Junction sits at the crossroads of the Edwards Plateau and Texas Hill Country regions, where the North and South Llano Rivers converge. At an elevation of around 1,700 feet, the area experiences hot summers with temperatures often exceeding 90°F and mild winters. Several glamping sites around Junction provide dark sky viewing opportunities, with minimal light pollution allowing exceptional stargazing during clear nights.
What to Do
River floating: South Llano River State Park offers a convenient tubing option where visitors can "rent a tube at the headquarters and float the river. Get out and hike back to the start. Never gets old on a hot day to sit in the spring fed waters. You can kayak to town. Coordinate your own shuttle," according to Emily M.
Bird watching: Lost Maples State Natural Area draws birding enthusiasts year-round. Jim P. notes, "This park, of course has river access to the South Llano River, which is great for short tubing trips as well as what appears to be your favorite for kayaking. But it also has three well stocked bird blinds the attract a wide ranging number of beautiful birds."
Kayaking: Dos Rios RV Park provides equipment for water recreation directly on-site. One visitor shared, "Have stayed at the group site and site #1. The group site is nice and close to the bathrooms/showers with plenty of space, but is a little hike down to the water. Site #1 is more secluded and overlooks the water. More of a hike to the bathrooms, but worth it if youre nimble. You can rent kayaks and explore the calm waters or tie up a tube and float."
Wildlife viewing: Junction's proximity to undeveloped land creates opportunities for viewing native Texas wildlife. At South Llano River State Park, Shari G. reported seeing "dozens of feral pigs wandering the backcountry along with both Axis and White-Tail deer, and plenty of Armadillos."
What Campers Like
Dark skies for stargazing: The Junction area provides exceptional stargazing opportunities at various glamping sites. A visitor at South Llano River State Park noted, "A lovely campground bridging west Texas with the Hill Country. There are primitive, walking, and RV sites with full hookup. Nice trails, tubing on the river, spacious sites, cactus, sprawling Texas trees, bunnies, deer, armadillo, turkeys, birds. And a real attraction is that it is a dark sky area."
Proximity to water: At Tree Cabins RV Resort, visitors appreciate the immediate river access. One camper commented, "This place is spotless with nice facilities and staff. But the best part is that we are camped within feet of the South Llanos River, which is beautiful. The town is walking distance over the bridge. We would definitely stay here again."
Wildlife encounters: Many glamping locations in Junction feature regular wildlife visits. Stephen M. at South Llano River State Park shared, "We really enjoyed this campground. This campground is green, has trees, and sites are spread out, Lots of wild life, we saw deer, birds, bugs, armadillo's and javelinas. The crickets we're very loud at night."
Clean facilities: Visitors frequently mention the quality of amenities at Junction glamping sites. At North Llano River RV Park, a camper noted, "Easy in and out sites. Many are pullthru. Full hookups, bath house is great. Wonderful views of North Llano River. Very clean and quiet."
What You Should Know
Limited cell service: The Junction area has spotty cellular coverage at many glamping locations. A visitor to Lost Maples State Natural Area warned, "The only drawback, is that its in a complete deadzone for cellular. I had absolutely zero service on my cellphone, antenna Tv, or wifi/4g. (Altho, thats not always a bad thing) Be prepared for emergencies if you hike the trails tho."
Seasonal water levels: River conditions vary dramatically by season and rainfall. At HTR TX Hill Country, a camper advised, "It is August in Texas, very hot, we have to have shade and water to camp. This has it all. Our site had lovely cottonwood trees and right on the small branch of the river. Walk across small rapids and crystal clear water to another side of the park with access to the main river for canoeing, kayaking, you name it."
Site drainage: Some glamping sites in Junction have terrain issues after rain. One visitor at North Llano River RV Park mentioned, "The park was clean. However the grass around the electrical outlet and water was very tall and snaky looking at 9:30pm at night."
Quiet hours enforcement: Campground rules at some locations can be strictly enforced. At South Llano River State Park, one camper shared, "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."
Tips for Camping with Families
Activity variety: Fort Mason City Park offers family-friendly amenities within a compact area. One camper noted, "The park itself is surrounded by baseball fields, golf course, football stadium, rodeo grounds. All convenient in one location. Grass is always green, check it out, right on the edge of town."
Swimming spots for kids: Several glamping venues around Junction provide kid-friendly water access. At Dos Rios RV Park, a family mentioned, "We stayed here with our family during the late spring and loved it! Our children had a blast swimming in the river. It's shallow enough for littles on some parts and deep enough on the side next to the wall to jump off into the river."
Wildlife viewing opportunities: Children often enjoy the animal encounters at Junction glamping sites. Chelsea R. at Fort Mason City Park shared, "Beautiful little park with both back in & pull through spots, full hookups, and deer everywhere!"
Nearby attractions: Family glamping trips near Junction can include side trips to complementary destinations. Lisa M. mentioned, "Went into Junction to play golf at the little golf course, which wasn't very good shape and had a great lunch at Lum's barbecue. Also did laundry at Busters which was pretty inexpensive. Two dollars to wash and $.25 for 10 minutes on the dryers."
Tips from RVers
Hookup quality: RVers at Cowboys and Angels RV Park and Cabins appreciate the utility connections but note some challenges. One RVer mentioned, "Gated campground, lots of wildlife, awesome. Site was very small and very unlevel to the point no way to use levelers. Very close to other RVs. Nice owner, very pleased with that."
Access considerations: Many glamping sites around Junction accommodate larger rigs but have varying terrain. At Tree Cabins RV Resort, one RVer noted, "The grounds are spacious and tidy. Very close off I-10 but far enough that road noise is no issue. Easily navigable for our medium-sized trailer. Nice for a night or two stay in Junction but not a whole lot to keep you there for long."
Seasonal occupation: Some glamping venues in Junction have different usage patterns throughout the year. Shari G. observed at Tree Cabins RV Resort, "With just a few overnighters circling through the park, and a handful of seasonal residents this place served us well. Water, electricity, sewer, and strong-wifi were what we needed the weekend that we stayed as we needed to get some work done."
