The Dyrt – find campgrounds for tents, RVs, cabins, glamping and more.
Open in App

Best Tent Camping near DeSoto, TX

403 Reviews

Tent campsites surrounding DeSoto, Texas offer a mix of established campgrounds and primitive options within day-trip distance. Meadowmere Park & Campground provides dedicated tent camping with 36 sites and essential amenities including drinking water, electric hookups, toilets, and trash service. Cedar Ridge Mobile Home & RV Park, despite its name, accommodates tent campers with showers, toilets, and drinking water access within reach of the Dallas metropolitan area.

Most tent campgrounds near DeSoto feature picnic tables and allow fires in designated fire rings, though fire restrictions may apply during dry periods. Meadowmere Park requires reservations and permits pets, while Sycamore Bend Park offers more primitive tent camping at $20 per night with a maximum 3-night stay. Facilities vary considerably between locations - Erwin Park provides toilets and drinking water but no shower facilities, while Little Elm Park features electric hookups and basic toilets without showers. A camper noted that "each site has a picnic table, fire pit and trash can and some of the sites are more shaded than others" at Erwin Park.

The tent camping experience around DeSoto offers varying levels of seclusion and natural settings. Sites at Sycamore Bend Park provide waterfront camping along Lake Lewisville with walk-in access, making it popular with scout troops and outdoor enthusiasts. Many campgrounds require short walks from parking areas to reach tent sites, creating a more immersive outdoor experience. Wooded sites at Erwin Park feature access to approximately 9 miles of trails used by hikers and mountain bikers. A review mentioned that Erwin Park "feels like you're far from home but only a few min away," making it ideal for spontaneous weekend tent camping trips without extensive travel. Weather conditions vary seasonally, with summer heat often necessitating shade and proximity to water for comfortable tent camping.

Map showing campgrounds near DeSoto, TexasExplore the Map

Best Tent Sites Near DeSoto, Texas (10)

    1. Northside RV Resort

    9 Reviews
    Waxahachie, TX
    10 miles
    Website
    +1 (972) 908-0040

    $50 - $60 / night

    "Level pads. Quiet. Dog park. Play ground. Wifi. Cable. Lake."

    "Each shower has its own toilet and vanity behind a lockable door. Our campsite (532) was a little awkward to get in because of the corner and the speed bumps, but not impossible."

    2. Cedar Ridge Mobile Home & RV Park

    1 Review
    Lancaster, TX
    7 miles
    +1 (214) 371-9818

    "Stayed there during our trip to Texas, after visiting Big Bend. Overall, pretty good spot for RVing."

    3. Meadowmere Park & Campground

    2 Reviews
    Southlake, TX
    30 miles
    Website
    +1 (817) 410-3939

    $35 / night

    "We really enjoyed this camp space. Peaceful, open, spacious and super nice management and staff. We stayed in spot 23 and although windy, I really enjoyed the scenery and quietness."

    "Close to Dallas, very clean and organized camp area."

    4. Sycamore Bend Park

    3 Reviews
    Lake Dallas, TX
    36 miles
    Website
    +1 (469) 645-9100

    $20 / night

    "The restrooms really stink, but are always clean and stocked in my experience. Max 3 night stay, no electricity, water, or showers. Nice fire rings, flag pole, and calm park."

    "No access to drive to the actual site so I couldn’t use my RTT but it’s a short walk from where you park. Really nice park right on the lake, but it does get a bit crowded."

    5. Erwin Park

    8 Reviews
    McKinney, TX
    46 miles
    Website
    +1 (972) 547-2690

    "Erwin Park is a great place to visit if you're looking to spend a few days running or biking trails. Campsites are far enough apart that you have privacy yet close enough that you don't feel alone."

    "I’ve had many great experiences at this park it’s a ways out of the way of the city noise. The only sound other than bird song is the occasional moo and some coyote yips in the distance"

    6. Collin Park

    1 Review
    Wylie, TX
    36 miles

    7. Little Elm Park

    1 Review
    Little Elm, TX
    38 miles
    Website
    +1 (972) 731-3296

    "Electric hookups for RV generally a small area first come first serve.... 5 dollars per tent....restrooms and park lights.... stores nearby..... no showers"

    8. Brockdale Park

    1 Review
    Lavon Lake, TX
    38 miles
    Website
    +1 (972) 442-3141

    9. Mustang - Bear Creek Campground

    Be the first to review!
    Benbrook, TX
    37 miles
    Website

    10. Bella Hampton Farm Foundation

    Be the first to review!
    Mabank, TX
    39 miles
    Website
    +1 (512) 944-0376

    $30 - $45 / night

Show More
Showing results 1-10 of 10 campgrounds

2025 Detourist Giveaway

Presented byToyota Trucks

Review Campgrounds. Win Prizes.

Enter to Win

DeSoto Contest

Enter to Win

Recent Tent Camping Photos near DeSoto, TX

11 Photos of 10 DeSoto Campgrounds

Tent Camping Reviews near DeSoto, TX

403 Reviews of 10 DeSoto Campgrounds

  • Napunani
    Nov. 18, 2021

    Oak Park Campground

    Landscape Timber at Fire Ring Created Trip Hazard

    Reserved on-line 184 days prior to arrival. 

    Pros Site in large oak tree grove, so heavily shaded 

    Campground night sky friendly with good dark sky viewing NO STREET LIGHTS in campground., but toilet facilities had exterior lighting 

    Crushed granite surrounding site and bordered with landscaping timbers 

    Metal roof shelter over concrete slab where picnic table is located 

    Metal picnic table 

    Cooking grill on metal fire ring 

    Campground mostly quiet except for Hwy 31 traffic noise 

    Friendly camp host 

    Security gate closed nightly 

    Not charged a fee to make my own on-line reservation 

    Campsite discount with America the Beautiful Pass 

    Cons 

    Entrance gate not manned upon arrival at 2pm Tuesday so had to go back around after unhitched 

    Our site 14 was not marked. Most sites have site number on site picnic table. Even those are tough to see in the daylight and impossible to see in darkness. Absolutely no roadside site number posts 

    Campsite 14 entrance driveway was 90 degree angle to park road with a steep ditch on opposite side of road. T

    rees close on both sides tight to site 14 driveway. Made back in challenging, but not impossible. 

    Campsite 14 entrance/driveway 10% grade from park road 

    Campsite 14 not level side to side 

    Site fire ring was up against landscaping timber preventing space for chairs 

    Landscaping timbers trip hazard at fire ring

    Fire ring should be relocated to side or back of site to facilitate safe movement around it Fire ring was completely filled with ash upon arrival No privacy from other campsites Shower/toilet facility near playground had padlock on mens entrance, so males were using the womens restroom. This facility in extremely poor condition and desperately needs renovation. 

    No campsite lantern pole 

    No park Wifi 2

     bars AT&T 

    Never saw any park rangers or park security driving through campground 

    Wildlife sightings of grey squirrels and two dozen buzzards that constantly circled over campground

  • j
    Jan. 3, 2022

    Hickory Creek - Lewisville Lake

    Spacious campground near town

    Lewisville TX Hickory Creek Park COE on Lewisville Lake Open year round. Just over 100 paved sites most with lakeviews. Also have primitive walk in sites by lake. May 1 to Sept 30 14 day max stay other times can extend 14 more days!Be ware that gate closes from 10pm to 6am and there is no code access! Sites are w/e and all have new 50 amp. Grills and fire rings along with covered picnic tables. Modern bathhouse with large shower stalls. Nice boat ramp and boat trailer parking. There are several nature and walking trails as well as paved roads for bike riding. I have Verizon and was able to call and text but not use internet in camp. Town is short 5 minutes away. There's restaurants, shopping and theater close by.

  • Napunani
    Dec. 13, 2022

    COE Navarro Mills Reservoir Oak Park

    Clean-up on Site #11

    Pros 

    Discount with National Park pass 

    Shady

    Quiet 

    Dark sky friendly

    Nice metal roof cover over concrete picnic table 

    Saw park ranger drive thru during daylight 

    2 bars T-MOBILE 

    Successful streaming with T-MOBILE hotspot device 

    Cons 

    So day #2 without any TP in men’s restroom.  Went to front gate to report it and was told they would call it into the Army Corps of Engineers as gate volunteers have no stock of TP on hand.  Never saw any TP before leaving on third day

    Toilet facility #1 women’s had raw sewage throughout deep enough to cover your foot. Site 11 has electrical hook up at rear on the door side of the camper 

    Site 11 water connection is centered at the rear of the parking pad. 

    Site 11 unlevel. 

    Numerous piles of charcoal ash throughout site 11 campsite not in the fire pit. 

    Concrete picnic table needs degreased as surface has lots of large greasy stain 

    Site numbers are painted on the concrete picnic table so extremely difficult to see in the dark. 

    No WIFI

  • R
    Nov. 27, 2020

    Hidden Cove Park & Marina

    Not just for camping!

    Clean and spacious RV sites in two areas, about 100 total and several with water view. Open and tree covered sites in both. Cabins also available, again several with water views. Two designated tent camping areas separate from RVs. Dry storage and dump station on property as well. The park offers open activity areas and covered picnic tables by the water. A 3-lane boat ramp to Lewisville Lake, rental paddle boarding, full marina, and swimming area. Seasonal restaurant with indoor & outdoor eating areas. Privately owned so there is an entry fee, but 2 or 3 levels of yearly membership passes available saves a lot! Currently upgrading to full hookup for all RV sites and wifi.

  • Taylin B.
    Jun. 1, 2023

    Sycamore Bend Park

    Great PRIMATIVE stay.

    The price has gone up from $7 to $20, but that’s about average it seems now. The restrooms really stink, but are always clean and stocked in my experience. Max 3 night stay, no electricity, water, or showers. Nice fire rings, flag pole, and calm park.

  • Layla D.
    Jul. 25, 2020

    Cedar Hill State Park Campground

    One Night Stay

    We stayed here on the last night of a two-week journey visiting national parks in the West. This just happened to be on our route back home to Louisiana and looked like a pleasant place for us to spend one night.

    We arrived at the campground around 8:00 on a Friday night and had to wait in line to enter the park. The park ranger was very friendly and thorough (albeit slow giving directions for road-weary travelers such as us). We found site 123 in the H Loop easily (sites are clearly marked) and set up camp. We were impressed with the spacing and privacy of the sites. We had a slight peekaboo view of the lake and a beautiful sunset from the trailer. It took us a while to get our trailer leveled as the site was on a pretty big slant (four inches off left to right and eight inches front to back); however, the pad was concrete and quite wide.

    A bathhouse and dumpster were nearby, which was a nice convenience. Hookups were in good condition as well. There was a small back yard with a covered picnic table, fire ring, and lantern post which we thought would be nice if we would have been here longer. This little area was very private from the road and a neighboring site. We would definitely stay here again when our travels take us this way in the future.

  • WThe Dyrt PRO User
    Mar. 29, 2023

    COE Bardwell Lake Mott Park

    I appreciate this location.

    Made my reservation on line just a few spots were available. Spot 04 with a water view space is slanted. They had the parking pass ready to pick up so it was not necessary to speak with anyone. The view, electricity, water, and showers was very nice at such an affordable price. Take your cleaning supplies into the bathroom as a precaution, I did not see trash can in the bathrooms. Leave No Trace is not really practiced by other campers so feel free to pick up after someone else this space is beautiful and deserves respect. I enjoyed the rain and the view it was very relaxing and I appreciated a shower as well as powering all my extras before heading on the road to Minnesota. $14 for the space very appreciate.

  • C
    Oct. 26, 2020

    Murrell Park

    Tent Site 33, Hippy Point

    Site #33 is for tent camping so there was no electric or water. The website said no toilets but there was a port-a-potty about 40 yards from our site along with a water spigot.  The site was fairly level and comes with a covered picnic table and enough trees to provide shade and hang a couple of hammocks. The folks that work there are wonderful.  The only caveat to the site is that it is right next to a Marina, so there are boats coming and going and partying going on which didn't bother us but just be aware.  At 10:00 p.m. all that stopped and it got quiet. Unfortunately it was hotter than hell Labor Day Weekend  when we set up on Friday and slept overnight so we picked up and went home on Saturday. Nothing to do with the site.  There are similar sites to the left and right of this site,  They are staggered so you are not right next to someone which was nice.

  • Roger W.The Dyrt PRO User
    Mar. 14, 2024

    Holiday Park Campground

    Families Gathering

    Lots of families enjoying the nice weather the weekend we were there. Cabins looked fine from the outside.

    Holiday Park, Fort Worth, TX (Scale 1- bad, 5-Very good

    (71 yr olds in 17’ trailer.)

    Overall Rating: 4 for very large sites and nice bathroom/shower facilities. Price 2023: $ 14 w interagency pass Security: Cannot drive in after 10 Usage during visit: Full over the weekend Site Privacy: No Site Spacing: Large sites Pad surface: blacktop Reservations: Yes Campground Noise: Lots of children fun noise during our busy weekend. Outside Road Noise: No Through Traffic in campground: No Electric Hookup: Yes Sewer Hookup: No Dump Station: Yes Potable Water Available: At site Bathroom/Shower combo rooms. They are very clean and nice. Pull Throughs: Some Cell Service (AT&T): 2 to 3 bars. Setting: Along lake with trees sparsely spaced throughout the campground. Recent Weather: 70s to 30s Host: Several. Rig Size: The largest. Sites: Large sites is a big plus. Perimeter sites are much better than inner loop sites - our site is along a lakeshore more than lakeshore.

Guide to DeSoto

Tent camping options near DeSoto, Texas range from primitive lakeside spots to developed sites with electric hookups. Located in the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area, campers experience hot summers with temperatures regularly exceeding 90°F from June through September, while winter nights often drop below 40°F. Site reservation policies vary significantly, with some parks requiring advance booking while others operate on first-come, first-served basis.

What to do

Hiking trails access: At Erwin Park, campers can explore approximately 9 miles of maintained trails shared with mountain bikers. "The trail network is about 9 miles and maintained by DORBA, these trails flood easily after rain so check the DORBA website before making the trip," notes one reviewer.

Fishing opportunities: The waterfront camping at Sycamore Bend Park provides direct lake access for anglers. "Right on the lake... Really nice park right on the lake, but it does get a bit crowded. We arrived on a Saturday around noon and took what seemed to be the last spot," reports Hannah F.

Mountain biking: Erwin Park offers dedicated mountain biking trails. One visitor mentioned they have "great easy spot for day camping or easy car camping with family. Good fire pits and great pavilion at the group site if you can get it. Best mountain bike single tracks around with lots of built features."

What campers like

Security features: Northside RV Resort provides gated entry for added security. As Iris A. explains, "The park was very clean with four bathroom/shower rooms and laundry room as well. We visited in November and it was quiet with a nice view of the water. The park also has a gate with a code needed to enter."

Cleanliness standards: Meadowmere Park & Campground maintains clean facilities throughout the property. "Porta potties were incredibly clean and a main bathroom area featured showers and very clean as well. Closes to public after 530 and management made it easy for us to enter the gate upon our late arrival," shares Melanie G.

Natural surroundings: Proximity to nature while staying close to urban areas appeals to many campers. Riley W. says about Erwin Park: "I've had many great experiences at this park it's a ways out of the way of the city noise. The only sound other than bird song is the occasional moo and some coyote yips in the distance."

What you should know

Pricing variations: Campsite costs have increased at some locations. At Sycamore Bend Park, "The price has gone up from $7 to $20, but that's about average it seems now. The restrooms really stink, but are always clean and stocked in my experience. Max 3 night stay, no electricity, water, or showers," according to Taylin B.

Bathroom limitations: Facilities vary widely between campgrounds. Amy L. notes about Erwin Park: "What a great getaway that feels like you're far from home but only a few min away for us. When you want a spur of the moment trip it's a great place to go. The only thing I would change is the bathroom facilities, there are no doors at all!"

Seasonal considerations: Timing your visit impacts comfort and site availability. Northside RV Resort campers reported: "When it rains stay on the pavement as the mud is nasty and gumbo. The road is very loud and there are train tracks with train horns blaring all night long - make sure your bedroom faces away from the road for the best sleep."

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular tent campsite near DeSoto, TX?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near DeSoto, TX is Northside RV Resort with a 4.1-star rating from 9 reviews.

What is the best site to find tent camping near DeSoto, TX?

TheDyrt.com has all 10 tent camping locations near DeSoto, TX, with real photos and reviews from campers.

Keep Exploring