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On the north side of San Antonio lies a 12,000-acre wilderness that protects the city’s drinking water. You’ll find your own “Recharge Zone” in this vast urban refuge.
Government Canyon State Natural Area offers more than 40 miles of trails. You can also camp, attend a program or guided hike, geocache, picnic, take nature photos and look for birds and other wildlife. Your kids will connect with “natural fun” at our playscape and Discovery Trail.
$18 / night
About the Park
The towering pecan trees, flowing river, and welcoming pavilion at this 98-acre nature park, owned by the San Antonio River Authority, create an ideal destination for outdoor recreation enthusiasts, nature-lovers, and athletes alike. Whether you bring your family to the park for a reunion under the 5,000 square foot pavilion, tackle the trails on your mountain bike, camp with a club or organization, or meet up with friends for a day of soccer and basketball, you’ll find John William Helton Nature Park to be a true natural treasure. The River Authority Parks Staff proudly maintain the miles of trails, campgrounds, and other amenities.
Helton Park Campground Rules - campsites only available from Friday-Sunday
• Camp only in your designated site. Check in: 3pm; Checkout 11am
• 8 people per site maximum. Only up to 2 vehicles per site.
• 10 mph SPEED LIMIT throughout the Park
• Quiet hours from 10pm to 6am. During daylight hours, please be respectful of other campers by keeping noise/music at a low level
• Please take all your personal belongings back with you and pack out your trash. There is a dumpster available for your camp trash. Please help keep this beautiful park clean!
• Do not carve, chop, cut, nail, or otherwise damage trees or vegetation.
• Campfires are allowed in provided fire rings. If a county burn ban in in effect, fires will be prohibited. Unattended campfires are prohibited. Completely extinguish fire using only water before leaving. Please do not use dirt.
• Please no trash in fire rings including glass, cans, bottles or aluminum foil.
• Pets must be kept on a leash not longer than 6- feet at all times. Please clean up after your pet. Please keep your pets quiet and do not leave pets unattended. Please do not leave your pet’s food out- it could attract wild animals.
• Please keep all food, drinks, and trash in an enclose container or in your vehicle. • Vehicles must remain on roads or parking areas. Please do not block the road.
• Discharging a weapon is prohibited including paintballs, bow & arrow, BB guns and air guns.
• Fireworks and explosives are prohibited.
• The campground is in a low-lying area which may be subject to flooding. Please be mindful of flood risks when at the Park. Should you hear the warning siren go off, please evacuate the campground and meet at the pavilion.
• River Authority does not provide emergency service personnel. In the event of an emergency, call 911 immediately. Camping has many hazards and that there are risks that cannot be eliminated, particularly in a wilderness environment. All guests/visitors assume all risks and danger incidental to the activity of camping in a rustic outdoor environment including but not limited to the danger of being injured or killed by insects or other animals, of being injured while participating in recreational activities at the campground and/or being injured as a result of inclement weather conditions, and agrees that the campground and the River Authority and its Board members, agents and employees are not liable for injuries or property damage resulting from such risks and danger. Further River Authority is not responsible for any theft, loss or damage incurred during my stay.
Entrance into the Park constitutes permission for the River Authority to photograph the visitors while on the premises and to use any resulting pictures or video for any lawful purpose without compensation to the visitor.
I understand that I may be asked to leave the Park, without refund, for failure to follow said rules, policies, and applicable law.
Hiking and Biking
With over three miles of trails, Helton Nature Park is a great place to exercise without having to worry about vehicle traffic. The trails are natural surfaces, so proper footwear is suggested. Bicycles with wide tires, like BMX and mountain bikes, are recommended. Road bikes are discouraged due to rough, natural terrain.
Paddling
Historically, Helton Nature Park was the final takeout point on the SASPAMCO paddling trail. Recently, the paddling trail has been extended and now continues south to Floresville River Park with take-out points at County Road 117 (nine miles downstream of Helton Nature Park) and US 97 (eight miles downstream of County Road 117 and 17 miles from Helton Nature Park). This extension makes Helton Nature Park a perfect picnic lunch destination in the middle of a paddling journey or a nice starting point on a paddling journey to Floresville. SASPAMCO Paddling Trail.
Parties and Events
Some of the newest amenities added to the park are up and away from the river, including a basketball court, playground, restroom, and a 5,000 square foot pavilion. The basketball court and pavilion are available for reservations up to one year in advance.
Discovery Information
Intriguing geologic features, tall shady trees, and peacefully flowing waters make the SASPAMCO Paddling Trail a paddling adventure that is unmatched in the San Antonio area. This trail has a wild feel as it courses a little over 29 miles through parts of Bexar and Wilson Counties, yet it is connected to rural parks to access amenities such as picnic tables, restrooms, and parking. The flow rate can vary, so it is a good idea to check out flow conditions before heading out to the paddling trail. If you time your excursion just right, you might happen upon a community event at John William Helton Nature Park when you conclude your paddling trip.
$10 / night
The newest Son’s vacation rental property near San Anto, is a little slice of heaven on the gorgeous, spring-fed Rio Cibolo!
WE RENT RIVERFRONT CABINS, GLAMPING CABINS, CABANAS & MORE
Scout
It was a very calming experience. If you looking for a park to relax and enjoy a day I would recommend.
Scout
I recently had the pleasure of staying at Castroville Regional Park, and it was an amazing experience! The park is beautiful and well-maintained, offering a peaceful and scenic environment. The campsites are spacious, and I loved how they’re equipped with picnic tables, fire pits, and plenty of space for tents or RVs. The staff were friendly and helpful, ensuring we had everything we needed for a comfortable stay. The nearby Medina River was perfect for a relaxing afternoon, and there are plenty of hiking and biking trails to explore. I also appreciated the clean restrooms and showers, which made the experience much more convenient. Overall, Castroville Regional Park is a great choice for a family-friendly getaway or a peaceful retreat into nature. I’ll definitely be coming back!
Traveler
The sites are large with plenty of room for kiddos to run around. Sites typically have plenty of room to park a boat as well. Each electric site has a picnic table with covering and a fire pit grill. Some sites offer large trees for shade, but overall shade is sparse.
Traveler
Great resort, I love the ambiance. Cookie Clicker 2
Scout
The stream is beautiful. But are there any crocodiles here? Fnaf 1
ScoutChoose a relaxing place and play geometry dash meltdown will be a great choice!
ScoutThey have showers and wash machines.. Volkswagen bugs at the entrance (the beatles)
Scout
When participating in traffic, you need complete attention and absolute concentration to ensure safety. Let us suggest this to you mapquest driving directions
Scout
Great place to camp if you live in Ausitn or San Antonio. We camped at site 14 and it’s nice and shady and away from others. Alcohol is not allowed but no one checks your camp so don’t be rude and you can drink.
ScoutA nice place with many facilities. Good Wi-Fi, ro-exec download and mobile service(Verizon). The office women are very pleasant!
ScoutThe area featured trees on the opposite side and was a larger Bloxstrap premium location. It was really easy to pull in, park, and set up. The toilets were handy, and the neighborhood is rather calm.
TravelerI recently stayed at Blazing Star Luxury RV Resort and was thoroughly impressed. The resort itself is beautifully maintained, with Buckshot Roulette spacious, well-maintained RV sites and stunning Texas Hill Country views.
ScoutThis is an interesting park. My daughter loves to visit this place
Traveler
Well maintained, clean showers
Guide
We stayed 5 nights visiting San Antonio. This is a beautiful park outside of the city on the river. 30 minutes to downtown. The owners are awesome people and there is a real pride of ownership shown in the upkeep around the park.
Pool, hot tub, fitness center, laundry, dog park, golf cart rentals, clubhouse, and much more!
ScoutThe new owners are great as well as the park improvements!
TravelerPark is nice with large spots. Office is hard to find with limited signs showing where to go, where to park. Office is below swimming pool on lake. Park has RR near so trains are noisy but I didn’t hear them at night. Dog, child friendly. Post is a little confusing to navigate but it’s $30/n and safe!
Guide
Well we spent 3 nights here and it wasn't what we had hoped. If you have a large or tall rig RV don't even bother. The trees are the main issue. We have an airstream and even it was starting to scrape getting to and from a site.
I couldn't tell you what the money for the campsite was going towards. It wasn't maintenance for the park that's for sure. The roads are especially rough. The trees need trimming. The posts were falling over.
The pads themselves were nice and there were trash cans everywhere which was also nice. It's a place that could be really lovely if some time, energy, and money were going into it.
ScoutNice place with tons of amenities. Good Wi-Fi and cell service (Verizon). The office ladies are really nice! The only thing that took caught us off guard were the military planes flying overhead, but it only lasted for an hour but it was loud.
The spot had trees one side and was a larger premium site. Was very easy to pull in and get parked and set up. The bathrooms were close and the community is pretty quiet.
ScoutWe have enjoyed our stay. Very hospitable.
ScoutMark is a very kind host extremely thoughtful and helpful. If your looking for a peaceful environment western trails is the place to be. A short trip in any direction to Seguin, New Braunfels, or San Antonio.
ScoutNo working showers and the bathrooms were discussing, no picnic tables, the only fire rings were at the shelters and were full of old trash. The park was not maintained
GuideNo clue why there are so many negative reviews on here I thought it was great! The owner and the two "hippy" guys were really nice and funny. It's a great price for the area and it looks very well kept. We came here reluctantly after reading the reviews on here and Google and its an excellent example of not believing everything on the internet. It doesn't have a store but the office is really clean and nice, the camp ground is pretty well kept and clean, nice laundry area. No complaints at all from. Me and my husband!
TravelerQuiet and away from the noisy RVs this spot was peaceful and offered great access to the river. A street light made it a little too bright at night for sleeping in a tent. Bathrooms were okay.
ScoutI usually don’t post reviews like this but I needed to for this place! The website is outdated and is false advertising, they don’t over everything listed on the site. we stayed here before it changed ownership. The cabins are not what they used to be, the website is not accurate. Over price cabins and now they look like they are from 1990 theme, so outdated looks like they got the furniture right out of the dumpsters. The new California owners don’t care about the park everything is broken, worn out, workers walks around smoking marijuana and walks up to you and the smell from the bearded guy is disgusting who lives in a shack there on site. They turned this once beautiful park into a dump hippie ground.
GuideThe bird sanctuary was extremely busy even though it was overcast and cold. Great sightings of cardinals, green jays, hawks, and sparrows. Duck season was in full swing from dawn to dusk in the neighboring areas. Water level is extremely low, trails are nice, wide and clean. Restrooms and showers were in great working order, clean, and fully stocked of TP.
ScoutOur hosts were beyond kind, greeted us with brochures of the local attractions, maps to the Missions, and great restaurant suggestions. We were lucky enough to visit the Tipi erected on the property, and enjoy a campfire with the other guests. This is a great spot to use as a base to visit San Antonio, it’s convenient to the missions and not far from downtown. I’d love to stay again. Hook ups are clean and in good condition, everything is spotless. Be sure to follow the instructions on entering, it’s unmarked for privacy.
Tent camping near Jourdanton, Texas offers a blend of natural beauty and outdoor adventure, making it an ideal getaway for nature enthusiasts.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Jourdanton, TX?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Jourdanton, TX is Government Canyon State Natural Area with a 4.4-star rating from 15 reviews.
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