Whether you're an RVer or tent camper, Henderson, TX is a great place to post up for the weekend—or longer. Henderson is an adventure-filled destination for those who love the outdoorsy camper lifestyle. But it's also great for those who prefer to spend time near the city, exploring and sightseeing. Find the best campgrounds near Henderson, TX. Read helpful reviews and tips to find the perfect camping option for you and your crew.
$30 / night
"Camp Quapaw offers a great spot for primitive camping and tons of nearby activities including hiking at the camp and still near town for your essentials. Stop by and leave a review about your stay!"
"Campgrounds provide water and electricity; in the heat, you'll need a fan. Even on the river, there is limited air circulation due to the dense tree cover."
"Heavy tree cover means little air movement, even right on the water. Little popularity from the locals means this place is quiet and serene."
"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."
$12 - $42 / night
"At least 14 sites with picnic tables on concrete slabs. Fire rings and Lantern poles. Very well kept and mowed. There is a loafing barn for horses. No bathrooms or water."
$5 / night
"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."
$5 / night
LegendPROS
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
GuideThere's not much to this campground, although it is very beautiful with enormous loblolly pines. This is a primitive campsite. There's no water, no electricity, not bathrooms, etc. Just an area you can use to set up tents or hammocks. We met a nice older fella who said he comes there every day and builds a fire at dusk, stays for a little bit, then leaves.
We bikes from the Ratcliff Recreational Area and we had to cache water.
GuideAt least 14 sites with picnic tables on concrete slabs. Fire rings and Lantern poles. Very well kept and mowed. There is a loafing barn for horses. No bathrooms or water. Would be a 5 with just water. You need a Texas parks Limited use permit. It costs as little as $12 a year. If you want to fish or hunt the price goes up a little. Can be used to stay at any National Forest or Wild Management area.
LegendReserved 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
GuideThere 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!
GuideSet 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
GuideI visited the Shortleaf camping area in the Tyler State Park for the weekend to participate in a 50k trail race. Each campsite in this area has a sheltered cabin, picnic table, fire pit and 2 parking spots. Tent camping is also permitted on the site but I used my iKamper Roof Top Tent as my primary place to sleep. The sheltered cabin has screens on the windows to keep the bugs out and electricity. I used this area primarily for storage of the food & gear that I used during the weekend. My campsite was located at the bottom of a hill and had a path to the restrooms and showers. These facilities were very clean and had 2 shower stalls and 3 toilet stalls along with 2 sinks. This location had access to the lake via a short hike. This type of camp site is the best of both worlds, you can camp via tent/car and still have a cabin like experience via the sheltered cabin.
In September it is still pretty warm in Tyler, humidity was 100% when I visited without rain. I'll visit again in October when the cooler temps arrive and undoubtable have an even better experience.
TravelerFirst & foremost, This park is not well-maintained, and the camping sites are right off of the highway. The splash pad does not work, and the bath house was terribly dirty and freaked of sewage. The group sites are basically a big parking lot- zero grass space between site numbers, although there is shared grass areas along the rows. We moved site numbers within the group sites so that our kids would not be playing right beside the highway (there is a gate, however it’s still concerning), and to slightly distance ourselves from the traffic noise. Beware there is also a large wedding venue directly across the highway & our kids were woken to the sounds of fireworks at night on the weekend. There were large fire ant mounds all along the concrete, and we had to purchase fire ant killer ourselves, as well as deal with some broken glass & the trash can for our site that wasn’t emptied before our stay. I spoke with the staff member working in the office and all she could say was “i will let management know.”
As far as the good: we had 6 kids and 4 adults staying, so despite the concerns and annoyances, we still were able to relax enough and enjoy our break from the daily grind. The kids played outside all day- making walking sticks, fishing a lot, catching bugs (spotted some really neat moths, too), and making up games.
The best: the nearly-daily trains coming right through the campground for various reasons (loading new cars or taking passengers on a local trip). My son is an avid train-lover and this was the main reason we booked our stay here.
GuideThis ground is situation Lake o’ the Pines in east Texas. This is a corp of engineers lane and has many amp grounds available to stay.
Although the lake itself is pretty dirty, it’s fun to fish and play on water craft. Fellow campers are usually pretty friendly. This location is water and electricity only, no sewer hookups. Bath houses serve are purpose. They are don’t the nicest, but not the worst.
Fire rings are situated at each camp site. Concrete pads and picnic tables, also.
Frequently Asked Questions
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