Best Cabin Camping near Ladonia, TX

We “camp” here in the cabins almost every year for our annual family camping trip of almost 20 people. The cabins are always clean and tidy. They have spacious bathrooms, an open living/dining area, a small kitchen and bedroom. most also have a nice back porch with picnic table. Cooper Lake is also very close to downtown Sulpher Springs which offers a great day trip! We may have 20 people but we never feel overcrowded here at Cooper (in the campground or in the cabins all together!) We go every year and I hope you start to too!

Clean bathrooms, good playground and beach area. Cabins, RV, equestrian and tent sites.

Some shelters with water access, #1&3 with tree protection, #5, 7 out in open. Cabins are smallish. Sites easily flooded in rain and park seems often wet. Nice fishing lake. Short trails. Great hosts and knowledgeable rangers. Swimming area in day use area.

This campground was one of a few we could find locally that had spots available while state parks were closed. We typically prefer state parks because of their spacious/private sites. Lighthouse is mainly cabins (some are for rentals, some are full-time residents), but there are approximately 15-20 RV sites right on the water near the marina. The sites are nothing fancy - grass pads, concrete picnic tables, but are convenient if you plan to spend the day in the lake. You can easily walk to the water’s edge and get in the lake. There isn’t a beach - you pretty much get in rom the edge of the road that leads to the boat ramp.

The RV pads are not at an angle and, depending on the size of your rig, can be challenging to get into depending on its location and if you have a tree on your site.

We also have two dogs, one of which is a super friendly pitbull. Because of that, we sometimes run into problems finding campgrounds without breed restrictions. We had no issues here.

The marina store doesn’t have much in the way of a variety of supplies/gifts/trinkets, it did have necessities like food items, milk, some camping supplies, etc. I think the store could really up its game and offer more.

All in all, we had a nice long weekend.

I spent three hots days exploring the DR Creek Unit of Cooper Lake State Park. This is a great campground! Most of the sites are in deep shade and are very level concrete pads.

If you have a boat then you will love the fishing on theis lake.

The day use area is OK, the swim area has a huge steel wall to block the wind and waves because they get really strong.

The cabins and shelters are pretty basic but they do the job.

plenty of wildlife for viewing and several great trails to explore.

Every campground I visit has at least two different videos on my YouTube...

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The South Sulphur campground is about half an hour north of Interstate 30. It’s under a 2 hour drive from the DFW area so, I find it’s a nice weekend getaway. I camped here on a Sunday to Monday and it was very quiet. I was one of only 5 campers in the Deer Haven section (aside from the 3 camp hosts). I’m giving the park 5 stars but this is based on my experience of having camped here when there were few campers around. I image this place could be loud and busy on a weekend.

There are many shaded lakeside sites in the Deer Haven section. I stayed at site 68. The site was on a cul de sac so there was no campground to the one side. However, the site located on the other side was close. This would be a great spot for 2 camping families to share. The concrete pad at site 68 was level and shaded by a beautiful, mature oak tree. I could walk from the pad to the lake. It would be a great site to put out a kayak, but unfortunately the weather didn’t cooperate on my stay. So I didn’t get to kayak. I did see deer who ventured in from the wooded area next to the campsite.  Deer Haven lived up to its name!

Electric and water hookups were good as were the restroom/shower facilities, which seemed climate controlled because it felt cooler and less humid inside than outside. This usually isn’t the case in these buildings.

A big storm blew in around dinner time. The wind was fierce and blowing out of the north across the almost 20,000 acre lake! I actually called the ranger to find out if I needed to evacuate. The ranger was very responsive and reassuring. Luckily, there were no tornados warnings, so I weathered out the storm and woke to a beautiful crisp morning.

This park is huge and there is much to do. Cabins, shelters, primitive walk in sites, equine sites, a beach, several boat ramps, hiking trails, playgrounds and a fishing pier. I didn’t get to see a fraction of it, but I’ll be returning. 

I stopped in the town of Sulphur Springs on my way back to DFW. The town has a nice historic town square and makes for an interesting side stop.

For our first RV camping trip of 2018 we took a short drive north to Bonham State Park right outside of Bonham, Texas. This great little Texas State Park was constructed by the CCC back in the 30's. There are plenty of things for a family to do while camping at Bonham State Park! Hiking, fishing, boat rental and best of all Smors cooked over a roaring camp fire! At every Texas Stae Park you can check out fishing equipment from the front office and you do not have to have a fishing license! Bonham State Park takes the fishing to a whole new level by providing boats so you can get out to where the fish are hiding! Bonham State Park is a great place to take the family for a long weekend of camping fun as it is just a short 45 min drive north of the DFW metroplex!

Check out my YouTube video here...

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Good park to get away for the weekend with the grandchildren! Sites are shaded with full hookup’s! Caught a couple fish with the grandson! The dock could use some updating! Great hiking trails!

We go all the time for day trips for picnicking, boat rentals and also for camping. It's less than an hour from my home. The trails are great and the Rangers are friendly and share a lot of knowledge. Cool beach with caves. New food trailer with great food. Great fishing on beautiful Lake Texoma. Bathrooms are always clean. Fellow campers are very friendly. We love Eisenhower state park.

We really enjoyed the park it is pretty wide and spread out on lake cooper. We stayed in the Brightstar area of the park and had a great time. The bathrooms were very clean and in good working order. Was a great getaway not to far outside of Dallas TX. We will come back for sure. Has a beach area for swimming in warmer weather and a dock and boat ramp if you take your boat.

We loved the proximity to north Dallas. It makes for a nice getaway weekend. We enjoyed exploring the different areas of the park. We noticed most of the trailer/tent sites are almost in pairs. So two sites, have a common grassy area. Makes this park great for camping with friends or for making new friends, as we did! The store are the marina was a great break for ice cream on a hot day. Our friends have a boat on Lake Texoma and their home was only a 15 minute drive from the park.

If you’re looking for somewhere off the grid that is truly primitive, then this is not the place for you. If you don’t mind other people nearby, then you may enjoy your time here. Great docks for fishing. Beautiful water views, if you camp next to the water. Tent camping sites with electrical hookups are piled next to each other pretty close, so if you’re getting a tent electrical site you had better not mind getting friendly with your neighbors. Also, when it rains some of the tent electrical camp sites fill with water. However, if this happens the front office is more than willing to work with you and give you a refund or switch your site. There is a lot of wildlife roaming around - lots of deer! The primitive camp sites by the docks that overlook the water are beautiful. There is a concrete slab, picnic table, and fire pit at each primitive site. If you want to throw up a hammock, some of the primitive sites have trees that are the perfect distance apart for that - but be aware some of these trees are covered in poison ivy! The primitive sites are all close by to other types of campers, so it is never quiet and you can hear people at all hours of the day/night for the most part. Where we stayed by the water, we were next to an RV site. The other primitive camping sites also seem to be near RV sites and electrical tent sites, according to the map. If you camp near the water, it is very windy, especially at night, so make sure to bring plenty of blankets! Are you ever really on your own here: no. Are there beautiful views: yes. Is it truly primitive: no. Will you be taken care of: yes. All sites are open, with no big trees or shrubs to give privacy. You can see your neighbors and they can see you, even at the primitive sites. It would be a good place to bring a family or children for sure. I will say, the customer service at the main office is outstanding. They have anything you could think of for sale there, which is a huge plus. It is highly likely that you won’t need to drive into town for anything. Workers drive around with trash bags every day to ensure everyone is disposing of trash properly, and will give you free trash bags if you don’t have any, which is nice. All in all it depends on what you’re looking for, whether you choose to come to this camping location or not. We enjoy going here just to get away from the house and enjoy the beauty of the lake/nature for a bit. Although, I do wish there was more privacy. Everything is too close together, in my opinion.

This state park has really beautiful lake views. It can be a little tricky getting down to the lake as it is surrounded by rocky cliffs on the Texas side. Lots of fun trails.

This is a nice little state park with good camping. The bathrooms are clean as are most Texas state park. There are small hiking trails that are kid friendly. I think the longest was 3 miles.

One of my first and favorite state parks in Texas. Several nice hiking trails, fond memories of Daddy/Daughter camping trips, and a quick escape to a relaxing & restful place an hour north of Dallas!

We were driving through this part of Texas headed home to Oklahoma and saw the signs and needed to stop for lunch, so we decided to check this place out.This was a really beautiful park with a very nice campground that was really kept up. It had screened shelters, cottages with heat & air, shelters, nice playground, Amphitheatre, volleyball court, boat ramps, picnic areas, hiking & biking trails and a swimming area. The bathrooms and showers were nice and clean. The lake was beautiful and clear. I would absolutely recommend this place and I plan on going to stay there for a week in June.

We had a reservation for two camp sites for Oct 25th and 26th. It stormed heavily on Friday, October 25th. Arguably, it was even a safety hazard to go. As such, we did not go and was still charged the camp site fees. When I spoke with the Texas Parks and Recreations central reservations, they could not help and advised me to contact Eisenshower and informed me the park has discretion to refund the fees. When I called and spoke with"Rhonda," she informed me that she could not refund the money despite the rain and told me the park's policy prevents her from doing so. I question whether such a policy exist since central reservations specifically said the parks have discretion. This is the poor customer service. I didn't know state funded parks were under such pressure to squeeze money out of people and make margins since it is tax funded by individuals like me. Amazing how poor customer service governmental entities provide. Governmental workers will be just that...government workers. Sad.

Campground Review:

For Full VIDEO Review: CLICK HERE

I decided to visit Eisenhower State Park during the last part of November, just before Thanksgiving when the leaves were putting on their final showcase of the season and casting their amber and red tones everywhere. It was absolutely breathtaking to pull into the park and start to see this area unfold around me.

Eisenhower is named for our former president, Dwight D Eisenhower, who was born in nearby Denison, Texas. Opened in 1958 to tourists as a Texas State Park, the area is divided amongst lake activities and wildlife preservation. In more recent years they have added ATV trails to accompany the bike and walking trails, the swimming beach and the outdoor amphitheater and pavilion.

Day use here is only $5 or for those camping you can easily find a perfect fit for your needs between $12 and $25. I noticed depending on the loop of camp you are enjoying amenities do vary as to site sizes. All sites except primitive and a single specialty reservation lot were equipped pretty standardly with a metal picnic table and fire ring with grill. The biggest differences were in that some had electricity and water while others had neither. (You can book your campsite online by clicking HERE )

I really enjoyed the spacing of the campsites, though the area I was visiting for the day had neighbors the spacing managed to mask any noise that might come from their camp. The tree coverage in the area was amazing and shady, I can only imagine this to be a necessary feature during the hot Texas summers.

Since I was only able to enjoy the park for a day, after enjoying one of the campsites for a lunch, I took to the hiking trails and explored the many areas there are to check out. I was most excited about the swimming beach, it reminded me of the beaches I had seen in Nevada nestled along the Colorado River in groves of mountainous rocky mountains. It felt secluded and while the beach area itself was a mix of rocks and sand, it could be a great retreat on a warm day for some fun with the family. The steps down to the beach captured my attention, I later noticed the same steps repeated by the marina and also by the amphitheater. They were unlike poured concrete and made for a more organic feel to the landscape. Created by bags of concrete hardened then used as pavers the surface provided a perfect step that was both functional and aesthetically pleasing.

A few things to remember about Eisenhower:

In this area throughout camp and other parts of the property you might see bats, armadillos, beavers, coyotes, deer, opossums, rabbits, bobcats, raccoons, foxes, squirrels and roadrunners. In addition, during warm months you can see a variety of snakes hiding on rocky surfaces so always be aware of your surroundings and remember to keep your food items secured inside your vehicle.

• The Lake is a BIG draw. This is one of the more popular stops along the massive Lake Texoma. Because of this you can take advantage of fishing, utilize the boat ramp and boat houses or rent one of the many watercraft they have to offer. CLICK HERE for more information about the lake, requirements of fishing and boating, activities available and any current advisories.
• There is an interpretive guide online which will completely give you a better perspective of the park and some of what it has to offer. CLICK HERE

Rating:

Overall I would give the State Park a 4 of 5 stars. I feel as though the park is large enough to accommodate large groups, essential during the busy lake season including holidays such as the 4th of July, Memorial Day and Labor Day. With the spacing it provides, not only can it accommodate crowds but it can make for a still enjoyable experience when visiting on these busy seasons.

Activities vary for those seeking non-lake related things to do, this is of great interest to me as a traveler who does not often hit the lake on one of my adventures. I like that there is an option for someone like myself to be able to if I choose however it isn’t the sole focus of the site.