Best Dog-Friendly Camping near Langtry, TX

Two sunsets that went on and on, we hiked the Canyon Rim- Presa Overlook trails and back ( about 3 mi worth). We live in the PNW, so desert is not home territory for us. Much of the beauty is subtle, and Seminole Canyon really shines.

There is a small well done history museum in the Park Headquarters. Everything looks new and clean; restrooms, campsites are level, most have shelters. The trails are well marked and well mapped. It’s one of the best-designed and maintained camps I have been to.

They offer guided tours to the nearby Pictograph site; some of the pictographs apparently go back as far as 10,000 years. You purchase tickets for these tours and some moderately challenging hiking is required.

All in all, it’s a pretty fabulous place. But I sort of wish we didn’t bring our dog. It’s not a very pet-friendly environment because the desert is like that.

Seminole Canyon State Park is located in the southwest part of Texas. The Rio Grande River and the Pecos River run through the park and have shaped the history of the area. The park is in the dessert, so the late fall, winter and early spring are the best times to visit. The summer can be very hot. The campground has developed sites with water and electricity, basic sites with water, and primitive sights without amenities. Some of the campsites have shade shelters and if one is available I highly recommend that you take it. The sun and heat can be brutal. Bring a tarp which can be tied up to the shelter for additional shade. The distinguishing feature of this park is the rock art. The art has been left in the area by different people groups over different eras. The Fate Bell Tour is the basic tour which is led by park staff. It provides an excellent overview of the history and rock art in the park. There are other tours to offsite locations that are also worth a visit if you have time. The White Shaman, Curly Tail Panther, Painted Shelter and Bonfire Shelter tours are all great. If you need a respite from the heat visit the nearby town of Langtry and stop in at the Judge Roy Bean museum. The museum contains some displays and a film about the Law West of the Pecos. One of the best features of the museum is that it also has cool water and air conditioning to escape the heat. ;)

Just 5 miles outside of Del Rio, Texas lies the limestone lined Amistad Reservoir which gathers the waters of the Rio Grande river on its journey to the gulf. Amistad means friendship, and as a dam project, was co-sponsored by the US and Mexico.  This park is a confluence of three distinct ecosystems, which makes the flora extra special.

There are many developed campgrounds throughout the Recreation Area, the San Pedro campground has a few sites that offer more privacy away from the main campground, and dozens in the larger, more open area.  Each is set up with a grill, picnic table and shade shelter. A large group campsite is available for reservation, but not during COVID. There are no electrical hook-ups (bring your solar!), and no water available at this campground.  Pit toilets were clean and hopefully they'll fix the lock on the doors soon (in the meantime, just use a stick).  Whaddya want for 6 bucks a night?  The stay limit is 2 weeks, and the rangers do check.

San Pedro is further away from the water than some of the other camping areas, but it was quiet, comfortable and lovely. Since the Verizon signal was super strong we were able to get a ton of things accomplished while also squeezing in some hikes, bikes, paddles, and runs. There are a few trails around, but lots of quiet dirt roads to stay active.  The boat launch was a short 2 mile drive away. And of course the crystal blue lake offers everything from swimming, fishing, paddling, and powerboating.

Del Rio is one of the larger cities along the border between Loredo and El Paso, so there really isn't much you can't get in town just a short drive away. We even got some work done on our truck and were able to just bike back to the campground whiel it was in the shop.  Drinking water can be filled at the Diablo East Campground dump station, about 4 miles away for no charge, and of course the town is full of water filling kiosks like all southern desert towns.

Devils River SNA is one of my most favorite parks in the Texas Parks system. I've been here only twice but both times this park was amazing.

Things you should know before you go:

*Cell service with ATT is non-existent (Not reliable at all. I had one bar along the river in certain areas and the rest of the time no bars)

*All of the campsites are offgrid, no electric, no water, no shade. Just a picnic table. Bring a canopy or umbrella because it can get very hot in the summer. There are no trees near the campsites as this is a borderline desert ecosystem.

*The river is the main attraction. It is pristine, clear, see-through untouched river system. Alligator gar and other fish are visible from the river side. Water can be deep in some areas so swim with caution. The river also flows at elevated speed in some areas so be careful. Generally you are fine swimming in the summer though. The water is cold.

*The river is day-use only. You cant camp alongside it, which sucks but it's meant this way to protect the river. Some people are dumb and litter or pollute.. they ruin it for the rest of us.

*The park is about 1hr off a highway, back on gravel and dirt roads. A 4x4 vehicle is recommended but not necessary. First time I went I had a 2x4 ford explorer and it was fine.. however there are certain mud holes along the way to the park, so be aware of that. The roads to the park are rough, cant drive faster than 20mph, which is why it takes 1hr to get to there.

*Top off your gas tank before you go to the park... there is no gas station within 1.5hrs or so of the park itself. Bring extra gas with you if you can. Again, cell service is almost non-existent around the park area... traffic is light, so you will be in a pickle if you run out of gas.

*There are only a handful of campsites, so reserve ahead.

*There is no vehicle access to the river. You basically drive from the campsite to a parking lot and then hike to the river about 1.5miles up two steep inclines and then down a hill to the river. Carrying a cooler sucked. Along with fishing gear and chairs. We brought a wagon the 2nd time we went.

*There is no ADA access to the river. No vehicle access, period.

*Ground fires not permitted. There is no water.

*There is one set of bathrooms are the park office - they are far from the campsites, so you'll need to drive to it if you need to use it.

*No electricity in the park whatsoever. Bring a battery for your electronics.

*Watch the weather... the river swells when it pours or storms. You dont want to be around it when that happens. The campsites are safe though... there is a creek between the campsites and park exit.. so if it does storm bad, you could be trapped. Defintely monitor weather and leave the park if it gets questionable.

*Again, there is no electricity in the park. It is pitch black when night falls. Have plenty of flashlights, batteries. It is pitch black out there.

*Stargazing is great and worth the drive to the park. Enjoy it.

Overall, this park is awesome. I'm glad it isn't popular. This being said, if you have time, visit this park. You will not regret it. Will add pics later.

Campground is located just a few miles from Del Rio, Texas and is part of the Lake Amistad Nat'l Rec Area. Great location if your looking for a safe, quiet, level, overnight stay location with good cell service signal (AT&T). Not so good if you're here to enjoy the water as there is any lake access from the campground proper (hence the 4 versus 5 star rating). Nevertheless, very clean and numerous pit toilets, covered picnic tables, and 30 or so level sites await the road weary RVer. And if you do want to enjoy the lake, lake access is a few miles nearby.

This small campground sits high above the banks of the Amistad Reservoir, but unfortunately, a little too close to HWY 90. The campsites enjoy a stunning view of the Chihuahuan Desert landscape and the water. The sites are spacious with lots of room for bigger rigs, and enjoy a shade structure over the picnic table area. 

With potable water and clean pit toilets this campsite is worth the inexpensive fee.  Bring your solar panel because there are no electrical hookups.  With water recreation opportunities just a stone’s throw away, the boat launch is just below the campground, you can escape the heat of the day. There are just a few hiking trails nearby for more land-based recreation. 

We spent just one night at the campground and it was an easy drive in and park situation. But we found the numerous trucks along the highway a little disruptive of our sleep starting around 4 am, when they begin to hit the road. There are other campgrounds along the Amistad Reservoir that are not as impacted by the road, and they are definitely worth a look. 

The city of Del Rio, TX is a short drive away where you can get anything, including a Starbuck’s coffee – which has become, for us, the indicator of modern suburbia. Be sure to check out some of the amazing Mexican Food of this well-integrated, bi-lingual, boarder town.