Best Glamping near Sam Houston National Forest, TX

Lake Livingston State Park is one of our regular visits. During the school year it is hard to head out on a Friday, drive 2-3 hours and then setup in the dark for a weekend camping trip. Lake Livingston is just over an hour from our house and has lots to offer. They recently rebuilt one of the camping loops to where now this is one of the few state parks in Texas that have Full Hookups. Not all loops have Full Hookups but a couple do.

Like most state parks in Texas the sites here are large and offer a lot of shade. Each site will have a table and a fire ring. There are tons of hiking trails and geocaches throughout the park. It is also close to shops in town so that if you forget something you are only about 15 minutes from a Walmart. There is a shop on site that has most of the essentials.

We have stayed here several times with family, some in tents and some in pop up trailers. The bathrooms are old, Texas is supposed to be getting new bathrooms in all state park facilities but had not gotten to this one as of our last visit. Park is larger, best to do with bikes if possible. Limited lake access but good fishing spots abound. Tower to climb, trails to hike, firewood to burn...

This has got to be one of the best campgrounds! We stay here every time we pass through Texas. The campground is huge and offers so many great amenities. People are always super friendly. We have made the most connections of any stay at this campground because of it. I always want to get one of the paved sites at the front because they look so nice! But they are usually taken. It’s so great having an Amazon hub locker right next to the campground as well! You can take your kayak right on to the lake from the access area on the campground. Bathrooms are nice and clean. And the pool / hot tub are open until 11pm which is rare for Thousand Trails!

Lake Livingston State Park is a fantastic state park for water activities. The fishing, boating, canoeing, kayaking and paddle boarding is all fantastic.

Campsites: The sites were all well maintained with the best spots being in Piney Shores & Red Oak. We were in spot #69. It had a great view but lacked in flat playing space for young children and hammock trees.

Trails: There were a few trails in the park, none of which were all that long. The main Trinity Trace Trail was flat dirt, good for young bikers. Though trails are short, they connect so you could do a few trails for a longer run/hike if you so desired.

Bathrooms: Each campground loop has one bathroom and shower. They can be a bit of a walk if you don’t have a close site. They appear to be older but maintained and cleaned well enough.

Park Specific Activities: Getting on the water was awesome, it’s the largest lake in Texas, so lots to explore. Fishing was fantastic. We caught bass, perch and catfish and lots of them! Getting in the lake left some to be desired. The bottom has many large rocks, tree stumps and is very mossy. Swimming can be fun but a little dangerous and slippery. The duck pond and frog pond are nothing to get excited about. We saw no birds in the bird blind and the frog pond is so small you almost can’t see it. We did hear a frog though.

Other: Connected to the park store they had a small educational space for young kids with a functioning beehive. The kids (ages 2-6) loved it. The park store is not open Mondays and Tuesdays. Kayak, canoe and paddle board rentals were only Thursday to Sunday 8:30-3:30. $10-20/rental. The pool was not functioning when we went in August 2018. They have a small amphitheater and near by a room available for rent which can have 50 guests. It was air conditioned and had nice hardwood floors.

In Summary: We would absolutely recommend it for water activities and relaxation. It’s a beautiful spot! We wouldn’t recommend it for just birding or hiking but the park as a whole is great.

Wolf Creek Park is well maintained with many nice shady campsites. Sites have water and electricity and some have sewer hookups. There’s a central dump station available as well. There’s a nice swimming area, playground and boat ramp with fuel for purchase. You can rent paddle boats, canoes and paddle boards, play miniature golf and purchase basic supplies from the park store. The park allows parking of extra vehicles on the grass adjacent to your site, so there’s room for your boat or extra vehicles.

If you want to enjoy a wonderful lake front getaway this is the park for you. Some spots are right on the water and the atmosphere is wonderful. They have a guarded gate and cute store in the park. The bathroom/showers are very clean and well kept. Do not worry about the month you decide to go, as there are plenty of trees. Also features a playground and designated swimming area. Fun!

This campground is probably one of the best in the area. It's clean, well maintained with excellent restrooms that are well lit and spotless. The boat launch is in great condition with plenty of parking. The camp store is well stocked and operated by the nicest of people. Slushes and Pickles all day! You've got all the amenities for RVs, lots of picnic tables and the campsites are well spaced out with fire pits electricity including 30 amp along with water. Lake Livingston is great for fishing and they have a designated safe swim area. Overall this is a very safe, very clean and family-oriented campground. Highly Recommend.

The camping spots were easy to set up in with access to water and electricity. The only downside was that the camping spot we were in was really close to the other sites so you'll have very little privacy. The camp store was run by friendly helpful people and the facilities were clean. Just be aware that during October there is a group that camps there yearly that can get quite loud.

Very clean

This state park has beautiful views of the lake and is very clean and maintained. We had a great visit and they had friendly staff!

This campground has nice, well maintained sites surrounded by pine forest. RV sites have electric and water hookups and some also have sewer connections. There’s also a central dump station. Most sites are shady and the waterfront sites have wonderful lake views. No parking is allowed on the grass, but there is overflow parking in most areas. The park has several restrooms with flush toilets and showers There are three boat ramps, a fish cleaning station and a park store that sells the basics including ice and worms for bait. The rangers also offer special programs and exhibits in the store. There’s a separate swimming area, but no swimming beach. Alcohol is allowed but must not be visible and the 20 mph speed limit is maintained by state police. There are also nice hiking trails and paved roads. Horseback riding is no longer available in this park.

This place is magical. My family and I have been coming here for the past 5 years, and it never gets old. There are so many great things about this place. The hiking is amazing- the views are breathtaking. One of the most popular things to do here though is to fish. One of the reasons is because Lake Livingston is one of the largest lakes in the State. This park is just an hour away from Houston, which is great. We have made a long weekend out of staying here, and then traveling to Houston to do some site-seeing and eating, and then head back home. You can do so many different water activities because the lake is so big. We bring our boat and fish, tube, and water ski. We have a blast. I also love bringing my stand up paddle board and do a ride in the early in the morning. There are so many beautiful birds to see in the morning on the water, I love it. There is also store nearby that you can rent kayaks and canoes to take on the water, not sure how much they are to rent, though. I look forward to coming here every year, and it seems like I experience something new every time! Again, this place is pure magic.

Beautiful site overlooking the lake. My only wish would have been cleaner bathrooms.

We camped for 3 nights in March in our camper. This state park is small but very clean with trails, water activities, and more. Sites had very nice concrete pads. We stayed at site 117 in Pin Oak loop. The site was large and backed to woods. There were some low spots that held water. Our kids loved riding the trails and our loop with other kids. Didn’t have any luck fishing due to winds but enjoyed hikes and trail riding. Trailheads start in this loop. We would camp here again.