Best Tent Camping near Kennard, TX

Tent campsites near Kennard, Texas include several primitive camping options in wildlife management areas and state parks. Slay Creek offers drive-in and walk-in tent camping in a hunter-oriented setting, while Alazan Bayou Wildlife Management Area provides tent sites with picnic tables on concrete slabs. Additional options include Alabama Creek Wildlife Management Area and Walnut Creek Backcountry Site for those seeking more remote experiences.

Most tent camping areas near Kennard require self-sufficiency as amenities are minimal. Slay Creek features basic facilities with seasonal port-a-potties but no water sources or electrical hookups. Alazan Bayou provides concrete pads with picnic tables, fire rings, and lantern poles, though campers must bring their own water. A Texas Parks Limited Use Permit is required for camping in wildlife management areas, costing approximately $12 annually for basic access, with additional fees for fishing or hunting privileges. Sites are typically accessible by vehicle, though some areas like Walnut Creek require hiking in.

The primitive tent camping experience near Kennard offers quiet, natural surroundings ideal for wildlife observation and hunting. Sites are generally well-maintained with regularly mowed grounds at locations like Alazan Bayou. The area provides a genuine outdoor experience without crowds or noise pollution. Campers should prepare for basic conditions—one visitor described Slay Creek as having "an initial appearance of being basically a parking lot, but is actually pretty cool if you venture off into the woods a bit more." Fort Boggy State Park, though farther from Kennard, offers tent camping with more amenities for those seeking additional facilities. The hunting-oriented campsites are particularly active during hunting seasons, when visitors might encounter others processing game.

Best Tent Sites Near Kennard, Texas (6)

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Recent Tent Camping Photos near Kennard, TX

6 Photos of 6 Kennard Campgrounds


Tent Camping Reviews near Kennard, TX

183 Reviews of 6 Kennard Campgrounds


  • Napunani
    Jun. 7, 2021

    Lake Livingston State Park Campground

    One of Our Favorites

    We arrived 151 days after making our on-line reservations for the very busy Memorial Day weekend in Piney Shore Loop campground. This was our fourth camping adventure at Lake Livingston State Park in the Piney Shore Loop. 

    Pros EXTREMELY quiet during the Memorial Day weekend. Even tho not backed up to 

    lake, nice view of lake from Site#55. Double concrete pad as it is an accessible campsite. Very level concrete pad; no need to do any type of leveling. Nice early morning shade onto Site#55 Very good privacy from neighbor Site#54 and Site behind#48 Park ranger drive-thru about every four hours Restroom/showers good working condition, clean, ample hand soap and toilet paper. Recently paved park roads very nice upgrade Mosquitoes were drawn to those who strung lots of lights throughout their site, so many did not use those lights which resulted in good dark conditions for night sky viewing. 1-2 bars AT&T cell service. Lowes, Walmart and small HEB close by n the town of Livingston Cons. Campers requiring mobility assistance may find this campsite very challenging, even tho it does have a double wide concrete pad. Site#55 labeled as accessible but is very accessible unfriendly as it is not close to campground toilet shower facilities, fire ring is up a gravel hill on driver side of camper. Piney Shore Loop sewer hook up required 20 feet of stinky slinky. No privacy from Site#56. No privacy from the campground road. Picnic table in mud hole nearly the size of the table and very unleveled with one end higher than the other end. Unable to move picnic table as it is chained to concrete pylon. Picnic table not wheelchair accessible. No afternoon-to-evening shade what-so-ever. Site#56 campers permitted their dog to run without a leash. No park WIFI

  • Adam H.
    Jan. 10, 2019

    Neches Bluff Overlook Campground

    quiet and very primitive

    There's not much to this campground, although it is very beautiful with enormous loblolly pines. This is a primitive campsite. There's no water, no electricity, not bathrooms, etc. Just an area you can use to set up tents or hammocks. We met a nice older fella who said he comes there every day and builds a fire at dusk, stays for a little bit, then leaves.

    We bikes from the Ratcliff Recreational Area and we had to cache water.

  • David T.
    Feb. 9, 2020

    Alazan Bayou

    Good camping area

    At least 14 sites with picnic tables on concrete slabs. Fire rings and Lantern poles. Very well kept and mowed. There is a loafing barn for horses. No bathrooms or water. Would be a 5 with just water. You need a Texas parks Limited use permit. It costs as little as $12 a year. If you want to fish or hunt the price goes up a little. Can be used to stay at any National Forest or Wild Management area.

  • Heather S.The Dyrt PRO User
    Apr. 27, 2025

    Ratcliff Lake Recreation Area

    Convenient. Clean enough. But underwhelmed.

    We came to tent camp and wanted to be on a lake shoreline. We stayed at #11 on Lakeside Loop.

    The positive:

    • The tent pad was nice and level and the site was very roomy (we had a tent & canopy) with tons more room to stretch out.

    • We were about 200 yards from the bathroom facilities and about 30 feet from potable water for washing up.

    • The traffic was minimal because it’s off the main road, and would have been peaceful if the group of campers at #9 had been courteous and acknowledged quiet hours.

    • We had incredible weather with a wonderful steady breeze.

    Negatives:

    • We did have a lake view, but the shoreline is so incredibly overgrown making it difficult to fish. Lots of rotted wood and brush blocks a great deal of the view and access.

    • The burn circle had a grate welded at an angle to the top, so it couldn’t really be used for building up a big fire or cooking.

    • No one drove around/checked to make sure visitors are keeping to the quiet hours, which meant we were kept awake until about 12:30 am from yelling and loud music.

    • The restrooms, while near, had not been cleaned before we arrived—toilet paper on the floors and in the shower area with lots of dead june bugs and spiders on the floor the whole weekend.

  • Napunani
    Oct. 9, 2022

    Wolf Creek Park

    Lake Livingston Gem

    This Park is on the edge of being a 5 STAR park... 

    PROS 

    Senior Discount 

    Check-in at the gate without leaving vehicle NO street lights in A3 campground, so good dark sky viewing(when neighbors don’t have a dozen campsite lights illuminating 3-4 campsites) 

    Very very quiet Sunday thru Wednesday 

    Site 62 backs up to Lake Livingston so excellent view of lake and easy accessibility from lakefront campsites 

    Site 62 12 ft wide concrete parking pad level 

    Moveable wooden and metal picnic table on concrete pad 

    Metal fire ring(no cooking grate) 

    Pedestal BBQ grill Campsite utility hook-ups in good condition with no problems encountered 

    Trash pickup at each campsite 3 times daily 

    Pristine grounds 

    Very clean toilet/shower facility; it took 3 men 2 hours in a Monday to clean one facility, but no cleaning Tuesday or Wednesday or Thursday(didn’t even pick up the trash)! 

    Constable manning gate after normal gate hours 

    Roped off lake swimming area 

    Small playground near swimming area 

    CONS 

    Paid$3.50 reservation fee for completing 100% on-line reservation 

    On Day#2 of our stay, a neighbor camper came to us to inform us that the park manager just stopped by his site(we were at our site and saw him) to let him know there was a burn ban established for the next 7 days and that he need to spread the word to other campers. Two days later we saw a small burn ban sign posted at the toilet/shower facility. Communicating this crucial information needs improved. Perhaps posting signs throughout the park, especially at the entrance. 

    Trip hazard on the picnic table concrete where someone cut the chains that held the table in place 

    Numerous dogs roaming…no leash and no human 

    Absolutely no privacy from any other campsite as there is no vegetation between campsites 

    No evening trash pickup so have to store trash created by evening cooking 

    Gate was not closed overnight 

    Camp store and water craft rental closed Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday 

    No wildlife sightings 

    No park WIFI 

    No camp hosts 

    3 bars TMOBILE in A3 campground with no problems live-streaming with TMOBILE hotspot device

  • Missy S.
    Apr. 26, 2019

    Ratcliff Lake Recreation Area

    Quier, beautiful space to relax.

    The campground is located in the Davy Crockett National Forest, with spots located around the edges of a small lake. Although we could occasionally hear noise from the highway, it was mostly peaceful and quiet. The campgrounds are spacious, with tent platforms, poles to hang trash, and large picnic tables. The bathrooms were amazingly clean and with camp hosts and park rangers on site, we always had help with anything we needed. We hiked and kayaked (with our own boats) and it was all just lovely. I would go back for sure!

  • L
    May. 1, 2021

    Lake Livingston State Park Campground

    Spacious, wooded site

    We camped for 3 nights in March in our travel trailer. The site was large and had a nice concrete pad. We were at site 117 in Pin Oak Loop. Our site was very large and lots of trees but did have some low spots that held water. The bathrooms were decent. The trails were clean and accessed easy from our campsite. The kids loved riding bikes on trails as well as around our loop. Didn’t have much luck fishing due to winds. Small park but very clean with lots of nature.

  • Chantyl
    Mar. 14, 2024

    Rusk Depot Campground

    Family trip

    First & foremost, This park is not well-maintained, and the camping sites are right off of the highway. The splash pad does not work, and the bath house was terribly dirty and freaked of sewage. The group sites are basically a big parking lot- zero grass space between site numbers, although there is shared grass areas along the rows. We moved site numbers within the group sites so that our kids would not be playing right beside the highway (there is a gate, however it’s still concerning), and to slightly distance ourselves from the traffic noise. Beware there is also a large wedding venue directly across the highway & our kids were woken to the sounds of fireworks at night on the weekend. There were large fire ant mounds all along the concrete, and we had to purchase fire ant killer ourselves, as well as deal with some broken glass & the trash can for our site that wasn’t emptied before our stay. I spoke with the staff member working in the office and all she could say was “i will let management know.”

    As far as the good: we had 6 kids and 4 adults staying, so despite the concerns and annoyances, we still were able to relax enough and enjoy our break from the daily grind. The kids played outside all day- making walking sticks, fishing a lot, catching bugs (spotted some really neat moths, too), and making up games.

    The best: the nearly-daily trains coming right through the campground for various reasons (loading new cars or taking passengers on a local trip). My son is an avid train-lover and this was the main reason we booked our stay here.

  • Napunani
    Oct. 17, 2020

    Lake Livingston State Park Campground

    FHU Lakefront Sites

    We love this state park and it's one of our favorites! This was our third time camping here in the Piney Shores Loop. We arrived on Memorial Day for four nights with reservations made 54 days prior. We weren’t loving Piney Shores#52 back-in campsite much due to: Steep drop-off of the concert pad and the narrow roadway making backing in challenging, but not impossible for our 27ft trailer.  Any larger rigs might not be able to swing it.

    The dirt area around the picnic table, fire pit and lantern pole was a huge MUD hole! What a mess due to daily rains. 

    No concrete pad under the picnic table, so your feet were in the MUD hole! HINT– Park Maintenance needs to apply some medium size gravel around the table and fire pit. 

    Picnic table (chained to the ground) and fire pit were right next to each other. WHO DESIGNS THESES CAMPSITES?? 

    Power interruptions, albeit short. Very glad we had our power surge protector. 

    We loved: 

    Very level concrete pad requiring no additional leveling efforts. 

    Huge campsite along the lakefront with access to launch kayak/canoe or even swim(which we didn’t). 

    Gorgeous sunsets over the lake. It was wonderful to sit at the fire facing the lake and watch the sunsets. 

    The squirrels that ate from our fingertips! It was also really amusing to find the squirrels VERY friendly. They just hoped up onto our laps and took peanuts in the shell from our fingertips! 

    Super quiet as only 6 full hook up campsites were occupied due to COVID operating restrictions.


Guide to Kennard

Primitive camping opportunities near Kennard, Texas concentrate in the eastern section of the Davy Crockett National Forest, with most sites situated between 200-400 feet elevation in pine-dominated woodlands. These tent camping locations typically receive moderate rainfall year-round, with summer temperatures regularly exceeding 90°F and winter lows occasionally dipping below freezing. Wildlife management areas dominate the camping landscape, with sites specifically designed for hunters during designated seasons.

What to do

Wildlife observation: At Alazan Bayou, campers can spot native East Texas species in a relatively undisturbed habitat. The area features concrete pads that serve as observation bases. One visitor noted, "Very well kept and mowed. There is a loafing barn for horses."

Seasonal hunting: Tent sites at Slay Creek cater specifically to hunters during designated seasons. A camper reported, "It's a Primitive camping area for Hunters during hunting season. There are no water or electrical hook-ups, but they do have two port-o-potties." Hunting permits must be acquired separately from camping permits.

Forest exploration: Numerous unmarked trails branch out from the main camping areas, particularly at wildlife management areas. One camper at Slay Creek mentioned, "I followed the road/trail in for a while. Probably a game management route, but there were a number of good spots off on the side where you can set up."

What campers like

Genuine wilderness: The absence of developed facilities at Alabama Creek Wildlife Management Area appeals to those seeking true primitive camping. The location requires complete self-sufficiency but rewards with minimal human interference.

Seasonal solitude: During non-hunting seasons, many sites remain nearly empty. One camper at Slay Creek reported, "We enjoyed the nice and quiet area," while another mentioned it as a "Nice quiet place to overnight."

Cost effectiveness: The limited-use permit system provides affordable access to multiple camping locations. A camper described, "You need a Texas parks Limited use permit. It costs as little as $12 a year. If you want to fish or hunt the price goes up a little."

What you should know

Permit requirements: Access to wildlife management areas requires a Texas Parks Limited Use Permit. These can be purchased online or at regional vendors for approximately $12 annually for basic access.

Primitive conditions: Most sites lack water sources and bathroom facilities. Campers must bring all necessary supplies, including drinking water. At Walnut Creek Backcountry Site, no facilities exist whatsoever, requiring total self-sufficiency.

Vehicle accessibility: Road conditions vary significantly by location and season. Some areas become difficult to access after heavy rains, with unimproved dirt roads leading to most sites.

Seasonal facilities: Temporary facilities appear during peak hunting seasons. One camper noted about Slay Creek, "We were here the last day of hunting season and watched a deer being processed."

Tips for camping with families

Cabin alternatives: For families seeking more comfort, Fort Boggy State Park offers cabin accommodations with modern amenities. A visitor commented, "Nice, beautiful and modern cabins. Love the enclosed porch and open porch as well. The cabin was spacious enough for our family of 6."

Best beginner sites: Alazan Bayou provides more structure for first-time primitive campers with concrete pads, picnic tables, and fire rings, making the transition to primitive camping easier for children.

Weather preparation: Summer temperatures regularly exceed 95°F with high humidity. Bring additional water supplies, sun protection, and cooling options when camping with children between June and September.

Wildlife awareness: Teach children appropriate behavior in areas with active wildlife. Snakes, including venomous species, inhabit the region and are most active during warmer months.

Tips from RVers

Limited suitability: Most primitive sites near Kennard cannot accommodate RVs due to access roads and lack of amenities. HFR Campsites & Retreats offers some of the few locations where small campers might access tent sites.

Nearby alternatives: For RV camping, Fort Boggy State Park (approximately 40 miles west of Kennard) provides electric hookups, water connections, and sewer hookups. One visitor noted, "I would give it 5 stars, but the park does not have RV sites. Cabins and primitive camping only."

Satellite facilities: No dump stations exist within the immediate Kennard area. RVers should plan to utilize facilities in Lufkin (25 miles east) or at developed campgrounds before arriving.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular tent campsite near Kennard, TX?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Kennard, TX is HFR Campsites & Retreats with a 0-star rating from 0 reviews.

What is the best site to find tent camping near Kennard, TX?

TheDyrt.com has all 6 tent camping locations near Kennard, TX, with real photos and reviews from campers.