Best Tent Camping near Huntsville, TX

Muddy roads out to the site which were difficult to manage in a small passenger car. Campsite itself had a spooky vibe, seemed overgrown and poorly maintained. We arrived after dark and camped in a tent but neither of us slept well. I think they had a lot of rain because even the loop around the campground had big potholes full of water. In the morning we noticed the place was trashed. It might not be bad for campers and rvs but I don’t recommend tent camping.

Located on the west edge of the east Texas piney woods, this state park features excellent RV and tent camping facilities, and a beautiful network of heavily forested trails. The lake offers canoeing, kayaking, swimming and fishing, and affords visitors an occasional glimpse of alligators. We love this place.

Tent site we stayed at was great.  Well shaded and not too close to other camper sites

Nice place for tent camping there is no water bathrooms or electricity. Great place for being in contact with nature. If you are looking to be away from the civilization but at the same time not that far it is perfect.

I took the whole family for a weekend getaway. We loved the park, it was our first time tent camping here and it did not disappoint. It has a swimming area, trails, fishing, and playgrounds. The park was very nice and clean, the showers had door! We will definitely come back.

This is our favorite local (2hous from home) park. We’ve been coming here almost every year for close to 20 years. We’ve done primitive tent camping, tent camping with power, shelter camping and just recently became glampers!😂 Site 142 in the prairie branch loop is our favorite site. It’s on the water and at the trailhead. It’s recently been designated Accessible so our last two trips we chose the shelter sites 10 and 11. These sites are also on the water and have lots of space. The showers on this side are individual rooms as opposed to the semi private (too small shower curtain) ones in the big restroom. The water is nice and hot but I suggest bringing a broom or you will be sharing with some pretty big spiders. Overall the restrooms are clean but the campgrounds are busy lately so I’m sure it’s difficult to keep up. Staff are super friendly. Firewood is on a suggested donation basis and is available most days before 5pm.

Beautiful small state park. We usually tent camp but this time we decided staying at a cabin. Nice, beautiful and modern cabins. Love the enclosed porch and open porch as well. The cabin was spacious enough for our family of 6. The new family restroom close to the cabins was great, nice and clean. I will be back.

Wonderful trails. Clear and well marked. Primitive (water only) tent sites on lakeshore side leave the camper hunting flat surfaces while avoiding runoff pathways. However the dip shields you from stormy winds. Be ready to share the park. Lots of day trippers enjoy this piece of bliss so close to Houston. Trails are marked for foot and bicycle travel. Birdwatchers bring your glasses and journals, you will not be disappointed.

Sam Houston National Forest is my absolute favorite. There is so much to do there, plus the longest foot trail in Texas (Lone Star trail) resides here. This campsite is located on the Eastern side of the forest and it very close to the Eastern Terminus of the Lone Star trail ( trailhead #15).

Double Lake is the campsite that has it all. Plus there is a lake, or two, where you can fish, boat, and swim. There are lots of bike and hiking trails, along with off roading vehicle trails. The scenery is amazing. I love to go hiking early in the morning as all of the wildlife begins to rise. The sounds and views are some of the best in the state.

The facilities are kept very clean and the staff is always to kind and helpful. Some of the trails were closed the last time I visited but the park rangers were very helpful in helping me navigate. There are tent sites, group tent sites and RV sites available to reserve, which you can easily reserve online. My favorite tent site, that I try to get every time is site # 28. It is easily accessible, off by itself, and still close enough to the bathrooms. I like it because it has quite a bit of room, lots of tree cover ( which is nice when it rains, or in the summer) and it has some character to it.

There is a ranger station at the entrance of this site, but be aware they are closed on the weekend. They have a little drop box and fill out sheet is you come on the weekends, but make sure to download a map of the trails and park beforehand, because the maps are never stocked and there likely won't be one. If you don't have one, there is usually a ranger driving around on a golf cart you can ask.

Make sure you hike the double lake trail. It is about 9 miles long with a very easy footpath, but the views and stillness of the forest make it worth it. The trailhead is between the lake and bathrooms after entering, but be aware it is also a bike trail and can get muddy after a good rail.

There is a fee to enter. If you have a National Park pass it is free and it is twenty dollars a night. Please visit this park!!

Tent camped 23JUN20, 1 night

I love Huntsville SP. It’s my “home park”. So many great memories of family and scout camping here, all the way back to my youth. The tall trees and lake make for a “summer camp” feel.

It literally rained every second I was in camp except for a little while when I was loading out. For the most part it was a quiet heavy rain that I enjoyed from my covered hammock!

I always forget there are alligators there, but they don’t seem to care too much about people. It is a bit disconcerting to be standing on the fishing peer 2 feet over the water and look down to see one just chilling under your feet.

Site 139 was large, had complete shade coverage and was right off the trail. It also had the unfortunate attribute of being at the bottom of the hill and kind of where all the water from everywhere seemed to be headed. Not a problem unless it’s raining a lot. Fortunately I realized this and set up my tent on the end of the parking space. Have you ever driven a tent stake into asphalt with a hatchet? Good times.

The bathrooms were clean and updated. The fishing was non existent due to the rain and I’ll go back soon to hike.

Did I mention that it rained? A lot?

We went Thursday - Saturday, and will go again during the week to avoid crowds.
The check-in process is a bit troublesome if you're picky about getting a good tent site- you can't reserve specific sites ahead of time. Also, your visit will cost you more than listed on the website because they charge entrance fees for each person on top of the campsite rental. That was an unpleasant surprise. The only other unpleasant surprise is that the campground store is closed on Thursdays. Lesson learned- bring your own Snickers!
However, the scenery, quietness, and availability of rental boats was wonderful. We camped in tent site #70, and I would grab that one again in a heartbeat. The 70's sites have water access and beautiful views, and are generous with their square footage. Plenty of trees down there to hang hammocks and clotheslines on, and more than one flat spot for tents on each site.
I normally would not devote a whole paragraph to restrooms at a state park, but I will this time. These were the CLEANEST restrooms I've ever seen at a state park, and the most updated. The stalls had modern dividers, the toilets all had clean, functional seats, the showers had separate bench areas with lots of hooks, plus normal faucets you could just turn on once (as opposed to having to push a button every minute), and the sinks also had great faucets with good pressure and reliable water temperatures. Very easy to use.
All our issues with this park were related to unexpected costs and logistics, but the park facilities were fabulous. We will definitely be back!

I’m so surprised I hadn’t been here yet, but it’s just gorgeous. Pine needles everywhere, beautiful lake. We tent camped and we weren’t too close to the people around us. Completely surrounded by huge trees. The bathroom had a lot of spiders but I’d expect that. The showers drained super slow but you just have to take a quick one. I appreciate the parking at your spot a lot. A nice cold front (and storm) came in during the night and blew out the humidity and it just got that much better. We went on the long trail in the evening and heard coyotes which was cool. We turned around though lol.

Okay okay so I live in Huntsville Texas which means I have been to Huntsville State Park more times than I can count. There's a fee to get in but it's not too bad. We like to go fishing with our day pass however you will not ever catch anything. I don't know why but the fishing sucks. Also there's crocodiles. However the campsite overall is really pretty we haven't stayed overnight here so I don't know about that.

I hadn't been camping in years but decided to go for it. My first stop of many was Huntsville State Park. It's the beginning of spring so no fish were biting, bugs fly after dark was crazy so once I'm in my tent I had to kill bugs. I used a spray but once they are in they're in. Beautiful lake, friendly staff but If you go for ice at the main gate watch your step, there's an unmarked drop (for handicap) don't tumble and fall like I did. Overall, I enjoyed staying and sure to be back.

You’ll find Huntsville State Park six miles southwest of Huntsville, TX in Walker County in the Sam Houston National Forest. Huntsville State Park has over 20 miles of trails to explore along with a pretty great lake to fish, paddle or swim. Fish for crappie, perch, catfish, or bass. Lake Raven also has a boat ramp, fishing piers, and fish cleaning stations. Bring your own canoe or rent one from the little supply store. The supply store also has miscellaneous supplies and bait for purchase.

Campsites are spaced modestly except those in the full hookup loop. If you are looking for full hookups, book in advanced as those are in high demand at this location. All sites have a two-day minimum on Friday and Saturday.

Available sites:

• Full hookup campsites - pull-through, picnic table, fire ring, water hookup, lantern post, restrooms & showers nearby 20/30/50-amp hookup
• Electric sites - picnic table, fire ring, water hookup, lantern post, restrooms & showers nearby 20/30/50-amp electric hook up
• Campsites with water - picnic table, fire ring, water hookup, lantern post, & restrooms & showers nearby

Huntsville is a great spot to visit, whether you're looking for a day trip or overnight. People are certainly catching on to the charm of the park so going during the week or a school year weekend (non-holiday) is the best bet to avoid crowds. Lots of good camp and RV space. The gem of Huntsville is its well-marked trail system. Whether a casual walker or ultrarunner, there are trails of every ability and distance to be found. They are color-coded with posted maps that are easy to follow. Prepare to take on a few hills and rocky/rooted areas, but well worth escaping the city for a bit in the nicely shaded woods.

Huntsville Park is a nice little park that is a getaway from the city. We have hiked all the trails and camped here a couple times. The facilities are nice and the staff is helpful!

I stayed two nights on the primitive camping side(coloneh campground I believe). This was my first time camping at Huntsville State Park. I got the change to hike the Chinquapin trail. It was a beautiful hike. The campground had plenty of areas with showers.

Huntsville Park was an absolute blast. Be sure to throw your trash away in the provided dumpsters before night fall. We had a visitor (coyote or similar) who tried to break into our camper. Thankfully, our dogs scared it away.

Fishing was good, so was kayaking!

Friendly neighbors as well.

Huntsville SP is a great patch of wilderness that is close to Houston. There is lots of camping, boating, and trails. My daughter likes the park so much she invited her friends to camp with her for her 11th birthday party. She is a girlie girl and if she wants to go camping, it must mean it is great!

We had a great time at Huntsville State Park. Will definitely be returning as it’s so close to Houston. Park was jam packed and it seemed like rangers were a bit nervous as they drove through the grounds multiple times. Our site had direct water access and my husband floated a bit but we saw an alligator (small) just off in the distance. I think we had one of the better sites, but the one to the left of ours looked fantastic too. Overall great time.

I like Huntsville State Park campground for a long weekend getaway.  It is about an hour north of Houston not far off Interstate 45, so very easily accessible.  They have a large campground section which is only campsites, and also another section on the other side of a cove that is more of a recreational section which has a swimming beach, cabins, screened shelters, etc.  This state park gets very crowded in the summertime, with campers as well as lots of day use folks enjoying the water.  It is hard to get a campsite reservation, so plan ahead!  

The sites are spacious as in most Texas state parks, and there are many shaded sites.  The waterfront sites are tiered.  The upper tier is where you park your rig.  Then there is a retaining wall and steps to walk down to the lower tier where the picnic table, fire ring, lantern post, etc.. are located.  We really didn't ever go down to the lower part of our site because it was inconvenient.  It was a good place to walk the dogs though.  The campground does slope slightly and the sites are not all real level, so be sure to bring your "legos" if you don't have a leveling system on your rig.  The grounds did not seem to be as well maintained as some other state parks I've been to.  We couldn't use the picnic table because it was surrounded by tall weeds and had a lot of spider webs under it.  Bath house was not well maintained and kind of dingy.  It was also not ventilated well and felt like a sauna as it was so humid in July. 

There is a nice fishing pier and several places to fish off the bank.  A ranger told me there are alligators in the lake, so be careful.

I was totally surprised at the beauty of this park. I stayed in a screened shelter site with a view of the lake. The weather was cold, but I came prepared and setup my tent in the shelter. The park has many trails and view points. The staff at check-in were extremely helpful and you could tell they love their job. Ended up purchasing a Texas Parks Pass because I am quickly learning that Texas has some of the best camping in the country.

We took our family here on a Texas state park camping trip. The park rangers explain basics of camping. It was a great experience for our family. The park is very family friendly and tent friendly. It is on a lake that has fishing, kayaking and paddle boats. The facilities were nice and clean.

We have stayed here several times with family, some in tents and some in pop up trailers. The bathrooms are old, Texas is supposed to be getting new bathrooms in all state park facilities but had not gotten to this one as of our last visit. Park is larger, best to do with bikes if possible. Limited lake access but good fishing spots abound. Tower to climb, trails to hike, firewood to burn...