Best Dog-Friendly Camping near Mentone, TX

There was no problem finding this campground(CG) as it is right off I-10 adjacent to a Valero gas station. We had paid online, and per the emailed instructions, we went and chose an empty site. After driving through and looking at sites that didn’t have trees that would interfere with our slide-outs, we went into pull-through site 29 with FHUs. As we were only staying overnight, we did not use water and sewer. The CG’s sites are all pull-throughs with FHUs. About 1/4 of the sites are transient workers or full-timers. When we were here towards the end of January, there were plenty of sites to choose from. Our site was plenty long enough for our 40’ 5th wheel and F450. This is a basic CG with no internet, but they have a laundry room on the back of the Saddleback Steakhouse and Bar that has seen better days. There’s also an unmanned office with instructions and a drop box for campers without a reservation. There were plenty of sites that have clear shots to the sky for satellite. We got 3 bars on Verizon. We should have used our sound machine as there’s a lot of road noise from I-10. There’s no formal dog park, but there is plenty of room to walk your dog. Other than the price, one of the reasons we stayed here was the raving reviews by other campers on the Saddleback Steakhouse and Saloon, especially their ribeyes. Boy, were we disappointed. We were expecting a big Texas-style steak. The steak was maybe 1/4 inch thick, and the hand-cut fries were greasy. This may be the only place in the US that still allows smoking inside. They live by their own rules here. On the bright side, this dive-type bar was interesting and somewhat entertaining depending on your views as this establishment is clearly pro-Trump and anti-Biden.

We actually stayed here for a week, part of relocating from Texas over to the desert for the winter. 

The Pros:

• Easy in and out.  You can actually just go right to the back of the gas station there and cut left, big entrance area, though going to the right of the Saloon and restaurant does put you going the right way for....

• Large, long spots.  Now, some have a cone in them, I'd guess some problem with one of the three hookups, but I don't know.  Some of them are also overgrown.

• Plenty of room, really.  This isn't a place people stay for long, being next to the highway, I would guess.  So when you're trying to "reserve" a spot on the phone, it'll pretty much be "just come on".

• During our stay we had reliable power and water, no issues.  Decent water pressure as well.  We did hit some freezing overnights so I just filled the tanks and we ran off that until we left.  I didn't actually hook up to the sewer at all.

• The onsite bar and restaurant isn't bad.

The Cons:

• Not really a problem for me, but you ARE next to a truck stop and a highway, but honestly, I didn't hear them really at all during the night unless I was listening for it.

• There was someone with loose dogs.  As a former traveling-with-dog RVer, that annoys me to a VERY great deal.  I don't know your dog, mine always seemed to get attacked.  Keep your dog on a leash, please.

• Again, not a problem for me, but the bar/restaurant is very right wing Republican.    F*** Biden flags, Trump Won, etc.  Just warning you.  The patrons and staff didn't say or do anything untoward, but if this kind of stuff bothers you and you're easily offended, just be aware.

• It took me second time to realize that my chicken fried steak wasn't just awesomely tender, but rather I'm pretty sure it was hamburger.  The batter and gravy was good, really, all the food was good.  (Though we did feel a little ripped off at 5 or 6 small onion rings for $6.99.)   There is a great Mexican restaurant in town (as much as there is any town to Balmorhea), too, be sure to check hours and such.  It's called La Cueva de Oso.

We pulled off I-10 to stay for the night on a cross-country trip. This park is just off the exit and you drive through the gas station entrance to get here, but the park is remarkably quiet and scenic for being in the middle of the desert and right next to the highway. We arrived around 4:30 pm on a Friday and the office wasn't open. They have a dropbox that tells you to find a spot and pay the nightly rate in the dropbox. The restaurant is closed, but if you need anything at the gas station, it is very close. For $20, we have water, sewer, and electricity.  The T-Mobile cell service is amazing, but there aren't over-the-air TV channels. The sites are a little close together, but the first half have pretty desert plants between each site. There are clearly some long-term residents, but we felt safe and welcome and would definitely come back as a stopover.