Best Cabin Camping near Jacksonville, TX

We have camped at Salmon Lake many times. It is a favorite of the kiddos. The original owner was a house mover, so there are all kinds of old "western town" type setups..old jail, old barber shop, tons of old cars etc. It is fun just to walk around and look at them all. On some visits there is a train ride that runs, but not always. Some of the buildings are cabin rentals. We have never rented a cabin, only done RV camping, but the cabins look so neat!!

There is a playground by the lake and The lake is gorgeous and the kids like to swim in it. It has a giant slide for them and a swimming dock in the middle. It is like a step back in time to the simpler days, very no frills camping. We have brought dirt bikes and small atv before. Owners are ok if you bring them, just be respectful and don't tear anything up. The owners are great hosts and super nice.

All the spots are different (there are 100s of spots...they don't reserve spots. you just get there and then go pick one.)  There is a wooded section of sites behind the lake, but have never camped in that area. We usually pick a spot in the field near the big fire pit or tree. Most sites do not have fire pits or tables, but we usually find one near a fire pit or table with no problems. Be sure to check the sites before you unhook...some have full hookups, some have sketchy looking electric, but we just check everything before unhooking and use a surge protector.  We always look for full hookup sites and have never had a problem finding one way away from other campers. 10/10 one of our favorite campsites and a seriously underrated spot. We always say it feels like going back to a summer camp in the 70s-80s (in the best kind of way!!)

This is kind of a homey/tourist sort of campground and park. There's kayak rentals available as well as boats. Campsites are available as well as small cabins. You can also rent bikes and other things. If you're looking for a "resort" style camping experience this may be for you.

I 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.

LOVE THIS PARK! A fabulous place to just get away from the city and noise. Relax and unplug. Perfect place to go camping, RVing, swimming and hiking, biking etc.

We have been to Tyler State Park many years. The spring time with the wildflowers and blooming dogwoods is wonderful. The lake is wonderful there are kayak, canoe and paddleboat rentals. Campsites are shaded by towering pines.

We at The Trails strive to be more than just a place to park your RV for the night. We are a community full of many great people who enjoy nature and appreciate the simple things in life. Conveniently located north of Tyler, TX and accessed easily off Interstate 20, we're close enough to Tyler, Lindale, and Longview to fulfill your city needs, while also providing the perfect country getaway.

Please visit our website and absolutely give us a call if you have any questions. Our manager lives on-site 24/7 and  we'd be happy to get your reservation started today!

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!

Absolutely stunning Texas state park located along the Texas Forest Trail that showcases the rolling hills of pine trees that dubbed this region the name “Pineywoods” of East Texas. Clean lake with available kayaking and canoeing, and even paddle boats. RV hookups or tent campgrounds.

Hard to beat for $13/night (annual pass rate), hiking trails are decent, bathrooms are some of the cleanest in Texas and the staff were some of the best!

Very clean and well kept park. Camp sites are across the lake from a Texas Utilities generating plant and it is loud. You do get used to it but if that sort of thing bothers you I wouldn’t recommend this park.