Mount Vernon is the perfect place for adventurous campers and RVers. Mount Vernon is a great camping destination for everyone. There are tons of nearby hikes, adventurous activities, and sights to see. Discover great camping spots near Mount Vernon, reviewed by campers like you.
$44 - $150 / night
"We didn't trust our camper Prius to make it through a certain dip in the trail, so we found a nice level spot in the woods just off the trail."
"Campgrounds provide water and electricity; in the heat, you'll need a fan. Even on the river, there is limited air circulation due to the dense tree cover."
"Heavy tree cover means little air movement, even right on the water. Little popularity from the locals means this place is quiet and serene."
"Primitive camping. Restrooms have recently been torn down and are going to be rebuilt. It's a great spot for Kayaking and other water sports, or just relaxing in the water."
$45 - $50 / night
"You will be about 12 minutes away from the nearest Walmart, in case you forget some camping supplies. We had to go there to buy more carrots for the horses. (40 pounds of carrots)."
"The entire property is simply beautiful and I'd strongly recommend Dads to bring their girls and boys out to enjoy this amazing display of nature and wildlife."
$5 / night
"Set up your basic base camp near a picnic table and fire ring the. Go out into the park to hike, bike, horseback ride, frisbee golf, kayak and observe nature."
"We got the best sleep we’ve ever had camping with the soft grass and our sleeping pad. Watch out for mud spots in the grass."
"Very quiet area with plenty of space to set up camp. Grass was freshly mowed when I showed up. Campground overlooks a good sized lake, as well as has a boat ramp. Great stay"
LegendPROS
Texas State Park Pass discount saving $49
Reserved 151 days prior to arriving
Not charged a fee to make my own on-line reservation
Big Pine site #308 very shady site
Extra wide asphalt parking pad
Concrete slab that locked down the wooden picnic table
Metal fire pit with cooking grate which was cleared of ash upon our arrival
2 hook lantern pole
Dark sky friendly
Trash dumpsters near the toilet/shower building
Tyler Rose Garden features over 30,000 bushes and is open free to the public from sunrise to sunset…very beautiful and serene
CONS
Had to sweep for nearly an hour to clean debris from site
No entrance gate locked overnight
Never saw any rangers patrolling campground during our entire stay
Dogs on leashes not enforced
Unable to move picnic table
Big Pine site #308 way out of being level but manageable
Big Pine site #308 close to campground road
Big Pine site #308 tight fit for 28 ft
Only pine firewood for sale in Park
No WiFi
1 bar Verizon 5G
LegendReserved on-line 152 days prior to arrival.
Pros
Pristine clean restroom/showerhouse. Seemed recently renovated
BIG PINE camping area only big rig friendly(longer than 20 ft) out of 40 FHU sites. Big Pine, Dogwood and Mountain View Campgrounds FHU so 40 FHU sites with no park dump station.
Aluminum picnic table and fire ring with cooking grate
Very quiet campground except for highway and train noise
4 camp hosts
Good night sky viewing in BIG PINE
Good view of lake in BIG PINE
Privacy from side neighbors
No leveling required from side-to-side
Asphalt parking pad heaved various places due to tree roots creating numerous tripping hazard
Campsite utility hook-ups in good condition with no problems encountered
Security gate that closes overnight
No street lights in BIG PINE
Campsite and entrance fee discount with Texas State Park Pass
Not charged a fee to make my own on-line reservation
CONS
Most FHU sites (other than BIG PINE) are extremely short in length. Barely room for single axle TT, so need to review site details carefully
Site 8 had an extreme amount of above ground roots causing tripping hazard
Picnic table approx 50 feet from Site 8 parking pad
Highway and train noise
BIG PINE sites barely off campground road, so therefore no privacy from campers across the road
Restroom/shower facility not heated
No lantern pole
No wildlife sightings
No park Wifi
1 bar AT&T in BIG PINE
LegendReserved on-line 153 days prior to arrival.
Pros
Area 2 campground night sky friendly with good dark sky viewing
Site 211 has fantastic views of the lake
Mid afternoon Sunday check in at entrance station very busy but processed quickly Utility hookups in good condition
Sites with grass neatly maintained
Campground mostly quiet except for Interstate 20 traffic noise
Showers were individual entry on opposite side of the building from the toilets
Campsite and entrance fee discount with Texas State Park Pass
Not charged a fee to make my own on-line reservation
EXXON station directly outside of State Park sold oak firewood 25 pieces for $20
Cons
Raccoons very aggressive and tried to take food that we were eating from our hands!!! Area 2 Lakeview sites require leveling side-to-side
Area 2 campsite parking pads are narrow with trees and large boulders close to parking pad.
ery narrow roadway in Area 2 with limited space to maneuver into backin sites.
One pull-thru site was so tight to the roadway, their trailer was partially on the road! Area 2 campground sites have no privacy from any other camp sites
Site 211 table, fire pit with cooking grate and lantern pole are located opposite side of the trailer door
Area 2 restroom/shower building serves 58 campsites and it shows it! Restroom facility badly needing some TLC, cleaning and maintenance Women’s restroom had 3 toilets and 2 sinks; men’s had 2 toilets and 1 urinal
Firewood for sale in Area 2 was only pine wood
LegendPROS
Saved $62 with Texas State Park Pass
NO fee to make online reservation
Very friendly Spring Point Loop camp host
Very quiet
Site 77 concert parking pad level
Site 77 some shade
Site 77 had an aluminum picnic table (brand new), pedestal BBQ grill, metal fire pit with cooking grate and lantern pole
Firewood vending machine at park headquarters
Security gate locked with a pad lock at 10pm with combination provided
Very clean toilet/shower facility that are near Spring Point Camping Loop which are also used by park day visitors
Friendly squirrels that ate from our hands
Saw lots of deer
CONS
Cigarette butts all over our campsite and parking pad upon arrival
Firepit nearly full of ashes upon arrival
Pedestal BBQ full of ashes and trash upon arrival
Picnic table bolted to concrete so not moveable and it was not close to parking pad
Saw lots of feral cats roaming the campground
Mostly 1 bar T MOBILE
No park WIFI
GuideSet up your basic base camp near a picnic table and fire ring the. Go out into the park to hike, bike, horseback ride, frisbee golf, kayak and observe nature. The site itself is not attractive per-se but there are some basics and an outhouse. The park also has an RV/Equestrian trailer area near the highway and some even deeper woods camping for equestrians or backpackers. No frills at all in those spots and too dark to enjoy IMO. Greer Hill is the best balance. Also there is an incredible winery on premises too. Grand Oaks Winery https://www.gowinerymineola.com
LegendThe South Sulphur campground is about half an hour north of Interstate 30. It’s under a 2 hour drive from the DFW area so, I find it’s a nice weekend getaway. I camped here on a Sunday to Monday and it was very quiet. I was one of only 5 campers in the Deer Haven section (aside from the 3 camp hosts). I’m giving the park 5 stars but this is based on my experience of having camped here when there were few campers around. I image this place could be loud and busy on a weekend.
There are many shaded lakeside sites in the Deer Haven section. I stayed at site 68. The site was on a cul de sac so there was no campground to the one side. However, the site located on the other side was close. This would be a great spot for 2 camping families to share. The concrete pad at site 68 was level and shaded by a beautiful, mature oak tree. I could walk from the pad to the lake. It would be a great site to put out a kayak, but unfortunately the weather didn’t cooperate on my stay. So I didn’t get to kayak. I did see deer who ventured in from the wooded area next to the campsite. Deer Haven lived up to its name!
Electric and water hookups were good as were the restroom/shower facilities, which seemed climate controlled because it felt cooler and less humid inside than outside. This usually isn’t the case in these buildings.
A big storm blew in around dinner time. The wind was fierce and blowing out of the north across the almost 20,000 acre lake! I actually called the ranger to find out if I needed to evacuate. The ranger was very responsive and reassuring. Luckily, there were no tornados warnings, so I weathered out the storm and woke to a beautiful crisp morning.
This park is huge and there is much to do. Cabins, shelters, primitive walk in sites, equine sites, a beach, several boat ramps, hiking trails, playgrounds and a fishing pier. I didn’t get to see a fraction of it, but I’ll be returning.
I stopped in the town of Sulphur Springs on my way back to DFW. The town has a nice historic town square and makes for an interesting side stop.
LegendPROS
Senior discount saved $20
Each site has unobstructed lake view
Site 67 level concrete pad surrounded by sandy soil with afternoon only shade
Climate controlled toilet/shower facility
Clean toilet/shower facility which are cleaned every weekday morning
2 sand lot volleyball courts
Small pier shared by every two campsites
Metal picnic table, pedestal BBQ grill and concrete fire ring with no cooking grate.
Fairly quiet during daytime weekdays except for neighboring campers 3 sites away who had their INSIDE television blaring that we could hear every word. This went on for 7 hours daily.
Local police did regular daylight drive thrus
Hundreds of squirrels
Could hear whippoorwills after sunset
Had a float plane land and then take off right in front of our campsite (see video)
Park had WIFI but didn’t use due to having 4 bars TMOBILE
CONS
Minimal pay/stay 3 nights
$5 fee to make on line reservations
Had to email copy of Texas Drivers License to Water District in advance of making reservation in order to get Senior discount
No security gate closed overnight
No camp host
Campers let their dogs run thru campsites and poop everywhere
Big problem with day users and boaters walking thru campsites, even after dark, picnicking and partying late into evening in campsites where there were no campers/tenters, then leaving at all hours of the night
LOTS of middle of the night boat noise
Street lights throughout campground which hinders dark sky viewing
No privacy from any other campsite
Site picnic table anchored so not moveable
TravelerIf you’re looking for somewhere off the grid that is truly primitive, then this is not the place for you. If you don’t mind other people nearby, then you may enjoy your time here. Great docks for fishing. Beautiful water views, if you camp next to the water. Tent camping sites with electrical hookups are piled next to each other pretty close, so if you’re getting a tent electrical site you had better not mind getting friendly with your neighbors. Also, when it rains some of the tent electrical camp sites fill with water. However, if this happens the front office is more than willing to work with you and give you a refund or switch your site. There is a lot of wildlife roaming around - lots of deer! The primitive camp sites by the docks that overlook the water are beautiful. There is a concrete slab, picnic table, and fire pit at each primitive site. If you want to throw up a hammock, some of the primitive sites have trees that are the perfect distance apart for that - but be aware some of these trees are covered in poison ivy! The primitive sites are all close by to other types of campers, so it is never quiet and you can hear people at all hours of the day/night for the most part. Where we stayed by the water, we were next to an RV site. The other primitive camping sites also seem to be near RV sites and electrical tent sites, according to the map. If you camp near the water, it is very windy, especially at night, so make sure to bring plenty of blankets! Are you ever really on your own here: no. Are there beautiful views: yes. Is it truly primitive: no. Will you be taken care of: yes. All sites are open, with no big trees or shrubs to give privacy. You can see your neighbors and they can see you, even at the primitive sites. It would be a good place to bring a family or children for sure. I will say, the customer service at the main office is outstanding. They have anything you could think of for sale there, which is a huge plus. It is highly likely that you won’t need to drive into town for anything. Workers drive around with trash bags every day to ensure everyone is disposing of trash properly, and will give you free trash bags if you don’t have any, which is nice. All in all it depends on what you’re looking for, whether you choose to come to this camping location or not. We enjoy going here just to get away from the house and enjoy the beauty of the lake/nature for a bit. Although, I do wish there was more privacy. Everything is too close together, in my opinion.
GuideWe don't stay at too many TX State Parks because of the added day use fee. We decided on this park due to its proximity to family in this area. The site was level and on a concrete pad with a parking spot right next to it. We did have a neighbor, so the space between us was fair. Our cell signal with Verizon was poor, so it made work difficult. Our site had W/E and there is a dump station. We did have a picnic table and fire ring. There are some sites that back up to a part of the lake. Noise level was pretty low. Unfortunately, we only spent 1 full day here, so we didn't really get to enjoy any of the hiking trails or do any fishing. We will definitely have to stay again in the future.
Tent camping near Mount Vernon, Texas, offers a blend of natural beauty and unique experiences, perfect for outdoor enthusiasts looking to escape the hustle and bustle.
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