Best Tent Camping near Cuney, TX

We went to check this place out to reserve for a family camp trip. The grounds are clean and spacious. They have wonderful cabins and RV sites. The only have 5 tent sites. There are no tent pads and the sites are on a small hill. The picnic tables are limited and not every tent site has one. There are no fire rings so it’s a little unnerving building a fire on the grass. The lake and marina is wonderful and clean. They have all sorts of thing to do there. Kayak rentals, fishing charters, a cute little cafe. This is a place I would come to rent a cabin but not to tent camp!

Absolutely stunning Texas state park located along the Texas Forest Trail that showcases the rolling hills of pine trees that dubbed this region the name “Pineywoods” of East Texas. Clean lake with available kayaking and canoeing, and even paddle boats. RV hookups or tent campgrounds.

Tere is a natural fed spring that is clear and beautiful. There's BBQ pit area and picnic tables. Cell Signal is almost non-existent. Sandy but still a lot of fun for the family.

There's RV camping and I believe tent camping also. We normally make a day trip as Its only a couple hours from home

Camping amongst the llamas was a dream come true! It was everything we hoped for- and more! You can tell Judy does this for the love of llamas. We got a tour of the pasture, and met all of the llamas by name. We got to feed the llamas, and they hung around our camp for almost our entire visit. We. Had. A. Blast. 

Multiple fire pits and picnic tables per site. Big, shady trees to escape the beating Texas sun. And we felt safe enough to let our boys camp in their own tent for the first time. Not too far from the city, but definitely feels like you're in the middle of nowhere. Tent sites aren't secluded, but they aren't close-by either, and our neighbors were never bother. 10/10 we will definitely be back.

Hear me out :D The Park itself is very beautiful and the staff there are some of the nicest hosts you will encounter at a SP. Bathrooms were clean, and the showers were nice as well. Our issue was that Tent camping is primarily offered on the south side of the park. Which as the crow flies is about 1 mile from I20. So throughout the night the constant rumble of cars on the highway can keep you up most of the night. Then you have the local Emergency Services. Sirens down the park road and on i20. This is the perfect day use SP for the Trails and water sports. Also looks like it would be prefect for RV camping.

I visited the Shortleaf camping area in the Tyler State Park for the weekend to participate in a 50k trail race. Each campsite in this area has a sheltered cabin, picnic table, fire pit and 2 parking spots. Tent camping is also permitted on the site but I used my iKamper Roof Top Tent as my primary place to sleep. The sheltered cabin has screens on the windows to keep the bugs out and electricity. I used this area primarily for storage of the food & gear that I used during the weekend. My campsite was located at the bottom of a hill and had a path to the restrooms and showers. These facilities were very clean and had 2 shower stalls and 3 toilet stalls along with 2 sinks. This location had access to the lake via a short hike. This type of camp site is the best of both worlds, you can camp via tent/car and still have a cabin like experience via the sheltered cabin. 

In September it is still pretty warm in Tyler, humidity was 100% when I visited without rain. I'll visit again in October when the cooler temps arrive and undoubtable have an even better experience.

Come for the hiking trails and access to local communities like Palestine, TX and 4C Trail.

You will get to know your neighbors at this state park if you choose to camp here.

Our party was spread out between the main campground and the Day Use area sites. We enjoyed the site we had, but our friends were camping in the main camping loop which was very crowded and cramped mid-week. Personally our site was B near the playground and the ADA trailheads. Site B is kinda magical and if you like people watching than you are in luck, there is no shortage of foot traffic near your campsite. For us it was nice and hikers, passersby were very respectful. 

Amenities used:

Bundled FIrewood (donations accepted, however it is free to use)

WIFI at the visitors center is sub-dial-up speed

Bathhouse is stall type so it is not a fully private room.

Staff if friendly and helpful

Sites are all on hillside, if you have an RV/camper I would rec the pull through sites. The back in sites really only work for tent camping. For Tents, the pad sizes vary so be sure to check your tent dimensions. We saw a few sites our 4 person tent wouldn't have fit onto. (Saw the same at Lake Ratcliff) 

Personally I would recommend the campgrounds at Lake Ratcliff if you are looking for spacious camping loops. Also Lake Ratcliff's bathhouse was much nicer and more ADA friendly. Mission Tejas's high quality trails are only a 20min drive from Lake Ratcliff.

Would've given this park a 4 star if campground hadn't been so cramped. Maybe my expectations need curbing. I will return for some winter camping later this year, possible even early spring as well. It is a great park, but if it is full, it feels crowded.

I had a great time at this park. Sites A and B are next to the day usage areas of the park, and are separated from the RV accessible areas. I found the site delightfully secluded - with a nice set of steps from the picnic table and fire pit right up to the tent pad. Water spigots are everywhere - although the one immediately adjacent to A&B was a little muddy, so I walked across to the playground to get water there. There's a trash can right next to the sites, and a set of clean, nice bathrooms not far off. This spot is also conveniently located next to several trailheads.

Only major problem with this site - there happened to be two fire ant nests on or directly adjacent to the tent pad. Luckily, I was able to angle my 2 person tent perfectly to avoid trouble, but for a larger tent it may have been a huge problem.

Very primitive and off the beaten path, our 02 Mustang was able to handle it. No site numbers just pop the tent wherever. Very quiet and beautiful.

They have sites for all campers,tents etc. Full hook-ups to water only. Paddle boats to rent. Swimming hole, several lighted fishing docks. boat ramps. You and your family will love this park

The park has a couple small campsites available for both tent and trailer, with price variation to reflect that. The ranger I met at the gate was friendly, engaging and welcoming. The park boats three historic locations, miles of trails and a small but beautifuly curated interpretive center that all ages interested in history will find entertainment and education in. It also boasts a library which is an unexpected but pleasant feature to find.

There's not much to this campground, although it is very beautiful with enormous loblolly pines. This is a primitive campsite. There's no water, no electricity, not bathrooms, etc. Just an area you can use to set up tents or hammocks. We met a nice older fella who said he comes there every day and builds a fire at dusk, stays for a little bit, then leaves.

We bikes from the Ratcliff Recreational Area and we had to cache water.

This park is beautiful with lots of areas to explore. The camp sites are all in one location and are very close to one another. Some sites are awesome while others are kind of awful, unfortunately. We were in site 004 and it wasn't great. There wasn't a good spot for a tent or a hammock. However, site 005 was much better. The sites that are listed as next to the bathrooms are RIGHT next to the bathrooms.

My girls and I loved hiking on one of two parks in Texas that you can WALK on the El Camino Royal!!! Great playground, facilities and staff!