Best Tent Camping near Port Arthur, TX

We love camping here. The last time we camped we did so in primitive tent camping. The area was clean and everything was as it was supposed to be. Love being able to camp right on the beach.

Beautiful area, for 10.00 you can tent camp on the beach and your pass is good for the season. The RV park is great, but camping on the beach was an awesome exercise. You can also drive on this beach.

No frills, water/sewer/electric hookups for about 12 rigs on someone’s beach front lot. Pets allowed and drive on beach access point is on the property. You can drive on and have fires on this section of the beach….that’s something different and cool. We had plenty of food, drinks, wood with us - I’m not sure about nearby grocery availability. It’s probably too windy for tent camping, but a neat place if you have a small to medium size RV. I called the owner, paid over the phone and that was it.

Absolutely beautiful area with diverse environment to explore. You can stay in cabins, regular RV/tent sites with power, or out on the beach with no amenities. We stayed on the beach! Surreal beauty.

Yay: um, beach camping is always amazing.

Nay: no complaints, but if you don’t have a kayak you will be sad.

Surprise: Great kayaking trail map and recommendations from the rangers on where to go. There is hiking as well. Spend an afternoon or a week here.

Or stay in the small, open campground with picnic tables, fire rings, water and electric hook up and a nearby comfort station. There’s an outside cold water shower and an elevated walkway crossing wetland to the beach.

The birding is absolutely fantastic so come with binoculars. I saw great flocks of Avocets feeding at the waters edge along with Willets, and a variety of sandpipers and terns including Caspian. There’s a paved trail to hike through the wetlands. Bug spray is essential.

Beach camping is available to any vehicle or camper. The upper beach sand is hard packed like a road and it goes for about three miles on the East side and about 10 on the West side.

I can’t say enough about the staff who became dedicated to rescuing me after a major storm dumped three inches of rain in a couple of hours causing an inland pond to overflow cutting a channel through the beach to the Gulf. I was stranded about two miles out in my 2X4 camper van for two delightful days before they brought out the heavy equipment and towed me across the channel and back to the real world.

Gas up in Port Arthur before driving down.

The first time we went to the beach (just visited, no camping) we were able to kayak into the ocean and fish. The second time the waves were way too intense. We still enjoyed our time overall though. We got there early and picked a spot. The park ranger told us that wherever the tide was at 11am, that is where it would be at 1am. We placed our tent accordingly. There was a weird swarm of gnats that showed up both times we were there. Just gnats though.

We walked along the beach and watched the beautiful sunset. We sat in our chairs as it got dark and just took it all in. Big. Mistake. I felt tingling on my legs and stated that the gnats were back. I turned on my phone light to see how many there were and to my horror my legs were covered in... mosquitos. I'm not exaggerating. My legs were absolutely covered. This of course led to a freak out session in which we frantically tried to put everything away and get into the tent. I dove into the tent and zipped it closed, only to discover they were still on my legs. I slapped and slapped and by the end my legs were covered in mosquito bodies and blood. We managed to kill most of the ones that followed us inside and then we watched as our tent was covered from the outside in a thin layer of them. It was at this point that I realized I needed to pee but we just tried to go to sleep. (The next day we realized that I had 150+ mosquito bites...)

Fast forward to about 1am. Boyfriend wakes up because the rain flap has come unstaked and is flapping in the wind. He tells me he will get it so I roll over to go back to sleep. He steps outside of the tent (the mosquitos are long gone) and firmly tells me to get up... now. Annoyed by this, I ask why. The panic in his voice as he urges me to get up, right now, is enough to urge me to get up and see what is going on. I step outside and see the waves gently hitting our tent. Our kayaks are one wave away from being carried away, the back tires of my truck are in a thin layer of water, our grill is submerged and the bathroom tent is flooded. We work together and get everything moved a safe distance away. Remember that park ranger and her advice? Yeah, don't listen to them. Put your tent and gear as far back as you can.

Even with all of this we still mostly like this campground. You just need to be aware of the tide and the mosquito swarm that will come right at dark. Be in your tent before then and you will be fine. We enjoyed fishing and crabbing and just relaxing. It is cool that you can go from marsh to ocean in 5 minutes all within the same park. There are definitely better beaches out there though.

Free camping, just send a picture of your 🆔. Plenty of room, no sites just pop your tent wherever. No electric or hookups. They do have a restroom with flush toilets. Don't forget the "OFF" tons of mosquitoes. Overall a nice place.

This is part of a huge refuge with marshes and seashores. We got a cabin (not sure if there is a tent or RV area) and it was really nice: AC, unfurnished kitchen, comfy bunkbeds, screened deck (bring your own kitchen supplies and bedding). I’m pretty sure the cabins are relatively new (as of 2014) because of a hurricane sometime in the past decade. Absolutely beautiful for a day or the weekend.

This is a Chambers County Texas park.  They have several and they provide a great location for enjoying the plains of Texas.  This particular park is really more like a fairground area.  There is a lot of concrete where you may park.  There is a great playground area and green space.  There are several electric and water hookups but they are NOT for campers.  They are for the vendors when the county has an event.  Do not park on the grass and you must be self contained.  No water but there is a bathroom and it was open when we were there.  You must get a permit to stay for a small fee but the camping is free and you may stay three days.

LNT

BTYFI

Travel safe

Before Hurricane Rita, there used to be a wildlife center here. Now theres just a pier and a shack. Careful parking because the light sand will leave you stuck. Its a typical Texas beach. The summer drought has left the nature walk dry and without nature. Hopefully the recent rains will fill it back in and the gators will return.

This is a nice little park, only 14 RV hookup sites and they allow camping in tents on the beach. The sites were very close to the boardwalk that takes you over the dunes and to the beach. The nature trail over the marsh was really cool, we saw lots of alligators and birds. The beach was ok, not the nicest I've ever seen but the kids loved it. Lots of shells and treasures to be found. And very few other people around. We would have really enjoyed our stay had it not been for the mosquitoes. We had read reviews before going and thought we knew what we were in for...but there was nothing to prepare us for these mosquitoes. We covered ourselves with deet, had a bug zapper, I even fogged the area with an essential oil blend for bugs. But nothing kept them away. And it wasn't just a few...they swarmed. At one point my husband had at least 30 on him (and he usually never gets bitten)...after using Off. They were even in the pop up. I have small children, and don't like them getting eaten. We decided to leave a day early because of the mosquitoes. You couldn't even sit outside in the evening and enjoy the ocean breeze. I am from the south and have grown up with mosquitoes my entire life and I have never seen anything like these.

We stayed here because it was extremely convenient to the Ford Arena, where our grandchild was playing softball. The sites are very close together in the side we were staying at. More like a big parking lot. It had rained and it was rather flooded! The small areas of grass were unkempt. With all that being said, we were in a pull through spot, #117, which was large enough to accommodate a 27 ft camper and truck. No firepit. A picnic table was on site, but was too much water to get to it. There is a small store, which had Texas souvenirs and food basics. A beautiful clean pool. 3 shower and toilet rooms, as well as a handicapped shower. Breakfast is not available at this time due to "covid", but typically is included in the price. (Ballpark discount 40 dollars a night!) A playground is on site, but that was very wet as well.

The Mosquito Coast Dec 2022•  We had RV campground reservations for 3 nights but left after one because of the mosquitoes. I had read reviews and came prepared with Thermacell repellent and DEET spray but were overwhelmed by the mosquitoes. My Labrador had mosquitoes swarming him. The campground and park is surrounded by a marsh. The mosquitoes are not bad on the beach where there is a breeze. The park rangers are very nice and the campground itself is nice with spacious flat spots with electric and water hook ups. A dump station is available. Verizon coverage is poor. About half the RV spots were used however I only saw one other camper outside of their RV while we were there. I guess everyone else stayed inside their RV because of the mosquitoes. If you are a first time beach camper to the Texas Gulf Coast, try boondocking on the beach here or further down the Bolivar Peninsula near Crystal Beach. You need to be away from the marsh where the breeze keeps the mosquitoes away.

These are large, very clean spots at a lake park in the center of Dallas-Ft Worth

wonderfully different!! beautiful beach, but even better is the 2 mile paddle to a secluded, floating campsite, with fish, jumping shrimp, birding, and a gorgeous sunset....just watch out for the mosquitos!! (Be prepared to bring or purchase a bucket and waste bag, there is a built in privacy area on the raft to create a toilet)

We camped here last week right off the beach. They had the BEST staff. Clean facilities. Tons of privacy. Storms came in and left it was beautiful.