Best Tent Camping near Cuero, TX

Great spot to get away and camp. $25 for tent camping with water and electricity. Also has hookups for RVs. The dam failed a few years back so the lake is no longer there but the river is great for fishing and some swimming. Lots of shade from old pecan trees and soft grass for comfortable tent placement. All sites have a fire ring and picnic tables.

This Texas State Park is located in Goliad Texas. This is in the south central area of the state between Victoria and Austin on Highway 183. The park has some great historical sites including a 16th century Spanish mission. The campground is situated along the San Antonio River. You can kayak along the 6 mile long kayak paddle trail or try your luck at fishing. The campground is well maintained and offers a nice range of sites from tent to RVs and small cabins. The sites are located along the river with no privacy. They have some walk in tent sites as well. The town of Goliad is a hidden gem with a rich history and some cool antique shops and cafes. We plan to stop again here on our next trip to the coast.

I’m from Goliad, so whenever I feel like getting outdoors I can just drive 15 minutes down the road to the park and enjoy a day hike or a weekend out in the woods. The park is awesome lots of Historic sites and lots of history in such a small town. The park has Tent sites, small cabins for rent and restrooms with showers that are always clean. They also have RV hook ups with plenty of room and shade trees. The nature trail is nice too. Definitely recommend for anyone that has not visited before.

Diverse environments to explore by kayak or hiking trail, plus horse trails, fishing, nature center, historic buildings, and a full event center.

Yay: Camping includes typical tent/RV sites or cabins. Our campsite was right along the water, which was pretty (it’s a reservoir along a river).

Nay: it’s pretty busy, but not overly loud or dirty.

Surprise: lots of wildlife here! There are events throughout the year...we visited during a charity race but that didn’t really impact our trip (aside from the campground being full). They frequently have rodeo/horse events too...very Texas! The historic church was more interesting than we expected.

The sites weren’t too bad, but there were a lot of ants and insects around that’s even more than usual. Definitely bring a tent screen. I don’t think it’s specific to the campsite as there were insects all around town, or probably due to the time of the year. Other than that, campgrounds were clean and easy to enter. Historic sites were close by and interesting.

Historic Texas and Mexican sites within a quaint little park.

Each site is very spacious. Lots of trees and shade for South Texas. Bathrooms were ok. Lots of bugs but clean.

Goliad is next to a historic site for Texas history. The river is beautiful and during the spring time there are tons of blue bonnets that bloom.

Campsite Review:

Palmetto State Park is a tranquil campground located in Central Texas. It offers campers the chance to hike, bike, swim, paddle, fish or just lay in a hammock under the shade of trees. The park is located a few minutes drive from the towns of Gonzales and Luling. The park's most unique feature are the dwarf palmetto plants which grow throughout the forest.

When entering the park you are welcomed by a canopy of overhanging trees. At the entrance there is an office where you can pay your admission fee and shop for some basic camping necessities. There are also after-hour pay stations nearby.

At each campsite there is a parking space with water and electrical hookups, a picnic table, barbecue grill and fire pit. Most of the sites will fit small to medium sized RVs. There are plenty of shade trees around the campsites which are welcome during the summers in Texas. The restrooms are near the campsites and all of the restrooms, although somewhat dated, have sinks, flush toilets and showers.

Some of the attractions of this park include a small artesian spring, lake and the San Marcus River. There is a nice hike and bike trail which runs along the bank of the river which is flat and easy to walk or bike. There are some amazing sights and sounds while walking through the forest - from birds to insects to small mammals to plants. As previously mentioned, one of the unique features of this park are the dwarf palmetto plants that grow on the forest floor. These palmettos make you feel as if you've been transported to a tropical paradise. Paddle boat, kayak and canoe rentals are available at a concession office near the lake.

There are a number of activities to enjoy at this park, but some of the facilities could use an update. I would think that is a nice park for families with kids because of the variety of activities that can be pursued. There are no extreme features like mountains or cliffs, just a number of peaceful nooks in nature.

Before or after your stay at Palmetto State Park be sure to pass by the little town of Luling, Texas where you can eat at the City Market Café which has some of the best barbecue in Texas.

Product Review:

As a Ranger for The Dyrt, I am offered the opportunity to test products. At this campground, I tested the Gregory Inertia 30 Hydration Backpack.

Top reasons I loved the Gregory Inertia 30 Hydration Backpack:

1. Size: The pack is 30 liters and is useful for day hikes, weekend adventures or carry-on airline travel.
2. Features: The pack has well thought-out organization with a large main compartment, a mid-sized compartment, a top stash pocket, stretch mesh front and side pockets and a flexible suspension. Also, there are a number of attachment loops for attaching tools, poles, solar chargers or other gear.
3. Technology: The new 3D hydration bladder is a breeze to fill, empty and clean. It has an tactile grip handle and rubberized fill top which make opening and closing easy. When cleaning or drying out the bladder, the sidewalls of the bladder maintain an open shape which allows easy access and evaporation of any residual water.
4. Quality: All of the materials are of high quality. I expect that the backpack will last many years. This is important for a day use backpack which will see regular duty under a variety of conditions. It is also important for backpacking, because no one wants a gear failure while in the backcountry.

I hope and expect that this backpack will become my go to backpack for a variety of adventures.

A lot of places you come across when passing from place to place that are a bit older are in need of repair and a little TLC, but this place has all the TLC you could ask for under one roof so to speak.

I was greeted by the most friendly lady in the office who not only assisted me with finding a space for my evening but also with navigating this amazingly cute community. A small German and Czech community there are so many places to visit including. Polka Hall of Fame and a cute downtown corridor with numerous shops and points of interest.

I can see this is typically more of an RV site however they do have accommodations for tents which are quite nice. I will say I was a little concerned based on their web presence, which does the site itself no justice at all.

The site includes tv connections and internet as well as private restrooms which have their own showers instead of a combined shower and restroom common house combo like many. This made for a nice experience which more closely resembled getting ready at home the next morning. In addition there was a laundry available.

I chose to walk to a Czech bakery nearby and had some of the best baked goods ever including kolaches!! I also checked out the Polka Hall of Fame just for giggles!! (Chicken Dance anyone?)

We came into this park on the 4th day of the big Texas freeze this past winter. Unfortunate for them,  pipe broke and they were out of water at the time. But it was fixed a couple days after we arrived. 

  Now as for the park. It has a section of 30 amp services which are in some shades and are on concrete, a newer area in the park has been created which for the most part is in a field, with new 50 amp service and are on grass. All sites have water and sewer as well. There are seasonal/annuals in the park I would say about 25% of 30amp service is. If you choose to be one, you need to go to the town and get a permit otherwise there is a two week limit to camp here. 

  We use ATT on Nomad Internet and Verizon & T-Mobile on our phones, ATT Wi-Fi was 4 bars and our phones were each 3 bars and no issues with any of the services,

  There is  bath house located in the center of the park as you come into the entrance. The park is on a "park and hook up and then pay" system. After setting up to go to the front of the bathhouse and leave a check or cash into a box. The city of Yoakum maintains the park and it is well kept. Garbage dumpster is free and available as well. There is a playground for kids as well  as right next to a full size golf course. So you could get into your golf cart and right over to the clubhouse while never getting on a roadway.  The cost is very cheap, we paid $13 a night with senior discount, regular price is $15  That is FHU!! You will hear a plan or two during the day as there is a small airport down the street, but the low flying small planes are not too disturbing. The town of Yoakum is 5 minutes from your location and it has a Family dollar and a H.E.B as well as a few cool shops.

  If your ever out that way and need a place to stay that is friendly, clean and quiet for the most part, you won't be disappointed.

Camped with all 5 of our little ones, great campground, staff was friendly and helpful and the store right by the park gates sells hard wood firewood for a decent price

I feel I got kind of lucky to find this beautiful weather spaces spot full hookup may come by once a week to empty your tanks

PROS 

Security gate closed at midnight and reopens at 6am 

Moveable wooden and metal picnic table 

Pedestal BBQ grill 

Site 82 level 

Trash pickup at each site 

One washer & one dryer in toilet/shower facility

Lots of deer roaming the FHU campground

Park WIFI sufficient to live stream TV 

CONS 

Obvious HOMESTEADERS in FHU loop

No senior discount 

Overpriced for a park with gravel roads 

Gravel roads throughout park 

FHU loop wide open so no privacy 

Little shade 

LOTS of fire ant hills throughout site 

Campsite grass needs mowed 

Tiny campfire ring 

No toilets/showers in 64-83 Campground so closest is 1/2 mile round trip