Best Tent Camping near Marble Falls, TX

Park Review

I've visited Colorado Bend State Park a number times and it never disappoints. There are rivers, streams, water holes, trees, caves and plenty of hike and bike trails to explore. 

This park offers drive-up, walk-in, hike-in primitive and group campsites. This park is becoming more and more popular, so it is recommended to reserve a site at least 3-4 weeks in advance or 3 to 4 months in advance for the group sites.

The park is a short distance from the town of Lampasas in the Texas Hill Country. In fact, if you need any supplies you might want to pick them up at the HEB Grocery Store in Lampasas because there are not many easy options for purchasing supplies once you enter the park - it is a long drive out of the park to the nearest store.

The drive-up, walk-in and group sites have a picnic table, fire ring with grill, lantern post, water nearby and restrooms nearby. However, there are no RV hookups. 

The primitive hike-in sites offer a patch of cleared space - no water, no electricity and no restrooms. However, there is plenty of peace and quiet.

My group opted for a hike-in primitive site along the river. Previously, the park allowed campers in the primitive area to simply find a clear patch of space and camp. Recently they instituted a new reservation system which has 8 designated campsites that are reservable. We had campsite 6. I think campsite 7 or 8 would be the best. The hike to these primitive sites is a little under 1 mile, so be prepared to carry your gear. In this area of the park, the Colorado River is a short walk from each campsite; there were a variety of birds at play in the trees; and there were prints and other evidence of wildlife. 

Many people visit this park to boat or fish the Colorado River. A Texas fishing license is not required if you fish within the park boundaries. Check with the Park Ranger for which fish are biting.

Our group was visiting primarily to hike and explore some of the unique features of the park such as Gorman's Cave, Gorman's Falls and the Spicewood Springs trail and water holes.

Overall I believe that our group had a great time and I had the opportunity to explore and discover some new areas of the park.

Product Review

As a Ranger for The Dyrt, from time to time I get products to test. For this trip I was testing the RovR RollR 60 cooler.

The RovR RollR 60 cooler is a rotomolded cooler with wheels, a pull handle and some cleaver attachments. The RollR 60 model holds 60 quarts of content. The company also sells 45 and 80 quart models. Like other rotomolded coolers the walls are thick, insulated and offer great cold storage capability. RovR says that their coolers can hold ice for up to 10 days. We were just camping for a couple of days and it certainly kept our items nice and cold. 

What really separates this cooler from other coolers are some of the unique features. First, the cooler has rugged wheels and a pull handle. For this trip I knew that we had to hike to our campsite for a little under a mile. Under no circumstances would I ever carry a cooler into a backcountry site. However, the RovR RollR worked out perfectly and we were able to haul the cooler with our food and drinks over some pretty rough terrain. The wheels were large enough to roll over rocks, roots and uneven surfaces. The pull handle extends to a convenient hight which allows a person to pull it comfortably without bending over. The pull handle also has grips on each side which allows one person to pull the cooler solo or two people to pull the cooler in tandem. This feature was key and we used two people to pull our cooler over some hills and through some muck. 

Inside the cooler there is a special bin that can hold items that may not need to be chilled like bread, towels or utensils. This feature is so important to keep items separate and dry when moisture develops or the ice starts to melt. The bin itself has an internal divider which further aids with organization. I put my spices and condiments on one side and cooking and cleaning utensils on the other side. I then place my bread on top. The bin is shaped perfectly to hold a full loaf of bread across the bin where it will not get squished. The floor of the cooler is gradually sloped so that when ice does start to melt the resulting water will easily run out of the drain hole. I was so impressed with the overall design of the cooler and the thought that must have gone into the design. I can tell that the designer was a user of coolers with all of the thoughtful touches.

On the outside of the cooler there are a few really unique design features. The cooler comes with a folding tote container which is attached to the top with velcro straps. When not in use the tote folds completely flat, lays on the top and can serve as a cushion for sitting. When needed, the tote can be unfolded and it becomes an additional container which can hold extra gear like a stove, pots and pans, camp chair or paper towels. Brilliant! In addition, the tote can be removed entirely from the top and placed to the side or moved to a picnic table. This is great feature - it is like having two carrying containers in one. There are additional fixtures on the cooler which are designed to attached auxiliary items like a cutting board or drink holders. There is even a fixture which allows one to attach an extension that can be attached to a bicycle. Thus, one can pull the cooler behind a bicycle like a trailer. Ingenious! 

I think that these are just some of the unique features and functions of the RovR RollR cooler. I’m sure that after additional use I will discover other cleaver features that the designers incorporated into this cooler.

I will say that I accidentally and unintentionally abused this cooler on this trip more than I anticipated. We pulled it over rough terrain, up a hill, through muddy water, and let it sit outside all day. After I got home I washed and cleaned it and to my amazement it did clean up easily. The only thing that I did notice was that the tote on top is a light colored silver. Since I dragged the cooler through the mud, some dirt stains showed up easily on the tote. I would probably recommend choosing one of the other tote designs with a darker color to avoid this issue. However, I use my coolers for their functionality and I’m not too concerned that it might look well used. I see myself getting many uses and many years out of this awesome little cooler. I'm thinking about buying the bicycle attachment arm to increase my options even more.

For more info you can visit the company website at: https://rovrproducts.com

Shaffer Bend Rec. Area has a beautiful setting in the Texas Hill Country right off of Lake Travis. At the gate entrance you have wonderful landscape views. All of the camp sites are situated next to or a short walk to the water.

The camps are clean. Most are equipped with a picnic table and fire ring. In the large camp area, some have BBQ pits with a couple big communal grill/smoker. The same area has a horse pen as well if you're an equestrian enthusiast on top of a camper. It is a primitive campground. The large camp area has a couple port-a-poties. At the gate entrance there are men's and women's rooms with running water. That's about 3 miles from the camp sites. So, be prepared to dig holes, bring your own portable toilets, or hold it.

Considering you're on the lake, the water access is surprisingly limited. There are a few areas along the water you can walk in, but there's not a dock or boat access. I recommend sandals or water shoes since there's a fair amount of plant life along the shore. The same areas you can walk in would be good for kayaks though. The camp sites are situated along a narrow section of the lake. So, there would be plenty to explore.

Pros:

• Very small park

• Great view of the lake as trees/shrubs are minimal

• Clean campsite except for the trash in the fire pit

• Most sites had 2 sewer hookups.

• Most sites had a nice distance from neighbor sites.

• Crushed granite surrounds the site parking pad so no muddy mess after rain

• Lantern pole, BBQ grill, fire pit with grilling grate and wooden picnic table at each site.

• Extremely clean restrooms/shower facility.

• Heated restrooms/shower facility(we camped the week after Christmas).

• Restroom/shower facility sink had hot water and soap dispenser

• Mini golf course in the park.

• 2 bar signal AT&T

Cons:

• With reservations made 153 days prior to arriving for our 4-night stay, we encountered confusion by a rude check-in clerk who told us to come back at 3 pm (it was then 230pm and we could clearly see our campsite was vacant). Since the entry lane was down to one lane, we tied up traffic for nearly 20 minutes until the check-in clerk finally realized that we were camping and not checking in for their cabins. I’m not sure why she didn’t see our truck and 28 ft bumper pull trailer.

•$6 fee to reserve on-line.

• No mention on the park website there was a burn ban in effect, so no ground fires permitted, not even for cooking.

• No site privacy due to minimal trees/brush throughout the park.

• Campsite BBQ grill and fire pit were next to each other, so it would have been difficult to gather around the fire pit.

• Good condition asphalt site parking pad was uneven side-to-side as we noticed nearly all sites in that condition with all requiring leveling.

• NOT A DARK SKY FRIENDLY CAMPGROUND! Numerous street lights throughout this camping loop and unfortunately we had one directly across from our site#11 which lit up our site like daylight! Who camps under a street light???

• Non-stop highway noise, even throughout the night, from Texas 261.

• Doors on toilet stalls were only 5 feet tall.

• Lots of large roadway speed bumps.

• No hiking trails.

• No park WIFI 

We used Black Rock as our “jumping off point” for various Hill Country Holiday Light displays, which worked out very well. Kingsland is closer to the park than Burnet where there is a HEB, Ace Hardware, Dairy Queen and local restaurants. Closest Walmart to Black Rock is in Marble Falls, along with a HEB.

Pace Bend Park is conveniently located a short distance from the city of Austin and on the shores of Lake Travis. The park is managed by the Travis County Parks Department. The entrance fee is $10 per car and the campsites are all first come first served. There are almost always campsites available, but the best campsites do get taken early. On the east side of the park there is easy beach access to the lakeshore and water. On the west side of the park there are a number of coves. Access to the water is possible by scrambling over and down rocks to the waters edge. Many people cliff jump off the cove cliffs, but be sure to test the depth of the water before jumping. Many people get injured every year jumping off the cliffs. Some of the campsites have developed pads to set up your tent. Other campsites just have clearing to set up your tent. There are ample trees available for hammock hanging. Because the park is located so close to the city many people visit the park for day use. The day time crowd can be a bit overwhelming and loud at times. At night the atmosphere generally calms down a bit. Many of the campsites have picnic tables and some have grills. A few have fire rings for campfires, but the park is removing many of the rings. Depending on the time of the year and the dryness, there is often a county fire banned in the area and park. My favorite campsites are along the west side of the park and the coves (N. Gracey Cove).

I've camped at this campground a number of times while hiking around The Goodwater Trail.

There is a basic restroom with toilets. There is a water faucet near the Park Host's trailer. There is plenty of parking, a field with pad sites, a large open field and my favorite is the group campsite at the end of the large open field. The group campsite has a pad, but it also has plenty of trees and space to hang hammocks. It is also the more secluded of the campsites. There are fire rings at the campsites and it is possible to collect fallen wood for a fire if there is not a fire ban in effect.

Near the group campsite and through the tree line there is a small creek. Depending on the amount of recent rain or degree of draught the creek is deep enough to go for a wade or a swim. It is also fun to just explore the area around the creek.

The Goodwater trail is a loop trail that circles Lake Georgetown and runs about 28 miles. When backpacking the Goodwater Loop people typically start/park at either Tejas Park Trailhead, Jim Hogg Trailhead or Cedar Breaks Trailhead. If you are backpacking the loop parking and hiking are free. If you are using the park facilities just for the day, there is a day use fee.

Spent 3 nights at Inks Lake from 8/3-8/6. Got there right before dark on the first night and found the late check in process a bit confusing. Right now, Texas state parks don't assign or let you choose spots when you reserve so it's first come....When I got to Inks at about 730 pm, there was a sign in the lobby of the park headquarters that listed all the sites and said to pick any site that wasn't crossed off. Problem was, the sign was on the other side of the glass so folks couldn't cross off the site they chose. Wild goose chase led me to two sites that were already chosen. I finally picked an open site that I came upon and settled in. All the lake view spots were, of course, taken, so this shady spot was just fine. Site 72. Nice and level. Water and 20/30/50 amp power. The water didn't work. The faucet was broken and spewed everywhere. I turned it way down, filled my fresh water tank, and turned it off.

Each site has an asphalt pad, water, electric. A picnic table, a lantern/garbage hook, and a grill/fire pit combo. The park has a general store where you can rent kayaks and paddle boats as well as borrow (for free) fishing gear. There is a very nice fishing pier and a cleaning house for those that wish to clean their catch. There is a boat launch by the store also. There's plenty of room for everyone in the lake to do whatever you like. There's even a swimming area called "Devils Watering Hole" where you can jump from the cliff into the lake. The park also has tent sites, adorable cabins and lots of day use space. Playgrounds keep the kids from causing misery back at the camp sites.

The patrons of the park were pleasant and well behaved. No rowdies after quiet hour. Friendly and helpful folks. The park staff was also peasNt and helpful. When I went up in the morning to do my check in (you go before 9am id[f you did a late check in), I told them about the faucet. By the time I got back to my site, the maintenance guys were there to fix it.

There is plenty of wild life to enjoy. Several trails to keep you occupied when you are tired of the water. Right down the road is Longhorn Caverns state park. Their general tour is 90 minutes of blissfully cool and very interesting cave tour. They also have an extreme tour that requires helmets and knee pads (they provide).

There are two wineries nearby for liesurely wine tastings. I enjoyed an excursion from Inks Lake to Longhorn Caverns and then stopped at one of the wineries on the way back.

The park, in general, was very clean and well maintained. Plenty of dumpsters and recycling bins for cans. My reason for subtracting a star is the state of the restroom/shower facilities. Ewwwwww! Now I know this park has heavy use. But with heavy use comes more money to spend on help. Clean those bathrooms, Texas! And while you are at it, toilet paper would be a nice touch. The showers were all out NASTY! Do not forget your shower flip flops, people. And do not drop anything on the floor while you are showering....gonna need a flame thrower to sterilize that nastiness!

in general, a fabulous long weekend and I will definitely go again. Can't wait for Texas to allow site specific booking starting in October of this year. Hint: #48.

oh. Wait. I forgot to mention....ants. Be prepared. They have the nasty varieties that show up suddenly, out of nowhere, and devour your dogs dinner before Fido can even whiff it with that finely tuned nose. And the fire ants at Inks are stealth. That's right. Stealth fire ants. No tell-tale mounds for these little bastards. No. You can't even find one if you looked all day. But suddenly, you are standing there and, POOF!, you are the next victim. I always say..."Texas will kill you" (but it's worth it). Btw, no snakes appeared during my stay.

Note: This is NOT the Guadalupe STATE Park!

Check In: 1p Check Out: 12p

⛺ Site#34- Back-In| Pull-Thru

💲45 per night (Pull-thru sites not along the river are $5 cheaper)

• Water
• 20/30/50 amp- 2 poles, one on each side of site
• Sewer
• Fire Ring
• Picnic Table
• Site Pad: Asphalt/gravel

👍🏻 Pros:

• Next to the restrooms/showers
• Discount for going to Anhalt Hall events

👎🏻 Cons:

• NOT very level. Slopes a lot front to back. Could be a pull-thru
• Lots of carpet burrs. Don't go barefoot and watch fur babies

📝 Park Notes: 

• Dump Station
• Select items for sale in the office
• Restrooms/ Bath House (looks better from the inside)
• Tent sites are available along the river
• Good place for tubing, Rvers have a parking lot down by the river
• Laundry
• Cabins
• Propane
• Winery across the street
• Bring tubes or kayaks
• There are some RVs and equipment parked near the office so it's not the best looking campground
• Some long-time residents. RVs need to be cleaned.
• There is a cave on site, but it was closed for some construction at the time we were there

❗ Lots of deer on the roads and in the park this time of year- drive with caution after dark

🐦 Wildlife:

• Birds: ducks, hawks
• Deer

More info on my website at https://denisevajdak.com

With summer rapidly approaching for Texas I wanted to cruise down to Austin before the heat waves made it a bit unbearable. In doing so I elected to check out McKinney Falls Park. I will say that going into my stay I had only seen a couple of videos about the park which were less than descriptive as to what to expect from the park. Typically I would pine over reviews in advance but this time I decided to instead let the park surprise me and report the full initial reaction.

I did not book in advance, something I would not advise you to do unless it is winter season at the park. When I arrived there were only 2 campsites left on a Thursday just after noon. Needless to say this park fills quickly when the weather is pleasant. These two sites were literally only available for a single night as the campground was fully booked for the weekend.

I can see why quickly from pulling into the park why it is so popular, the grounds are well maintained, the wildflowers are in bloom making for a wonderful retreat for some amazing hiking and a scenic area for family photos and being only 15 minutes from downtown Austin easily makes this the best retreat away from the city for those wanting a quick weekend get away.

When selecting a campsite I often times like to find an area near the restroom without being directly across from them, having access to this amenity can be useful however proximity to avoid cross traffic is key when using a large campground. This location has restrooms scattered through the various loops with a centralized shower house. Our site was site 69, it backed up to one of the restrooms on our loop and actually had a small private path to the facility which made it unique from other sites and very convenient.

While the spring has brought in recent rains, the site was a it more overgrown than I would have liked considering this area is noted for a variety of snakes, however the tent pad and picnic area itself was cleared so with hesitation we went ahead and set up our overnight home.

The tent pad was a right pebble base, this made sleeping in just a sleeping bag impossible. We had to pad the base with several layers due to the sharp texture of the rocks below. I noticed later when packing the tent we also ended with a small tear at the lip of the tent because of these rocks. I would advise on this surface potentially laying a tarp barrier before placing your tent fo this reason.

Sites were standardly equipped with a picnic table and fire ring. Our site had both water and electricity, which actually were quite handy considering we were having some charging issues with my in car charger. This particular site was located directly beside the camp host.

We used the site as a basecamp for exploring the city in the evening and the following morning before checking out of the park we took a drive to the showers and explored the park fully. The showers had pretty hard water and lower pressure than some but definitely got the job done for bringing us back to life from the muggy day, nearly 75% humidity.

We visited both the upper and lower falls areas as well as the wildflower field. I can easily see after visiting these just why the park stays so busy! The beauty is astounding, but more so the water offers a retreat for those looking to take a dip in the cool flowing pools. While both were down from normal account, we still saw many people diving in and enjoying the day. Others fished along the banks, hiked the many trails surrounding the waters and enjoyed picnics in the designated areas.

My friend wade into the water to see what it felt like and it was still a bit cool for her liking at this time of April, but give it a couple months and that cool temp would be more than welcomed!

All in All despite the few small areas for improvement I couldn't see this park being anything less than a 5! The quality of experience when we visited with not impaired by the numerous guests and though it could change later in the season, for early April when the wildflowers bloomed wild, the waters flowed cool and the camping was not in intolerable heat it was a win!

Tips:

• Book in advance any time other than Winter.

• Bring sunscreen there is little shade near the falls so you will want to protect yourself. In the brief time I was out there I got a little burned on my neck and shoulders.

• Bring drinks, we stopped in the Check In Station and there were only a handful of drinks and supplies. I would suggest bringing a water filter or bringing a cooler of drinks for your visit.

• Beware of snakes and spiders. On our stay we noticed an influx of spiders, while we personally did not see a snake some others were saying they had seen them basking near the banks and on some of the trails. Always be aware!!

• Remember do not pull vehicles into the grass, keep all cars in designated drive areas. Each campsite has a parking area for you to use, if you need additional parking there is more parking near restrooms.

There is no better late spring to early summer activity than getting good float down one of the rivers of Texas.  While there are plenty of put in spots, many do not have access to a campground which offers as many options as the Guadalupe River State Park.  

Under the supervision of the Texas State Park system the facilities for both day use and overnight stay are well maintained. Currently undergoing an overhaul which will offer new restrooms in one of the camping loops, they are constantly striving to better accommodate guests and provide a fun and relaxed get away for a day, week or weekend.  

Taking a trip through the camping loops I noticed each were well shaded and positioned in a way that the sun could trickle through the leaves to provide warmth on a cool morning but not so much that it would make the sweltering summer days more intense.  Large parking spaces could easily accommodate two vehicles at each camp and amenities ranged depending on the location of the site you choose.  

In the improved camping loops, sites came standard with electricity and water connections, with posts being positioned at the front of the site.  You would need to provide your own hose or cord to source this toward the rear of the site if desired. Camping sites each provide a large picnic table and lantern hook in addition to a tent pad which is constructed and elevated slighting from the ground around.

In addition, to the loop camp sites, there is another section designed for tent campers wanting to walk in.  While this area is well maintained, it is subject to closures with rains unlike the other areas.  When I visited, the recent downpour had forced closure of all trails and also this campsite as a part of the conservation effort for keeping the natural lands.  While I do appreciate this as a person who wants to protect our spaces so we can continue to enjoy them for years to come, I could easily see how it could also disappoint a camper who is having change their location to an improved site.

Throughout the park there are a series of trails for hiking, biking and even horseback riding.  A full map is provided at the front gate and can come in handy if you are wanting to find more than just the river trail while at camp.  But something also to consider when looking at this map is the trail system located across the road from what most consider to be the park.  This section is less populated with hikers and provides some of the most interesting hiking you will find at Guadalupe River State Park.

But let’s get down to what everyone really wants to hear about … THE RIVER!  

The river can be a source of a lot of fun and also traffic.  Being open for day use as well as for those staying at the park, the area provides a cool retreat to dive into the cool waters of the Guadalupe River. There are picnic tables lining the shoreline, some off the river and in shaded areas while others are in full sun.  There is a no alcohol policy which is enforced on busy days, so warning if you are a person looking to float and drink, this might not be the right place to put in.

A trail runs alongside the riverfront providing great views of the river’s path.  A nature center and amphitheater are located across the parking lot from the river highlighting educational materials for the entire family but with exhibits geared toward the kiddos. In this area currently there are only port a potty restrooms.

Tips:

• If you are planning on floating, make sure to read the guidelines by the parking lot.  Remember the river is not a loop so where you put in is not where you will end up.
• Book In Advance!  This park is very popular and quickly fills up on weekend, if you are planning a trip make sure you book well in advance to ensure you will have a site.
• Check the Weather!  The river’s flow is directly effected by the amount of rainfall. If you are planning a trip pull up the weather to make sure it will not make for unsafe conditions.