Searching for a tent camping spot near Meridian? You can find tent campsites by type, including drive-in, walk-in, and even hike-in for a backpacking adventure. Whether you're looking for a quiet, dispersed site or an established camgpround with amenities, The Dyrt makes it easy to find the perfect place to pitch your tent.
The campsite is fenced in our front pasture with water and composting toilet available. It is located under a large tree. Our front pasture houses our goats, cows, donkeys and chickens. We have two seasonal creeks that run thru the property and about 9 acres of woods to explore. Because we have no ambient lighting our farm is a great place to stargaze.
$45 / night
Whether you’re a camping enthusiast or just looking for some peace and quiet for a night, Hackberry Hills has the best to offer. Enjoy a night sleeping under the stars, rocking in a hammock or nestled in a tent. Fall asleep to the sound of the cicadas and coyotes and wake up to a beautiful sunrise and the rooster crowing. Cast a line for bass or catfish, paddle the canoe, hunt for wild berries, or simple enjoy the view. Minutes away from Baylor, Magnolia, and everything else Waco has to offer. You’re guaranteed to leave rested and relaxed.
$30 - $40 / night
This recreation area is part of Benbrook Lake
$25 - $47 / night
Scout
Great COE campground on Lake Whitney with well spaced sites for trailers and tent camping. Includes a large section for equestrian campers that includes paddocks for your horse as well as trails to ride on. There are both 30 and 50 amp spots as well as tent camping sites. A boat launch, shallow swimming areas and 2 playgrounds round out this fantastic, family friendly campground!
Scout
This place was amazing! The hiking is so much fun. You could spend days here and not hike all of the trails. There is also so much to do. The camp sites are very nice and quiet. We were tent camping during January and the bathrooms had heaters. The park rangers are always planning something new. We will definitely be back!
TravelerThe hidden gem of Lake Whitney. Tent sites are tucked in the back of the park away from foot traffic and most vehicles. Lake front sites are perfectly located with access to the lake but not too far from hard stand bathrooms and showers. We will definitely be coming back again.
Traveler
Stayed in a screened shelter right in the lake because it was supposed to rain. The trails were nice and there were some good views. Some are definitely appropriate for beginners like me. We definitely will go back for tent camping. Note that the "lake" is very small - no motor boats. Folks were enjoying bank fishing and kayaking. The Rangers seemed omni-present. We enjoyed our stay.
GuideThis campground is nice and clean. The lake is small but has fish in it. Our tent site was kind of close to the road and there was a weird dude driving a suburban around all day and night. Plenty of trees to hammock camp. I would stop here again. They sell wood on site(pay with CC)
TravelerTent camped at site 60 which was great! Right off the water and super close (but not too close) to the restrooms. Weather for us was rough with high winds the first day but the next two were beautiful! Lots of wildlife, as we were pulling into the park we saw lots of deer..and throughout our stay we were visited by some Canadian Geese. The fire circle comes with a grill but it’s pretty small, and this specific site isn’t very level but we found a spot for our tent. Definitely coming back!
ScoutThe reason I'm leaving three stars is because we have small kids and tent camp. There was sand spurs all over the ground. I had to try to shovel out most before putting the tent out. It didn't matter, every 2 minutes the kids where crying or I was pulling one out of the dogs paw or my leg. They didn't seem as bad around other parts of the park. However, spot 48 and the tent areas around there were terrible. Other then dealing with sand spurs the entire time, the view and lake was nice!
Guide
We tent camped at a sheltered cabin - cabin had two tables, water, and electric, plus a fan! Lots of easy water access. Showers and restrooms were available but definitely would advise these are "natural" bathrooms. Park staff very friendly. Sheltered cabins not super close to one another so helped with privacy and making you feel like you aren't crowded. No hiking trails though but is close to Mammoth if you want to spend a day there. About 3 hours from San Antonio. Wifi and cell service
GuideI remember going here as a kid and going back some 20 years later the park doesn’t disappoint. With a new pavilion that hosts multiple picnic tables great for an afternoon lunch after visiting the track sites or swimming in the river. At the time that I visited camping still wasn’t open yet but there is tent camping sights set back from the main parking area. The property has multiple grills, picnic tables and even a pavilion that you can rent out with an outdoor fireplace that overlooks the river.
TravelerThis Is a great area to camp near Waco without having to travel far. Just 5 minutes outside the Waco City limits, these grounds have a lot of hook up spots without feeling too crowded. Its also a great place to tent camp, or use one of a few cabins that are available. Nearly every camp site is a stones throw from the water. Great Swimming and fishing. There are a number of places to pull your boat up to shore. There is a play ground, but its only near a few sites and quite a distance from most sites. But for older kids with bikes, it's a fun ride. There are deer and rabbits and birds and squirrels. Its a nice little spot that is laid out to feel big.
GuideThis was our family’s first tent camping trip. We have two young kids (6 and 3), so we wanted to go somewhere with which we were already familiar.
Check-in was easy, the bathrooms and showers were very clean and in excellent condition. The sites are close, but not too close together, and it was very quiet (despite being full!). We felt very safe the entire time. At one point, our 3-year-old got sick (most likely due to the heat and over exertion); the park ranger on duty was so helpful.
It ended up being one of the hottest weekends in June and the tracks were not visible due to recent flooding, but we still had the best time. We still got to swim in the river, go hiking, and make a trip to Fossil Rim. Our kids were begging to go back as soon as we left! We’ll be back for sure.
GuideMy wife, dog, and I headed here for an impromptu overnight. We did not know what to expect, though. We were tent camping, and the campground is pretty small and quite. We loved the place. We got one of the Shinnery Ridge West "primitive" sites which means no water faucet nearby, but it was right on the lake and had a nice picnic table and grill. We had plenty of room and the site could have held two tents.
We hiked two trails: the Shinnery Ridge trail made about a 2 mile loop from our campsite. The first quarter mile or so was paved like a sidewalk to be ADA accessible. It then went up a ridgeline and looped back down. There weren't any great views, but there were lots of rabbits.
The Bosque hiking trail looped the entire lake in about 2.5 miles. You get to see areas of the lake filled with lilly pads and walk across the dam. On the far side of the lake from our site was the swimming area & boat ramp, and we were able to get more water to drink as we went by.
The swimming area was pretty good. It isn't sandy, but the lake isn't very rocky and it gently slopes down to allow you to wade out and splash and play. You can rent kayaks and SUPs by the hour here. The lake seemed sheltered enough to make these great options, but we did not take advantage on this trip.
Legend"Dinosaurs may be extinct from the face of the Earth, but they are alive and well in our imaginations."
This Texas state parks is one of favorites. I have been quite a few times since I was a kid and it never gets old. It is just inside of Glen Rose, Texas, located along the Paluxy river. This park will bring out your inner child.
Let's start with the facilities. Sosome of the bathrooms are old, but they are well maintained even with all the traffic. This park gets very busy in the summer. So we tent camped but we stayed at an RC site because they don't have water only sites and with a 4 year old and my grandmother, I didn't want to have a walk-in (no bathrooms nearby) or a backpack site. There is quite a bit of shade around the campsites, and there are awesome playgrounds for children.
Now there are a LOT of trails. They will give you a map that is very helpful and let's you know where all of the track sites and overlooks are. The main track sites are along the river and are so cool see! There is also information things everywhere that tell you about the tracks that were excavated so make sure to check those out!
The one problem I had was that we went during a drought, so the river is very low and makes it hard to view some of the tracks, also swimming was a bust. So make sure you check the river advisory on their website to see what your getting into. Especially in the hotter months you definitely want to get in the river to cool off.
This place is larger than life, so make sure you plan your hikes beforehand. My favorite trail is the Buckeye trails. It is about 2 miles, so good for kids, and it is up through the woods. Lots of shade and variety in the path. Don't miss out on this adventure.
GuideThis is absolutely one of my favorite State Parks and campgrounds I’ve ever been to. I have been visiting this park & campground since I was a child. I’ve camped, tube rafted the river, played in the water, found all the dinosaur tracks (yes, real actual dinosaurs were here) and hiked all the trails numerous times. I have never had a bad experience here. Always lots to do and I end up finding at least one new thing every time I go. The campsites are pretty secluded by trees for privacy. They are clean, well maintained and each have a fire pit and picnic table. There are tent sites as well as full hook-up sites. The public restroom & showers are always clean & well kept. The absolute best thing about this place is that you can actually touch and stand on a REAL dinosaur track!!! There are signs explaining which dinosaur left each particular track and giving all the information about the individual dinosaur and the time frame they lived there. It’s really cool, even for an adult. The water is always clear and cool. There are several swimming “holes” that are very refreshing, one even has a cliff you can jump off of into it because it’s deep & safe. The hiking is superb, with nice groomed trails and beautiful scenery. Easy enough for children but still challenging enough for the adults due to the elevation changes. The outlooks are spectacular views. I see why the dinosaur’s chose to live there. The town of Glen Rose is right down the road and they have stores for anything you might’ve forgotten or need. Also, the town has several good restaurants if you want a night off from cooking. You can’t go wrong with this State Park & campground. I can’t find one negative thing about it. Pure Texas Perfection!!
Guide
Texas Parks & Wildlife (TPW) goes BIG with this sweet little park! In 2015, a new Visitors Center and 20-site campground were built among the remnants of the old CCC structures. Little reminders of CCC construction were visible just feet from my campsite (#17)… a portion of an old wall and BBQ pits. The campsite itself was wonderful! Plenty of spacing between neighboring sites. Freshly raked gravel, four large benches/chunks of quarried limestone, a picnic table, fire pit, pole with two hooks for hanging trash or gear, water, and electric. No specific tent site— since the whole area was level. Just a short walk along a path from my campsite to the restroom/shower facilities, which were very clean. Womens’ side had two sinks, three bathroom stalls- with one being ADA accessible, and two shower stalls, one of which was ADA accessible. The restroom had a large outdoor sink area, a little library, bike rack, and informational bulletin board. Only a few miles of hiking trails within the park, but beautifully maintained, with walking access to trail system from the campground. If you’re driving a taller/bigger vehicle, you’ll want to consider using those trail access points, rather than driving back to the small trailhead parking lots. The road leading back to the TH parking areas has an 8 ft height limit. Hiking highlights are an old CCC viewing tower, a CCC picnic table, a cave, and old washing pond. Camp hosts were cordial, and Park/Visitors Center staff were helpful and efficient with check in process. I received a call from the Park staff earlier in the morning on the day of my arrival, to let me know the entrance road from the south into the park was closed, so I’d have to access from the north, and also to let me know a county-wide burn ban was in effect, so no campfires during my stay in March 2022.
LegendWhat a great park full of history! Mother Neff has a lot to offer and is just about 30 miles from Waco, TX that is known for all the Magnolia stuff! The park headquarters have a lot of information so you can figure out your trip and hit all the main attractions in one decent hike! The cave is an amazing part of history and is definitely a must-see!
Leon river runs through this park, although we are currently in a drought so it is as dry as a bone. The Tonkawa tribe lived along the river in the 1800's and many artifacts have been found along with the awesome cave they used. You can also see the wash pond and parts of the original park in the 1930's. There are lots of trees which make for some great trails and lots of shade. Plus the facilities are brand new and so nice.
The trails are quite short and you could go through the whole park in a day but it is well worth the drive to see and feel the history around you. The do have some really nice RV sites, but the tent camping is very limited and closed currently along with the cabins because of flooding. The park has been destroyed many times from the Leon River flooding and is still in the process of being cleaned up.
Also if you take a 7 mile drive down the road to The Grove, TX, you will find another beautiful piece of history. The Grove a tiny, tiny little ghost town that was established in the 1860's! If you love seeing old buildings it is definitely worth the quick drive and take some awesome pics! Some of the original buildings are still there.
I took a trip here with my son and my grandmother and it was such a fun experience. All of the main attractions were able to be seen from the main trail so my grandma was able to keep up and see the park she has memories of as a kid. She said it is much more fancy now than it was in the 60's!
RangerMeridian SP is such a hidden gem. If you’re not a fan of the Texas heat they just added one limited use cabin in addition to RV, tent and screened shelter sites. The BEST place to stay is the shelters on the lake hands down! There is also a CCC building at this park that serves as a gathering area on the lakeshore. It has several well maintained trails and the lake is good for fishing. Wildflower season here is CRAZY!
RangerWe camped at site 31 which is a primitive tent only site. The sites are HUGE!!! tons of space between you and the next site. Sites are level and easy to find a spot to pitch your tent.
Set up a camp chair, bust out your fishing gear and kick back and relax while watching the amazing sunset over Lake Meridian.
GuideWe were at Meridian for two weeks. We enjoyed our time at Lake Meridian State Park!
Pros: -quiet and peaceful -beautiful & clean swimming lake -paddleboarding -pull thru sites -multiple trails -we were in site 1and loved it because it was like you had a little backyard -full rv hookups Cons: -a lot of rv sites in full sun -sticker burs throughout grass
ScoutWish they would change the name to Meridian State Park instead of just Meridian on here. Very nice, small, peaceful park. There are 8 pull thru sites with full hookups, including 50 amp. We were in on site 6. Fairly level, but not much room to put a rug out. They had 5 big rocks out to keep people from parking to close to the site. Very close to the bathroom and shower room. Very clean. Right next to Park Office. Lake was only 5 minute walk or minute drive. Excellent swimming area with picnic tables and grills. Did not get a chance to fish there but heard it is very good. Very quiet park.
RangerThere may not be a lot of trails, but they are very nice. The sites are oddly level, even though they do not look like they would be.
Site 01 is a great spot, that feels about the most secluded.
Watch out for all the spider webs on the trails, if you hike early in the morning... We camped at Meridian State Park in a 28 foot Travel Trailer.
LegendThis is a great park for family fun, and would be awesome for family reunions or youth groups! They have literally everything you can think of for summer fun! Fishing, swimming, hiking, kayaking, bird watching! We stayed on the East side so we would be close to bathrooms and drinking water. Be aware if you stay on the West side the bathrooms and water are about a mile away. There are also RV sites, cabins, screened shelters and group sites. All sites have lake access nearby.
So the park is basically a huge lake with pretty clean water for a lake. There are a wide variety of hiking trails surrounding the lake.Each trail is very much its own with different scenery, rock formations, and trees. I think the longest trail is about 2 miles, so nothing to extreme. Perfect for families and kids. It is also very dog friendly which I love!!!
This park is also only 45 miles from Glen Rose! It would be a great place to stay at and take a day to go to Dinosaur Valley State Park. Meridian is a small town but it does have all the amenities you may need about 5 miles down the road. There is a grocery store, a gas station, and some restaurants if you want a warm home style meal.
The facilities are old but well maintained, and thankfully there are showers which will be needed after swimming. Don't let the size of this park get you down, it has so much to offer for a getaway from city life. IT is the perfect place to relax, take a dip, and read a good book!
Scout
We had limited weekends to take the grandkids camping. It has been raining non stop all over Texas. I began to look for places within 2 hours of Fort Worth. Texas State Parks are a great. I settled on Lake Whitney. They have these shelter sites that are awesome. For $30 per night ($10 per night more than normal e&w site) plus $5 per adult gate fee. That may not be economical for everyone, but $40 for an overnight camp was fine. The shelters are very clean and well kept. Inside is a picnic table and enough floor space for another plus some. So if your tent fails in you go. The top of walls are screened and bottom solid. I set up my camp kitchen and we ate meals inside due to weather. We set up our large tent behind the shelter to block wind from the lake. The site also had it's own parking, another table outside and fire ring. We had site 4 right across from the lake and swimming area. The bath house was very clean and only a short walk. You can fish license free from the shore. There are 5 or 6 moderate hiking trails. Also the park is home to plenty of woodland animals. The 4 yo and I took a 2 am bathroom break and saw a herd of dear about 30 head.
The park is very good for families and fishing.
There are also a boat ramp, small airstrip and day use areas.
The staff is awesome.
RangerBest camping ground ever! Bathrooms and restrooms are newly remodeled, everything is clean and organized. Every camp spot has its own water source and electricity hookup, makes a huge difference at the hot Texas summer days and perfect for spending the nights not in a complete dark in case you’re using only a tent without a generator. The trails are great even in the Texan summer as many of them are beside the river where you can cool off. Highly recommended for families with kids all ages!
From website:
Find dinosaur tracks, camp, picnic, hike, mountain bike, swim, fish and paddle in the river, watch for wildlife, look for a geocache, ride your horse, or visit our interpretive center.
Stay at one of our campsites. Explore 20 miles of trails. Shop our park store for souvenirs, camping and fishing supplies, books and much more.
Discover dinosaur tracks It’s easy to find dinosaur tracks in the park – just head to the river!
ScoutClean park but lake currently has an algae bloom. Older small camp sites with a few drive thrus. Really friendly people and stores about 5 mi away. Nice time but better for tent campers. No wifi.
GuidePrimitive camping was a mike hike in. Once we got there camping was in a field with other tents and be careful cause voices carry. The park itself was fun. Loved being able to walk where dinosaurs left their footprints.
Traveler
Great park and fun pool for the summer. Park offers activities. Facitllies were nice. Better as an RV site but we visited as tent campers - still enjoyed the trip. Nice location in Glen Rose across from Big Rocks in the river and near the square.
Tent camping near Meridian, Texas offers a fantastic opportunity to immerse yourself in nature while enjoying various amenities and activities. With several well-reviewed spots nearby, you can find the perfect place to set up your tent and unwind.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Meridian, TX?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Meridian, TX is Cedar Creek Park Campground with a 5-star rating from 1 review.
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TheDyrt.com has all 8 tent camping locations near Meridian, TX, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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