Best Tent Camping near Quitaque, TX

Caprock is a smaller version of palo duro canyon, and very close, without all the “commercial” fanfare. We tent camped here in august, 2018 and had the entire tent campsite lakeside to ourselves. The bathrooms were great, clean, hot water, all good things. The hikes were nice, challenging only due to heat (it was August in Texas so to be expected). There is a nice pier overlooking the lake, we were able to set up our chairs and enjoy a beautiful peaceful evening. The staff was very helpful. This is a Bison ranch, but we didnt see any during our two night stay.

Do not tent camp here. They will mislead you and then give you a huge fine!!! When we booked the campsite as a fun activity for our pandemic fatigued 6-year old granddaughter, they told me our car would be close to our campsite. We get there at 4 on a Friday afternoon in November and we were the only people in sight! When we booked, they told us to go into the park and find our tent site by ourselves because park personnel were avoiding interacting due to Covid. We got to our sight and found the gate locked to the whole area. It was clear people had driven around the gate several times. Thinking they had forgotten their sole campers for the night and had not come and unlocked the gate, we drove around it. We were very concerned about having to put up the tent in the dark, which was descending upon us. We went down a road to our campsite. While we were unloading, a state police officer came and gave us a$200 fine for going around the gate. It was devastating and disappointing. We wanted our granddaughter to have some fun during all the pandemic restrictions. We were treated horribly.

We just happened to camp during an unusually cool time, and extremely thankful for it. Temps are 10-15 degrees hotter here than at the top of the canyon. Vault toilets are super nice. Bring a light with you. Tent sites were well maintained, but sound carries. We could hear our neighbors clear as day when they arrived at 2:30AM and 4AM. Tons of wildlife came through camp - two bison, a raccoon, and a pack of coyotes.

Just a short walk to a nice scene up to an overlook where the wind funnels down. If you feel hot and sweaty, just walk 2 minutes through the juniper and cacti to relief.

This place is wonderful. I came here some years ago with my father, and had to venture out and see it again. Nothing has changed, and that's a great thing. The park was virtually empty in early February, I saw a grand total of five people over my three days here. There were many bison, prarie dogs, and stars. There are loops with full hookups, but most of the primitive tent sites are walk-in, though not far from the parking areas, and all with fantastic views of the canyons & Caprock Escarpment. This park is a hikers dream! Many trails to fuel your desires. 

The racoons will get your trash/food if they are able to get to it, even if you are in your campsite. They do not care.

We went here because Palo Duro was already booked the weekend that we wanted to visit. This park is amazing, though. We camped in the South Prong Tent Camping area. There is a drop toilet, but there is no water in the tent area. Be sure to bring large jugs. We drove up to the RV area to refill and take showers.

The campground has a buffalo heard that roams the park. They seemed to stay closer to the RV camping areas, but they can wonder the roads where they please. There is also a prairie dog colony near the showers that is fun to watch.

The South Prong camping area is at the trailhead for the Upper Canyon trail trail. You can do a great all day hike looping the Upper and lower trails Or you can do a steeper, but somewhat shorter climb up the Haynes overlook and then back either the Upper or Lower trail. We did an out & back onthe Upper Canyon the first day and then did the Haynes Ridge to Lower Canyon loop for a longer hike the second day.