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Tent Camping near Gilmer, TX

13 campgrounds · Check availability for any dates.

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    SUMMARY PRESENTED BYT-Mobile

    Gilmer, Texas offers several tent camping options throughout the surrounding area, with Lake Winnsboro Park providing dispersed tent sites approximately 25 miles west of town. Primitive tent campsites can be found at Fish Hawke Point at Lake Hawkins, where campers can set up directly along the shoreline. Lake of the Pines, located within 20 miles of Gilmer, provides established tent sites with more amenities like showers and toilets, making it suitable for campers seeking a balance between primitive camping and basic facilities.

    Most tent sites in the Gilmer area are situated on grassy or pine-needle covered ground, providing natural padding for tent setup. Drive-in access is available at several locations including Lake Winnsboro Park and Lake of the Pines, while Harpoon Larry's Camping and the Mineola Nature Preserve sites require hiking in to reach the campsites. Facilities vary significantly - Lake of the Pines provides showers and toilets, while Thomas Lake Park features only picnic tables with no restroom facilities. Tent campers should note that fires are permitted at most sites but firewood availability is limited, so bringing your own supply is advisable.

    The pine forests surrounding Gilmer create a distinctive camping experience with ample shade during summer months. Sites at Lake of the Pines benefit from dense tree cover that creates a secluded atmosphere, though this can reduce air circulation during hot weather. Lake Winnsboro Park offers waterfront tent sites with open views across the lake, providing both scenic vistas and cooling breezes. For more seclusion, Harpoon Larry's Camping features a clearing surrounded by pines that accommodates multiple tents while maintaining privacy from other campers. A visitor commented that "This point is first come first serve, find any spot you like. It's a great spot for kayaking and other water sports, or just relaxing in the water."

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    Best Tent Campgrounds near Gilmer (13)

    Filters    Tent onlyRVDispersedCabinGlampingPetsEquestrian

      1. Lake Of The Pines

      4.3(4)17mi from GilmerTents

      "Heavy tree cover means little air movement, even right on the water. Little popularity from the locals means this place is quiet and serene."

      Check Availability

      2. Fish Hawke Point at Lake Hawkins

      3.7(3)19mi from GilmerTents

      "Primitive camping. Restrooms have recently been torn down and are going to be rebuilt. It's a great spot for Kayaking and other water sports, or just relaxing in the water."

      Check Availability

      3. Harpoon Larry's Camping

      4.0(1)22mi from GilmerTents

      "We didn't trust our camper Prius to make it through a certain dip in the trail, so we found a nice level spot in the woods just off the trail."

      from $44 - $150 / night

      4. Lake Quitman West Dam

      3.9(7)31mi from GilmerTents

      "Several car / tent combos, class B rigs, and vans. Was serenaded by cows. There are porta poties and trash barrels around the campsite. Beautiful views of the water. Couldn't hear nearby road."

      "Make sure to get water and food before setting up, not much close by, so whatever direction you are coming from, get supplies for your duration. Have a great time, we did!"

      Check Availability

      5. Lake Winnsboro Park

      5.0(1)27mi from GilmerTents

      6. Greer Hill - Mineola Nature Preserve Campground C

      4.0(1)30mi from GilmerTents

      "Set up your basic base camp near a picnic table and fire ring the. Go out into the park to hike, bike, horseback ride, frisbee golf, kayak and observe nature."

      from $5 / night

      7. Johnson Creek Marina

      Be the first to review24mi from GilmerTents

      8. Hurricane Creek

      Be the first to review25mi from GilmerTents
      Check Availability

      9. Peacock Pond - Mineola Nature Preserve Campground D

      Be the first to review30mi from GilmerTents
      Check Availability

      10. Canoe Launch - Mineola Nature Preserve Campground E

      Be the first to review30mi from GilmerTents

      from $5 / night

    View all 13 campgrounds

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    Recent Tent Camping Photos near Gilmer, TX

    2 Photos of 13 Gilmer Campgrounds

    Tent Camping Reviews near Gilmer, TX

    321 Reviews of 13 Gilmer Campgrounds

    • Napunani
      Jun. 27, 2022

      Tyler State Park Campground

      One of our Texas Favs

      PROS 

      Texas State Park Pass discount saving $49 

      Reserved 151 days prior to arriving 

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

      Big Pine site #308 very shady site 

      Extra wide asphalt parking pad 

      Concrete slab that locked down the wooden picnic table 

      Metal fire pit with cooking grate which was cleared of ash upon our arrival 

      2 hook lantern pole 

      Dark sky friendly 

      Trash dumpsters near the toilet/shower building 

      Tyler Rose Garden features over 30,000 bushes and is open free to the public from sunrise to sunset…very beautiful and serene 

      CONS 

      Had to sweep for nearly an hour to clean debris from site 

      No entrance gate locked overnight 

      Never saw any rangers patrolling campground during our entire stay 

      Dogs on leashes not enforced 

      Unable to move picnic table 

      Big Pine site #308 way out of being level but manageable 

      Big Pine site #308 close to campground road 

      Big Pine site #308 tight fit for 28 ft 

      Only pine firewood for sale in Park 

      No WiFi 

      1 bar Verizon 5G

    • Napunani
      Nov. 17, 2021

      Daingerfield State Park Campground

      Lots of FHU Sites

      Reserved on-line 152 days prior to arrival. 

      Pros 

      Pristine clean restroom/showerhouse. Seemed recently renovated 

      BIG PINE camping area only big rig friendly(longer than 20 ft) out of 40 FHU sites. Big Pine, Dogwood and Mountain View Campgrounds FHU so 40 FHU sites with no park dump station. 

      Aluminum picnic table and fire ring with cooking grate 

      Very quiet campground except for highway and train noise 

      4 camp hosts 

      Good night sky viewing in BIG PINE 

      Good view of lake in BIG PINE 

      Privacy from side neighbors 

      No leveling required from side-to-side 

      Asphalt parking pad heaved various places due to tree roots creating numerous tripping hazard 

      Campsite utility hook-ups in good condition with no problems encountered 

      Security gate that closes overnight 

      No street lights in BIG PINE 

      Campsite and entrance fee discount with Texas State Park Pass 

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

      CONS 

      Most FHU sites (other than BIG PINE) are extremely short in length. Barely room for single axle TT, so need to review site details carefully 

      Site 8 had an extreme amount of above ground roots causing tripping hazard

      Picnic table approx 50 feet from Site 8 parking pad

      Highway and train noise

      BIG PINE sites barely off campground road, so therefore no privacy from campers across the road

      Restroom/shower facility not heated

      No lantern pole

      No wildlife sightings

      No park Wifi

      1 bar AT&T in BIG PINE

    • Fred S.The Dyrt PRO User
      May. 2, 2022

      Caddo Lake State Park Campground

      Magical state park

      Camped at site #63 in the Mill Pond Camping Area - tent area. This site backed up onto Saw Mill Pond - beautiful cypress swamp. Bugs were not too bad. Gravel drive on site. Level tent pad. Water only; no electric. Clean fire ring. Lantern post. Large site, good separation from other sites. Campground is heavily wooded, lots of shade. Campground is clean & nicely maintained. One restroom is at the entrance to the Mill Pond camping area, just off of a day use parking lot. No shower in this restroom. A newer, nicer restroom/shower house is located in the Woodpecker camping area. Quiet campground; no issues. Good AT&T service. Despite saying it's allowed in the campground features list, alcohol is prohibited. Excellent T-Mobile 5G service.

    • Napunani
      Jun. 9, 2023

      Caddo Lake State Park Campground

      Poison Oak and Tall Weeds

      PROS 

      Saved $42 With TX STATE PARK PASS 

      No fee to reserve online. 

      No sales tax. U

      pon arriving at Site 23, we had no power at the pedestal. Called Park Headquarters and 2 park personnel were at our site in 10 minutes and resolved problem 

      Site 23 level asphalt 

      Site 23 partial shade 

      Aluminum picnic table, 2 hook lantern pole and metal fire pit with cooking grate 

      Donation firewood available 

      Soap and hand dryer in toilet/shower facility 

      3 bars TMOBILE when not storming 

      CONS 

      No overnight security gate closure 

      Site 23 was 1/3 covered with poison oak and remaining living area covered with tall weeds. 

      Some highway noises. 

      Two PARK HOSTS occupy sites in Woodpecker Hollow. That reduces full hook up sites to 6. One of those sites were used as a temporary dump station due to out-of-service park dump station 

      Woodpecker Hollow toilet/shower facility needs some deep cleaning 

      11 windows in Woodpecker Hollow women’s toilet/shower and only 4 were open. Camp host said rest of windows were painted shut.  Floors were continuously wet and slippery. What a mess! This place needs a fan or two.

      Most pets we saw were NOT on leash 

      No privacy from surrounding campsites 

      No ranger drive thru Woodpecker Hollow 

      No park WIFI

    • Napunani
      Nov. 18, 2021

      Tyler State Park Campground

      Great Lakeside Campsite

      Reserved on-line 153 days prior to arrival. 

      Pros 

      Area 2 campground night sky friendly with good dark sky viewing

      Site 211 has fantastic views of the lake

      Mid afternoon Sunday check in at entrance station very busy but processed quickly Utility hookups in good condition 

      Sites with grass neatly maintained 

      Campground mostly quiet except for Interstate 20 traffic noise 

      Showers were individual entry on opposite side of the building from the toilets 

      Campsite and entrance fee discount with Texas State Park Pass 

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

      EXXON station directly outside of State Park sold oak firewood 25 pieces for $20 

      Cons 

      Raccoons very aggressive and tried to take food that we were eating from our hands!!! Area 2 Lakeview sites require leveling side-to-side 

      Area 2 campsite parking pads are narrow with trees and large boulders close to parking pad. 

      ery narrow roadway in Area 2 with limited space to maneuver into backin sites. 

      One pull-thru site was so tight to the roadway, their trailer was partially on the road! Area 2 campground sites have no privacy from any other camp sites 

      Site 211 table, fire pit with cooking grate and lantern pole are located opposite side of the trailer door 

      Area 2 restroom/shower building serves 58 campsites and it shows it! Restroom facility badly needing some TLC, cleaning and maintenance Women’s restroom had 3 toilets and 2 sinks; men’s had 2 toilets and 1 urinal 

      Firewood for sale in Area 2 was only pine wood

    • AThe Dyrt PRO User
      Apr. 22, 2026

      Mount Pleasant KOA

      Convenient Stay

      We showed up around 8:00 and got the 1 tent site with no water or no electricity. It was $28 to stay here. The men’s room was locked for some reason and the interstate nearby is pretty loud. It’s a convenient and safe place to stay for the night while we drive down i20.

    • Andrew A.
      Aug. 29, 2021

      Greer Hill - Mineola Nature Preserve Campground C

      Barebones on purpose.

      Set up your basic base camp near a picnic table and fire ring the. Go out into the park to hike, bike, horseback ride, frisbee golf, kayak and observe nature. The site itself is not attractive per-se but there are some basics and an outhouse. The park also has an RV/Equestrian trailer area near the highway and some even deeper woods camping for equestrians or backpackers. No frills at all in those spots and too dark to enjoy IMO. Greer Hill is the best balance. Also there is an incredible winery on premises too. Grand Oaks Winery https://www.gowinerymineola.com

    • Heidi R.
      May. 31, 2018

      Martin Creek Lake State Park Campground

      Screened Shelter - BEST EVER! and oddly, no mosquitoes !?

      There are many options to camp at this state park. There’s RV sites, tent sites (both primitive and “cushy”), cabins, cottages and screened shelters. my past experience with screened shelters were always dusty, dank, spider-filled shacks that I would only store my cooler and belongings in (tightly sealed) but these at Martin Creek were IMMACULATE to say the least! They seem cob-webby from the outside but once inside, the concrete floor is smoother up the edges of the walls about 2.5’, reducing entry of insects via cracks in the joints of floor and wall. The park employees vacuum these areas, as observed when I passed others that had recently vacated. The rafters in these shelters were spaced out far enough for me to hang my hammock. 4 people slept inside without air mattresses or camp pads and slept wonderfully (flat surfaces are good for our spines sometimes) not a big in sight. There is an electrical outlet inside as well as a light, and there is an outlet outside as well. Small lock on inside, watr spigot and doIble lantern hook nearby as well as a wooden/metal picnic table (good condition). I slept in Shelter #6 and it was a few yards away from the water’s edge. Great views of a small lilly-pad laced bay and we caught 7 catfish using normal nightcrawlers as bait. Fried them up for lunch the next day and they tasted like heaven! But, everything tastes better when you’re camping. We had also set up 4 tents around the area (not disturbing local flora/fauna) and we slept to the deafening croaks of frogs. Only 1 raccoon came upon our camp area to a spot where someone had thrown a corn cob, otherwise, we take all the necessary steps to avoid crossing paths with those relentless nighttime furry bandits. Shelters 7-9 are also located in great areas of the lake nearby, there is the power plants across the lake and for some reason, we like to believe that it was the reason we had ZERO mosquitoes! Many house flies and the non-biting ants were everywhere but not to the point of insanity... they list this ant as an issue on their website I do believe. I’d take this shelter over a hotel stay ANY TIME!

    • Napunani
      Jun. 9, 2023

      Walleye Park

      Unobstructed Lake View Campsite

      PROS 

      Senior discount saved $20 

      Each site has unobstructed lake view 

      Site 67 level concrete pad surrounded by sandy soil with afternoon only shade 

      Climate controlled toilet/shower facility 

      Clean toilet/shower facility which are cleaned every weekday morning 

      2 sand lot volleyball courts 

      Small pier shared by every two campsites 

      Metal picnic table, pedestal BBQ grill and concrete fire ring with no cooking grate. 

      Fairly quiet during daytime weekdays except for neighboring campers 3 sites away who had their INSIDE television blaring that we could hear every word. This went on for 7 hours daily. 

      Local police did regular daylight drive thrus 

      Hundreds of squirrels 

      Could hear whippoorwills after sunset 

      Had a float plane land and then take off right in front of our campsite (see video)

      Park had WIFI but didn’t use due to having 4 bars TMOBILE 

      CONS 

      Minimal pay/stay 3 nights

      $5 fee to make on line reservations 

      Had to email copy of Texas Drivers License to Water District in advance of making reservation in order to get Senior discount 

      No security gate closed overnight 

      No camp host 

      Campers let their dogs run thru campsites and poop everywhere 

      Big problem with day users and boaters walking thru campsites, even after dark, picnicking and partying late into evening in campsites where there were no campers/tenters, then leaving at all hours of the night 

      LOTS of middle of the night boat noise 

      Street lights throughout campground which hinders dark sky viewing 

      No privacy from any other campsite 

      Site picnic table anchored so not moveable

    Guide to Gilmer

    Tent camping near Gilmer, Texas offers a serene escape into nature, with a variety of campgrounds that cater to outdoor enthusiasts looking for a peaceful retreat.

    Tent campers appreciate these amenities

    • At Lake Of The Pines, campers can enjoy features like picnic tables, showers, and water hookups, making for a comfortable stay.
    • Fish Hawke Point at Lake Hawkins provides primitive camping with access to restrooms and a beautiful setting for kayaking and water sports.
    • For those seeking a more rustic experience, Harpoon Larry's Camping offers a secluded area surrounded by pines, perfect for families and groups.

    Tent campers like these nearby activities

    Tips for tent camping near Gilmer

    • Be prepared for limited air circulation in heavily wooded areas like Lake Of The Pines; bringing a fan can enhance your comfort during hot weather.
    • If you're heading to Harpoon Larry's Camping, a high-clearance vehicle is recommended to navigate the trails leading to the best camping spots.
    • Keep an eye on your little ones at Lake Of The Pines, as wildlife, including alligators, can be present in the area.

    Frequently Asked Questions

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

    According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Gilmer, TX is Lake Of The Pines with a 4.3-star rating from 4 reviews.

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

    TheDyrt.com has all 13 tent camping locations near Gilmer, TX, with real photos and reviews from campers.

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