We're here to help you find where to go horse camping in Elgin. Whether you own a horse or are joining a tour group, equestrian camping is an adventurous and unique way to experience the city. The Dyrt can help you find the perfect equestrian sites that are scenic and easy to access.
KRAUSE SPRINGS is a well-known camping & swimming site located in the beautiful Hill Country of Texas. It is located in Spicewood, Texas approximately 30 miles west of Austin. The 115 acre property is listed on the National Registry of Historical Sites and has been privately owned by the Krause Family for over 50 years.
Krause Springs has many natural sites to explore. There are 32 springs on the property, and several feed the manmade pool and the natural pool which flows into Lake Travis. It’s a refreshing treat to swim in the Springs during the hot summers of Texas! If camping is in your plans, there is primitive tent camping as well as 24 RV sites with water and electricity available. Guests are also welcome to relax and to stroll through the Butterfly Gardens; take time to listen to the music of the wind chimes and the fountains during your visit!
We take reservations for RV hookups ONLY. Primitive tent camping is available on “first come-first site” basis. Please call our office at (830) 693-4181, to check RV site availability and book your stay.
We love our pets just as much as you do, but please keep them at home.
$20 - $30 / night
This recreation area is part of Somerville Lake
Willis Creek is the ideal place for campers looking for a variety of accommodations. A group campground and five equestrian sites are available, in addition to a row of standard camping sites. Granger Lake is a popular recreational destination, especially for boating and fishing. In fact, it's one of the best lakes in the region for crappie and white bass fishing.
Boating and fishing are the most popular activities for campers. Horseback riders have six trails to explore in the Willis Creek Equestrian Area, ranging from 1 to 5.5 miles in length.
Boating and fishing are the most popular activities for campers. Horseback riders have six trails to explore in the Willis Creek Equestrian Area, ranging from 1 to 5.5 miles in length.
Granger Lake, formed by a dam completed in 1980, is fed by the San Gabriel River and Willis Creek. The campground sits on the Willis Creek arm of the lake. The maximum surface area of the lake is 11,000 acres and the shoreline is surrounded by the gently rolling hills of the Texas Blackland Prairie.
The Pecan Grove Wildlife Area, San Gabriel Wildlife Area, Sore Finger Wildlife Area, and Willis Creek Wildlife Area border the lake. Bring binoculars for birding opportunities.
$10 / night
$20 - $25 / night
This recreation area is part of Somerville Lake
$25 / night
Scout
Scout
Shaffer Bend Recreation Area is a great destination for nature lovers, close to Lake Travis and great outdoor activities. Relaxing on the beach or enjoying the sunrise from the 15th location is an experience not to be missed. Don't forget to de-stress with a io games after a day of exploring!
Scout
I love this trip, it gives me a lot of memories. drift hunters
ScoutOur College has organize a trip is very joyful.
Scout
Small, but very clean / new restrooms. Lots and lots and lots of fields, walking trails. Perfect for dogs who like to run. In January no one is here, all by myself. Great rates, they also offer primitive sites where you hike in just a little.
ScoutKrause Springs: Temporarily closed till February 16, 2024. Historic Texas camping& swimming site nestled in Spicewood, 30 miles from Austin. Ehall pass
ScoutBeen here a few times now. We camp all the way down back next to the creek (which was stagnant). It's definitely more peaceful and scenic than the other sites, but also places you as far away as you can be from any facilities if you need them. From the site you can walk to the swimming hole which is cool. The walk over is a bit uneven so if you're not balanced you gotta be a little careful. The swimming hole is cool but gets crowded on hot days, particularly weekends, and when crowded it isn't always super clean due to shitty people. They don't do reservations so you can just pull up early afternoon and camp for as long as you like. Overall, it's nice for a quick/last-minute escape from Austin, but I wouldn't make it a destination for a roadtrip or anything.
ScoutCars and trucks come and go all day and night, stirring up a lot of dust because they're too lazy to walk to the bathroom or set up their own breakout game. That is not what I mean by camping.
TravelerBeautiful natural springs in the hill country. Family owned property that has gorgeous gardens and swimming.
Traveler
We booked Muleshoe excited about the views. We were very disappointed. There were stickers/burs everywhere so our dogs were very uncomfortable. I couldn’t tell from the pictures, but Muleshoe is very out in the open so you’re really exposed to the wind and have zero privacy. Totally fine if you’re cool with that, but it made it another negative for us. There was a large family/group next to us who was obnoxious and loud until 10:30 so we couldn’t enjoy camping peacefully as you would hope.
PS if you need a plug, check the closet in between the bathrooms at the front gate. That was the one positive about this place(batteries died on my air pump)…if the door isn’t locked.
TravelerThis was only about an hour from Austin. There was only one campsite available and thankfully it was not on the 1-12 strip which apparently is really loud. Our stay was pretty quite and there’s a decent amount of space between camp grounds. It was $25/night and included a charcoal grill, a fire pit, and a picnic table. My campsite was pretty shaded and the outhouse wasn’t too far of a walk. They have an outdoor shower at the entrance as well as a filtered water/ice machine.
GuideWe set up at site 15 it has an awesome view of the river/lake and it’s walking distance down to the waters edge. Great spot to fish for some bass or take a dip in the water. Looks like you can also have a fire out in the sand as we found some charred wood out there, there is ample spacing at the site with a fire ring, and a table provided and plenty of shade. The trees are great to set up a Hamic, which we did, which gave you an awesome view of the water and the sunrise in the mornings. They have good trails not too difficult, the only negative items I can mention are the various amounts of stickers everywhere we got plenty on our ankles and our hands other than that there was an issue with loud music from a venue outside of the park that would echo through the valley not much could be done about their music, but the on-site personnel contacted the local authorities to have a talk with them and the music wasn’t a problem after the first night. I’m definitely coming back here in the summer since the water is so close and so cool. Do we great to cool down on those hot days. 
GuideGreat stay. The site we had was walking distance to the sandy beach of lake Travis. Great fishing and the sand carrier up so it’s a soft bedding for the evening. Lots of tree cover to help combat the sun. There is a table, a fire ring, and a grill at each site. Walking trails are nice for a stroll not too difficult and not much elevation change. Only negative is the amount of stickers everywhere. Got one right between the toes and a venue near the park plays music if there is an event. The echo of the rock face by the lake didn’t help it. That’s not the parks fault though.
GuideOnly there for one short night but it was delightful to sit in the water of lake Travis and watch the stars on a warm texas summer night. I’m guessing it gets crowded during the day but I had enjoyed my evening there.
TravelerSpent the day at Krause jumping off rocks, sitting under the cool waterfall, and flying through the air on their giant rope swing. This is a great place for families and friends. The staff was welcoming and they offer a wide array of tent and RV campsites. Cool, spring-fed water refreshed everyone on our group on a hot summer day in Texas
TravelerI brought my family of four here for our first solo camping trip with two littles and we loved it! The drought caused the lake to be pretty dried up so our water front view didn’t have much water! That didn’t take away from how beautiful the view was from spot 11! The camp host was exceptionally kind and really takes care of the park! Already making plans for our next trip!
TravelerRelaxing and clean. Very windy, so no bugs! Dogs love running along water’s edge and jumping in. Horses ok too from the looks of it. Sites 1-13 closer together and more in site if each other but still ok. Great hiking and walking. Small RV plus tent for us.
Guide
Great spot, all the txpw amenities, friendly as can be staff, clean restrooms, well maintained campsites and nature. 14+ miles of equestrian trails! GREAT birdwatching, several different species this time of year. Leaf cutter ants all over the trails! Active wildlife at night with coyote hunts making a good bit of commotion. I would have given 5 stars but the fishing pier is still out of commission from flood damage.
Guide
We stayed here for a few days in late January. The campground is new, everything is in pristine shape, the sites are huge, and they keep it nice and clean. The lake is pretty decent, there are a few small trails around the area, and you are close to a small town. Biggest issue? 30 bucks a night, plus 5 dollars per person for a day use fee. That works out to 40 bucks a day for two people. Steep. Why on earth they have campers paying the daily use fee is ridiculous. That should be included in the campground cost! I guess they are trying to recoup the cost for all their modifications. Other problem are the luke warm showers and horrible shower heads. It’s like taking a shower under a pressure washer with a button you have to press every minute. Please provide NORMAL showers for your campers! Other than those two gripes, this place is really nice and clean.
Ranger
A nice, quiet fall camping weekend on Lake Somerville. It was a solo trip and since the weather was warm, I brought my kayak on this trip.
Check In: 2p Check Out: 12p
⛺ Site#26- Back-In
💲20 per night+$4/person/day Parks Pass Discount saved$18.00
• Water
• 20/30 amp
• Fire Ring with grate
• Picnic Table: wood with metal legs, concrete base
• Site Pad: Asphalt, level, long enough for my camper and truck with room to spare
• Corrals for horses
👍🏻 Pros:
• Extra parking places across the street
• Can see the lake from this spot
👎🏻 Cons:
• There's not a direct trail to the lake shore other than animal trails through some of the tall grass
• The table and fire ring are on the non-camping side so it was a little strange. Very dark at night on that side.
📝 Park Notes:
• Dump Station
• Restrooms/ Showers- clean. The Bent Tree area has a portable trailer for the restrooms and showers. The main building is closed.
• There are Munzees and Geocaches here
• Lots of trails in the park and between this and the Birch Creek Unit
• Great trails for equestrians
• Enclosed Group shelter for events (no kitchen)
• Family Fishing Pond (small)
• The open style pavilion doesn't appear to be open. Looks like it's is structurally unsound
🐦 Wildlife:
• Birds: Great Blue Heron, Cardinals, Chickadees
• Deer
• Squirrels
💜 Highlights of this trip:
•🔥 Campfires and breakfast over the fire
•🐕 My brother came for a short visit to walk the dog
•🛶 Kayaking and there was only ONE other boat on the lake
•🍂 Nice fall colors
•🚫 Some of the trails and areas of the park were closed this weekend due to public hunts
•🌟 Warm temperatures and clear nights. Lots of stars.
•💚 Found a couple geocaches and put out a few Munzees
More info at https://www.denisevajdak.com/2021/12/fall-camping-at-lake-somerville.html
ScoutSuper clean park, had a great time out here. There were lots of deer, really neat to look at. The deer didn’t even seem bothered by us. Convenient dumpster, restrooms, fire pits, and grills! Great view of the sunrise/sunset.
GuideI’m reviewing the hike in site on the Lake Somerville trail way, entering at the Birch Creek Unit (northern side of the lake). It’s around a three mile hike to the campground area. The hike has a few nice views of the lake and a few nice fields here and there. Once you make it to the camping area, you’ll find an outhouse, some benches, a fire pit and even a little well. Footsteps and a few coyotes can be heard in the evening. The campsite is close to a little meandering river if you’re willing to do a little bit of bushwhacking , just be careful as it’s easy to get turned around. Plus there are probably some crocodiles around, who knows. Anyway, I’d recommend this trail/campground, I didn’t see anyone once I got a few miles in and really enjoyed being close to a little river, plus the wildlife.
Traveler
This campground is beautiful. There’s a river right next to it for fishing, I stayed during the week and I was the only one camping. I car camp and all of the camping spots have water and electrical outlets. The bathroom is old, but it is clean. Enjoyed it! And it was only $10!
Ranger• Water
• 20/30 amp(had 50 amp outlet, but only 20& 30 breakers)
• Grill
• Fire Ring with adjustable height grate
• Picnic Table
• Site Pad: asphalt. Site was just long enough for my 24' camper and my truck and not much room between.
👍🏻 Pros:
• Near the water with a trail to get there
• Green space between the site and neighbors
• Good kayaking area
👎🏻 Cons:
• The spot is tight getting in. My 10' high camper had low hanging branches on it(but they were soft, not stiff). Lots of vines/shrubs across from the site, so no extra room there.
📝 Park Notes:
• Park does not have a gate, so it doesn't close
• Dump Station for each camping loop
• Restrooms/ Bath House
• Boat ramp
• Fishing jetty (pier is closed)
• This campground is better for winter camping. Great buffer from wind and neighbors. Only a handful of sites have direct access to the water.
• Lots of trails
• There are Munzees and Geocaches here
• Group pavilion/kitchen available
• 2 group shelters available
🐦 Wildlife:• Birds: Shore birds, egrets, herons, cardinals, mockingbirds
• Deer
• Raccoons(I saw their tracks, but not the critters)
More info an video at https://www.denisevajdak.com/2021/08/my-birthday-weekend-2021.html
Site 23 was better (stayed in this one twice). Wider, nice view of lake. Not very long, but easier to get into.
TravelerStopped in here for a place to stay while on a hunting trip. Service was phenomenal and they answered any questions on the spot. Good space between locations. Far enough from town to feel out in nature but close enough to make a run if needed.
ScoutWell maintained and plenty of trails around the lake. Enjoyed two night here. Site 108
GuideThis was our first time here at lake Somerville birch creek. It was a great one. We stayed in old hickory loop. Lots of trees and plenty of shade. Short trip from Houston so we will definitely be going back!
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular equestrian campsite near Elgin, TX?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular equestrian campground near Elgin, TX is Krause Springs with a 4.4-star rating from 17 reviews.
What is the best site to find equestrian camping near Elgin, TX?
TheDyrt.com has all 11 equestrian camping locations near Elgin, TX, with real photos and reviews from campers.
