Best Dog-Friendly Camping near Plainview, TX

While there is no camping anywhere in the park, it does have a lot of recreational things happening in all corners. The “lake” is part of a larger controlled water way that is part of Lubbock Lake Park complex. The main entrance off of Broadway Ave is poorly maintained by the city (like many others around LBK) but once inside there are a multitude of things to do.

• Frisbee golf. A very large and meandering course through trees, grass, bridges and a floating island, it plays host to tournaments often.

• Canyon Run Dog Park. Do happy the city finally made this happen. Two sides of the same fenced area equal more than 5 acres of well maintained doggy play area. Huge old Oaks provide plenty of shelter with benches scattered about.

• Fishing galore in the lake. Busy all day long and stocked frequently. 4th of July fishing derby packs the lake.

• Joyland. A dated but busy amusement park is open late spring through mid fall.

• Scattered trails with signs giving length and direction can be found often through large trees areas and open grass areas.

• Baseball, softball, golf and a Prairie Dog Town can be found in the N and NE corners.

Clean place to stop for the night, while traveling through.  It was a good value in terms of price. Fairly quiet at night.

One item to consider is that the back side of the park, right off the main (busy) road, was not fenced.  So, it may be a consideration if you are traveling with kids, pets or by yourself.  Did feel safe, overall.

This is my favorite place to camp in Texas, second only to BiBe (though I haven’t been to Palo Duro yet). A truly beautiful site. We hiked out at 11pm and the moon was so bright we almost didn’t need headlamps. Lots of bison poop, and lots of coyote howling. The sites were pretty spread out, and the central area had a decent pit toilet. Completely surrounded by red rocks - loved it. Close access to some of the park’s major trails, and an easy hike out to the site.

This damned lake (Army Corps of Engineers) recreation area offers some very inexpensive camping and OHV trail access. When the water is full during the summer, the lake is good for motoring, fishing, and other water sports. We visited during the draw down which offered a lot more beach area, but less water. 

Many of the campsites offer full-hook ups with all the usual amenities, picnic table, grill, sun shade and fire ring. A few of the campsites lie along the rim of the canyon and are way more beautiful, offering more privacy and sweeping vistas, but do not offer water or electricity. Bring your own solar panel and water and you are all set! 

Bathrooms were scarce, none close to the campground, unless we missed them, but there were some toilets by the office/campstore. So, come prepared with your own facilities, too if you don't have one in your RV.

Closest town for groceries and supplies is Plainview, about 45 miles away.

The park has a free roaming bison herd (ancestral to the original bison that once roamed Texas in the 1800's) and a large prairie dog colony. They have hiking trails for all levels. Campsites are not stacked on top of one another, so there's a bit of privacy. Lots of different camping areas depending if you want to tent, backpack or RV. The scenery is different than we'd experienced prior, but it's a breathtaking beauty. Our girls, 5 and 7, begged to have a few extra days at the park. We cannot wait to get back in the fall to do more hiking! Also, we took a day trip on the Texas Plains Trail up to Amarillo, to Cadillac Ranch and ended up at Palo Duro State Park for their TEXAS! show. It was a big day, but a great way to see more of the region.

This is a beautiful, undervalued State Park In Texas. I spent only one night here on my way to another TX State Park. It was fantastic!! This park has great facilities, spacious campsites and talk about animals. Bison & Prarie Dogs are the tow most popular animals at the park. Very unique to any park that I have visited in TX. The canyon views are spectacular as is the hiking in the park. I'm a photographer and got some beautiful Sunset and Sunrise photos. The park personnel were great and very helpful in pointing out some of he best photo opportunities in the park.

Caprock Canyons not only looks like it fell out of a John Wayne classic but is also home to the Texas State Bison Herd! The Bison roam free throughout the park so keep an eye out for them when you’re exploring. There are also prairie dogs everywhere! Enjoy them! They’re funny and cool. You can hike around or into the canyon and both are AWESOME! The sites were good sizes and most had shade in the RV loop. One of the cleanest bathrooms I’ve used in a state park was here as well! There is plenty of history within the park as well as ranger programs and wildlife. Seriously worth the drIve!

Caprock Canyon South Prong primitive camping area

The Caprock Canyon South Prong primitive camping site is about a 1 mile hike from the South Prong Tent camping area and the trailhead.

You’ll hike up and down some ravines and up a hill to reach it. If you’re able to camp at this site you’ll be rewarded with great views of the mountains and the valley. The red rock formations in this park are amazing.

I highly recommend hiking the Upper South Prong trail to the Fern Cave and then returning via the Haynes Ridge Overlook Trail.

Other highlights at this park include watching the prairie dogs and bison roam freely on the plains.

The only downside for this park is that to see some of the attractions you might need to drive because they are located far apart. The bison tend to gather on the open plains. The prairie dogs are located near the Honey Flat campground. Both of these attractions are far from the South Prong Camping Area. 

This park is located in the panhandle of Texas so it’s likely that you will have to drive a long distance to reach this park. if you would like to breakup the drive consider stopping over in Abilene to grab a bite to eat, see the worlds largest buffalo skull, or see the worlds largest paper airplane.

Facilities and surrounding area were real nice. Just a one nighter but took the dog on a long hike.

Created by the Red River, Caprock Canyon State Park, lies about 125 miles to the southeast of Palo Duro Canyon. While many similarities exist between the two state parks, the differences are striking. For starters, this park features the remaining heard of Southern Plains Bison (related to the Bison heard managed in Yellowstone N.P.) who wander the park roads and graze upon the local vegetation. So, keep your speed down and pay attention around every corner, especially at night!

We stayed in the Equestrian Camp (water only, no toilets, no electricity so come prepared with your solar panel).   Spacious sites, corrals for horses at each site, and one very squeaky windmill that will keep you awake at night if it's windy, which it always is.  Try to get a spot that is NOT right next to it!  The campground has a gate to keep wildlife out and horses in.  You'll have to open and close it each time you leave/return.

Hiking might just be the best way to see this park, but miles and miles of horse trails offer an unique experience from the saddle. Many trails crisscross the dry washes so pay attention to your trail markers so you don’t get turned around. Opportunities to hike up to the highest point in the park are strenuous but well worth the effort. So too is the hike back to the year-round springs that keep the wildlife running.

The nearby town of Quitaque also has an ice/water kiosk and a convenience store which is less than 5 miles away.  The closest town with a real grocery store and restaurants is Plainview, about 55 miles away.

We stayed one night on our road but the park is worth to stay longer. You also camp with bisons and prairie dogs.

great place to hike, lots of bison and prairie dogs to see and great view while hiking. just be careful on the hikes some rocks are unstable and narrow walk ways.

Located in Briscoe County, TX, this park is over 15,000 acres and the third largest state park in Texas. There is hiking, biking, and an equestrian rail trail extending through three counties. The canyons and ridges, carved out by erosion, are beautiful. The area is home to sheep, deer, coyotes, opossums, raccoons, bobcats, foxes, porcupines, prairie dogs, over 175 various birds, golden eagles, numerous snakes and lizards. The animal that stands out is the plains bison herd. There is also Lake Theo here, which has bass, catfish and rainbow trout. Temperatures average from 19F to 91F. There are cabins for rent and camping sites. Great staff and clean bathrooms. It was very windy and hot in May. Advisories were to have plenty of water on hand at all times. We stopped here on our way back from a trip and wished we could have camped there after seeing the area. They were all booked, so we just napped in hammocks by the water. We awoke to the awesome sight of bison coming down to the lake to drink. It does not get any better than this park.

Checkin was so easy and super friendly. The campsites are very spacious and well kept. The most magnificent part are the views and there’s a scenic route you can drive… just beautiful! The prairie dogs are super cute and entertaining as well as the magnificence of the wild bison roaming about.

Clean, quiet, cozy. Stayed 5 nights. You can hear owls and coyotes at night. A great hiking/mountain biking park. Buffaloes are easy to find in the park. There is a prairie dog town close to the camping area. I have knee trouble, and my wife uses a power chair. We still loved our stay.

This campground is absolutely beautiful, and was excruciatingly hot. Given I was there one of the warmest days of the year. But no breeze, little shade.

The views are amazing and it's easy to get checked in. My dog loved hiking early hours when the sun just peeked up. Tons of views and wildlife.

We preferred the less modern camping areas to the ones that have water and electric available. The more primitive sites were more isolated and offered better views of the park. There are toilets available at all campgrounds except for the hike in sites. Each camp site offers a type of shading, tables, and fire pits. This area is subject to burn bans early in the camping season that generally last through the summer and into the fall. Dogs are welcome and are permitted to access the trails. There is a wild bison herd within the park boundaries, you can also view prairie dogs. Hiking and mountain biking are available, although I believe the trails are more appropriate for hiking and trail running rather than MTB. Not far from the park is an old rails to trails trail which allows for some interesting features. The local town is very small and does not offer much for shopping, try to have everything you need before getting into the area because it is very isolated.

So many options for camping here- tent only, walk in, RV, numerous campground areas! We stopped enroute to Palo Duro State Park for lunch and decided to have a look around. Lots of prairie dogs to see and we even saw a bison. We did a cool little hike which was great. We wished we had mountain bikes to check out their trails.

Caprock Canyons provides an excellent opportunity to see Bison wandering about pretty freely! There are also plenty of prairie dogs to keep you amused. I love the way each campsite is shielded from the others by space and natural trees and scrub.

We only stayed one night, but we are so glad we did! Beautiful canyons, many opportunities to climb, bike and swim.

I’ve camped here by myself for 8 years as a small single female. always felt absolutely safe. the park rangers are really on it. they keep track of everyone on the trail and make sure you’ve got enough water.

some of these trails are particularly difficult in terms of drastic elevation change in a short time. the trails can be a bit tricky to follow and after significant rains parts of the trails can be washed out on the backside of the south prong/canyon rim trail.

I usually camp in the south prong primitive tent camping area. there a “primitive bathroom” which is fine. if you camp up closer to the showers there are a ton more people and children.

best to camp here in the fall and even winter. I try to shoot for day lights savings weekends. then it’s not too hot or cold but it can be brutal in the summer. if you’re prepared for it and you can rent camp during a good storm though, it’s pretty awesome.

dogs welcome. watch out for the buffalo. they are not to be messed with. they will jack you up, especially the pack of single bulls haha for obvious reasons. but give them a wide birth and don’t let your dogs bark at them and you should be ok.

Easily one of the most exciting and wonderful sites I've stayed at. Although I had to cut my visit short (combination of uncooperative dog and being underprepared for the weather), I genuinely enjoyed my time at this site and would strongly recommend it to anyone seeking to immerse themselves in such a striking and beautiful environment.

The distance from the parking area to the campsites - even 65, which I believe is the farthest away - is a short walk on level terrain. It was no problem for me to make a few quick trips to the car to grab my supplies.

Each site has a lovely little shelter area with a picnic table, a fire pit, and a grill. My shelter had a number of screws and nails left by previous campers and served as an excellent place to hang a trash bag, a lantern, and my clothesline. Perhaps the only complaint I had about 65 was trying to figure out which section of flattened ground was designated for my use and which belonged to site 64.

As for the area, it's a short walk to the composting toilets (a pair, designated male/female). Each toilet has a boot scraper out front, hand sanitizer and toilet paper inside, and enough standing room to comfortably bring a dog or young child into the bathroom should you need to keep an eye on them.

At least in 65, there's a decent amount of space between the nearby 63 and 64 campsites, although they are within line of sight if that bothers you. Only one other group was camping at this area at the time I was there, and while I could occasionally hear their chatter, it was unobtrusive and actually kind of reassuring to hear other people in the vicinity.

All sorts of wildlife roam free across the entire park, and this area is no exception. It is surreal and awe inspiring to watch the Bison wander through the sites in this area as they migrate through the park, and I also observed deer and a coyote during my stay.

All in all, this was a great park and an excellent campsite, and I hope to come back when I'm better prepared and I teach my dog to stop challenging Bison.