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Best Tent Camping near Fulton, TX

228 Reviews

Tent camping options near Fulton, Texas include several coastal and inland sites with varying amenities. Magnolia Beach offers free dispersed tent camping along a mile-long stretch of hard-packed shell beach, while Goliad State Park provides established tent camping at both Longhorn and Vaquero Camping Areas approximately 45 miles northwest of Fulton.

Magnolia Beach tent sites are situated directly on the shoreline with no designated camping spots. The beach surface consists of crushed shells rather than sand, making protective footwear necessary for comfortable walking. Basic amenities include flush toilets, outdoor showers, and covered picnic pavilions with tables. A 14-day stay limit applies to all campers. The beach provides no hookups, potable water sources, or designated tent pads. Campers should prepare for potentially windy conditions, as the exposed shoreline offers little protection from coastal weather.

Tent campers at Goliad State Park have access to more developed facilities including showers, water hookups, and reservable sites. The park's walk-in tent areas provide shade and proximity to hiking trails along the river. During summer months, Magnolia Beach remains popular despite limited shade options, with many tent campers setting up near the picnic pavilions where beach grass provides slightly better ground for staking. The shell-based beach surface creates a firm foundation that prevents tents from sinking in wet conditions. One camper noted that "the beach is really level" but cautioned that "careful walking barefoot" is necessary due to the shell composition. Weekends typically see higher occupancy at both locations, with Magnolia Beach becoming particularly crowded during warm weather periods.

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Best Tent Sites Near Fulton, Texas (5)

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Recent Tent Camping Photos near Fulton, TX

6 Photos of 5 Fulton Campgrounds

Tent Camping Reviews near Fulton, TX

228 Reviews of 5 Fulton Campgrounds

  • Joel D.
    Apr. 1, 2020

    Magnolia Beach

    Free boondocking (dry camping) beach

    Located between Port Lavaca and Port O'connor, TX. A mile or so of no-fee camping. No designated sites. Hard packed sand/sea shell surface, with paved access roads. Beach is pretty clean but beach appropriate footware is required. There is a bath house with free lavatories. We were there in August 2019 and March 2020 and the inside showers (4) were locked. There is a free use outside shower. There are picnic tables covered with 4 open sided concrete shelters. There are trash barrels in front of all the shelters. The picinic shelter closest to the rest rooms is wheelchair accessable. No electric, sewer or water sites. This is a very windy place. If you tent camp, low profile strong tents are recommended. I've seen many RVs with generators, PV solar arrays and wind turbines. There are small convience stores and bait and tackle stores nearby. There is a fishing pier towards the Southern part of the beach. A few RV campgrounds in the area. It is kept pretty clean. In the warmer months the crabs like to hide in the bathrooms out of the sun. Don't be alarmed, they stay away from people. Don't miss the Camel memorial at the Southernmost entrance. There is a Geocache in the area.

  • H
    Sep. 30, 2016

    Malaquite Campground - Padre Island National Seashore

    National Seashore beach camping

    Camp on a little strip of land right on the gulf. White sand, gentle waves,wildlife, sunrises, not too crowded. Primitive tent camping close to the water. Very basic but clean facilities. Sites are very close but the views make it worthwhile, though there are some other camping options in this park. Feels almost like parts of Florida. Worth shaking sand out of your sleeping bag for months...

  • Jeff
    Sep. 28, 2020

    Goose Island State Park Campground

    Hidden gem near the coast - Sept. 2020

    Goose Island SP is a great little hidden gem of a park on the Texas Gulf Coast.  The camping area is small, but they've arranged the spots very well, with good vegetation between each spot that hides your spot from your neighbor.  They offer both 30 amp and 50 amp service, water, fire ring, table on cement pad and nice flat spots.  Good day use spots and excellent boat ramp with a fish cleaning table.  Yes there are bugs, but this is in the middle of reclaimed wetlands, so be prepared!  This is their world and we must adapt.  The bay-side camping area is the island part of the park and is still being renovated (as of Aug 2020), but according to park staff, they should be open by Nov 2020.  There is also a brand new, huge pier with boat access and fishing that will be open soon.  Near-by there is "The Big Tree", purported the oldest tree in Texas (1000-2000 years old!) and Rockport beach and all the other Texas coast attractions.   Highly recommend and we will be returning soon.

  • T
    Jan. 1, 2024

    Goose Island State Park Campground

    LOVED this campground

    I’ve been to about 10 different campgrounds this year on several different states. Goose island state park is by far the best. This time we stayed in the wooded area. I didn’t think I would like it (I loved the waterfront sites) but I loved it. The sites are a good distance apart and have new paved driveways that are very level. There is a pole for hanging lightning and a campfire pit. There is electricity and water. We are in site 115 and I have cell service which makes me very happy. I don’t think the site numbers 200’s have cell service as they are father in. It’s quiet and dark at night. The site has woods and trees behind so it’s very private. It can hold a pretty big rig. Ours is only 26 ft but it can hold much bigger. This site is fabulous. The weather is great and there are tons of things to do in the area. Book it! We are coming back.

  • Caitlin R.
    Jan. 4, 2021

    Magnolia Beach

    Free beach camping!

    A mix of folks RV, car, tent camping! Some folks are definitely here for a long time.

    Pros

    • you can drive right on the beach and park feet from the water
    • plenty of space on the beach
    • pier at the end of the beach if you want to fish!
    • little pavilions with tables underneath
    • FREE!!

    Cons

    • one night we had BIG mosquitoes, there is some swampy standing water nearby
    • bathrooms are older. There was toilet paper but no soap or paper towels.
    • cold showers are at the back of the bathroom building, individual rooms. One shower room smelled like pee, another like smoke :/ but what can you expect for free?!

    Lots of good taco options in the town over! We enjoyed Mr. Tacos barbacoa and al pastor tacos.

  • Shari G.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jan. 6, 2021

    Malaquite Campground — Padre Island National Seashore

    Seashells, Sea Birds, & Sunsets

    This is one of two established campgrounds on Padre Island, and definitely the more desirable one. After camping on the sand in the dispersed area along the coast, for over a week, a gale force warning inspired us to move into this paved campground, which offered a bit more protection. 

    It’s not much more than a glorified parking lot, but it has direct beach access to the north end of the national seashore and some amenities. Some sites have grills, others don’t. All seemed to have picnic tables. Showers (only cold water) and bathrooms are relatively clean, but a little outdated. There are just 3 tent sites on the far north end and they are some of the nicest spots!

    Glorious views of the ocean, lovely sunsets over the dunes, and some of the most amazing shells and sea creatures regularly wash up on the beach. Birds galore, too!  We spent a lot of time on beaches and near the ocean and have never seen this type of diversity.

    On the downside, there is also a lot of storm surge trash, so bring a few bags and do your part to help clean up YOUR park.

    There are no electrical hook-ups, so come prepared with your solar panel. There is ice available at the Visitor’s Center and water at the campground, but groceries/gas is about 10-12 miles away, so come prepared to chill the heck out at this beachside campground.

  • Tim W.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jun. 4, 2020

    Mustang Island State Park Campground

    Clean beach front camping

    The state park offers two styles of camp sites. Primitive and ones with a little more pizzazz.

    Primitive sights are right on the beach. Water is located along the beach and restrooms and rinse off showers are 50 yards away from the sites more towards the main headquarters. Full restrooms are closer to headquarters

    Sites with power; Picnic tables Grills Water 50amp hookup Shade shelter Bathroom and showers closer by.

    The sites with power are behind the sand dunes. Fires unless in the grill are NOT allowed. For a campfire, go down on the beach.

  • K
    Jun. 14, 2025

    Mustang Island State Park Campground

    Terrible campground layout

    I’m not sure who came up with the layout of the sites here but it is beyond bizarre. The utilities are on the wrong side of camper and your site is behind your camper in a shared space. Picnic tables for each site are arranged under a pergola on a concrete pad shared with your neighbor. It is incredibly strange and uncomfortable to eat meals with strangers. I will never stay here again.

  • Crystal C.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jul. 15, 2018

    Malaquite Campground — Padre Island National Seashore

    Beach on a budget

    Just outside of Corpus Christi in a slightly more remote stretch of Texas coast rests Padre Island National Seashore, a beachfront land preserve operated by the United States Park System that offered a variety of camping and recreation options.

    Amongst those, Malaquite Beach Campground, a small but nice facility less than a quarter mile up the beach from the visitors center. This campground boasts around 50 campsites, many featuring a picnic table, BBQ and shade structure.

    No reservations can be made so the facility is a first come first come Campground which uses a camping kiosk or account for availability. Campsites are $8 per night and do include handicap options.

    While the individual sites do not offer amenities such as running water or electricity, there is a nice bathroom and shower facility located mid-camp. These showers are free and boast cold water showers, something you will more than crave in the humid Texas air.

    Campsites are located amongst the grassy dunes about 200 yards from the coastal waters but upon paying you can park in your designated site and set up your tent anywhere within the area including beachside.

    We arrived late in the evening just before sunset. Following sunset Campground is very dark, no security lights to disrupt the coastal star views so it can be a bit tricky to navigate. Do not forget a flashlight if you are camping here for sure!

    The humidity of the coast was intense so it made for a bit of a hot evening camping though the breeze passing through the tent was very helpful. Make sure your have a fully venting tent when camping here to keep cooler at night and pack lightweight items for sleeping.

    🐰🐰🐰🐰⚪️

    All in all I would give Malaquite Campground 4 of 5 Bunnies. The facilities were clean, Campground host was helpful and location was ideal for beach combing away from some of the crowds. I do suggest this to be a weekday excursion however as they did mention because of the low cost it does fill up quickly on weekends.

    The only downside, lighting is sparse at night which makes it a bit difficult to navigate the grounds. Again for safety remember to bring a flashlight! And this campsite is very windy, nothing you can do about this though because it is nature, but that can make for difficulty in setting up or using bbqs.

    For a video of the campsite and a little more about Malaquite Beach check out this video:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MFW9mi4iE2Y&t=8s

Guide to Fulton

Tent camping near Fulton, Texas offers a variety of experiences, from serene beach settings to historic parks, perfect for outdoor enthusiasts looking to connect with nature.

Explore Local Attractions

Activities for Tent Campers

Unique Features of Campgrounds

  • The Longhorn Camping Area — Goliad State Park provides essential amenities like drinking water and picnic tables, ensuring a comfortable camping experience.
  • Experience the charm of Angels In Goliad RV Park, which offers clean facilities and friendly hosts, making it a welcoming spot for all campers.
  • At Magnolia Beach, enjoy the freedom of free camping with no permits required, allowing for a spontaneous outdoor adventure.

Frequently Asked Questions

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

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Fulton, TX is Magnolia Beach with a 4.2-star rating from 23 reviews.

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

TheDyrt.com has all 5 tent camping locations near Fulton, TX, with real photos and reviews from campers.

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