Looking for tent camping near National Forests and Grasslands in Texas? Find the best information on tent camping near National Forests and Grasslands in Texas, including sites, reviews, and tips for getting the most out of your camping experience. 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 Alazan Bayou WMA has 2,063 acres located in southern Nacogdoches County. The WMA was purchased in 1991 to preserve mature bottomland hardwood forests adjacent to the Angelina River. In addition to the Angelina River other significant drainages include Loco Bayou and Moral Creek. The bottomland forest typically begins to flood during mid winter as the river and bayous overbank and inundation continues through early spring. Hunting is permitted with an Annual Public Hunting Permit (APH) and some special permit hunts may be offered. Check the Outdoor Annual and the Public Hunting Lands Maps Booklet for information on methods, species, seasons and bag limits.
Please note:
-Bring your own drinking water.
-Insect repellant is recommended for mosquitoes.
-High heat and humidity in the summer should be taken into consideration when planning a visit.
-There are no restroom facilities.
-The WMA is not wheel-chair accessible.
-Primitive camping is available.
$12 - $42 / night
Located in the heart of east Texas, the 153,179-acre Angelina National Forest is located in Angelina, Nacogdoches, San Augustine and Jasper counties. The forest lies in the Neches River Basin and on the north and south shores of Sam Rayburn Reservoir, a 114,500-acre lake on the Angelina River formed by the construction of Sam Rayburn Dam in the early 1960's. A family enjoys a walk at Boykin Springs Recreation Area in the Angeling National Forest.
There are several designated primitive campsites available. Camping during deer season is restricted to designated campsites. Check with the Area manager for specific information.
The 20-mile-long Four C National Recreation Trail begins at Ratcliff Lake and winds through a diverse forest of towering pines, bottomland hardwoods, boggy sloughs, and upland forests. Midway down the trail is the Walnut Creek campsite with five tent pads, a shelter, and pit toilet. Neches Bluff Overlook, located at the north end of the trail, offers a panoramic view of pine-hardwood forests in the Neches River bottomlands with picnic and primitive camping facilities. No horses, bikes, or off-road vehicles are permitted on the Four C National Recreation Trail. A portion of the trail traverses the Big Slough Wilderness Area.
$20 - $30 / night
Traveler
There aren't many sites for basic tent camping here, maybe 10-15 tent sites, and the rest are equestrian. It's a pretty tidy looking campground. There is a park host that is usually hanging around if you need something. We ended up being neighbors with a large group that was using their fire like a bonfire so we let the park host know about it. Probably won't come back unless in off season. But it's good enough
ScoutWe went in early March for tent camping. The park seems very well designed for equestrian, but also good for tent camping. The trails are nice and wide. Tent spots are spacious, although most sites do require a decent walk from the car.
Guide
This is a nice little campground and a pretty little east Texas lake. It is clean and everyone we met was friendly. The tent sites don’t have electric but include a picnic table and fire pit. We had a great visit!
Traveler
Nice swimming area seperate tent sites close to town
Traveler
These are full hook up sites only no tent sites
Traveler
Tere is a natural fed spring that is clear and beautiful. There's BBQ pit area and picnic tables. Cell Signal is almost non-existent. Sandy but still a lot of fun for the family.
There's RV camping and I believe tent camping also. We normally make a day trip as Its only a couple hours from home
Guide
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!
Legend
We camped in Loop A during the week of Thanksgiving 2020 by making reservations 134 days prior to arriving. Very friendly volunteer gate attendants, but not sure when they work the gate as we tried to find them twice in one day and no one around and no info on how to contact/find someone, even tho there are four different campsites marked“attendant”. Overall, very quiet campground the week of Thanksgiving except for the highway noise from Highway 255, which was loud! Nine site FHU loop where sites are crammed together, weirdly and poorly laid out and spaced. No vegetation between sites so no privacy here what-so-ever! We could hear everyone’s conversations, even some that were inside their RV! Back-in site 12 was a tricky challenge to get into due to the terrain. First a dip before a narrow entrance over drainage ditch pipe, then a steep grade which almost had us scrapping the asphalt as we saw evidence of many that had previously. The narrow asphalt parking pad is deteriorating on the utility hook up side leaving a 6-8 inch drop off, so not very forgiving! Most asphalt site pads in this loop are in poor condition. Site 12 was not level side-to-side. Site 12 also has two wooden enclosures(wooden fence) that house utility panel boxes. At first, we thought we had our own outhouse! There is a slight view of the lake from Site 12. Recreation.gov states this site is"full shade", which we disagree. Our concrete picnic table on a concrete pad was fairly close to the parking pad. Our site also included a rotting shelter over the table, a rotting wooden bar-height prep table(aka fish cleaning table), a wooden lantern pole and a metal fire pit with a grilling grate that was one big tripping hazard due to the concrete slab the pit was placed on was broken up and huge hunks of concrete displaced around the metal fire pit. What a mess. Toilet/shower facility just for this campground loop fairly clean, but not serviced every day(during the week). Tent sites are along the lake in Loop A. There is a significant drop-off down to the water’s edge. Evidence of tent campsites that had been washed out/destroyed in recent flooding. Not a good stargazing location due to other close by campers with numerous outdoor lights burning all night! Super friendly squirrels that ate from our hands. No other wildlife sighting during our 4 night stay the week of Thanksgiving. Sam Rayburn Lake is beautiful. Park has a boat ramp and a large ramp parking area. No firewood for sale in this park. A bait shop, Valero fuel station, liquor store and a couple restaurants within a 5-minute drive of the Park entrance. Jasper has a Tractor Supply and a small Walmart. Lufkin has most chain restaurants, Lowes, Super Walmart, etc. Two bars AT&T signal
ScoutWent to Powell not knowing what to expect. 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. Cabins are small and rustic as you would expect but very clean. What you’d want since you will be outside enjoying the great outdoors! Boat rentals, pontoons for larger groups, fishing, water sports, they have it all. Did I mention how awesome the staff is??? So accommodating and friendly. We will be back!
Scout
Beautiful lake, Spotless Camp grounds, Awesome Staff Went to Powell not knowing what to expect. 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. Cabins are small and rustic as you would expect but very clean. What you’d want since you will be outside enjoying the great outdoors! Boat rentals, pontoons for larger groups, fishing, water sports, they have it all. Did I mention how awesome the staff is??? So accommodating and friendly. We will be back!
Guide
Come for the hiking trails and access to local communities like Palestine, TX and 4C Trail.
You will get to know your neighbors at this state park if you choose to camp here.
Our party was spread out between the main campground and the Day Use area sites. We enjoyed the site we had, but our friends were camping in the main camping loop which was very crowded and cramped mid-week. Personally our site was B near the playground and the ADA trailheads. Site B is kinda magical and if you like people watching than you are in luck, there is no shortage of foot traffic near your campsite. For us it was nice and hikers, passersby were very respectful.
Amenities used:
Bundled FIrewood (donations accepted, however it is free to use)
WIFI at the visitors center is sub-dial-up speed
Bathhouse is stall type so it is not a fully private room.
Staff if friendly and helpful
Sites are all on hillside, if you have an RV/camper I would rec the pull through sites. The back in sites really only work for tent camping. For Tents, the pad sizes vary so be sure to check your tent dimensions. We saw a few sites our 4 person tent wouldn't have fit onto. (Saw the same at Lake Ratcliff)
Personally I would recommend the campgrounds at Lake Ratcliff if you are looking for spacious camping loops. Also Lake Ratcliff's bathhouse was much nicer and more ADA friendly. Mission Tejas's high quality trails are only a 20min drive from Lake Ratcliff.
Would've given this park a 4 star if campground hadn't been so cramped. Maybe my expectations need curbing. I will return for some winter camping later this year, possible even early spring as well. It is a great park, but if it is full, it feels crowded.
GuideI had a great time at this park. Sites A and B are next to the day usage areas of the park, and are separated from the RV accessible areas. I found the site delightfully secluded - with a nice set of steps from the picnic table and fire pit right up to the tent pad. Water spigots are everywhere - although the one immediately adjacent to A&B was a little muddy, so I walked across to the playground to get water there. There's a trash can right next to the sites, and a set of clean, nice bathrooms not far off. This spot is also conveniently located next to several trailheads.
Only major problem with this site - there happened to be two fire ant nests on or directly adjacent to the tent pad. Luckily, I was able to angle my 2 person tent perfectly to avoid trouble, but for a larger tent it may have been a huge problem.
Traveler
Very primitive and off the beaten path, our 02 Mustang was able to handle it. No site numbers just pop the tent wherever. Very quiet and beautiful.
Ranger
If you want to escape the hot summer in Texas, I would recommend coming to Brookeland Campground because there is a beautiful lake nearby. My cousins and I took a trip to this campground to enjoy the lake, hiking and of course the outdoors. We brought a 6 person tent, and this fit comfortably in our campsite. There is also a fire ring and table within your site as well. There is only 1 bathroom within the campground, or at least what we could find. It was a porta-potty style, and smelt so bad. Not sure how often they clean it, but it was pretty bad (especially with the heat....made it worse!). Thankfully we came prepared and brought our own toilet paper, because by the 2nd night we were there, there was no toilet paper in the bathroom. We heard a few people complain about this. Although the bathroom was gross, the rest of the campground was pretty clean. There are dumpsters as you leave, so please make sure to clean up after yourselves. We enjoyed hiking in the morning, and then playing in the lake mid morning-afternoon. There were tons of people swimming, boating, tubing, kayaking and stand up paddle boarding. It was a blast, and perfect for the hot weather. Definitely bring bug spray because there were so many mosquitos near the campground. I left with a few pretty big welts. I would definitely come back to this campground! Recommend.
Guide
We always have a good time. We had a shelter site, but also set up a tent. Reservations online were quick and easy, and when we arrived our site was ready for us. The Host soon came around and gave us our passes. It was cool and a little rainy. But we had fun fishing. Thanks for everything.
Guide
Came here with a big group of family. They were in an RV, I stayed in a tent. Roads are paved, kids can roam, lots of trails and some playgrounds. The showers arent bad either. The lake was fun to kayak on. It was raining so not many people were there. Spiders galore here, fair warning.
TravelerWould be 5 stars except it's close enough to the road that you get traffic noise. I camped early January and was the only tent camper, quite enjoyable. Very pretty lake view and sunsets and sunrise are delightful. Showers are warm, not the hottest, but welcome nontheless.
ScoutMy wife and I stayed two nights at an excellent spot (#14).
The two ladies who manage the campground were wonderful and they kept the facilities very clean and tidy.
We will visit again this summer and believe it would be good for anyone looking to camp using tent, camper or RV.
Traveler
The only way to book is thru Angelina county Texas parks it's worth it
ScoutThe park has a couple small campsites available for both tent and trailer, with price variation to reflect that. The ranger I met at the gate was friendly, engaging and welcoming. The park boats three historic locations, miles of trails and a small but beautifuly curated interpretive center that all ages interested in history will find entertainment and education in. It also boasts a library which is an unexpected but pleasant feature to find.
GuideThere's not much to this campground, although it is very beautiful with enormous loblolly pines. This is a primitive campsite. There's no water, no electricity, not bathrooms, etc. Just an area you can use to set up tents or hammocks. We met a nice older fella who said he comes there every day and builds a fire at dusk, stays for a little bit, then leaves.
We bikes from the Ratcliff Recreational Area and we had to cache water.
ScoutI am a touring cyclist. I stopped here for an overnight. Small shelter I set up my tent under as there was rain in the area. A lot of trash in the area.
Tip:... if cycling the area. About a mile west of this camping area there is a pipe coming out of the ground on the north side of the road. Spewing cold potable water. Great place to fill water bottles if you can find it.
RangerThis was one of my friends and my favorite place to visit in college. We would go camping as much as we could because we wanted to escape school. We loved our stay here. We were able to fit 2 tents in 1 spot. I believe it was $12 a night to stay here, so it was super cheap for my friends and I for s fun weekend. We got up early and went hiking with our dogs and enjoyed the fire in the evening in our campsite making s’mores. I remember when we were here the weather was perfect. Too many bugs, but we made sure to keep our tent closed and bug spray on. We bought our firewood from a store about 20’ miles away from the campground, so definitely bring your own or make sure to buy it at the closest spot you see. Bathroom on site and there is also a playground for kids. Horseshoe was also available to play. The rangers were awesome!!
TravelerI went here with two friends for a long weekend. We are tent campers, and it was great for us. The bathrooms were kept very clean and restocked with toilet paper daily. Most of the campsites along the water have a little beach that you can take advantage of. Of it were warmer, we definitely would have gone swimming. Highly recommend!
Scout
The only reason I gave this four stars is because my boyfriend and I stayed in some other campgrounds that were far more beautiful and secluded. Not to say this place wasn’t those things. After a 10 hour drive, this was perfect. We parked our car next to the river, pitched a tent, and packed out. We didn’t use a fire ring or bathroom and I didn’t see either of those, but it was perfect for what we needed (and free!) not hard to find either. Would recommend for sure.
ScoutThe campground is located in the Davy Crockett National Forest, with spots located around the edges of a small lake. Although we could occasionally hear noise from the highway, it was mostly peaceful and quiet. The campgrounds are spacious, with tent platforms, poles to hang trash, and large picnic tables. The bathrooms were amazingly clean and with camp hosts and park rangers on site, we always had help with anything we needed. We hiked and kayaked (with our own boats) and it was all just lovely. I would go back for sure!
LegendWell spaced out, but not huge sites (both RV hookup electric and Non "tent only") which allow you to not really spread out, but at least people aren't on top of you. Like most campgrounds you have your standard table and fire ring, but you also have access to flush toilets and showers.
The recreation area also rents out canoes and has pretty good fishing or you can make sure of thee swimming area and the tons of trails for some short nice hikes or a long trek through the region.
Tent camping in Texas offers a unique opportunity to immerse yourself in nature, especially near the stunning National Forests and Grasslands. With a variety of campgrounds available, you can find the perfect spot to pitch your tent and enjoy the great outdoors.
Frequently Asked Questions
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According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near National Forests and Grasslands in Texas is Alazan Bayou with a 4-star rating from 1 review.
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TheDyrt.com has all 9 tent camping locations near National Forests and Grasslands in Texas, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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