Best Glamping near Manchaca, TX

We really enjoyed Son’s Guadalupe! It’s a beautiful setting, cabanas and glamping tents on a small hill overlooking the Guadalupe River with it’s huge cypress trees and giant limestone bluffs. The glamping tent was perfect for us. It had 2 queen beds with foam mattresses, 1 twin bed, bedside table with fans and the best part: AC! It’s a very family friendly location compared to others on River Road. We tubed Whol we stayed there as well. It’s a nice setup as they take you up river to float back down to your glamping tent and/or cabana.

You have the choice of camping at a tent site, park your RV, to glamp in a yurt or cabin, or even walk out to a more secluded “TentRR” site. Regardless of what choice you make, there’s a community kitchen with small appliances/dishes and the bathhouse with showers, toilets, and vanities. It really is the best of both, especially if you’re trying to camp for several days and would like to stay relatively clean and well fed. We’ve stayed there three years in a row now!

Ashley here from The Dyrt! It was great to add this glamping retreat that advocates for ecological protection. Each site provides comfortable amenities. Check them out and leave them some love!

Living Waters on Lake Travis is a lakeside venue for romantic getaways, yoga retreats, weddings, songwriting retreats, family reunions, work retreats and glamping (glamorous camping). You can rent one structure for a personal getaway or rent them all for a group event.

I attended a special event at this venue. There are various whimsical houses, cabins, yurts and tents in which to stay. There is an open lawn for group gatherings, a covered gazebo for outdoor yoga and a boathouse for lakeside activities. In addition there are amenities such as hammocks, lawn chairs, porches and tents in which to relax. The venue offers a variety of personal services such as massage, yoga, a private chef and watercraft rental. 

Whether you would like to be active or sedentary, Living Waters on Lake Travis might meet your needs.

We stayed in one of their air-conditioned glamping cabins. It was very nice and clean and the AC stayed very cold. They have private, lockable, full bathrooms right behind the cabins. The place is very pretty and the staff friendly. We loved tubing and kayaking the San Marcos River! It’s a great getaway!

Son’s Island is awesome! What a great experience we had. We stayed in one of their glamping tents. It had 2 queen beds and a twin bed but the best part is it had air-conditioning and it stayed very comfortable. You get to use the cabanas for free at night from 7:30 PM - 10:00 am when you rent a tent but you must also rent a cabana for the day if you plan to stay. It is well worth the money. Each cabana comes with its own private dock, lots of comfortable seating, electricity, water, BBQ pit, picnic table and hammock. We heard lots of people rave about this place. It definitely surpassed our expectations!

This state park is a little outside of Austin near the airport. The park stays busy and it’s easy to see why– it’s really nice with waterfalls you can check out in the park and it isn’t far from the airport. We had a great stay here and will definitely check it out again if in the area. Although– watch the branches if you are in a bigger rig– we watched a guy hit one and mess up his roof. Also, if you will be camping in Texas State Parks a bit be sure to get the annual Texas State Parks pass– it will end up saving you a lot of money! Also, we went to a nearby market to buy what we thought was salsa(see pictures)– it definitely wasn’t and it was sooo spicy!!

I actually would rate this campground 3.5 stars, because it is better than average and getting better every year.

In 2011 a forest fire swept through this park and devastated over 90% of the piney woods. The park is still recovering.

However, something that has never changed about this location is that Bastrop State Park offers multiple camping options and great opportunities for family fun.

The park has car camping, walk-in camping, RV camping and even cabin camping/glamping. One of my favorite activities when visiting this park is to drive the scenic and winding tree lined road between Bastrop State Park and nearby Buescher State Park.

There are recreational activities for kids such as a playground, swimming pool, fishing, geocaching and hiking trails. Many of the facilities underwent a remodel and now offer restrooms with modern sinks, showers and toilet stalls.

There are sections of the park where one can see the devastation cause by the forest fire. It is a humbling experience for both children and adults to see the burnt but recovering forrest. There are also sections of the park where one can still stand under some of the old growth majestic pine trees. The walk-in sites are surrounded by forrest. The RV site has some of the tallest trees still standing. One caveat about the RV site is that you can hear the auto traffic from the nearby highway.

The park office has a small store and sells camping necessities and souvenirs. The town of Bastrop is nearby where you can find supermarkets, stores and restaurants so you're never too far from supplies.

Based on my recent visit to this park, I think that it still offers a variety of camping options, family fun and possibly an eco lesson for all of us.

Pace Bend is one of my most favorite places to camp in Texas.

Not far from the old (and new!) Backyard (a great place to see live music in the live oak capital of Texas), Pace Bend is a quick drive away. A perfect spot to pitch a bunch of tents, jump off cliffs, swim and barbeque. Maybe 45 minutes from downtown Austin (without traffic).

I won't lie the cliff diving kinda freaks me out. Be careful is all I'm saying!

There are several primitive campsites throughout the park with picnic tables, grills and toilets. Additionally there are 20 RV hook-up type sites that offer running water, electricity, restrooms and showers.

My family and I all visited Son’s Guadalupe in August for a quick getaway. I grew up camping, tubing and swimming in the Guadalupe growing up so I wanted to share that experience with my three sons but being from the area I also know how river rd can be rowdy at times in the summer. I was happy to find out Son’s recently opened up a place out there as we had visited a couple of their other locations and they had been very family friendly. We rented a cabana for the day as well as an air-conditioned glamping tent to stay overnight. We had such a great time! The cabanas sit right on the bank of the river and have everything you need including: seating, picnic table, BBQ pit electricity and water. The river is a bit shallow at their location for swimming (much of the Guadalupe is) but it the perfect depth to get in relax and cool off. This section of the Guadalupe River is very clear and flows great for tubing. We rented some tubes and they took us up river a couple of miles to float back down to our cabana which was very convenient. The scenery on the tubing trip is absolutely gorgeous, huge cliffs and cypress trees! After a fun day it was nice to relax in a comfortable tent with AC! The mattresses were foam and very comfortable. You do have to bring your own pillows, sheets and blankets though. For bathrooms, they have 5 individual bathrooms up top with showers. Overall we had a great time and I’d recommend the place. It can get a bit crowded on weekends so go during the week if you’re not wanting to be around crowds. Also, they rent everything a-la-carte, so if you plan to stay the night you need to tent a cabana or covered picnic table during the day. There website does a good job explaining everything but it’s a bit different if you haven’t been before so be sure to read through your reservation before heading out.

the best park ive been to in central texas

Lockhart State Park is a small park with simple facilities, but they do have a golf course and some of the best BBQ in Texas nearby.

The park is located a short distance from the town of Lockhart and about 40 minutes from Austin. The park has all the basic amenities like campsites with water, electricity, picnic tables, grills and fire rings. There are a few short trails to explore. For the family there is a swimming pool and little playground. Perhaps one of the unique features of this park is that there is a 9 hole golf course within the park.

Some of the facilities feel a bit dated. However, if you're looking for a relaxing time with family friendly activities this park might work for you.

Before or after your stay at Lockhart State Park be sure to pass through the town of Lockhart (nicknamed the BBQ Capitol of Texas) where you can choose between three of the best barbecue restaurants in Texas - Blacks BBQ, Smitty's BBQ and Kreuzs BBQ.

a crown jewel of the Texas Parks system. Hiking, horse riding, swimming, floating. At one with nature. Bird watching.

This campground is a must see if you live in Texas. In addition to the awesome camp sites, there are two swimming areas that are to die for. Highly recommend!!!

Pedernales is a classic Texas state park with a lot to offer and a short distance from Austin. It is often fully booked and your best chance to book a spot is far in advance or create a notification through the Texas State Parks site if a spot opens up. In the warm weather there's lots of swimming to be had, not in the falls themselves which are prone to flash flooding, but in another part of the park. Occasionally the water is home to poisonous algae which makes the water neither kid or dog friendly. Many of the sites have small shelters over their picnic tables.

This is one of my favorite Texas state parks. The hiking trails are great, campsites and facilities are well maintained, and the scenery is beautiful.

This place is incredible! The waterfalls are perfect to cool off in on a hot Texas day. This place has a cool history and it’s fun to look for stuff on the trails. I would go with out kids first.

This is one of my top 3 campgrounds in Texas. Most of the spaces are secluded and there are lots of trees and shade. The two swimming areas are amazing and the highlight of the park. I only wish they allowed my dog to swim!