Best Glamping near Liberty, TX

Arrived here just before a big thunderstorm rolled in.

But it was super cool to watch as the lights of Houston illuminated the sky across the bay.

Can camp for up to 3 nights maximum with $10 permit from the courthouse down the street.

No utilities, but large open camping area near fishing pier.

Cool Texas history here too!

Lake Livingston State Park is one of our regular visits. During the school year it is hard to head out on a Friday, drive 2-3 hours and then setup in the dark for a weekend camping trip. Lake Livingston is just over an hour from our house and has lots to offer. They recently rebuilt one of the camping loops to where now this is one of the few state parks in Texas that have Full Hookups. Not all loops have Full Hookups but a couple do.

Like most state parks in Texas the sites here are large and offer a lot of shade. Each site will have a table and a fire ring. There are tons of hiking trails and geocaches throughout the park. It is also close to shops in town so that if you forget something you are only about 15 minutes from a Walmart. There is a shop on site that has most of the essentials.

We have stayed here several times with family, some in tents and some in pop up trailers. The bathrooms are old, Texas is supposed to be getting new bathrooms in all state park facilities but had not gotten to this one as of our last visit. Park is larger, best to do with bikes if possible. Limited lake access but good fishing spots abound. Tower to climb, trails to hike, firewood to burn...

Lake Livingston State Park is a fantastic state park for water activities. The fishing, boating, canoeing, kayaking and paddle boarding is all fantastic.

Campsites: The sites were all well maintained with the best spots being in Piney Shores & Red Oak. We were in spot #69. It had a great view but lacked in flat playing space for young children and hammock trees.

Trails: There were a few trails in the park, none of which were all that long. The main Trinity Trace Trail was flat dirt, good for young bikers. Though trails are short, they connect so you could do a few trails for a longer run/hike if you so desired.

Bathrooms: Each campground loop has one bathroom and shower. They can be a bit of a walk if you don’t have a close site. They appear to be older but maintained and cleaned well enough.

Park Specific Activities: Getting on the water was awesome, it’s the largest lake in Texas, so lots to explore. Fishing was fantastic. We caught bass, perch and catfish and lots of them! Getting in the lake left some to be desired. The bottom has many large rocks, tree stumps and is very mossy. Swimming can be fun but a little dangerous and slippery. The duck pond and frog pond are nothing to get excited about. We saw no birds in the bird blind and the frog pond is so small you almost can’t see it. We did hear a frog though.

Other: Connected to the park store they had a small educational space for young kids with a functioning beehive. The kids (ages 2-6) loved it. The park store is not open Mondays and Tuesdays. Kayak, canoe and paddle board rentals were only Thursday to Sunday 8:30-3:30. $10-20/rental. The pool was not functioning when we went in August 2018. They have a small amphitheater and near by a room available for rent which can have 50 guests. It was air conditioned and had nice hardwood floors.

In Summary: We would absolutely recommend it for water activities and relaxation. It’s a beautiful spot! We wouldn’t recommend it for just birding or hiking but the park as a whole is great.

Wow! So I had no idea this place was camper friendly. This place is awesome! If the public head wasn't in such rough shape, I would give this place 5 stars! I absolutely love the history of the area and think the area should be very proud of the display here! 

You can check out our family's adventure here by searching @HistoryRats on YouTube or find us on social media under History Rats.

We couldn’t figure out the permit everyone talks about. Tried calling and emailing.

Anyway pulled in for the night, seems like a decent safe spot. Plenty of other campers. Power outlets everywhere.

We had a wedding to attend in the area and Woodsy Hollow worked out well. Nice and quite with a small lake. It seems on the left side of the campground is for long term sites so make sure you pick a site on the right side as you drive in. Check-in was quick and easy and the lady checking us in was super nice.

ATT service was good.

If you like quiet, fishing, and trees this campground is for you. Full hookups, friendly staff, laundry, and showers.

We loved this campground. Stayed one night on our way to Houston. Then We stayed one more night on our way back home. Site 18 was pretty level and had full hook ups. The campground overall was really very quiet and peaceful. Was approx 2 miles off highway 59. Had a great playground area for kids and we loved walking down to the lake. The lady running the office was super kind and very helpful. If we ever get back to this area again we will be sure to stay for more than one night.

Nice level concrete pads. Very tightly packed together. Had a pool and clubhouse. Very nice clean bath/shower rooms and laundry facilities. Only real problem was the people park on the main thruway making getting in and out with the trailer difficult. We had to wake a guy up to move his truck to get into our spot and he was cranky about it.

This state park has beautiful views of the lake and is very clean and maintained. We had a great visit and they had friendly staff!

This campground has nice, well maintained sites surrounded by pine forest. RV sites have electric and water hookups and some also have sewer connections. There’s also a central dump station. Most sites are shady and the waterfront sites have wonderful lake views. No parking is allowed on the grass, but there is overflow parking in most areas. The park has several restrooms with flush toilets and showers There are three boat ramps, a fish cleaning station and a park store that sells the basics including ice and worms for bait. The rangers also offer special programs and exhibits in the store. There’s a separate swimming area, but no swimming beach. Alcohol is allowed but must not be visible and the 20 mph speed limit is maintained by state police. There are also nice hiking trails and paved roads. Horseback riding is no longer available in this park.

This place is magical. My family and I have been coming here for the past 5 years, and it never gets old. There are so many great things about this place. The hiking is amazing- the views are breathtaking. One of the most popular things to do here though is to fish. One of the reasons is because Lake Livingston is one of the largest lakes in the State. This park is just an hour away from Houston, which is great. We have made a long weekend out of staying here, and then traveling to Houston to do some site-seeing and eating, and then head back home. You can do so many different water activities because the lake is so big. We bring our boat and fish, tube, and water ski. We have a blast. I also love bringing my stand up paddle board and do a ride in the early in the morning. There are so many beautiful birds to see in the morning on the water, I love it. There is also store nearby that you can rent kayaks and canoes to take on the water, not sure how much they are to rent, though. I look forward to coming here every year, and it seems like I experience something new every time! Again, this place is pure magic.

Beautiful site overlooking the lake. My only wish would have been cleaner bathrooms.

We camped for 3 nights in March in our camper. This state park is small but very clean with trails, water activities, and more. Sites had very nice concrete pads. We stayed at site 117 in Pin Oak loop. The site was large and backed to woods. There were some low spots that held water. Our kids loved riding the trails and our loop with other kids. Didn’t have any luck fishing due to winds but enjoyed hikes and trail riding. Trailheads start in this loop. We would camp here again.

Love this state park. Well maintained, lots of room, several rv sites on the water. We will return.

We really enjoyed this park with multiple trails and places for the kids to play

Really wonderful trails, historic tower, decent playground and its under construction for some really cool things coming soon! Be careful about lake access from the newest camping loop, private property gets in the way...

This camp ground pretty much checks every box for us. There’s full hook ups for a low price. The sites are spaced apart with lots of trees. The trails are wide and well kept. The lake is huge. There’s even “self service” kayak rentals. And a swing set and slide built well enough for adults! We were here in February and it was maybe half full or less. Very quiet. Dog friendly. Mild weather. Really nice place!

There is a “board walk trail” that is quite literally a board walk through the forest. It’s just a 1 mile loop and has a few benches and attractions, and this would be an excellent handicap option. It was a beautiful walk, even in the winter.

The campground is heavily wooded and the campsites are well spaced. We stayed only night but would definitely consider staying here again.