Looking for the best horse camping near Leander? Finding a place to stay in Texas while traveling with your horse has never been easier. These scenic and easy-to-reach Texas campsites are perfect for your horse camping excursion.
Flowing over and around huge slabs of limestone, the Pedernales River can be turbulent. But most often it is tranquil, and a great place to relax and recharge. We are just 30 miles west of Austin. Come over for an afternoon swim or hike, or load up your gear for an overnight adventure. The river awaits! Choose a site with water and electricity or hike to a primitive site. Bring your group to the Youth Group Camp or Equestrian Group Camp.
Look no further for camping near Austin - Pace Bend Park is popular for camping on the cliffs overlooking Lake Travis, swimming on a beach, boating, and exploring the Hill Country beauty with miles of hike, bike, and equestrian trails. Primitive Camping Primitive campsites with picnic tables, barbecue grills, fire rings, and plenty of trees for shade and privacy are scattered along the cliffs and are available on a first-come, first-served basis. The east and north sides of Pace Bend offer more gentle, sloping shorelines with sandy and gravel beaches, providing easy access to the lake for families with young children and people with disabilities. Numerous primitive campsites can be found among the oak and mesquite trees and all are within a short walk to the lake. Camping on the beach is also permitted. Please note that primitive camping permits do not include shower privileges. Waterless toilets are available. Improved Camping Pace Bend offers 20 improved campsites, with water and electrical hook-ups, showers and restrooms. These sites are all located on the east side of the park just above Levi Cove, within easy walking distance to the lake. They feature plenty of shade trees and flat, grassy areas for tent camping. All sites are back-ins only. Reservations are highly recommended. Parking is available on site. A maximum of two vehicles may occupy a site.
$15 - $30 / night
KRAUSE SPRINGS is a well-known camping & swimming site located in the beautiful Hill Country of Texas. It is located in Spicewood, Texas approximately 30 miles west of Austin. The 115 acre property is listed on the National Registry of Historical Sites and has been privately owned by the Krause Family for over 50 years.
Krause Springs has many natural sites to explore. There are 32 springs on the property, and several feed the manmade pool and the natural pool which flows into Lake Travis. It’s a refreshing treat to swim in the Springs during the hot summers of Texas! If camping is in your plans, there is primitive tent camping as well as 24 RV sites with water and electricity available. Guests are also welcome to relax and to stroll through the Butterfly Gardens; take time to listen to the music of the wind chimes and the fountains during your visit!
We take reservations for RV hookups ONLY. Primitive tent camping is available on “first come-first site” basis. Please call our office at (830) 693-4181, to check RV site availability and book your stay.
We love our pets just as much as you do, but please keep them at home.
$25 / night
$20 - $30 / night
Live Oak Ridge Campground is located at Belton Lake, which provides some of the best fishing, camping and boating in Central Texas. This year-round campground accommodates both tents and RVs and has many amenities, such as a playground, showers, and a group meeting area.Belton Lake was created by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers with the construction of Belton Dam in 1954. The 12,300-acre lake is located on the Leon River, just upstream of the confluence of the Leon River and the Little River.
With 136 miles of shoreline, Belton Lake offers a wide variety of recreation activities, including camping, water recreation, picnicking and nature trails. The facility has a multi-lane boat ramp, and hiking trails are available adjacent to the park at Miller Springs Nature Area. Hawks, great blue herons, ducks, geese, many species of songbirds, bobwhite quail, Rio Grande turkey and even an occasional bald eagle visit the lake area, offering year-round opportunities for birders.
Live Oak Ridge lives up to its name, with many large oak trees, a pleasant atmosphere and plenty of shade. The campsites are flat and grassy, and several overlook the lake (others are only a short walk away). Springtime brings an abundance of wildflowers that blanket areas of the park. There is a man-made wetland on the lake between White Flint and Winkler Parks, providing an additional 25 acres of wildlife habitat to the lake area.
For facility specific information, please call (254) 742-3050.
Belton Lake is located adjacent to the Fort Hood Army Base, which has several points of interest for the military buff. The mural painted on the spillway wall of Belton Dam depicts the history of the Bell County area.
$30 / night
Willis Creek is the ideal place for campers looking for a variety of accommodations. A group campground and five equestrian sites are available, in addition to a row of standard camping sites. Granger Lake is a popular recreational destination, especially for boating and fishing. In fact, it's one of the best lakes in the region for crappie and white bass fishing.
Boating and fishing are the most popular activities for campers. Horseback riders have six trails to explore in the Willis Creek Equestrian Area, ranging from 1 to 5.5 miles in length.
Boating and fishing are the most popular activities for campers. Horseback riders have six trails to explore in the Willis Creek Equestrian Area, ranging from 1 to 5.5 miles in length.
Granger Lake, formed by a dam completed in 1980, is fed by the San Gabriel River and Willis Creek. The campground sits on the Willis Creek arm of the lake. The maximum surface area of the lake is 11,000 acres and the shoreline is surrounded by the gently rolling hills of the Texas Blackland Prairie.
The Pecan Grove Wildlife Area, San Gabriel Wildlife Area, Sore Finger Wildlife Area, and Willis Creek Wildlife Area border the lake. Bring binoculars for birding opportunities.
$10 / night
Traveler
Was absolutely stunning, it’s on a cliff top so your “backyard” is a small trail to a gorgeous overlook of the lake and adjacent cliffs. I didn’t expect to be given this view. The campsite itself is also fairly shaded and there are some cacti but it’s the best spot I’ve stayed at while being there!
Guide
Body
Scout
Shaffer Bend Recreation Area is a great destination for nature lovers, close to Lake Travis and great outdoor activities. Relaxing on the beach or enjoying the sunrise from the 15th location is an experience not to be missed. Don't forget to de-stress with a io games after a day of exploring!
Scout
I love this trip, it gives me a lot of memories. drift hunters
ScoutOur College has organize a trip is very joyful.
Guide
This beautiful RV park in Texas Hill country was booked years in advance for the eclipse. But on our suggestion the very accommodating proprietors opened up a pasture in back to dry camping. The facilities are comfortable and clean. Worked out well.
We towed with an electric vehicle, on the last day they let us move to an empty site with hookups and charge from the 50 amp outlet, which opened up a better route home.
Scout
Small, but very clean / new restrooms. Lots and lots and lots of fields, walking trails. Perfect for dogs who like to run. In January no one is here, all by myself. Great rates, they also offer primitive sites where you hike in just a little.
ScoutKrause Springs: Temporarily closed till February 16, 2024. Historic Texas camping& swimming site nestled in Spicewood, 30 miles from Austin. Ehall pass
ScoutBeen here a few times now. We camp all the way down back next to the creek (which was stagnant). It's definitely more peaceful and scenic than the other sites, but also places you as far away as you can be from any facilities if you need them. From the site you can walk to the swimming hole which is cool. The walk over is a bit uneven so if you're not balanced you gotta be a little careful. The swimming hole is cool but gets crowded on hot days, particularly weekends, and when crowded it isn't always super clean due to shitty people. They don't do reservations so you can just pull up early afternoon and camp for as long as you like. Overall, it's nice for a quick/last-minute escape from Austin, but I wouldn't make it a destination for a roadtrip or anything.
ScoutCars and trucks come and go all day and night, stirring up a lot of dust because they're too lazy to walk to the bathroom or set up their own breakout game. That is not what I mean by camping.
TravelerBeautiful natural springs in the hill country. Family owned property that has gorgeous gardens and swimming.
RangerThis was a halfway stop between Tennessee and Big Bend . Large campground with nice facilities and trails . Unfortunately it rained the nights we passed through . Nice place in the off season . I bets it’s packed in the summer
Traveler
We booked Muleshoe excited about the views. We were very disappointed. There were stickers/burs everywhere so our dogs were very uncomfortable. I couldn’t tell from the pictures, but Muleshoe is very out in the open so you’re really exposed to the wind and have zero privacy. Totally fine if you’re cool with that, but it made it another negative for us. There was a large family/group next to us who was obnoxious and loud until 10:30 so we couldn’t enjoy camping peacefully as you would hope.
PS if you need a plug, check the closet in between the bathrooms at the front gate. That was the one positive about this place(batteries died on my air pump)…if the door isn’t locked.
GuideMy boyfriend and I came here for a weekend backpacking trip and had a great time! We hiked 2 miles down wolf mountain loop then about a quarter mile on the camping trail to the primitive sites on Saturday. We arrived at the campsites around 5pm and there were so many people camping it kinda looked like a shanty town (but in a cool way!) Even though there were lots of spots filled we managed to find a decent spot fairly quickly that was somewhat secluded. The next morning we hiked to Jones Spring and also checked out the remnants of the Trammels house. When we came back to out site just about all the other campers had already packed out and we had the whole camping trail pretty much to ourselves Sunday. We packed out Monday morning and before leaving the park checked out the bird blind, (which didn’t require a hike), then drove north to the falls. The falls had a short but somewhat taxing hike, since coming out was steep uphill, but it was a beautiful sight! After that I walked down to the swimming area, which was absolutely gorgeous, but the water was very cold of course in November so I just waded around a bit. The hike back from the swimming area was short but very strenuous! Very steep uphill! Overall it was a fantastic experience!
TravelerThis was only about an hour from Austin. There was only one campsite available and thankfully it was not on the 1-12 strip which apparently is really loud. Our stay was pretty quite and there’s a decent amount of space between camp grounds. It was $25/night and included a charcoal grill, a fire pit, and a picnic table. My campsite was pretty shaded and the outhouse wasn’t too far of a walk. They have an outdoor shower at the entrance as well as a filtered water/ice machine.
GuideWe set up at site 15 it has an awesome view of the river/lake and it’s walking distance down to the waters edge. Great spot to fish for some bass or take a dip in the water. Looks like you can also have a fire out in the sand as we found some charred wood out there, there is ample spacing at the site with a fire ring, and a table provided and plenty of shade. The trees are great to set up a Hamic, which we did, which gave you an awesome view of the water and the sunrise in the mornings. They have good trails not too difficult, the only negative items I can mention are the various amounts of stickers everywhere we got plenty on our ankles and our hands other than that there was an issue with loud music from a venue outside of the park that would echo through the valley not much could be done about their music, but the on-site personnel contacted the local authorities to have a talk with them and the music wasn’t a problem after the first night. I’m definitely coming back here in the summer since the water is so close and so cool. Do we great to cool down on those hot days. 
GuideGreat stay. The site we had was walking distance to the sandy beach of lake Travis. Great fishing and the sand carrier up so it’s a soft bedding for the evening. Lots of tree cover to help combat the sun. There is a table, a fire ring, and a grill at each site. Walking trails are nice for a stroll not too difficult and not much elevation change. Only negative is the amount of stickers everywhere. Got one right between the toes and a venue near the park plays music if there is an event. The echo of the rock face by the lake didn’t help it. That’s not the parks fault though.
Guide
Only there for one short night but it was delightful to sit in the water of lake Travis and watch the stars on a warm texas summer night. I’m guessing it gets crowded during the day but I had enjoyed my evening there.
TravelerSpent the day at Krause jumping off rocks, sitting under the cool waterfall, and flying through the air on their giant rope swing. This is a great place for families and friends. The staff was welcoming and they offer a wide array of tent and RV campsites. Cool, spring-fed water refreshed everyone on our group on a hot summer day in Texas
TravelerI went for an early morning hike in full swing Texas summer heat. I decided to do the Falls hike following the water and Hackenburg loop. Ended up doing around 3 miles right before 10:30 (started at 9). From there the sun started to beat down and enjoy some time in the water but heads up as of today the water was pretty low. So many wildlife saw some deer, birds (singing the whole time I was there) and some cool lizards!
RangerOne of my favorites you can do a lot of different activities from horse back riding swimming hiking biking. The facilities are well maintained and the sightseeing is wonderful.
This site has no shade at all but is close to one of the trails to swim
TravelerI brought my family of four here for our first solo camping trip with two littles and we loved it! The drought caused the lake to be pretty dried up so our water front view didn’t have much water! That didn’t take away from how beautiful the view was from spot 11! The camp host was exceptionally kind and really takes care of the park! Already making plans for our next trip!
GuideFantastic short stay in Pace Bend on Lake Travis. We paid for the improved tent camping site but ended up switching to a site North Gracy Cove which had way better views of the river and more privacy. We still went back to use the showers and running water at the improved site though.
Gracy Cove was a great spot for a swim to cool off on a hot day. No boats allowed.
TravelerRelaxing and clean. Very windy, so no bugs! Dogs love running along water’s edge and jumping in. Horses ok too from the looks of it. Sites 1-13 closer together and more in site if each other but still ok. Great hiking and walking. Small RV plus tent for us.
LegendThe campsites were decent size and well-spaced with buffers in between. Many of them have small pavilions over the picnic tables. All sites in electric area also have a fire pit, water and 20/30 amp electric.
Bathrooms were small but decent and well-maintained.
Note that cell service was quite weak to nonexistent (Verizon and T-Mobile) unless you were out hiking and reached a high spot.
Beautiful area to explore and the nice trails made for plenty to do. The river is super low right now (April 2022) so no water fall, but walking around on the rock formations made for a unique experience.
Also a good campground for some dark skies at night.
Guide
I’ve spent a lot of time in Belton, but never at this campsite. I was delayed by a day due to tornadoes in the area, so I was already frustrated when I arrived to find that no one mans the entry gate…ever. I also did not receive my confirmation email upon booking, which contains your code to enter the gate, but luckily enough they have a number posted you can call and camp hosts within sight of the gate who can help you get in. I was on loop 4, which has the best shade, but some of the sites can be a little crammed in (and it can become loud on the weekends which is to mostly be expected). No sewer hookups, but they do have a dump station on site. Another perk is the private boat ramp for campers along with covered picnic tables at the less shaded sites and a playground for kids. My favorite part was honestly the showers though—they were so fantastic! The bathroom is heated in the cooler months and the water pressure and hot water can’t be beat; it’s the best camp shower I’ve experienced! I also had good enough service with AT&T to work with my phone’s hotspot, but Verizon was pretty poor and even streaming videos was choppy, though you can call and text as usual.
TravelerExcellent park, great hike to falls
Horse camping in Texas offers a unique blend of outdoor adventure and equestrian enjoyment, perfect for those looking to explore the state's beautiful landscapes with their horses.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular equestrian campsite near Leander, TX?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular equestrian campground near Leander, TX is Pedernales Falls State Park Campground with a 4.6-star rating from 88 reviews.
What is the best site to find equestrian camping near Leander, TX?
TheDyrt.com has all 13 equestrian camping locations near Leander, TX, with real photos and reviews from campers.
