Best Glamping near Junction, TX

So the campsites are are pretty cool, the bathrooms are good and the river is fun to float! But the Park Rangers there are grumpy and not friendly at all! Even the ladies at the check in are grumpy and very rude. When a group of friends and I went there for the weekend over the summer last year, the Rangers were driving around at 10pm telling people to go to sleep. No one was making loud noises just sitting around the lantern talking. Even our neighbors were talking quietly and he told them it was past "curfew" (10:05pm) and time for bed. He then came over to our campsite to force us to hit the hay as well. Joy Kill!!!

Now that was one Ranger, IDK what the other Rangers there are like, but that rube experience was enough to make none of us want to go back. I have never been told there is a curfew for bed time at a park!? I do understand there is a quite time, and we were biding by it (only one lantern that we had turned down and quietly talking as to not disturb any of our neighbors)

That was the one bad experience we had there. Every thing else was nice and fine. The water was refreshing and the hiking trails were well maintained. I hope no one else has a run in with that Ranger and will have an enjoyable time there.

Everyone loves Lost Maples State Natural Area, whether you are a RV camper, car camper, backcountry camper or just visiting for the day and day hiking. There's a little something for everyone. 

Perhaps the best time of the year to visit Lost Maples is in the Autumn when the fall foliage is occurring - it is often during the first three weeks of November. However, during fall foliage it can be very difficult to reserve a campsite, so I recommend booking a campsite 6 months in advance. Or do what I did and show up on a really cold weekday when no one else is interested in being outside in 25 degree weather and there will be plenty of space to car camp or backcountry camp.

If you camp at the established drive-up campground there are assigned campsites with space for cars, vans and RVs. At each campsite there is a sunshade shelter, picnic table, lantern pole, water, electricity and campfire pit with a grill. There is also a restroom nearby with sinks, toilets, showers and a water fountain. There is even a little free library where you can take a book to read or leave a book to share. 

If you camp in the backcountry there are designated and marked zones where you just set up your tent. There are no facilities in the backcountry campsites so leave no trace practices should be applied. Near some of the backcountry campsites there are latrines.

The park has well maintained hiking trails that will lead you by pastures, through forest, alongside creeks and up some hills. It is possible to hike the 8 to 10 miles of trails in one day, but it is more fun to go slow and enjoy the sights. There is an East Trail Loop and a West Trail Loop and some spur trails. Pick up a map at the Ranger Station and enjoy the trails. Some of the trails have steep rock ascents which are indicated on the park map.

If you need supplies there is a small store with basics in the nearby town of Vanderpool.

While you are in the area, you may as well stop by Bandera, Texas known as the cowboy capital of the world. It is a small Texas town and every weekend they celebrate cowboy culture with some performances and events.

We arrived after hours and without reservations on a Thursday evening in early October. We were able to secure a spot through the bartender at Wild Ass Hey Barn, which is on site and the location of the bathroom/showers. We were the only tent campers and were told to just set up on the grass by the river. Locals staying in RVs in the main area helped us find our way. It was a fantastic setting right next to the river. The regular tent sites are lined up along the river and had water. They were pretty close to each other, but right on the water in a tent only area. RV sites are farther inland and separate from the tent sites. Bathroom was basic, but clean.

This might have been our favorite state park in the Hill Country of Texas, offering the perfect combination of good campsites, great hiking and biking trails, and opportunities to enjoy wildlife. It did not have good Verizon phone service, which is not necessarily a bad thing. 

The campground uses its space very efficiently while still giving each campsite some modicum of privacy. In addition, there were walk-in sites for more primitive seekers and a few backpacking sites off the trail system. The shelter over each picnic table is a nice touch, unexpected for a campground only costing $20/ night. The bathrooms were clean, and both the water pressure and temperature were excellent. The camp hosts do an excellent job keeping a very nice campground. The water and dump station are easily accessed on the way into or out of the campground.

Hiking opportunities begin right from the campground, and offer a wide range of effort and ability levels. Most of the trails are two-tracks so the uphill portions can be short and steep. The wildlife in this park range from wild turkeys to a host of seasonal migrant bird species. The park maintains several of the most luxurious bird blinds with stocked feeders so that you can enjoy many different species all in one place. We added a few new birds to our list. During the winter months, a large section of the park is closed after 3pm to accommodate the turkey roosting habits. We also saw dozens of feral pigs wandering the backcountry along with both Axis and White-Tail deer, and plenty of Armadillos. Fishing along the banks of the Llano River is also a popular activity, as is tubing during the warmer months.

The nearby town of Junction has a medium sized grocery store, lots of gas stations and a few restaurants, most of which are bundled by the interstate 10 exit. It’s a pretty part of the Texas Hill Country with a very laid-back vibe.