Looking for the best Pat Mayse Lake tent camping? Find the best information on tent camping near Pat Mayse Lake, including sites, reviews, and tips for getting the most out of your camping experience. From remote to easy-to-reach, these Pat Mayse Lake campsites are perfect for tent campers.
Located on the northeast shore of the 450-acre Lake Crockett, East Lake Crockett Recreation Area was completed in 1968. Lake Crockett was built in the 1930s and has provided recreational opportunities to its visitors for many years. The lake is stocked with catfish, sunfish, crappie and bass. A paved boat ramp and fishing pier are accessible from the parking lot.
12 Sites with Picnic Tables and fire Pits surrounded by Woods, Creeks and pasture. Unbelievable sunsets, skies and stars! 4 Ponds, 50 one hundred year old Pecan Trees 40+ Acres are woods and 60 of pasture land. Free range Horses, donkeys and a friendly Mule plus raccoons, Egrets and deer… all friendly and curious. Sites are all very large and separated by at least 100 Yards. Do you like to chiggers? No! Who does? Well, because of the close proximity to the South Sulphur river they can't live here! Explore The 100 Acres play family games and treat your furry friends to the vast outdoors. The nearest residential neighborhood is 3 miles away and the nearest occupied country homes are over a thousand ft away and not visible!
read our reviews here: https://www.facebook.com/people/Sleep-Under-The-Pecan-Trees/100068114079470/
$45 - $50 / night
The Rockin Bar B Ranch is a small diversified 113 acre ranch devoted to the outdoorsy types that enjoy nature and the farm life. It is a veteran owned and operated cow/calf operation raising grass-fed Angus beef that embraces American values of of food independence. Pick between pitching a tent in the woods or relaxing in the cabin for the night.
Listen to the cattle moo, owls hoot and the roosters crow on the Rockin Bar B Ranch as you walk the nearby trails or sit and converse with friends and family. The farm is close to Cooper Lake and Lake Fork.
$40 - $105 / night
This recreation area is part of Cooper Lake
Legend
Located on the south shore of Pat Mayse Lake is the beautiful Corps Of Engineer campground Sanders Cove Recreation Area. This three loop campground is nestled among stunning trees and is a wonderful place to RV camp.
With two boat ramps you will have no issues putting your boat in the water. The swim area was kinda dull but better than nothing.
There is a serious fishing tournement held every year, Uncle Jesse Big Bass Classic Fishing Tournament, started by Denver Pyle who played Uncle Jesse on The Dukes of Hazzard fame, Denvers wife continues to hose this tournement in Denvers name today.
Check out my FPV tour of SAnders Cove ecreation area on my YouTube channel here...
TravelerOur family had such an amazing time tent camping on the water!
Traveler
Clean bathrooms, good playground and beach area. Cabins, RV, equestrian and tent sites.
Scout
Bonham is a small but uncrowded park. Lovely and clean fresh water lake. Tent campsites are well sheltered by trees. Big grassy group campsite area that looked inviting. Lots of biking/hiking trails. Nature is always a blessing but the landscape here is just your average Texas.
Ranger
We camped at McGee Creek State Park over Memorial Day weekend. We camped at tent hill #3. The thing we really liked about this particular site was that there are only 4 tent sites here, so it’s secluded and nice and quiet. There is very little traffic driving by as well. What we didn’t like is that there is only a pit toilet and no water faucets. There is a real bathroom with a shower about a 10-15 minute walk away. The bathroom was pretty typical of a state park. There is an area that has some lake huts for rent as well. They don’t have bathrooms but the are heated/cooled.
There is another area about 1.5 miles away called Buster Height campground. This is where the swim beach and another boat dock is. There is also an RV area and a bunch of tent sites. Most of these tent sites are pretty small and crowded together. If you have a big tent or don’t like being near others, you might want to consider tent hill if it’s available.
On the other side of the lake (about a 25-30 minute drive) is the natural scenic recreation area. There are a ton of hiking trails that lead to backpacking campsites, equestrian camps and there are boat in sites as well.
Overall a pretty decent park but definitely not one of our favorites.
TravelerI’m an avid camper and hiker but when camping here alone at night (no one else was in the tent camping area), my camp site was accosted by a family of raccoons. They were not friendly and not scared of people at all. Be careful if you have young children. Aside from this, the lake was beautiful, peaceful and serene. Camp sites are unique and right on the water.
Ranger
We tent camped here in April. We got here in the dark and it was hard to find a a spot but when we woke up the next morning we had a great view of the lake. The bathroom near the office was newer and had showers that you need quarters to use. Also had an old school playground but the kids had fun. We took a hike around part of the lake but the trail was pretty much unmarked.
LegendMcGee Creek is a great park if you enjoy camping and fishing with plenty of opportunity to do so both from the shore line and a boat. On the small side for a state park, it still has plenty of tent sites and RV sites for everyone to enjoy. The park boasts updated bathrooms, fire rings and tables. We didn't find the hiking trails when we were here but will be back to explore soon.
ScoutI went for a weekend with the family to tent camp. It was our first time there. We found the staff to be extremely friendly and helpful, the whole park was well-kept and the facilities were clean.
My only complaint is that access to the lake is limited to a few campsites and a day use area that could easily be overwhelmed on a busy day. The paths to the lake in the camping areas pass directly through individual campsites, so we didn't feel comfortable walking through those areas.
Guide
This campground is next to a large lake. It has tent sites with picnic tables. Some have lantern poles, fire pits and/or grills. The RV sites have water and power with same assortment of other things. The lake has a boat ramp with a small dock/fishing pier. This is a good place to take a telescope or just stargaze. Some of the sites need minor repair. The restrooms will clean. The restrooms nearest the RV area have showers.
Legend
As a tent camper this place has very little appeal. The sites are mostly in the sun located on a peninsula that juts into Hugo lake. We were here on a cool September day and still found the sites pretty miserable for what we look for. The pads are all set for RVs leaving little room for a tent and at that nothing very level. The park was maintained but run down and in desperate need of updating. There is no way I would camp here in the summer. There may be some better tent sites but two Spurs were closed leaving only one open.
TravelerWe like to come here because it's relatively close to the house. We've been out here a few times total since living in the area and always have a pretty decent experience. The showers and bathrooms are always well maintained and the camping spots are clean and not too close together. We came for an anniversary/birthday weekend and tent camped with some friends and had a great time even with the weather. There is a park ranger who seems to think it's his personal duty to strictly enforce everything and he's kind of a jerk about it. Aside from that individual the majority of the staff are nice and friendly. The trails are pretty kept also and even with the recent flooding the park was still nice. Be mindful of wild hogs because we did have some a little too close for comfort two of the nights we were there!
Guide
I found this campground through a US army core website, and the details at that website did not turn out to be very accurate. Both loops at Pat Mayse East Campground showed to have bathrooms, which I assumed meant flush toilets and sinks, since the map also had an icon for vault toilets and this was not used. Both loops actually do have vault toilets and no running water. The campground seems set up pretty well for RVs; there were a lot of rv hookups for water and electric. There are also basic tent sites, picnic tables and metal fire rings. Water spigots are placed throughout so access is not difficult. You have your choice of sunny areas or more forested. Some spots are tightly packed in, but others are on the outside of the loop and seem like they'd be pretty quite. I wasn't overly impressed on the whole.
Ranger
We rented a resort cabin for a night in May of 2020. We opted for one of their 16 “resort” cabins. These cabins have 2 bedrooms, a full bathroom and kitchen and a nice porch overlooking the lake. The cabin was pretty nice compared to most state park cabins but it definitely wasn’t resort quality. The TV was super old, there was a hole in the carpet, and water leaked in from the front door all over the living room floor. (However, it was raining super hard that day). They also have 10 primitive cabins. 7 of which have a full bathroom.
Before the rain started, we were able to have a picnic at the picnic pavilion near the swim beach. It had good quality tables and a nice grill and was next to a playground.
We didn’t tent camp or stay in an RV but we drove through some of the campgrounds to check it out. One of the RV areas looked pretty nice with paved pads but the other was a little more rugged with unpaved pads. From what we could tell, the tent area looked decent. Sites were grassy and mowed. But they just had the pit toilets instead of a bathroom with flush toilets and showers.
We weren’t able to hike any trails due to the rain so I can’t comment on those.
Overall, it seems like a pretty good state park. Especially if you like the lake activities.
RangerOne of the cheapest of the Texas State Parks. Tent only spots are 15 a night and comes with electricity. One bathroom for everyone which makes for a walk. Decent trails but many are closed for silly reasons. Within 15 minutes of Walmart.
Ranger
Located just off of Lake Crocket, this campground is the perfect stay. There are about 10 sites, all with lake views. Visiting in the fall season October/November, there was hardly anyone here. Tent campers cleared out by Sunday. Enjoyed a quiet week stay, with occasional drive by. Lots of fisherman on the lake, boat lunch visible on the east side of the lake. Each site has a fire ring, grill, and table. We kept the solar batteries fully charged all week. Sites on the outer side have great hammock trees. Surprisingly clean pit toilets, and water. No trash, pack it out! Full bars of 5G on T-Mobile, 300/35 mbps dl/ul. Perfect site for tents, vans, teardrop/pop-up/truck campers. First come, first serve - east pay on recreation.gov. Scan the QR code, half off with America the beautiful pass
Guide
This is a nice campground with decently wooded sites. The site I sated had water, electric, a picnic table, a fire pit and a lantern post. There was a flat spot to set up my tent. The campground had decent star views and was a short walk to clean pit toilets. The showers were a short drive away and were also clean.
TravelerThis is definitely my all time favorite. I stayed at “tent t hill” primitive area. Spot number 3 and it was PERFECT! Wooded area, quiet, peaceful. Trail literally right across from the section.
My only complaint was it was hard to find. The signs are not very helpful.
ScoutTented 2 nights. Spot A5. Spot was good. Right on the water. Could boat up if you wanted. Nice and shady, even good shade in the direct western sun. Beautiful sunsets! Hike right from camp.
Reason for only 4 stars: toilet pits and bathhouse needs a little TLC. It’s time to clean up the shorelines. And the site ground could use some grass. Tax dollars don’t really help so don’t forget to DONATE!
Legend
HUGE place. Cabins, a lodge, restaurant, RV campgrounds, tent only campgroundsii, fly fishing, kayaks, hiking. When it isn’t COVID they have wagon rides, horse riding, pedal boats, paddle board and kayak rentals and miniature golf. There’s a lot to see and do here and we barely scratched the surface. We definitely need to visit again and explore j
ScoutWe met the camp host who assisted us in finding our spot. We had a site far from anyone else and had a lakeside camp spot. This made our site feel huge. My favorite moment was when I was able to strip bare in the moonlight and dance on the shore. It feels very private & peaceful
The sites themselves were awesome. We opted for a site with electricity and our site had a newly built & paved platform/deck with the picnic table, grill, and light hook. The camp host suggested we pop our tent on the pavement but we found a suitable spot so we could stake our tent in.
The bathroom were clean and easily accessible though depending on where your site is you may end up wanting to drive to the bathroom. Lol
I almost for got to tell you that there are cabins here. Very basic simple structures with bunk beds, a table inside, a fireplace, & screened in porch. On our way out of the campgrounds we drove by to take a peak & saw a ranger there who allowed us to pop in to see. She recommended a visit to McGee Creek during winter. Less visited & they get snow. How peaceful!
LegendFor our first RV camping trip of 2018 we took a short drive north to Bonham State Park right outside of Bonham, Texas. This great little Texas State Park was constructed by the CCC back in the 30's. There are plenty of things for a family to do while camping at Bonham State Park! Hiking, fishing, boat rental and best of all Smors cooked over a roaring camp fire! At every Texas Stae Park you can check out fishing equipment from the front office and you do not have to have a fishing license! Bonham State Park takes the fishing to a whole new level by providing boats so you can get out to where the fish are hiding! Bonham State Park is a great place to take the family for a long weekend of camping fun as it is just a short 45 min drive north of the DFW metroplex!
Check out my YouTube video here...
GuideHave stayed in the Buster Hight campground for a weekend in early May for the last two years with friends. This last year the water level was high so putting a tent on a site near the water was a bit more difficult. The sunrises are great and had fog roll across the lake both years. Looking forward to bringing my family down this year as well.
This campground also has a play ground, pavilion, swim beach, and fishing docks.
Legend
This is a fairly dated park that has several features to appeal to both tent campers as well as RVers. First there are several areas to camp but my favorite spots are down by the lake. The primitive spots are VERY primitive with a few fire rings and even some that have a cover over the tables however these areas don't have a bath house close by. The spots by the lake have bathrooms, fire runs, unbroken tables and a nice lantern post that over look the small lake. Hiking is light to non existent hear but it would make a great kayak or jet ski weekend trip.
Guide
We arrived here because all the campgrounds in a 50 mile radius were booked up. The campground is spare without much to do. On this day, the wind off the lake was howling, so I had to park the van and put up a tarp to block it enough to set up the tent. The bathrooms were a mess and we just didn't have that much to do. The one bright spot was a camp volunteer named Joe who helped us out and even sang us some tunes.
TravelerDue to rain and cloudy weather spent 3 nights for electrical hook up, I have solar system so with long periods of no sun just as easy to plug in and pay versus running generator,I have 2 freezers full of meat's for the winter in South Texas at RV park.
RangerBeautiful old Texas State Park with all the hookups and things you need for a nice time. Level sites all with great water views close to everything. Very nice and helpful staff.
Tent camping near Pat Mayse Lake in Texas offers a fantastic opportunity to immerse yourself in nature while enjoying a variety of amenities and activities. Whether you're looking for a peaceful retreat or an adventurous getaway, there are several options to consider.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Pat Mayse Lake?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Pat Mayse Lake is East Lake Crockett Recreation Area with a 5-star rating from 1 review.
What is the best site to find tent camping near Pat Mayse Lake?
TheDyrt.com has all 5 tent camping locations near Pat Mayse Lake, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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