Gainesville is the perfect place for adventurous campers and RVers. Enjoy the scenic camping, fun activities, and sights and sounds of Gainesville. Get the dirt on all the best camping near Gainesville. Browse campgrounds by amenities, site types, and more.
"One of the more expensive Texas state parks. Standard electric at 25/night. Large bathrooms and lots of trash bins. Actual pay phones (who knew those still existed?)"
"Aluminum picnic table.
Clean grounds, bathroom, showers. Firewood for sale.
ATT Service Spotty"
"Office staff is EXTREMELY help and Nice cool little campground if not for the burn ban they rent fire pits But dsdd"
"Nice large concrete spaces with plenty of room for a 44’ 5th wheel, tow vehicle and extra vehicle. Office staff was really friendly and helpful. Nice playground for kids and dog park."
"One big issue with this park is the distance to the actual lake itself."
"Full hook ups available. Some have no sewer hook ups. Most are 30 amp, many are 50 amp. Sites range from full sun to full shade. Quite a few annuals."
$20 - $40 / night
"By far the easiest process for booking a site we have ever experienced. The website is well organized and very descriptive when explaining the amenities of each site."
"Electric is located close by sites. Some sites also have sewer. Nice place, I shall return one day."
"We parked the truck sideways in the entrance to our site. It had a picnic table and fire ring. The pad was asphalt and had a drop-off on the door side so we had to prop up the stairs."
"It was absolutely breathtaking to pull into the park and start to see this area unfold around me."
"There are water and electrical hookups in a field that acts as the RV park. It is however across the street from their adorable ranch that has a small zoo, rodeo arena and delicious restaurant."
"Visited this private resort on 9/14/19 for a quick night away from the city. They have a handful of full hookup RV sites and cabins. There is also a marina with a store and kayaks for rent."
"The campground is tucked away in a woodsy area of Lake Texoma, our waterfront spot had a beautiful view & the sound of the fish jumping all around with the birds was quite serene!"
"They include a picnic table and fire ring and often find themselves being the heart of the lake action."
"It has great options- some spots are secluded in the trees and some are open in the middle areas if you want to be around people."
"Picnic tables, bathroom, and laundry is available."
"Friendly staff, nice lakeside restaurant, and clean level sites."
"We've wanted to check out Lake Murray since visiting there years ago."
"Was able to spend a night at Buzzards Roost campground while visiting Lake Murray State park. Our tent site was at the point and provided us with great views of the marina, and Tucker Tower. "
RangerCampground review
Paradise on Lake Texoma is on the Big Mineral Arm of the lake, on the Texas side and only a short 90 minute drive from Dallas. This proximity makes it a great spot for a quick weekend getaway. Texas and Oklahoma’s border share the 89,000 surface area of Lake Texoma which just happens to be the 12th largest Corps of Engineers lake in the U.S. Lake Texoma is home to great fishing for Striper, Catfish, Black Bass and Crappie. Because of heavy rains in the Dallas area the boat ramp was closed. The area has cruise activities if you don’t have your own boat, and for those who prefer, kayaking is also available, or simply swimming. Believe it or not, Lake Texoma has sandy beaches!
The people at Paradise campground were amazing. We got a call the afternoon of our reservation to confirm that we would arrive before closing time and if not, they would give us after hours information. We did arrive in time and our hostess was pleasant and provided us with all the information we needed. We reserved a primitive campsite and were the only tent campers in the campground (it was a Monday night though). The primitive campsite is just a vacant lot on the waterfront across from a bathroom/shower area. Parking in the bathroom lot, you take a very short walk to the primitive site and pitch your tent in any spot you choose. The lot had been mowed and our only issue was mounds of fire ants which are rampant everywhere in Texas.
The bathrooms had not been cleaned and the recent users had left a bit of a mess. The bathrooms did have all the supplies we needed and we always welcome flush toilets and hot and cold running water.
Being a primitive site, there was no picnic table so we drove over to an empty spot to prepare and eat our dinner. A staff member came by to check our credentials and while we weren’t really supposed to be using that area/spot, he let us since the campground had plenty of room/spots. He was so friendly, he gave us lots of information about the lake and the campground. The RV sites and also lakefront and very roomy. The campground also has the cutest glamping tiny cabins and other regular size cabins to rent. There is a nice hammock garden which we took advantage of. Cell service was strong, no issues and the only noise we dealt with was the sound of the lake and the birds and critters.
We want to encourage our family to come to Paradise on Lake Texoma for a fun family weekend, we will definitely return.
Product Review
As a Ranger for The Dyrt, I get products to test from time to time, today I am testing Wenzel’s Double Never Flat Fabric Air Pad. My husband and I had individual sleeping air pads, but were looking for something that wasn’t so slippery and would allow us to cuddle, this Air pad fit the bill, it was exactly what we wanted. It was very comfortable and roomy. We were able to use an existing pump for inflation which was great as I wasn’t sure about the specs for the pump. Deflating the air pad was easy and great news it fit back in the carry bag easily!
Www.wenzelco.com
ScoutClean 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.
RangerOne of the more expensive Texas state parks. Standard electric at 25/night. Large bathrooms and lots of trash bins. Actual pay phones (who knew those still existed?) the trails are for DORBA (Dallas Off Road Bicycle Association) so maybe that explains the horrible lack of signage. Bicycle fix it station.
Great security. I was with my 3 year old after dark, maybe 8PM at the playground on the water. No lights so I used our lamplight. I noticed a truck in the parking lot with its lights on. We were there maybe 90 minutes and the truck kept moving. When we left, they left. I spotted it down the road and saw they were camp rangers. Bodes well that they were keeping tabs on the facilities even if it was just a mom and kid.
Very clean and moist spots are secluded. Lots of REALLY great primitive spots if that's your thing.
LegendPROS
Good Sam discount
Well maintained park
Security gate closed at 6pm with code for entry
Sites nicely spaced from next campsite
Site 4 level concrete pad
Very nice camp store
Climate controlled toilet/shower facility in very clean condition
Firewood vending machine
Metal picnic table and fire ring with cooking grate
Easy access check-in and roadways
Free Sunday morning donuts
Easy drive to George W. Bush Presidential Library
3 bars TMobile
CONs
Non-stop aircraft noise from DFW International
Site 4 minimal shade
After rain, our concrete parking site had retained water about 3 inches deep
Utility pedestal had a huge dusk to dawn light that could not be switched off
Dogs running throughout campground
Campers left their dogs outside all night, barking
Picnic table chained to concrete
WIFI slow and not compatible with streaming
TravelerOur site had a concrete pad for our rv. Full hookups are very nice. While we were here nightly thunderstorms came in. The staff were on top of it as they drove around alerting everyone about the wind approaching. Clean laundry room and restrooms. We didn’t use the store due to corona fears and didn’t need to. Pet friendly. Quiet at night. I would absolutely stay here and recommend it to anyone. The only spring time issue is lake flooding will close it.
GuideThis campground was one of a few we could find locally that had spots available while state parks were closed. We typically prefer state parks because of their spacious/private sites. Lighthouse is mainly cabins (some are for rentals, some are full-time residents), but there are approximately 15-20 RV sites right on the water near the marina. The sites are nothing fancy - grass pads, concrete picnic tables, but are convenient if you plan to spend the day in the lake. You can easily walk to the water’s edge and get in the lake. There isn’t a beach - you pretty much get in rom the edge of the road that leads to the boat ramp.
The RV pads are not at an angle and, depending on the size of your rig, can be challenging to get into depending on its location and if you have a tree on your site.
We also have two dogs, one of which is a super friendly pitbull. Because of that, we sometimes run into problems finding campgrounds without breed restrictions. We had no issues here.
The marina store doesn’t have much in the way of a variety of supplies/gifts/trinkets, it did have necessities like food items, milk, some camping supplies, etc. I think the store could really up its game and offer more.
All in all, we had a nice long weekend.
TravelerFirst RV stay so this review is from the perspective of a family that has no experience with any RV Parks. 3 Stars is my starting point and as we stay at more campgrounds I would like to think that we will have a better understanding of what makes an RV stay "5 stars". This location is "first come/first serve" sites so for a beginner that can be a bit challenging. Working with Thousand Trails and the experience with that service was great. The road into and around the park was okay, there was room to drive around the entire park while looking for a spot. The spot's varied in size and there were no fire pits or grills provided by the park in the spots that we were able to see. The picnic tables have seen better days and i'm sure that is not uncommon. The 30 amp S/E/W hookups were clean and no issues with any service during the stay. There was not cable so TV was over the air antenna only. Cell coverage was fine during our stay. The park had activity areas but with COVID restrictions most were still unused. There is road to the lake that you can take to go to a small fishing pier and some rocky lake area access. The restrooms/showers were clean and the garbage bins were full but never overflowing with trash. There are multiple pools and the water appeared clear from a distance. Saw lot's of pet's and every size RV, there appeared to be quite a few long term RV sites. We would visit again since this is part of our Thousand Trails membership.
LegendThis campground is situated on a peninsula that juts out into Lake Murray. Because of this, there are some great lakeside campsites just steps from the water and no campers on either side of you. The downside is the lakeside campsites are set up on the eastern side of the peninsula and parking is N/S with about 20’ between campers. The campground road runs down the middle of the narrow peninsula with trees on the western side of the road (no sunset views unless you walk to the point). Because of this configuration, it requires parallel parking (like a pull through site but literally parked on side of road). The site I reserved (Site 21) was a mere 3 ft from the road. Not too big of a problem, except that I’m a light sleeper and cars/trucks/RV’s, trucks pulling trailers, motorcycles etc. noisily and regularly drive right by and especially at night this was a problem for me. During the day I was more concerned for the families with kiddos that were scootering and riding bikes in the street.
The location of this campground is great in proximity to other things in the Park. The Buckhorn trailhead is right in the campground, so easy access to hiking. Trails are well marked and not too difficult. Campground is closer to the Lodge and access back to the main road into the small “town” for supplies. Because the campground is on a peninsula the campground host said that there tends to be a breeze. When I was there a severe storm hit and I can attest to this location being primely located for wind!
Note: my understanding was this campground accommodates rigs 30 feet or smaller, but I did see larger RV’s pull in and set up.
Summary:
Site: No 21 level concrete pad with 30 amp electric and water hook up/no sewer, picnic table, fire ring and BBQ grill
Shower facilities on site, but closed when I was there due to Covid-19
Dump site available
Boat landing and pier in campground
Little gazebo at the end of the peninsula in campground (nice for watching sunsets)
Good sized sandy swim area with designated parking
Tent camping area with large parking lot. However, the sites weren’t very private
Bike/walking trail to 2 other campgrounds
Cons: I felt like I was camped on the side of a road. For this reason, if I were to return, I would chose a site in the area with back in camping. Although these sites aren’t on the water and are closer together, they are at least set off of the road and would be quieter.
Lake Murray SP has campgrounds with nicer sites, but Tipp’s Point would do in a pinch.
RangerSpent one night here on our way to Tulsa. Our back-in site was a little tight but manageable. We had to disconnect because it was not long enough for trailer and truck. We parked the truck sideways in the entrance to our site. It had a picnic table and fire ring. The pad was asphalt and had a drop-off on the door side so we had to prop up the stairs. The lake was beautiful and we let the dogs swim. I would stay here again.
Cabin camping near Gainesville, Texas offers a perfect blend of nature and comfort, allowing visitors to enjoy the great outdoors without sacrificing the conveniences of home.
Frequently Asked Questions
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular cabin campground near Gainesville, TX is Johnson Branch Campsites — Ray Roberts Lake State Park with a 4.4-star rating from 16 reviews.
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