Whether you're a tent camper, an RVer, or just passing through, Matagorda, TX has a lot to offer. Enjoy the scenic camping, fun activities, and sights and sounds of Matagorda. You're sure to find the perfect spot for your Texas camping adventure.
"A mix of folks RV, car, tent camping! Some folks are definitely here for a long time."
"We were there in mid November so too chilly to swim but still mid 70s so beautiful weather for fishing and hanging out. We caught a huge flounder for dinner."
"It's super close to town and gives you a bit of reprieve from the city. Be aware - junk washes up on shore frequent. It can also get a bit crowded especially on the weekends."
"You can drive right on the beach! Sunsets are amazing but watch out for the bugs at night!"
LegendReserved 68 nights prior to arriving. Campground had 78% occupancy during our 3 night stay.
PROS Able to clearly hear the ocean roar from all campground 59 FHU sites
Campsite concrete pad level and in good condition
Park roadways good condition with no speed bumps and easy to maneuver
Lantern pole at some sites
Some sites have two sewer connections
Picnic table located on oversized concrete pad
Combo lock on toilet/shower entrance doors
Toilet/shower facility very nice
Laundromat on site with 3 washers and 3 dryers.$4.25
Wood campfire allowed in off-ground fire pit with screen cover you provide and placed away from any grass
Fairly good dark sky viewing as campground street lights are limited
2 large wooden Colorado River fishing piers which are lighted from dusk to dawn
Putt-putt golf$10
Bagged ice machine across road from Park
2 bars VERIZON signal
CONS
Toilet/shower door combination changed during our stay and was not notified and had no access until we tracked down park personnel
Dog poop in the mens handicap stall Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday so obviously no one monitoring toilet facility
$6 reservation fee for self made on-line reservation
10 campsites were reutilized to build elevated beach cabanas
Park quiet hours not enforced
No park officials or host cruising patrolling campground
No entrance gate locked overnight. Lots of fishermen cruising through campground
No shade what so ever. Some sites had a pergola over their concrete picnic table; Our site had no table covering. Brisk ocean"breezes", made it impossible to deploy our trailer awning
No privacy from any other campsite
Sites fairly close to each other
No campsite campfire pits
No on-site firewood sales
Concrete picnic table unmovable No ocean"view" from any of the campsites
No camp store in Park. Closest H‑E‑B, Walmart and Tractor Supply in Bay City. No grocery stores in Matagorda but there is a Dollar General store. Park WIFI poor; could only connect at toilet/shower facility
No playground, basketball or tennis courts
No pool or splash pad
ScoutLocated between Port Lavaca and Port O'connor, TX. A mile or so of no-fee camping. No designated sites. Hard packed sand/sea shell surface, with paved access roads. Beach is pretty clean but beach appropriate footware is required. There is a bath house with free lavatories. We were there in August 2019 and March 2020 and the inside showers (4) were locked. There is a free use outside shower. There are picnic tables covered with 4 open sided concrete shelters. There are trash barrels in front of all the shelters. The picinic shelter closest to the rest rooms is wheelchair accessable. No electric, sewer or water sites. This is a very windy place. If you tent camp, low profile strong tents are recommended. I've seen many RVs with generators, PV solar arrays and wind turbines. There are small convience stores and bait and tackle stores nearby. There is a fishing pier towards the Southern part of the beach. A few RV campgrounds in the area. It is kept pretty clean. In the warmer months the crabs like to hide in the bathrooms out of the sun. Don't be alarmed, they stay away from people. Don't miss the Camel memorial at the Southernmost entrance. There is a Geocache in the area.
LegendReserved 89 days prior to arriving.
PRO
Extremely nice park registration staff.
Registration info was available outside of gatehouse upon arrival.
Security gate that closes during overnight hours.
Quiet except for Hwy 111 traffic noise.
Campsites along lake with wide open view of lake. VERY NICE.
Nice space between campsites with brush between some sites for privacy
Clean and well stocked toilet/shower facility.
Dark sky friendly.
Brand new Nature Center!
Campsite with picnic table, lantern pole and fire ring.
Campsite 125 partially shade
$35/night camping fee
CON
$3.50 transaction fee Former Texas State Park so most campsites are short in length.
We saw numerous 25ft and bigger rigs struggling to back into sites and then the front of their rig was right on roadway.
Campsite 125 uneven side-to-side.
Alligators in lake!
2 bars AT&T.
No Park WiFi.
GuideA mix of folks RV, car, tent camping! Some folks are definitely here for a long time.
Pros
Cons
Lots of good taco options in the town over! We enjoyed Mr. Tacos barbacoa and al pastor tacos.
LegendPros:
• Quick and friendly check-in
.• Large parking area that is rig-friendly for check-in.
• Knowledgeable park personnel
• Nature center with interactive exhibits and gift shop
• Well maintained. Daily we saw the camp hosts working diligently, even hosing down and scrubbing bird poop from campsites.
• Saturday morning 1.5 hour guided Gulf beach walk($5/pp) by Paige and Whitley. Paige knew her“stuff” as she was pelted continuously with questions and she never missed a beat!
• Complimentary early Saturday morning coffee and pastries.
• Along the Colorado River but you can hear ocean roar where the river meets the Gulf of Mexico.
• Level concrete parking pad surrounded by grass. Back-ins and drive-thrus.
• Two sewer hook-up outlets.
• Large concrete picnic table.
• Very nice and clean toilets/shower building in an elevated building accessible by a ramp. Must have code to enter.
• Laundry facility in toilet/shower building with code entry.
• Nice Colorado River fishing piers with fish cleaning tables with freshwater spigot and a super pier over the beach/ocean.
• Primo sunsets
• Bay City, 20-minute drive, for the closest Walmart, HEB and other retailers and restaurants.
Cons:
• LCRA $6 on-line reservation fee.
• Absolutely no trees or vegetation between sites which equals NO SHADE and NO PRIVACY.
• Ocean“breeze” made it impossible to deploy trailer awning.
• No fire pits, but if you bring your own with a screen cover, you may have a fire, if you bring wood as no wood is sold at this park.
• NOT A DARK SKY FRIENDLY CAMPGROUND due to way too many street lights throughout the campground, along the river bank and on the fishing piers. This would be a 5 star campground if there was more darkness!
• Complimentary LCRA WIFI was weak and unreliable.
• When the ocean"breeze" died down and the humidity was up, we were attacked by swarms of mosquitos which required us to heavily apply repellent in mid-February
• Not much in the town of Matagorda, basically a fishing village, and of those businesses, not many operating in mid-February.
TravelerSites are very spacious, each has its own picnic table on a concrete pad. Lots of privacy, most sites are separated by 15' widths of trees and shrubs which act as a privacy wall. There is a little climbing playground for little ones. Fishing piers and a nature center currently being built and it is going to be huge! We've been here three days and have seen 4 armadillos, 5 squirrels, 7 deer and 1 raccoon. The neighbor said she has camped here 6 times and only seen 1 teeny tiny gator. Only thing missing for my likes is a swimming pool. You can't get into this water, pretty murky and lily pads
TravelerThis park is located inside the Matagorda Nature Preserve and located directly on the ICW with a beautiful view from pretty much every camp site. The sites have electric and water hookups and their is a restroom located directly in the middle of the ground. Their is a self-service ice machine right across the street and that a plus because their is virtually nowhere to buy ice on the island and the closest convenient store is about 15 minutes away. It’s 27$ a night to camp and they allow tents and RVs which is pretty cool. I set my tent up in the grass and enjoyed a beautiful sunset over the water. The public beach access is about 5 miles away and it’s a pretty nice beach but you need 4 wheel drive to access. Showers are a little outdated and their is absolutely no shade at all but other than that it’s a beautiful little spot.
TravelerEasy access, easy parking on hard packed crushed shell & sand. We parked feet from the ocean, pay attention to high tide and park accordingly. We were there in mid November so too chilly to swim but still mid 70s so beautiful weather for fishing and hanging out. We caught a huge flounder for dinner. There's a 14 day stay limit although I'm pretty sure there are some who stay longer. Restrooms and showers available- bring your flip flops for the shower! Good place to collect shells and memories ❤️ IG @_GoWanderWithUs
ScoutAbout a mile stretch of beach parking. Free, hard packed shell beach. 15 picnic shades with tables. Outside shower, flush toilets. Can park on beach or by shades. Plenty of trash cans. Very clean. 14 day limit.
Tent camping near Matagorda, Texas, offers a unique blend of natural beauty and outdoor adventure, perfect for those looking to escape the hustle and bustle of city life.
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