Best Glamping near Proctor Lake

Reserved 159 days prior 

Pros

No reservation fee charged for marking online reservation 

50% discount with National Park Pass 

Roadways easy to maneuver without any low-hanging branches 

Quiet except for middle of the night party animal noise and distant trains 

Good dark sky viewing as there are NO street lights in campground 

Concrete treads where RV wheels land were level requiring no additional leveling efforts 

Metal cover over concrete picnic table 

Entrance gate closed10pm-6am so exit only without any reentry until 6am

Saw 1 squirrel and 5 deer 

Nice Golf Course next to campground 

Nice fishing piers 

Plenty TP in toilet/shower rooms 

Very nice large group picnic pavilions 

3 bars 3G Verizon 

Cons

Site consist of sandy gravel which high winds created a dust storm making a gritty mess of everything inside and out

Site water hookup below ground 

Campsite had unusual amount of trash and cigarette butts 

Campfire ring full of ash and trash upon arrival and there has been a county burn ban for the last 6 months

Campground toilet/shower facility lit up at night like a Christmas tree 

County Burn ban, which we discovered ourselves and confirmed by calling park prior to arriving with campfire wood

Upon check-in, friendly woman at gate told us one thing then a man at the gate contradicted the woman regarding charcoal fires

Quiet hours not enforced. 4 toilets for 24 campsites for possible 8 people per campsite PLUS boaters and fishermen. Phew! 

Half of park closed during winter so 37 campsites only open April-September

The park 3 dumpsters were overflowing; 1 was over flowing upon our Thursday afternoon arrival and the other 2 were overflowing Sunday morning so we had to pack out our trash

No number sign on our site

No patrolling host or ranger. 

No privacy from one campsite to another

No playground, basketball or tennis courts 

No campsite BBQ grill 

No hiking trails 

No soap or hand towels in toilet facility 

No trash cans in or outside toilet facility so people threw trash on floor 

No WIFI

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Eat at Granny Clark’s in Dublin TX. Blue plate special and buffet. Brookshires Grocery and Tractor Supply in Comanche Stephenville 30 miles from campground has Walmart, H‑E‑B, CVS, Walgreens, but no Lowes or Home Depot.

Wish they would change the name to Meridian State Park instead of just Meridian on here.  Very nice, small, peaceful park.  There are 8 pull thru sites with full hookups, including 50 amp.  We were in on site 6.  Fairly level, but not much room to put a rug out.  They had 5 big rocks out to keep people from parking to close to the site.  Very close to the bathroom and shower room.  Very clean.  Right next to Park Office.  Lake was only 5 minute walk or minute drive.  Excellent swimming area  with picnic tables and grills.  Did not get a chance to fish there but heard it is very good.  Very quiet park.

1. Take plenty of water, Insect repellent, and sunscreen with you if you decided to bike the Nopales Ridge Trail in the middle of June. Note that there are several areas along the trail where you may need to carry your bike.
2. There are air conditioned cabins available, many with lakeviews.
3. There are at least two floating piers (with lights!) and one wooden fishing pier (with lights!).
4. The park has many trees and is beautifully maintained.
5. The public facilities (restrooms, showers, picnic areas) were clean and usable. Toilets flushed, TP was available, there was cold AND hot water, overhead lights worked, mirrors above sinks were usable
6. It is well worth the time to visit the beautiful and elegant CCC Lodge.
7. Black ants rule the park. Plan accordingly.

Stayed in the South Primative Camping Area, site 1. It was my first time doing a walk in campsite. While it is a relatively quick walk to the site from the parking lot, you should bring a folding wagon if you aren't traveling with backpacker gear. The site is large, with a lantern post (which I used as a hitch to secure my dog and as a bike rack), area for 2-3 tents, a fire pit with a bark-free log seat, and a picnic table. I found that the 2 trees in the center of the site are almost perfectly spaced for a hammock.

I chose this spot so that I could avoid the hustle and bustle of a regular campsite, and also because my dog barks a lot at people walking past the tent. Unfortunately, one of the major trails goes right past the site, so I had my fair share of barking. I think this problem might be alleviated on its own when it isn't the middle of winter, as there appears to be a significant amount of foliage.

With regards to nearby facilities - there is a trash can right across from the site on the main trail, and there is a port a potty behind the campsite, which appears to be part of the horseback riding trail.

Despite how excellently arranged this site is, I was alarmed to see how dirty other campers had left it. Site 1 had trash everywhere including broken glass and cigarette butts.

Trash aside, this is a wonderful campsite.

The remarkable area of this park lies not in it's campground loop. The loop is pretty, lovely even, and it looks like a lot of other campgrounds on a beautiful lake. But take a walk along the lakeshore trail and see the cabins, dance hall, and steps constructed by the CCC and you'll be transported back in time. In 8.5 years on the road, I've never been more tempted to go inside than by these simple, lovely, stone structures.  Just a bed, small kitchen, table, and a bathroom complete with vintage rustic decor, and that's all you'll think you ever need.  So adorable!

But this is a campground review so let's get back to it. The campground seems like the perfect bustling summertime holiday vacation spot. It's set up more like a city park with lots of open space and grass, than individual sites carved out of the woods. Walking around during winter, you can imagine the families gathering at the water, renting stand-up paddle boards, playing volleyball, or chasing a frisbee into the water. It has a reputation for being a place where families gather year after year, and I can see why. There are electrical/water sites as well as tent only sites right by the water, which really have the best location in the park. The bathroom is a little dated, but functional and clean with hot showers. 

Brownwood is within a 20 minute drive and has all the services of a modern suburban city. There are several trails throughout the park, but getting out on the water seems to be the focus of this park.

First the bad. The restrooms/shower's are not on the priority list, not cleaned regularly and to think we're dealing with COVID. Privacy curtains at the showers were missing. The soap holder in the shower was dirty on Tuesday 7/26/'21when we arrived and was still dirty when we left that Friday 7/30/'21, so was the left behind shampoo bottle. We had to clean our camping area from dog poop left behind and there were flies al over the area. The only place you could find dog baggies was at the office/Headquarters, even there in front of the Headquarters, we picked up dog poop left behind, laying there for a couple of days, so we could sit on the bench and use the Wifi. We were shocked to find this at a Texas State Park. The good. The park is great👍, nice walking and biking trails and the and the lake was beautiful, fishing🐠, kayaking🚣 and swimming🏊‍♀️. If you love nature this is a nice to visit.⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ stars for the Park itself. Submit question or comments to: https://www2.tpwd.state.tx.us/business/feedback/webcomment/?\_ga=2.215293847.1216528436.1627927584-152645507.1624108653

This is absolutely one of my favorite State Parks and campgrounds I’ve ever been to. I have been visiting this park & campground since I was a child. I’ve camped, tube rafted the river, played in the water, found all the dinosaur tracks (yes, real actual dinosaurs were here) and hiked all the trails numerous times. I have never had a bad experience here. Always lots to do and I end up finding at least one new thing every time I go. The campsites are pretty secluded by trees for privacy. They are clean, well maintained and each have a fire pit and picnic table. There are tent sites as well as full hook-up sites. The public restroom & showers are always clean & well kept. The absolute best thing about this place is that you can actually touch and stand on a REAL dinosaur track!!! There are signs explaining which dinosaur left each particular track and giving all the information about the individual dinosaur and the time frame they lived there. It’s really cool, even for an adult. The water is always clear and cool. There are several swimming “holes” that are very refreshing, one even has a cliff you can jump off of into it because it’s deep & safe. The hiking is superb, with nice groomed trails and beautiful scenery. Easy enough for children but still challenging enough for the adults due to the elevation changes. The outlooks are spectacular views. I see why the dinosaur’s chose to live there. The town of Glen Rose is right down the road and they have stores for anything you might’ve forgotten or need. Also, the town has several good restaurants if you want a night off from cooking. You can’t go wrong with this State Park & campground. I can’t find one negative thing about it. Pure Texas Perfection!!