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Best Tent Camping near Houston, TX

277 Reviews

Tent camping options surrounding Houston, Texas are limited but available, with several established campgrounds offering varying levels of amenities. Tomball RV Park, located approximately 30 miles northwest of downtown Houston, provides tent sites with access to basic facilities. Houston West RV Park in Brookshire, about 35 miles west of the city, also accommodates tent campers with more developed amenities. Big City Little Farm in the northern outskirts offers a more rustic primitive tent camping experience with farm surroundings.

Most Houston-area tent campgrounds feature minimal accommodations suited for basic primitive tent setups. Sites typically consist of cleared, level areas with varying surface types. Tomball RV Park provides tent campers with picnic tables, fire rings, toilets, and trash disposal, along with boat-in, drive-in, and walk-in access options. Houston West RV Park offers drinking water, trash service, and allows fires with firewood available on-site. During summer months, mosquitoes can be particularly problematic at sites near Houston, as noted in reviews. Campers should bring insect repellent, especially when staying at locations near water features.

The tent camping experience around Houston provides varied opportunities despite the urban proximity. Houston West RV Park includes a small lake with a walking trail, offering a nature element within reach of city amenities. The property receives consistent praise for cleanliness, with one visitor noting that "the environment is clean and quiet." Big City Little Farm delivers a more rustic camping experience with open spaces for primitive tent setups and nighttime stargazing opportunities. A camper commented that "there was plenty of space and a beautiful night sky," highlighting the unexpected natural setting so close to a major metropolitan area. Tent campers seeking more remote experiences may need to venture farther from the city, as Houston's immediate surroundings are largely developed.

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Best Tent Sites Near Houston, Texas (8)

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Tent Camping Reviews near Houston, TX

277 Reviews of 8 Houston Campgrounds

  • Napunani
    Jun. 22, 2022

    Cagle Recreation Area

    Quiet

    Pros 

    Senior pass discount 

    Quick check-in( in fact, we were still backing into our site) by camp host who delivered vehicle pass 

    Asphalt parking pad surrounded by grass 

    Non moveable metal frame wooden picnic table on an oversized concrete slab 

    Metal fire ring with cooking grate 

    Lantern pole 

    Shady site #4 

    Spacious area between campsites 

    Quiet 

    Good night sky viewing as there are no street lights in park and shower/toilet facility had minimum lighting 

    Cons 

    Campers ignore basic rules/courtesy such as keeping dogs on leash and letting children run thru everyone’s campsites 

    Entrance gate unmanned (closed) 24/7) so lots of“drive-by” gawkers in the campground Non campers consistently showered in the campground showers facility

    Gates to campground not locked overnight 

    TP not available in women's restroom SWEETGUM most of the 2 nights of our stay 

    No security drive-throughs by park staff 

    Unlevel parking pad Site #4 

    No privacy from any other campers as there is absolutely no brush/vegetation between sites 

    No firewood for sale in park 

    Non-climate controlled shower/toilet building, but did have a box fan sitting on the floor running, but he was a sweat box in that facility!

    Site picnic table at the rear of the site and it was anchored to the concrete pad 

    No WiFi 

    1 bar Verizon

  • Napunani
    Dec. 13, 2022

    Brazos Bend State Park Campground

    Beautiful

    This would be a 5 star if there was sewer hookup 

    PROS 

    No fee to make my own on-line reservations

    Park security gate closed overnight hours 

    Good space between sites 

    Grass mowed in each site 

    Extra wide campground roadway 

    Quiet during our weeknight stay 

    Wooden and metal picnic table on concrete slab 

    Pedestal BBQ grill 

    Metal firering (no cooking grate) 

    Clean, climate controlled toilet/shower facility. 

    Ample supply of TP, and hand soap but hand dryer didn’t work and no paper towels. Campfire wood for sale via honor system in the campground 

    Regular ranger patrol through campground

    Lots of dumpsters throughout the campground

    .85 miles round trip from site 114 to closest toilet/shower facility 

    2 bars T-MOBILE 

    CONS 

    No discount for a one night stay 

    Aggressive raccoons 

    Site 114 not level 

    No lantern pole in campsite 

    Site picnic table is anchored to concrete slab and not moveable 

    No WiFi

  • Stephen & Theresa B.
    Jul. 18, 2021

    Stephen F. Austin State Park Campground

    Pleasant Texas State Park

    We had a really nice relaxing stay at Stephen F Austin State Park near San Filepe, Texas. Great little state park easily accessed from I-10. The 38 RV sites are all asphalt pad pull throughs with 30/15 amp electric, water and sewer complete with concrete pad for table, fire pit, lantern and all well spaced for plenty of privacy...big rig friendly. They have an additional 39 tent only sites with water and 25 primitive. Screened shelters are reservable for tent camping with 20 amp electric and water plus one rustic cabin with amenities. There is a$5 daily entrance fee in addition to camping fees. The bathhouse facilities are brand new. It's a small park but they do have five miles of trails for hiking/biking with views of the Brazos River. We enjoyed the wildlife; deer strolling in the campground every morning and evening, birds, rabbits, frogs, turtles, a bobcat and numerous owls. They have a Nature Center; however it was not open during our visit. The park office has a small store with sundries and park souvenirs. The nearby San Felipe de Austin State His­toric Site tells the story of early settlers to Texas and is worth a visit. We made a run to the nearby town of Sealy to do a much needed laundry stop...small community with grocery, dining and fuel to meet most needs. GPS 29.811982-96.108059 l(979) 885-3613 l Park Road 38 San Felipe, TX 77473

  • Napunani
    Nov. 18, 2021

    Cagle Recreation Area

    Night Sky Friendly

    Reserved 183 days prior to arrival. 

    PROS 

    Quiet even on Halloween weekend except for road noise from FM1375 

    Night sky friendly. NO STREET LIGHTS in Campground! 

    Two FHU Campgrounds. Sweet Gum with 19 sites and Sycamore with 28 sites. 

    Metal picnic table 

    Cooking grill on metal fire ring 

    Site level and asphault parking pad in good condition 

    Friendly camp host who came directly to site on our second day for our check-in 

    Not charged a fee to make my own on-line reservation 

    Campsite discount with America the Beautiful Pass 

    CONS 

    Campsite water hook-up sprayed water everywhere. Even tried using plumber Teflon tape that didn’t even reduce the large spray. Talked to camp host about it and he just laughed and agreed it was needing some repairs, but no one ever came by and it sprayed like that for 4 nights! We had quite a large puddle.

    Security gates are NOT closed overnight

    Extra high sided campfire ring

    No privacy from any other campsites

    Toilet/shower facility without temperature control

    4 Camp Hosts for 47 campsites. Sweet Gum Loop #11 Camp Host site packed to the max with all kinds of stuff that isn’t seen at other Camp Host sites. Definitely hording homesteaders.

    Only park amenity is boat ramp for Lake Conroe.

    No swimming is permitted.

    Never saw any park rangers or park security driving through campground Wildlife sightings of grey squirrels

    Zero to 1 bar AT&T

    No park Wifi

  • H
    Sep. 29, 2016

    Camp Mohawk County Park

    County park by Houston

    Nice wooded campground with a lot of camping and recreation options.Lots of day use activity. Shady camp sites! Nice basic tent camping with clean facilities. Came here to enjoy the wildlife refuges nearby so didn’t use the park too much, but it’s nice for what it is.

  • Daniel L.
    Jul. 8, 2022

    Cagle Recreation Area

    Nice... But.

    Summary: Nice small older park with mature trees & two loops. Sweetgum and sycamore. We stayed in the sycamore loop site #28. Sycamore loop has a boat ramp on the southern end as this park is on lake Conroe. Pros: IMO there is allot to like at this quiet park. Shade, mature trees, most sites had adequate space between them, full hook-ups,30 & 50 amp, newer style fire rings with adjustable grates to cook on. Although there was a fire ban when we went. Access to the lake if you like to boat or fish. Grounds were well kept up while there, no stickers in the grassy areas of you have pets or little ones. I hate if we go somewhere and there are thorns in our dogs feet when we walk them, that is no fun but not here. OHV area trail head with miles of trails are minutes away.

    Cons: Our site was really off level side to side. We have auto leveling and it wouldn't work it was so far out of level. We had to manually do it. Side to side isn't fun. Front to back is much easier to set up. So I would say bring leveling blocks or boards with you in case you need them. Be prepared. Also as with any park sites rig size vary as to what can fit where. So my advice is to go visit it and pick which one you think you'd fit into best and mark it down for when you want to go. Some sites I couldn't fit into. And no pull-thrus if that's your thing. Sewer hookup on some we're a ways away so bring an extra hose. Mine was close but I seen others that needed 3 hoses. I always carry two 10 footers and one 15 footer. No swimming area for the kids. No fishing pier. Fishing access is not great at the campground. Huntsville 20 miles away for supplies, food, etc. No store close by. Hope that helps.

  • D
    May. 22, 2018

    Stephen F. Austin State Park Campground

    Great shelter, clean showers & toilets

    We stayed at Stephen F Austin State Park in Texas in early May 2018. We went as a family with 3 kids (3yrs, 5yrs & 7yrs old).

    We had a screen shelter that was powered and had a light. It was a great spot with close access to the showers and toilets (we were shelter number 1).

    The walking trails we nicely kept. Some were closed but still able to go for a decent walk around the ones that were open. We saw deer grazing in the long grass and early evening the fireflies came out which was so lovely and relaxing to watch.

    Park hosts and volunteers was all very friendly and helpful too. One had a hummingbird feeder set up and we saw a hummingbird feeding.

    The playground was very basic - 4 swings and a sandbox only.

    We will definitely be going back again as if is only a 1 hour drive from Houston.

  • Red S.The Dyrt PRO User
    Apr. 22, 2025

    Brazos Bend State Park Campground

    Excellent campground.

    This is an excellent campground. In my opinion, the camper pads are really nice. Long and wide can accommodate small or large campers and motorhomes. They are fire rings picnic tables. There's firewood for sale, lots of wildlife sightings. I got 5G network with T-MOBILE service and excellent television reception. The bathrooms and showers are really clean.

  • Brittany S.
    Aug. 14, 2018

    Stephen F. Austin State Park Campground

    Fun for ALL!

    I took a trip here with my husband, our son (3yo), my sister-in-law, her husband, their daughter(1yo), and a total of 4 dogs! We had an absolute blast! Since we live in Houston and my sister-in law lives in Corpus Christi, TX we all wanted to get out of the city and just enjoy nature. So glad we chose to camp here. We stayed for a total of 4 nights in tents! My husband and I got there first and the park ranger said we were the first to check in, so we could choose the site we wanted. We wanted a site fairly close to the bathrooms because of the kiddos, one big enough to fit us all, and also one with a lot of shade because it was hella hot! We chose site 72 and it worked really well. Just be aware if your going with a group, the big sites do not have much shade.

    We decided to do a bit of hiking with the kids and this place was perfect for a family trip.The trails were beautiful and easy to get through (marked well) with all of us and the staff was helpful and kind enough to let us know which ones were closed (aftermath of Hurricane Harvey). Most of the trails were short (less than a mile), so if you are looking for a place for moderate or extreme hiking, it is not here, but for the kids, these were perfect! Obviously in Texas the land is pretty flat in most places, so there wasn't much incline at all. We were able to go on every trail with rest and snacks in between for little ones. There is also fishing, but because of Harvey everything was still in clean up mode. Being from Houston, we definitely understood that it would take some time to get everything going again. It seemed like Hurricane Harvey turned the outermost trails/ longest trails into a big creek bed. It literally just washed everything out.

    The facilities were old, but very well taken care of and clean! Very few bathrooms and showers, so if you are going during peak season be aware you could be waiting in line (especially the girls restroom/showers). During our stay there were many Boy Scout groups camping and many others, but thankfully I am an early riser, and got to the showers by 6 AM with no wait! Also if you have kids or a small bladder get a site close to the bathrooms otherwise it could be little walk from one of the other sites because of the way they are spaced out.

    The campsites were very clean and we watched a few times as people left that the rangers would come out and clean them immediately! Also firewood is for sale on site and it not expensive. We had to go back twice to get wood and the lady who was there was so sweet and gave us extra just in case for no extra cost.There is a fire-pit with a grill rack at ever site which is helpful. We brought some foil to just put over the rack to cook burgers and it worked well! They have RV campsite, Water-only campsites, walk-in sites, group sites, and I believe screened group shelters for youth camps and such.

    This state park is a great little place! We have a state park pass so we try to visit as many as possible and obviously our entry fee is free, but we enjoy the history and education they provide as well. This park is only 30 miles from Houston and about 8 miles from a Bucee's (worlds best gas station) in case you need any supplies or gas. We will definitely come back to this one!

Guide to Houston

Tent camping options near Houston, TX exist primarily on the outskirts of the metropolitan area. Sites range from primitive settings on small farms to more developed facilities with amenities approximately 30-45 miles from downtown. Summer temperatures regularly exceed 90°F with high humidity, while winter lows rarely drop below freezing. Mosquitoes present a significant challenge for Houston-area campers, particularly following rain events when standing water is present.

What to do

Visit space attractions: Houston West RV Park serves as a strategic base for NASA enthusiasts. "Very nice RV Campground with large dog park, laundry, and cleaned showers and toilets. Easy drive to see the Johnson Space Center," notes reviewer Norrie W. The campground is located approximately 40 minutes from Space Center Houston.

Enjoy fishing opportunities: Job Beason Park offers shoreline fishing access along Trinity Bay. The park provides drinking water and toilets, making it suitable for primitive tent camping near Houston TX. Located near Anahuac, this waterfront location attracts anglers year-round.

Walk nature trails: Campers at Houston West RV Park can access an on-site lake with walking paths. "Nice mini lake and walking trail," mentions Javier M., highlighting accessible outdoor activities without leaving the campground property.

What campers like

Night sky viewing: Big City Little Farm offers primitive tent camping with minimal light pollution. "There was plenty of space and a beautiful night sky. The cozy fire was perfect for s'mores," reports Hector S., noting the unexpected stargazing opportunities.

Clean facilities: Tent camping near Houston often includes access to well-maintained amenities. "This was our first family camping trip and very beautiful spacious and clean!" writes Roxanne G. about Tomball RV Park, located 30 miles northwest of downtown.

Stocked fishing pond: "Nice, clean and stocked pond. I would definitely recommend this park," states Brian W. about Houston West RV Park. This feature provides recreational opportunities between urban explorations.

What you should know

Fire regulations vary: While Houston West RV Park permits campfires and sells firewood on-site, other Houston-area campgrounds prohibit open flames due to periodic drought conditions and fire risk. Always check current restrictions before planning activities requiring fires.

Insect challenges: Red ant infestations affect some Houston-area campsites. "They've got a pretty severe red ant infestation everywhere, so you can't spend too long standing outside on the gravel or the grass," warns Tara R. about Houston West RV Park.

Limited true wilderness options: Most tent camping options near Houston TX are small private campgrounds rather than wilderness experiences. For primitive tent camping with more isolation, campers typically drive 90+ minutes from the city center.

Tips for camping with families

Plan early morning activities: Summer temperatures near Houston regularly exceed 90°F by mid-morning. Schedule hikes, sports, and outdoor activities before 10am when camping with children to avoid heat-related issues.

Farm-based camping experiences: Big City Little Farm incorporates agricultural elements into camping. "The farm animals give it a nice nature's touch," notes Hector S. This setting provides educational opportunities for children while tent camping.

Pool access important: During summer months, facilities with swimming options provide crucial relief from heat. Look for campgrounds with water features when tent camping with children between May and September.

Tips from RVers

Price comparison matters: RV sites with tent camping options vary significantly in cost. "Every other campground in the Houston area seems to be $55+, but with AAA discount I only paid $45 here!" reports Tam C. about Leisure Lane RV Resort, highlighting the value of researching pricing.

Electrical protection: Power fluctuations affect some Houston-area campgrounds. When tent camping with electronics or at sites with electrical hookups, bring surge protectors to safeguard devices against power issues common during summer thunderstorms.

Strategic location: "This park is only about a block off of Route 10 near Houston. Great place to stay if you are just passing through," notes Tara R. about Houston West RV Park, emphasizing its convenient positioning for transit campers.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where are the best tent camping sites near Houston?

Big City Little Farm stands out as a top tent camping destination near Houston, offering a serene getaway while still allowing for quick day trips into the city. With plenty of space and beautiful night skies, it's ideal for those wanting to experience nature without venturing too far. For families new to camping, Tomball RV Park provides spacious and clean grounds that have received praise for first-time campers. Both locations offer a peaceful environment where you can escape the urban hustle while remaining close enough to Houston for convenience.

Are there free or low-cost tent camping options in the Houston area?

Houston West RV Park offers competitive rates compared to other area campgrounds, with visitors noting prices around $45 with an AAA discount while many other Houston-area sites charge $55 or more. Bayou Campground provides another economical option for budget-conscious campers. For those willing to drive a bit further from the city center, public lands in the Sam Houston National Forest offer primitive camping at reduced rates. Always check if reservations are required, as some budget-friendly spots operate on a first-come, first-served basis, and prepare for more basic amenities at lower-cost locations.

What amenities should I expect at Houston-area tent campgrounds?

Houston West RV Park offers a range of amenities including a pool, hot tub, small lake with a walking trail, dog park, laundry facilities, and clean showers and toilets. Many tent campers appreciate these conveniences when staying near the city. At Job Beason Park, you can expect more basic amenities including water access and toilet facilities. Typically, Houston-area campgrounds provide fire rings, picnic tables, and access to drinking water, though specific amenities vary by location. Expect most sites to offer some form of bathrooms, but shower availability might be limited at more rustic locations.

When is the best season for tent camping around Houston given the Texas climate?

The ideal tent camping season around Houston is late fall through early spring (October to April) when temperatures are mild and humidity levels drop. Summer months (June-September) bring intense heat, high humidity, and mosquitoes that can make camping uncomfortable. Visitors to Bambolea and other area campgrounds have noted that spring camping offers beautiful wildflower displays, while winter provides comfortable daytime temperatures and cool evenings perfect for campfires. Be prepared for occasional rain throughout the year, and always check weather forecasts before your trip as Gulf storms can develop quickly, particularly during hurricane season (June-November).

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