Best Equestrian Camping near Granger, TX

Pace Bend is one of my most favorite places to camp in Texas.

Not far from the old (and new!) Backyard (a great place to see live music in the live oak capital of Texas), Pace Bend is a quick drive away. A perfect spot to pitch a bunch of tents, jump off cliffs, swim and barbeque. Maybe 45 minutes from downtown Austin (without traffic).

I won't lie the cliff diving kinda freaks me out. Be careful is all I'm saying!

There are several primitive campsites throughout the park with picnic tables, grills and toilets. Additionally there are 20 RV hook-up type sites that offer running water, electricity, restrooms and showers.

Shaffer Bend Rec. Area has a beautiful setting in the Texas Hill Country right off of Lake Travis. At the gate entrance you have wonderful landscape views. All of the camp sites are situated next to or a short walk to the water.

The camps are clean. Most are equipped with a picnic table and fire ring. In the large camp area, some have BBQ pits with a couple big communal grill/smoker. The same area has a horse pen as well if you're an equestrian enthusiast on top of a camper. It is a primitive campground. The large camp area has a couple port-a-poties. At the gate entrance there are men's and women's rooms with running water. That's about 3 miles from the camp sites. So, be prepared to dig holes, bring your own portable toilets, or hold it.

Considering you're on the lake, the water access is surprisingly limited. There are a few areas along the water you can walk in, but there's not a dock or boat access. I recommend sandals or water shoes since there's a fair amount of plant life along the shore. The same areas you can walk in would be good for kayaks though. The camp sites are situated along a narrow section of the lake. So, there would be plenty to explore.

Pace Bend Park is conveniently located a short distance from the city of Austin and on the shores of Lake Travis. The park is managed by the Travis County Parks Department. The entrance fee is $10 per car and the campsites are all first come first served. There are almost always campsites available, but the best campsites do get taken early. On the east side of the park there is easy beach access to the lakeshore and water. On the west side of the park there are a number of coves. Access to the water is possible by scrambling over and down rocks to the waters edge. Many people cliff jump off the cove cliffs, but be sure to test the depth of the water before jumping. Many people get injured every year jumping off the cliffs. Some of the campsites have developed pads to set up your tent. Other campsites just have clearing to set up your tent. There are ample trees available for hammock hanging. Because the park is located so close to the city many people visit the park for day use. The day time crowd can be a bit overwhelming and loud at times. At night the atmosphere generally calms down a bit. Many of the campsites have picnic tables and some have grills. A few have fire rings for campfires, but the park is removing many of the rings. Depending on the time of the year and the dryness, there is often a county fire banned in the area and park. My favorite campsites are along the west side of the park and the coves (N. Gracey Cove).

Booked this place last minute based on previous reviews. This place is not what I would call a quiet getaway. Sites are somewhat large, some without any trees or shade which is torture most of the year in Texas heat. Be warned that if you stay at sites 1-12 you are right next to the boat ramp where people will be loading/unloading at all hours of the night. Its 5 am currently and I have been bombarded with diesel engines and bright lights directly into my campsite since 3 am. Picture below of the view from my tent as they unload another boat.
The prices are $10 more than some surrounding area spots that offer much more than this place. Look elsewhere if you desire a place to relax and enjoy nature.

This is a county park in Travis County, Texas. We stayed one week in the middle of March 2019. We decided to stay outside the campground in the dispersed area. Technically, you can camp anywhere in the park; however, we believe there are only a few decent spots for RVs. Camping is limited to 7 days in a 30-day period. We stayed at Mudd Cove Mesquite Point and found a great spot right by the lake. We were able to get level without leveling blocks after some trial and error. There were several spots in that area that would be great for a RV of any size. As of April 1, 2019, they are closing the Tournament Point area to camping, so Mudd Cove Mesquite Point will have some of the only RV spots (IMO). Those spots are off Grisham Trail. The areas down Pace Bend Road were not RV friendly. Most were a tight squeeze, and many did not have turnaround spots. Great areas in there for tent camping, but not RVs. On Grisham Trail, you will find potable water. It is easy to miss and in a horrible spot on a curve and hill. It will be on left if you are coming from the park entrance. The dump station is outside of the park, right before the entrance on the right.  Easy in and out when leaving. Since we were in the dispersed area, we relied on our solar for electricity. The area we found was perfect for that. We were able to find a nice open spot with no trees and the weather cooperated, so we had no trouble with electricity. The park was quiet and empty for most of the week. Things did pick up Thursday and over the weekend, but most people were respectful and quieted down after 11pm. We walked the trails a few times, but overall there is not a ton to do here unless you are swimming. The cost for us was $20/night. $15 for the truck and $5 for the travel trailer. Day use fees are $7 a person which is included in the camping costs. The employee working when we arrived was not friendly or helpful at all, but the other employees we encountered were very helpful and nice. Overall, we will likely not be back. The price seemed steep for no hookups and the park just didn’t offer enough for us to want to stay again.