Best Cabin Camping near Houston, TX

This would be a 5 star if there was sewer hookup 

PROS 

No fee to make my own on-line reservations

Park security gate closed overnight hours 

Good space between sites 

Grass mowed in each site 

Extra wide campground roadway 

Quiet during our weeknight stay 

Wooden and metal picnic table on concrete slab 

Pedestal BBQ grill 

Metal firering (no cooking grate) 

Clean, climate controlled toilet/shower facility. 

Ample supply of TP, and hand soap but hand dryer didn’t work and no paper towels. Campfire wood for sale via honor system in the campground 

Regular ranger patrol through campground

Lots of dumpsters throughout the campground

.85 miles round trip from site 114 to closest toilet/shower facility 

2 bars T-MOBILE 

CONS 

No discount for a one night stay 

Aggressive raccoons 

Site 114 not level 

No lantern pole in campsite 

Site picnic table is anchored to concrete slab and not moveable 

No WiFi

We had a really nice relaxing stay at Stephen F Austin State Park near San Filepe, Texas. Great little state park easily accessed from I-10. The 38 RV sites are all asphalt pad pull throughs with 30/15 amp electric, water and sewer complete with concrete pad for table, fire pit, lantern and all well spaced for plenty of privacy...big rig friendly. They have an additional 39 tent only sites with water and 25 primitive. Screened shelters are reservable for tent camping with 20 amp electric and water plus one rustic cabin with amenities. There is a$5 daily entrance fee in addition to camping fees. The bathhouse facilities are brand new. It's a small park but they do have five miles of trails for hiking/biking with views of the Brazos River. We enjoyed the wildlife; deer strolling in the campground every morning and evening, birds, rabbits, frogs, turtles, a bobcat and numerous owls. They have a Nature Center; however it was not open during our visit. The park office has a small store with sundries and park souvenirs. The nearby San Felipe de Austin State His­toric Site tells the story of early settlers to Texas and is worth a visit. We made a run to the nearby town of Sealy to do a much needed laundry stop...small community with grocery, dining and fuel to meet most needs. GPS 29.811982-96.108059 l(979) 885-3613 l Park Road 38 San Felipe, TX 77473

We stayed at Stephen F Austin State Park in Texas in early May 2018. We went as a family with 3 kids (3yrs, 5yrs & 7yrs old).

We had a screen shelter that was powered and had a light. It was a great spot with close access to the showers and toilets (we were shelter number 1).

The walking trails we nicely kept. Some were closed but still able to go for a decent walk around the ones that were open. We saw deer grazing in the long grass and early evening the fireflies came out which was so lovely and relaxing to watch.

Park hosts and volunteers was all very friendly and helpful too. One had a hummingbird feeder set up and we saw a hummingbird feeding.

The playground was very basic - 4 swings and a sandbox only.

We will definitely be going back again as if is only a 1 hour drive from Houston.

I took a trip here with my husband, our son (3yo), my sister-in-law, her husband, their daughter(1yo), and a total of 4 dogs! We had an absolute blast! Since we live in Houston and my sister-in law lives in Corpus Christi, TX we all wanted to get out of the city and just enjoy nature. So glad we chose to camp here. We stayed for a total of 4 nights in tents! My husband and I got there first and the park ranger said we were the first to check in, so we could choose the site we wanted. We wanted a site fairly close to the bathrooms because of the kiddos, one big enough to fit us all, and also one with a lot of shade because it was hella hot! We chose site 72 and it worked really well. Just be aware if your going with a group, the big sites do not have much shade.

We decided to do a bit of hiking with the kids and this place was perfect for a family trip.The trails were beautiful and easy to get through (marked well) with all of us and the staff was helpful and kind enough to let us know which ones were closed (aftermath of Hurricane Harvey). Most of the trails were short (less than a mile), so if you are looking for a place for moderate or extreme hiking, it is not here, but for the kids, these were perfect! Obviously in Texas the land is pretty flat in most places, so there wasn't much incline at all. We were able to go on every trail with rest and snacks in between for little ones. There is also fishing, but because of Harvey everything was still in clean up mode. Being from Houston, we definitely understood that it would take some time to get everything going again. It seemed like Hurricane Harvey turned the outermost trails/ longest trails into a big creek bed. It literally just washed everything out.

The facilities were old, but very well taken care of and clean! Very few bathrooms and showers, so if you are going during peak season be aware you could be waiting in line (especially the girls restroom/showers). During our stay there were many Boy Scout groups camping and many others, but thankfully I am an early riser, and got to the showers by 6 AM with no wait! Also if you have kids or a small bladder get a site close to the bathrooms otherwise it could be little walk from one of the other sites because of the way they are spaced out.

The campsites were very clean and we watched a few times as people left that the rangers would come out and clean them immediately! Also firewood is for sale on site and it not expensive. We had to go back twice to get wood and the lady who was there was so sweet and gave us extra just in case for no extra cost.There is a fire-pit with a grill rack at ever site which is helpful. We brought some foil to just put over the rack to cook burgers and it worked well! They have RV campsite, Water-only campsites, walk-in sites, group sites, and I believe screened group shelters for youth camps and such.

This state park is a great little place! We have a state park pass so we try to visit as many as possible and obviously our entry fee is free, but we enjoy the history and education they provide as well. This park is only 30 miles from Houston and about 8 miles from a Bucee's (worlds best gas station) in case you need any supplies or gas. We will definitely come back to this one!

Amenities:

Free WiFi 

Gazebo 

Picnic Area 

Children’s Playground 

Fishing Area 

Boat Ramp 

Swimming Pool 

100 Waterview sites 

70 Waterfront sites 

Recreation Area 

Fenced In Dog Park 

Boat and RV Storage 

Available Private Gazebos 

Gated Community 

Full Hookups(30& 50 Amp) 

Onsite Management 

Picnic tables at your site 

Restrooms Showers 

Private Covered 

Boat Slips 

Laundry Room with 6 Washers coming soon (August 2020) 

Award Winning Fishing 

Beautiful Sunset on the Lake 

Clubhouse 

Private Covered Boat Slips 

**Available Activities: **

Card Games 

Crafts 

Fishing 

Horseshoes 

Swimming

Campground Review

It's incredible that I was born and raised in Houston and have lived here the past four years but haven't made it out to Brazos Bend State Park until now! A quick, 45 minute drive southwest will get you out of the concrete jungle that is the sprawling Space City metropolis and into one of the lushest, greenest parts of Texas. Brazos Bend is a "Nature Lover's Paradise" - there is abundant wildlife. There is great fishing, ample bird watching, and lots and lots of alligators (!). Lots of trails for walking, running, biking, and horseback riding. The George Observatory is a pretty amazing feature of this park (but only open Saturdays).

We arrived at Brazos Bend on a Friday afternoon and were able to walk-in no problem. Walk-in rate is $12/day + the daily park entrance fee ($5 for adults, free for kids). I have a Texas State Parks Pass so we didn't have to pay the entrance fees (saved us $40 for two nights of camping!). Additionally there were several other great options including: Full-Site RV hook-up ($25/night), Standard Camping ($20/night, incl. water & electricity), and 14 Cabins ($80-200/night but have everything you could ever need or want).

We did a lot of nature walks, game playing, and swimming during our two days at Brazos Bend State Park. Summer is probably not the best time to visit any park in Texas - its hot and muggy and the mosquitos are out in full force. Bring your DEET. Seriously. Despite that though, we were very pleasantly surprised by the amenities (swimming pool, screened in picnic tables, fire pits, and tent pads!)

Product Review

As a Ranger for The Dyrt, I get products to test from time to time - this past weekend at Brazos Bend I tested out the Kameng Mid eVent Waterproof Hiking Boot by Mishmi Takin.

These boots have got it all.

First, these boots are hella comfortable! I was blown away how comfortable they were right out of the box. Over the years, I've owned many pairs of hiking boots and they all required a significant break-in period. Not these!

Second, they're waterproof AND breathable. Not water resistant, like actually water proof.

Third, the look great. All 3 color schemes are fantastic I had a tough time choosing between green, grey and orange.

Fourth, so lightweight. These only weigh 1.5lbs so even though they are boots, they won't weigh you down.

5/5 Would Recommend.

We got a spot here for one night with no reservations on a Thursday in late March, but all the spots were booked for the weekend. With taxes and fees the price came to $38 for a night at a FHU site.

All sites are pull through / bump out style. Our spot (#39) wasn't level. Spots come with a picnic table and fire pit.

Firewood and ice for sale here at campground.

Free showers are really nice and clean, look pretty new. Water never got hot for me though.

Friendly rangers at the office when we checked in, and they had lots of cute things to buy at the gift shop.

Dumpsters and aluminum can recycling.

Ok cell reception, not many bars but both the att and Verizon phone worked fine. We heard the rangers tell other campers that there is free wifi at the campground but we didn't see it pop up when we looked for it.

Lots of nice short hiking trails here throughout the park.