M
Mark U.
Scout
ScoutCOE Sam Rayburn Reservoir San Augustine Park
Beautiful lakeshore campsite
Only 6 campsites with campers. Great lake view, lot's of wildlife. Very quiet.
Glamping near National Forests and Grasslands in Texas, TX
9 campgrounds · Check availability for any dates.
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Shirley Creek Marina & Campground houses premium glamping options with full-service cabins situated directly on Lake Sam Rayburn. The waterfront cabins feature modern amenities including electricity, comfortable beds with linens, private bathrooms, and climate control systems to ensure comfort during any season. "We absolutely love this park! There are 13 gorgeous cabins for rent! I highly recommend this park!" shared one visitor. Rusk KOA complements the area's glamping scene with uniquely designed teepee accommodations that blend rustic charm with essential comforts like water and electric hookups. These canvas structures provide a resort-style camping experience while maintaining connection to the natural surroundings. Marina Village Resort rounds out the luxury options with both cabins and yurts overlooking Lake Livingston, each equipped with sewer hookups, showers, toilets and trash service for a truly upscale outdoor stay.
Guests at these glamping destinations enjoy direct access to water recreation on East Texas lakes. Shirley Creek Marina provides boat docks, a boat ramp, and a dedicated beach area for swimming. According to a camper, "Unbelievable experience right from the start we were welcomed like we were family." Rusk KOA focuses on family-friendly activities with a saltwater swimming pool, jump pad, playground, trike rentals, and a rock/gem mining slough. Weekend events like Easter egg hunts and Halloween celebrations add seasonal appeal to the glamping experience. Both locations maintain close proximity to surrounding forests for hiking and wildlife viewing while offering market access for provisions. Reservations are required at these popular glamping destinations, with most accommodations available year-round despite seasonal temperature variations in East Texas.
Best Glamping Campgrounds near National Forests and Grasslands in Texas (9)
1. Shirley Creek Marina & Campground
"Unbelievable experience right from the start we were welcomed like we were family. The staff at Shirley creek marina are awesomely amazing people who helped us multiple times on our stay."
"The staff is so welcoming! Oh and there are 13 gorgeous cabins for rent! I highly recommend this park!"
2. Rusk KOA
"Super nice staff and full saturday breakfast (eggs/bacon/pancakes/coffee etc--extra fee, but very reasonable!)"
"This campground really has no outside noise from anywhere. It is wonderfully quiet. The office and other working staff are very friendly and informative about things to do in the area."
3. COE Sam Rayburn Reservoir San Augustine Park
"1/26/23-1/30/23- This is a great COE campsite that is spacious, clean, quiet, and site#63 has lake views on 3 sides. A picnic table, fire-pit, lantern post, 30A electric, and water are provided."
"Nice older csmpground with water and electric hookups. Swim beach was under renovation. Many sites are uneven but have asphalt pads and most are shady."
from $16 - $30 / night
Check Availability4. Rusk Depot Campground
"The bathroom didnt seem maintained much, but we have a camper, so don't have need for the bathrooms."
5. HFR Campsites & Retreats
from $20 - $30 / night
6. Powell
"The lake is beautiful, the camp grounds are spotless and the Staff is awesome. Great facilities whether tent camping, RV camping or staying in a cabin. "
7. Rayburn RV Hideout
8. Marina Village Resort - Members Only
"It has 3 pools a golf course a marina with store, pavilion, bath houses and restrooms, a kids pavilion as well. Big problem with snakes though so be careful when fishing"
9. Northshore RV Resort on Lake Livingston
Drive Time
- 1 hr 16 min from Longview, TX
- 1 hr 25 min from Tyler, TX
- 1 hr 39 min from Shreveport, LA
- 1 hr 49 min from Beaumont, TX
Recent Glamping Photos near National Forests and Grasslands in Texas
4 Photos of 9 National Forests and Grasslands in Texas Campgrounds • uploaded by The Dyrt campers
Glamping Reviews near National Forests and Grasslands in Texas
21 Reviews of 9 National Forests and Grasslands in Texas Campgrounds
Jim P.
RangerCOE Sam Rayburn Reservoir San Augustine Park
Nice clean park with very friendly park hosts
Stayed over the long weekend immediately following Thanksgiving. Sure was very long and spacious with a great view of the lake. Sure was a little uneven, so some leveling was required.
- Yasmin S.Ranger
COE Sam Rayburn Reservoir San Augustine Park
St. Augustine Park
Beautifal long flat beach. Park folks were awesome in our lat minute camp ascurrsion. We ended up sleep in truck with really no camp stuff. They gave us hurricane food and ice packs in big bundle. Kindest thing done for us in quite some time. Keeps me a continued camper. There is also a little store by entrance of park b4 come in. He is a kind person also. The folks here make the park what it is. Serene.
- LLisa P.
GuideNorthshore RV Resort on Lake Livingston
JUST YIKES.
TLDR: Dirty, overpriced, bait n switch offerings, NOT an RV Resort.
This was the most disappointing RV park I've ever been to. It is marketed and priced as an "RV resort"....It is not. We had a good time because we had good company but this place was the butt of a joke...We went for Memorial Day weekend. (A holiday weekend) The kids couldn't play in the grass because it was so tall. One of the permanent campers (there are many permanent RVs) came by and asked if we wanted to borrow a mower..not kidding. It was sweet of him to offer, but we paid $73/night! Just yikes.
We were also warned not to go down to the beach area because it was destroyed by waves and there were water snakes everywhere. We were taken aback at the overall "resort" and could only laugh at how absurd it was lol.
The pool was packed with locals (It was a holiday weekend though, so I'll give them that one). The lady at the check in was super rude and was put out by us checking in. Overall, I would NEVER come back here. We camp at expensive places and state parks and everything in between. I've never written a bad review for a campsite, because I've never found a place that was this terrible. Had it been priced accordingly, I would've been ok with it, but this is NOT a resort and shouldn't be a resort price! Yikes.
There was more that I'm probably forgetting...but some other highlights: The splash pad didnt work. The kiddos said the playground was gross and sketchily creaking. There is no clubhouse. Oh, also, the infinity pool pictured on the website is 100% not the same pool that is there. There are many other campsites on the lake...go to any other one!
PICS SHOW THINGS FROM THEIR WEBSITE THAT DON'T EXIST OR ARE VERY MISREPRESENTED...In short...Book something else. I hope they get their act together, but their website is bait n switch.
Star A.ScoutShirley Creek Marina & Campground
Best Place I Have Ever Seen
I just have to say, this is the best place to stay! I love playing games here with my friends, especially using WorldBox premium Apk. It’s an amazing experience every time
- Chantyl
TravelerRusk Depot Campground
Family trip
First & foremost, This park is not well-maintained, and the camping sites are right off of the highway. The splash pad does not work, and the bath house was terribly dirty and freaked of sewage. The group sites are basically a big parking lot- zero grass space between site numbers, although there is shared grass areas along the rows. We moved site numbers within the group sites so that our kids would not be playing right beside the highway (there is a gate, however it’s still concerning), and to slightly distance ourselves from the traffic noise. Beware there is also a large wedding venue directly across the highway & our kids were woken to the sounds of fireworks at night on the weekend. There were large fire ant mounds all along the concrete, and we had to purchase fire ant killer ourselves, as well as deal with some broken glass & the trash can for our site that wasn’t emptied before our stay. I spoke with the staff member working in the office and all she could say was “i will let management know.”
As far as the good: we had 6 kids and 4 adults staying, so despite the concerns and annoyances, we still were able to relax enough and enjoy our break from the daily grind. The kids played outside all day- making walking sticks, fishing a lot, catching bugs (spotted some really neat moths, too), and making up games.
The best: the nearly-daily trains coming right through the campground for various reasons (loading new cars or taking passengers on a local trip). My son is an avid train-lover and this was the main reason we booked our stay here.
ShirleyGuideShirley Creek Marina & Campground
Best Place To Camp on Lake Sam Rayburn!
We absolutely love this park! RV and tent sites right on the water, beach area for swimming, boat docks and ramp, etc. We extended our stay and plan to for awhile! The staff is so welcoming! Oh and there are 13 gorgeous cabins for rent! I highly recommend this park!
RaD_TravelsGuideCOE Sam Rayburn Reservoir San Augustine Park
Clean, quiet, spacious, and great lake views
1/26/23-1/30/23- This is a great COE campsite that is spacious, clean, quiet, and site#63 has lake views on 3 sides. A picnic table, fire-pit, lantern post, 30A electric, and water are provided. This is a back-in site that slopes significantly to the rear(lake side) though. I needed to lower the front of my 34’ fifth wheel trailer 16” to level it; L/R leveling was reasonable needing 1/2” on the right side. The grassy area around the site would be great for outdoor games and the water access would be great to fish from shore, boat access to the site, or swimming. The staff were very congenial and the dump station is conveniently located on the right side just before exiting the campground. Verizon 4G was 4-bars with 20Mbps download and 2Mbps upload speeds. I paid$13/night with my Interagency Senior Pass. Too bad that it was rainy most of the weekend and we didn’t have nicer weather.
- LLisa P.Guide
Rusk Depot Campground
Full hookups in the pine trees
Took a chance on this campground because many reviews on various websites were bad and many were old...Used to be a TX state park but was "decommissioned" evidently. It is not the most maintained campground, but it is a small loop with pull-in sites w/ full hookups. The bathroom didnt seem maintained much, but we have a camper, so don't have need for the bathrooms. The texas state RR train engine car came through one time in the afternoon to turn around to pull the train back to palestine...that's pretty unique and a cool thing at a campsite IMO.
our group loved this place--albeit a very different experience if you are used to well-maintained KOAs etc, but for those that are self contained and just want to hang out/camp, it's a cool place. Had a nice walk around the historic train depot and the little pond behind it. we camped in october and It was very "fall vibes" with all the super tall pine trees and we thought it was a hidden gem and appropriately priced for what you get (ie: it's not priced like a KOA, so don't expect similar amenities--but there are good things about that too--it's not packed with people!!). Not sure I'd make a super long destination out of it if you're too far away, but We will be back since it's close to camp here!
Guide to National Forests and Grasslands in Texas
East Texas glamping options near National Forests and Grasslands feature both waterfront and wooded accommodations spanning from rustic to luxury experiences. The region contains over 675,000 acres of national forests with elevations ranging from 200-500 feet above sea level. Summer temperatures frequently reach 90-100°F, making climate-controlled glamping particularly valuable during peak season.
What to do
Water recreation opportunities: COE Sam Rayburn Reservoir San Augustine Park offers a long, flat beach area perfect for swimming and shoreline fishing. "Beautifal long flat beach. Park folks were awesome in our lat minute camp ascurrsion," notes camper Yasmin S. The park also provides grassy lakefront access points ideal for casting from shore.
Train watching experiences: Unique to the region is the historic Texas State Railroad that runs through Rusk Depot Campground. Campers can watch train operations up close. As Timothy G. describes, "Lots of tall trees. Very little if any biting bugs." Train enthusiasts particularly enjoy seeing engines turn around at the depot before return trips.
Seasonal events: Holiday weekends feature special activities at multiple glamping locations. At Rusk KOA, campers participate in organized seasonal events. "Have been camping here in the summers and both Easter & Halloween weekends and they do easter egg/candy hunts and have other events for the kids/kids at heart," mentions Lisa P.
What campers like
Helpful staff: Campground personnel receive consistently positive feedback for their assistance and friendliness. At Shirley Creek Marina & Campground, David R. notes, "Unbelievable experience right from the start we were welcomed like we were family. The staff at Shirley creek marina are awesomely amazing people who helped us multiple times on our stay."
Peaceful atmospheres: Many glamping locations provide quiet settings away from urban noise. According to Ty A. about Rusk KOA, "This campground really has no outside noise from anywhere. It is wonderfully quiet. The office and other working staff are very friendly and informative about things to do in the area."
Lakefront positioning: Waterfront glamping sites allow for direct water access. Jim P. describes San Augustine Park: "Stayed over the long weekend immediately following Thanksgiving. Sure was very long and spacious with a great view of the lake." Sites with premium lake views often require advance booking, especially during summer weekends.
What you should know
Leveling requirements: Some sites require significant adjustment for RVs and trailers. At COE Sam Rayburn Reservoir, one camper reported: "This is a back-in site that slopes significantly to the rear(lake side) though. I needed to lower the front of my 34' fifth wheel trailer 16" to level it."
Pest management: During warmer months, fire ants can be problematic near concrete pads and gathering areas. Jill N Tony B. advises: "Tiny crazy ants everywhere so bring some spray to keep your area free of them."
Limited cell service: Connectivity varies significantly across glamping locations. Some guests appreciate the disconnect: "Very low cell service. Which I loved but don't expect to do any business," notes one camper about San Augustine Park.
Facility maintenance concerns: Quality varies between glamping operations. One reviewer warned about facilities at Northshore RV Resort: "The splash pad didnt work. The kiddos said the playground was gross and sketchily creaking. There is no clubhouse."
Tips for camping with families
Children's activities: Family-focused locations offer structured recreation options. ElCamino C. highlights Rusk KOA amenities: "Saltwater swimming pool." Another reviewer adds that the same property offers a "jump pad, playground, trike rentals, Rock/gem mining slough, movies/events."
Site selection for safety: Choose sites away from roadways when traveling with children. One camper at Rusk Depot shared: "We moved site numbers within the group sites so that our kids would not be playing right beside the highway (there is a gate, however it's still concerning)."
Weekend meal options: Some locations offer convenient food services during weekends. Lisa P. mentions: "Super nice staff and full saturday breakfast (eggs/bacon/pancakes/coffee etc--extra fee, but very reasonable!)" This reduces meal planning pressures for families during weekend stays.
Tips from RVers
Hookup reliability: Power stability varies between locations. Check breaker capacities before setting up, especially during extreme weather. At Rusk Depot Campground, one camper reported: "On our last night, the 30 amp breaker kept tripping without a full load. Happened twice within an hour so we scaled back our amp use under 20 just to have some heat during the night."
Water quality considerations: Some locations have mineral-heavy water. "Sulphuric smelling water" was noted at one campground, suggesting RVers might want to bring drinking water or specialized filters when glamping in East Texas.
Site visibility: Wooded areas can create navigation challenges. Lisa P. observed about Texas State Railroad Rusk Campground: "FHU loop roadway was difficult to maneuver due to the roadway being covered with pine needles which blended it into the non-roadway. We saw most people driving thru campsites thinking it was the road."
Frequently Asked Questions
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campsite near National Forests and Grasslands in Texas?
Which is the most popular glamping campsite near National Forests and Grasslands in Texas?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular glamping campground near National Forests and Grasslands in Texas is Shirley Creek Marina & Campground with a 5-star rating from 3 reviews.
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glamping camping near
National Forests and Grasslands in Texas?
What is the best site to find glamping camping near National Forests and Grasslands in Texas?
TheDyrt.com has all 9 glamping camping locations near National Forests and Grasslands in Texas, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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