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Best Equestrian Camping near Richmond, TX

53 Reviews

Brazos Bend State Park Campground near Needville offers equestrian opportunities within its 21,901-acre property. The park maintains both drive-in and walk-in access points suitable for horse trailers, with designated accommodations for various camping styles including tent, RV, and cabin options. Trails throughout the park are accessible to riders, though specific horse-designated paths should be confirmed upon arrival. The sites provide electrical hookups, water access, and sanitary facilities that benefit equestrian campers requiring overnight amenities. Park facilities remain operational year-round, making this a reliable destination for seasonal trail rides and weekend horse camping excursions. Sites feature picnic tables and fire rings where riders can relax after a day on the trails. The spacious campsites accommodate horse trailers while maintaining reasonable privacy between neighboring campers.

Trail riders can access multiple pathways that wind through diverse terrain featuring lakes, forests, and wildlife observation areas. The extensive trail system provides various difficulty levels suitable for different riding experiences, from beginner-friendly flat paths to more challenging routes. Water crossings and wildlife viewing opportunities enhance the riding experience, with many trails offering excellent bird watching and potential alligator sightings from a safe distance. The George Observatory within the park offers a unique amenity for evening entertainment after riding activities conclude. During summer months, mosquito protection is essential for both horses and riders. The park's proximity to Houston (approximately 45 minutes southwest) makes it accessible for day rides and overnight equestrian camping trips. Trail conditions remain relatively consistent year-round, though seasonal flooding occasionally affects accessibility in certain areas.

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Best Equestrian Sites Near Richmond, Texas (2)

    1. Brazos Bend State Park Campground

    47 Reviews
    Thompsons, TX
    17 miles
    Website
    +1 (979) 553-5101

    $12 - $75 / night

    "Hikes and wildlife are good too, lots of easy trails along water for the kids, cool ponds, great little observation tour to climb."

    "A quick, 45 minute drive southwest will get you out of the concrete jungle that is the sprawling Space City metropolis and into one of the lushest, greenest parts of Texas."

    2. Houston West RV Park

    6 Reviews
    San Felipe, TX
    19 miles
    Website
    +1 (281) 375-5678

    "Nice mini lake and walking trail"

    "This park is only about a block off of Route 10 near Houston. Great place to stay if you are just passing through. The pool and hot tub are nice, and the lake is pretty."

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Equestrian Camping Reviews near Richmond, TX

53 Reviews of 2 Richmond Campgrounds

  • K
    Oct. 1, 2016

    Brazos Bend State Park Campground

    Brazos Bend

    The best part of this park is the observatory, which has special events and regular weekend hours pretty much all year. It’s absolutely worth staying up late for this! Hikes and wildlife are good too, lots of easy trails along water for the kids, cool ponds, great little observation tour to climb. There are standard RV/tent sites, screened shelters (for sleeping), and rustic cabins, horse sites, and youth group sites. The sites are pretty spread out and maybe half of them are very shady. Awesome little park outside Houston.

  • Eby H.
    Jul. 23, 2017

    Brazos Bend State Park Campground

    Ranger Review: Kameng Boots by Mishmi Takin at Brazos Bend State Park

    Campground Review

    It's incredible that I was born and raised in Houston and have lived here the past four years but haven't made it out to Brazos Bend State Park until now! A quick, 45 minute drive southwest will get you out of the concrete jungle that is the sprawling Space City metropolis and into one of the lushest, greenest parts of Texas. Brazos Bend is a "Nature Lover's Paradise" - there is abundant wildlife. There is great fishing, ample bird watching, and lots and lots of alligators (!). Lots of trails for walking, running, biking, and horseback riding. The George Observatory is a pretty amazing feature of this park (but only open Saturdays).

    We arrived at Brazos Bend on a Friday afternoon and were able to walk-in no problem. Walk-in rate is $12/day + the daily park entrance fee ($5 for adults, free for kids). I have a Texas State Parks Pass so we didn't have to pay the entrance fees (saved us $40 for two nights of camping!). Additionally there were several other great options including: Full-Site RV hook-up ($25/night), Standard Camping ($20/night, incl. water & electricity), and 14 Cabins ($80-200/night but have everything you could ever need or want).

    We did a lot of nature walks, game playing, and swimming during our two days at Brazos Bend State Park. Summer is probably not the best time to visit any park in Texas - its hot and muggy and the mosquitos are out in full force. Bring your DEET. Seriously. Despite that though, we were very pleasantly surprised by the amenities (swimming pool, screened in picnic tables, fire pits, and tent pads!)

    Product Review

    As a Ranger for The Dyrt, I get products to test from time to time - this past weekend at Brazos Bend I tested out the Kameng Mid eVent Waterproof Hiking Boot by Mishmi Takin.

    These boots have got it all.

    First, these boots are hella comfortable! I was blown away how comfortable they were right out of the box. Over the years, I've owned many pairs of hiking boots and they all required a significant break-in period. Not these!

    Second, they're waterproof AND breathable. Not water resistant, like actually water proof.

    Third, the look great. All 3 color schemes are fantastic I had a tough time choosing between green, grey and orange.

    Fourth, so lightweight. These only weigh 1.5lbs so even though they are boots, they won't weigh you down.

    5/5 Would Recommend.

  • Brittany S.
    Sep. 27, 2018

    Brazos Bend State Park Campground

    Alligators OH MY!!!

    Brazos Bend is alligator headquarters! This is my son's favorite park, right up next to Dinosaur Valley State Park. So first i'll tell you that the facilities are nice and pretty new it looked like. There are tent, group, equestrian, and RV sites, plus cabins and screened shelters. They have a few hike and bike trails, but nothing very challenging or long, but everything else they have is what makes it the bomb!

    There are six lakes, a creek, and the Brazos river in the park, so if you go during summer take bug spray, or bugs will eat you alive. Also tons of spiders...so yeah. You can fish at some of the lakes, and most of the lakes have a viewing pier where you can bird watch and look for big alligators.

    OK, the Nature center is the coolest thing ever!!! They have snakes, spiders, and lots of fun stuff for kids. My son got to touch a king snake and a baby alligator, which was so cool. They also have lots of planned activities going on, so make sure you check the calendar or ask a park ranger if they have an event going on. We got so lucky that they had a group of alligator hatchlings that they brought out for all the kids to see and did a whole informative, interactive discussion. They brought out like 60 baby alligators in tubs and showed the kids how they feed them and how they would release them back into the wild. It was the most amazing thing! They made sure every kid got to touch one, and there were a lot of kids.

    So yeah alligators are awesome, but on top of all of that, there is an observatory in the park. If you go on the weekends they have tours and shows at the observatory. There is an extra fee, but it is well worth it.

    Bring a hat, sunscreen, good shoes, and bug spray is a must!

  • Myra P.
    May. 6, 2018

    Brazos Bend State Park Campground

    Texas round trip

    Before we stopped at the Brazos park we went from Pottsville Arkansas to the beaches in Texas .Started out in Houston and seen the San Jacinto Monument , The Washburn Tunnel, Aquaworld in down town Houston. Went over some Big bridges . Than we went to the beach in Galveston and spend the night in the back of my explorer what a night great view and the breeze was nice . The next day moved on to travel down the coast to the Port Aransas and crossed on the ferry heading to Mustang Island beach. Than passing Corpus Christi down to Padre Island . Can't remember the name of the beach we spend the night on . The next morning we headed out away from the coast and back towards home . This it where we stopped at the Brazos park and sleep in one of the screened rooms . The park was beautiful and the moss on the trees make you think you have gone back in time . But a last we have to go home!

  • Carly H.
    May. 6, 2017

    Brazos Bend State Park Campground

    Getting back to nature

    We recently decided we wanted to spend more time outside and over the last year started accumulating camping supplies. When it was finally time to put them to use we chose Brazos Bend because it wasn't to far from the city and had a lot of hiking trails. This park is amazing! We saw around 15 alligators while hiking, and these are animals in the wild in their habitat (not like the gator farms where some dude is sticking his head in ones mouth). The have a nature center where park rangers give you info about the animals in the park and let you see snakes and baby alligators up close. The campsites have a fire pit, table and grill and for the most part lots of shade trees. All the hiking trails were accessible right from our site. Since we only camped overnight we didn't use any of the facilities but heard they were very clean. We ended up buying the texas state park pass and cannot wait to come back!

  • Troy W.The Dyrt PRO User
    Dec. 31, 2019

    Brazos Bend State Park Campground

    Brazos Bend State Park + Aligators!

    Ok, I'll admit it. I visited this park for one reason only… to see alligators.

    Brazos Bend State Park does have other attractions like miles of hiking trails, campsites, water fowl and migratory birds, but the real attraction for me was simply to see live alligators in their natural habitat. If you have the same motive, this park will not disappoint. 

    This park is located outside of Houston. During much of the year the temperature can be warm to hot and muggy. I think that the best time of the year to visit might be in the winter during November, December or January. At other times of the year you may need to fight off mosquitos as big as alligators.

    There are a number of trails to hike, but I chose trails that would provide the greatest opportunity to see alligators. So we hiked along the 40 Acre Lake to Elm Lake Loop. We first saw a number of water fowl - ducks, cranes, egrets. Then right along the trail we saw a fairly large alligator. Now there are signs that warn to stay a safe distance away from the alligators and it is solid advice. But simply staying on the trail allowed me to pass about 30 feet in front of a resting alligator. I'm guessing that if the alligator wanted to get up and chase me it could have. I just calculated that I didn't need to be faster than the alligator, I just needed to be faster than my hiking buddies.

    We all survived and it was a pleasant experience.

  • R
    Jul. 31, 2016

    Brazos Bend State Park Campground

    I Love This Park!

    I live ~1 hour away from Brazos Bend State Park and while I've been to the park dozens of times, I have never actually camped there. The facilities are similar to most parks, water, fire ring, reasonable spacing, and some have electrical hook-ups. I do love to sneak off early on a Saturday or Sunday to run on the trails. The park doesn't open until 8 but the gate is normally open by 7 AM. Brazos Bend State Park offers two distinct experiences. The West side is shallow oxbow lakes that have been left behind when the Brazos River changed course. These lakes are swampy and are home to a diverse population of waterfowl as well as gators. The East side of the park is entirely different offering trails through a hardwood forest. There are several massive live oaks along the trail that are absolutely majestic. While running in the forest, I have spooked deer and wild hogs. The highlight was the time a bobcat (?) hopped out of the woods in front of me and ran in front of me for some time before he realized I was behind him. I don't have any pictures but here are some good ones from a race that I ran in Dec 2015 (http://running.competitor.com/2015/12/photos/photos-2015-brazos-bend-100_142060).

    You will mostly have the trails to yourself early in the morning but you will see some people fishing or birdwatching. Later in the day you will encounter families walking or biking and large extended families enjoying the picnic facilities. It does get a little buggy during the summer but I find as long as I keep moving, the bugs aren't much of a problem.

    The last highlight of the park is the park is the George Observatory. The lines can get a little long but it is a wonderful way to get a view of the sky. When we went, you could see Saturn, its rings, and a couple moons. Again, if you are going in the warmer months, be sure to bring bug spray.

  • Drew P.
    Sep. 28, 2020

    Brazos Bend State Park Campground

    Favorite State Park Nearby

    I've been going to Brazos Bend since I was a kid. It's always fun to hike or bike around the trails and see all types of birds, alligators, and other wildlife. For us it is close by which is another added bonus.

  • Candy P.
    Jan. 9, 2021

    Brazos Bend State Park Campground

    Escape from the City

    This is the best place to escape from the big city and enjoy nature! There is so much to do. The hiking and bike paths are aplenty. We loved seeing the gators, especially when the babies were hatching (spot dozens of babies in the photos). The observatory is also incredible. There are so many friendly astronomy enthusiasts who are willing to share a peek through their telescope (pre-covid) and share their knowledge. Be sure to help keep light pollution down in that area so everyone can enjoy the stars (no flashlights or phones out). This is such a great park to enjoy and spend a weekend away from the city without traveling too far.

Guide to Richmond

Horse camping in Texas offers a unique blend of outdoor adventure and equestrian-friendly amenities, making it a great choice for riders and their horses.

Equestrian campers like these nearby activities

  • At Brazos Bend State Park Campground, visitors can enjoy extensive trails perfect for horseback riding while keeping an eye out for local wildlife, including alligators.

Most campgrounds have horse-focused amenities like spacious sites

  • Houston West RV Park features spacious RV sites that accommodate horse trailers, ensuring a comfortable stay for both horses and riders.

Tips for equestrian camping near Richmond, Texas

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular equestrian campsite near Richmond, TX?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular equestrian campground near Richmond, TX is Brazos Bend State Park Campground with a 4.7-star rating from 47 reviews.

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