful views, and are generous with their square footage. Plenty of trees down there to hang hammocks and clotheslines on, and more than one flat spot for tents on each site.
I normally would not devote a whole paragraph to restrooms at a state park, but I will this time. These were the CLEANEST restrooms I've ever seen at a state park, and the most updated. The stalls had modern dividers, the toilets all had clean, functional seats, the showers had separate bench areas with lots of hooks, plus normal faucets you could just turn on once (as opposed to having to push a button every minute), and the sinks also had great faucets with good pressure and reliable water temperatures. Very easy to use.
All our issues with this park were related to unexpected costs and logistics, but the park facilities were fabulous. We will definitely be back!
TravelerI’m so surprised I hadn’t been here yet, but it’s just gorgeous. Pine needles everywhere, beautiful lake. We tent camped and we weren’t too close to the people around us. Completely surrounded by huge trees. The bathroom had a lot of spiders but I’d expect that. The showers drained super slow but you just have to take a quick one. I appreciate the parking at your spot a lot. A nice cold front (and storm) came in during the night and blew out the humidity and it just got that much better. We went on the long trail in the evening and heard coyotes which was cool. We turned around though lol.
Legend
We have been to this park twice now, once at a tent site and once at a Yogi on the Lake cabin. Both during Halloween time a year apart. What a FUN place to be!! Our kids loved that we got to go Trick or treating at a campground! But probably my favorite thing about this place is the waterpark. Really refreshing on a hot day, and the best part? The staff are usually pretty lienient about slide rules, so small kids and parents alike are allowed to ride! I just can't say enough good about this place. Can't wait to go back again!
GuideI recently went on a camping trip solo (minus the hubby) with my old-man dog here. We tent camped at site #177. This is a beautiful park on a beautiful lake! Here are some of the pros: friendly couple at check-in/entrance shack, friendly rangers driving around checking on folks, deer everywhere(!), beautiful lake view, well-maintained grounds, good shade trees, trash dumpsters within walking distance, electricity/water hookups worked great, picnic table/fire ring/grill, gorgeous sunsets(!), very quiet at night, cute and clean little beach/swim area to hang out in. The cons for me were: getting to the water from my site was not as direct as it looked on the map, circular bricks with holes on the shore were not dog friendly (not human leg friendly either), bathrooms/showers were closed in our area/circle due to Covid-19. I would ABSOLUTELY return to this park!!
I really appreciated the hospitality shown here! They recognized that I was a lone female (but a very confident/independent one) with an old man-dog and, respectfully, went out of their way to make sure that we were okay!
GuideTent camped 23JUN20, 1 night
I love Huntsville SP. It’s my “home park”. So many great memories of family and scout camping here, all the way back to my youth. The tall trees and lake make for a “summer camp” feel.
It literally rained every second I was in camp except for a little while when I was loading out. For the most part it was a quiet heavy rain that I enjoyed from my covered hammock!
I always forget there are alligators there, but they don’t seem to care too much about people. It is a bit disconcerting to be standing on the fishing peer 2 feet over the water and look down to see one just chilling under your feet.
Site 139 was large, had complete shade coverage and was right off the trail. It also had the unfortunate attribute of being at the bottom of the hill and kind of where all the water from everywhere seemed to be headed. Not a problem unless it’s raining a lot. Fortunately I realized this and set up my tent on the end of the parking space. Have you ever driven a tent stake into asphalt with a hatchet? Good times.
The bathrooms were clean and updated. The fishing was non existent due to the rain and I’ll go back soon to hike.
Did I mention that it rained? A lot?
Guide
One of those, you get what you pay for kind of places. The facilities are there. They aren't great, but at least they are permenant. The lake is there, it's not super pretty but it's also closer to college station and Bryan than anywhere else.
GuideI was totally surprised at the beauty of this park. I stayed in a screened shelter site with a view of the lake. The weather was cold, but I came prepared and setup my tent in the shelter. The park has many trails and view points. The staff at check-in were extremely helpful and you could tell they love their job. Ended up purchasing a Texas Parks Pass because I am quickly learning that Texas has some of the best camping in the country.
RangerWe took our family here on a Texas state park camping trip. The park rangers explain basics of camping. It was a great experience for our family. The park is very family friendly and tent friendly. It is on a lake that has fishing, kayaking and paddle boats. The facilities were nice and clean.
ScoutThis was our first trip with our kiddos in tent and we cannot wait to go back!! Site 146 was amazing!!
Traveler
Clean camping grounds. Designated tent areas and fire rings. Hot showers and flushing toilets all in a clean bathroom. Listening to the coyotes late at night was awesome.
TravelerWe camped at spot 1, right up from the lake. Very spacious spot to fit three tents. Dog friendly. Very quiet, everyone courteous. Two great fishing spots: down on the lake by the campsite and by the marina (both super close to the campsite).
GuideOur first adventure into Sam Houston National Forest. Was a great one. Trees all around trails to hike around, full hook ups if you are in an RV or trailer! Tent spots available at all sites!
Legend
Old campground, nicely maintained. Wooded; big pines. Two restroom/showerhouses; old, but clean. Camped for 2 nights in a camper van at site #24. It was a very large site surrounded on 3 sides by a thick forest of trees & shrubs. Private. Water faucet on site. No electric. The Lone Star Hiking Trail conveniently located in the campground. Nice hike through a thick forest. Canpground road & campsite driveways are paved. Sites have tent pads & appear pretty much level. Sites have a table, fire ring & lantern poll. The road toward the campground is paved, but broken up in places with several potholes. AT&T service is okay, but no T-Mobile service. This campground is great for tent campers, campervans, car campers & truck campers. I don't recommend this campground for large RVs.
GuideWe loved our campsite and this beautiful park. We got to use our kayaks, go fishing, swimming, and hike also. It was just gorgeous! We actually had our campsite in a perfect place for we could put our kayaks in and out of the water right behind our tent.
ScoutAll inclusive pricing is great, very close to town and Texas A&M. Very tight spots and close to your neighbors
LegendThese are some great tent/trailer (small RV) only sites with no hookups (both deterring the giant RVs). You have nice open sites with pads under the tree cover with your standard table and fire ring but you then also have access to potable drinking water and flush restrooms and actually some showers. Easy access to the lake and lots of trails.
Scout
Large camping areas for tents and RVs. There aren't many sites, so it's generally quiet, though it's right next to a dirt bike track, so it can get noisy during the day. The only bathroom available was a portapotty, which was adequate basket random. My only real complaint was that there was no dumpster for trash or anything else.
TravelerWonderful camp grounds nestled in Sam Houston National Forest. Old school drop box style. First come, first serve. Make sure you have cash. Water access throughout the sites, each camp site has table, fire ring with a cooking grate and tent pad. Clean bathrooms with jot showers on timers. Access to an inlet of Lake Conroe. Hiking trails. Not much breeze due to the thick forest, so perfect for fall and spring camping.
ScoutLake Bryan Campground offers a serene escape with its picturesque surroundings and well-maintained facilities. Nestled by the tranquil Lake Bryan, campers can enjoy various water activities and stunning views. The campground provides a perfect blend of nature and comfort, featuring spacious sites and modern amenities. Whether you're an RV enthusiast or a tent camper, there's a suitable spot for everyone. The peaceful ambiance and friendly staff enhance the overall experience. For those seeking adventure, Lake Bryan Campground is an ideal choice. Plan your getaway and explore the beauty of nature. Also, check out https://mybestcasino.ca/review/n1-casino/ for exciting online entertainment.
Tent camping near College Station, Texas, offers a variety of scenic spots where nature lovers can unwind and enjoy the great outdoors. With options ranging from state parks to private sites, there's something for everyone.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near College Station, TX?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near College Station, TX is Huntsville State Park Campground with a 4.5-star rating from 71 reviews.
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TheDyrt.com has all 6 tent camping locations near College Station, TX, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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