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On the north side of San Antonio lies a 12,000-acre wilderness that protects the city’s drinking water. You’ll find your own “Recharge Zone” in this vast urban refuge.
Government Canyon State Natural Area offers more than 40 miles of trails. You can also camp, attend a program or guided hike, geocache, picnic, take nature photos and look for birds and other wildlife. Your kids will connect with “natural fun” at our playscape and Discovery Trail.
$18 / night
These sites are on a river terrace above the Guadalupe River in the Wagon Ford walk-in tent area. Water is located near the restroom walkway. You must carry all camping items in and out (up to 100 yards). No generators are allowed. Picnic table, Tent pad, Water nearby, Restrooms nearby, Fire ring with grill
$15 / night
SON'S ISLAND WILL BE CLOSED FOR 2023 SEASON
This recreation area is part of Canyon Lake
North Park is only open Friday at 3pm until Sunday at 2pm April 1 - Sept 30. The Park is a primitive campground and each site comes with a picnic table, grill, fire ring, and access to the lake.
Canyon Lake has become well known for boating, swimming, scuba diving, and so much more.
North Park is perched on top of a limestone bluff overlooking the beautiful blue waters of Canyon Lake.
For facility specific information, please call (830) 964-3341.
The reservation system sets all change and cancellation fees.
$20 / night
About the Park
The towering pecan trees, flowing river, and welcoming pavilion at this 98-acre nature park, owned by the San Antonio River Authority, create an ideal destination for outdoor recreation enthusiasts, nature-lovers, and athletes alike. Whether you bring your family to the park for a reunion under the 5,000 square foot pavilion, tackle the trails on your mountain bike, camp with a club or organization, or meet up with friends for a day of soccer and basketball, you’ll find John William Helton Nature Park to be a true natural treasure. The River Authority Parks Staff proudly maintain the miles of trails, campgrounds, and other amenities.
Helton Park Campground Rules - campsites only available from Friday-Sunday
• Camp only in your designated site. Check in: 3pm; Checkout 11am
• 8 people per site maximum. Only up to 2 vehicles per site.
• 10 mph SPEED LIMIT throughout the Park
• Quiet hours from 10pm to 6am. During daylight hours, please be respectful of other campers by keeping noise/music at a low level
• Please take all your personal belongings back with you and pack out your trash. There is a dumpster available for your camp trash. Please help keep this beautiful park clean!
• Do not carve, chop, cut, nail, or otherwise damage trees or vegetation.
• Campfires are allowed in provided fire rings. If a county burn ban in in effect, fires will be prohibited. Unattended campfires are prohibited. Completely extinguish fire using only water before leaving. Please do not use dirt.
• Please no trash in fire rings including glass, cans, bottles or aluminum foil.
• Pets must be kept on a leash not longer than 6- feet at all times. Please clean up after your pet. Please keep your pets quiet and do not leave pets unattended. Please do not leave your pet’s food out- it could attract wild animals.
• Please keep all food, drinks, and trash in an enclose container or in your vehicle. • Vehicles must remain on roads or parking areas. Please do not block the road.
• Discharging a weapon is prohibited including paintballs, bow & arrow, BB guns and air guns.
• Fireworks and explosives are prohibited.
• The campground is in a low-lying area which may be subject to flooding. Please be mindful of flood risks when at the Park. Should you hear the warning siren go off, please evacuate the campground and meet at the pavilion.
• River Authority does not provide emergency service personnel. In the event of an emergency, call 911 immediately. Camping has many hazards and that there are risks that cannot be eliminated, particularly in a wilderness environment. All guests/visitors assume all risks and danger incidental to the activity of camping in a rustic outdoor environment including but not limited to the danger of being injured or killed by insects or other animals, of being injured while participating in recreational activities at the campground and/or being injured as a result of inclement weather conditions, and agrees that the campground and the River Authority and its Board members, agents and employees are not liable for injuries or property damage resulting from such risks and danger. Further River Authority is not responsible for any theft, loss or damage incurred during my stay.
Entrance into the Park constitutes permission for the River Authority to photograph the visitors while on the premises and to use any resulting pictures or video for any lawful purpose without compensation to the visitor.
I understand that I may be asked to leave the Park, without refund, for failure to follow said rules, policies, and applicable law.
Hiking and Biking
With over three miles of trails, Helton Nature Park is a great place to exercise without having to worry about vehicle traffic. The trails are natural surfaces, so proper footwear is suggested. Bicycles with wide tires, like BMX and mountain bikes, are recommended. Road bikes are discouraged due to rough, natural terrain.
Paddling
Historically, Helton Nature Park was the final takeout point on the SASPAMCO paddling trail. Recently, the paddling trail has been extended and now continues south to Floresville River Park with take-out points at County Road 117 (nine miles downstream of Helton Nature Park) and US 97 (eight miles downstream of County Road 117 and 17 miles from Helton Nature Park). This extension makes Helton Nature Park a perfect picnic lunch destination in the middle of a paddling journey or a nice starting point on a paddling journey to Floresville. SASPAMCO Paddling Trail.
Parties and Events
Some of the newest amenities added to the park are up and away from the river, including a basketball court, playground, restroom, and a 5,000 square foot pavilion. The basketball court and pavilion are available for reservations up to one year in advance.
Discovery Information
Intriguing geologic features, tall shady trees, and peacefully flowing waters make the SASPAMCO Paddling Trail a paddling adventure that is unmatched in the San Antonio area. This trail has a wild feel as it courses a little over 29 miles through parts of Bexar and Wilson Counties, yet it is connected to rural parks to access amenities such as picnic tables, restrooms, and parking. The flow rate can vary, so it is a good idea to check out flow conditions before heading out to the paddling trail. If you time your excursion just right, you might happen upon a community event at John William Helton Nature Park when you conclude your paddling trip.
$10 / night
You will absolutely LOVE our brand-new Birdhouse Cabins! They are uniquely designed to give our guests all the conveniences & comforts of home while enjoying the beauty and peacefulness of nature! The whole back wall actually opens up giving you a perfect indoor/outdoor living experience! Of course, all cabins are insulated and air-conditioned/heated. They stay very cold in the summer if you desire as well as warm in the winter. Each cabin has 2 queen beds and 2 day beds, full size refrigerator, convection microwave, table top cooktop, coffee maker etc. and comes with all silverware, plates, pots and pans etc. as well as linens and towels. There is a full bathroom in each cabin with shower.
$89 - $369 / night
The Shanty River Center has provided camping near the Guadalupe River for over 15 years.
Camping in the Hill Country and tubing on the Guadalupe River. What more could you ask for?
Shanty 2 is the location of our campgrounds and is located near the beginning of the Horseshoe bridge. This location has tube, raft, and kayak rentals, public restrooms, showers, and plenty of parking.
Our main location Shanty Tubes also has a Tiki Bar, as well as the Shanty Salsa Kitchen to add to your camping experience. So after a fabulous day of tubing, come to the Shanty Tiki Bar for some good times, music and some good food.
$35 - $55 / night
TravelerWe started with day passes, then graduated to renting out the loft cabins, then tried tent camping, and eventually and recently parked our travel trailer in the reservable RV spaces. All in the same vicinity. Made great memories at each stay.
Pro’s: Best rate in town for military (active, retired, $ disabled). Water is beautiful. Fishing can be fantastic. Lots of water activities available for rent or bring your own. Pet friendly, Great for families, most people are very respectful and wonderful to talk to. Good food and stores nearby. Lots of wildlife. Quiet. Close to town and short drive from San Antonio.
Cons: Hard to get ahold of staff to make reservations. Market is extremely expensive and staff isn’t very friendly. Lost and lots of fire ants.
We recommend it to all of our friends and family and bring them often. We love staying in the loft cabins. Some are pet friendly. We have stayed in the mobile homes on the other side of the lake once but that was not a great experience as our things were stolen off our table and covered patio (on Veterans Day) and they were only left unattended for 15 min or less. The mobile home wasn’t very nice but functional at least.
Guide
Lots of wildlife everywhere in the park. Beautiful scenery in hill country. Not far from San Antonio.
Legend
Government Canyon State Natural Area is conveniently located near San Antonio, TX. Many visitors visit from San Antonio for the day or for the weekend. The staff sometimes limit the amount of visitors during busy times, so it is best to arrive early - before 10am. The Info Center is nicely designed and they often host educational events. The main attraction of this campground is hiking through the forest, exploring above or below the canyon, seeing the old 1880’s period Zizelman House and locating a few of the notable dinosaur tracks. There are a number of walk-in campsites with well defined pad sites, campfire rings and a table. There are often burn bans in effect at this campground so come prepared with a gas stove.
Legend
This is a very small family operated campground. It offers basic RV and tent camping facilities and services. There are full hookup sites for RVs. There are tent camping sites with water and electrical hookups.
The main feature of this campground is that a number of the sites are right along the banks of the Guadalupe River. There is a little sidewalk and stairs that lead down to the water which makes it easy for families and kids of all ages to access the river.
During the winter, it is easy to reserves sites at this campground. During the summer, it is wise to reserve a site in advance. Any of the RV sites 1 to 30 are right along the river. Any of the tent sites 1 to 9 are along the river.
The campground does allow day access for $7/person.
The campground is located about 15 minutes from the town of New Braunfels where you can find grocery stores, restaurants, banks, hardware stores and other entertainment. If you're looking for Texas BBQ, check out the Rudy's or Cooper's BBQ in New Braunfels. Also located within the town is the Schlitterbahn Waterpark which is I believe the largest waterpark in the US and has an incredible amout of fun rides, slides and pools. It's a bit pricey, but it is a full day of fun for the family.
Traveler
Love this campground for tent camping! Shady and on the river bank, and not all the way down river road!
Ranger
This little spot is a super discreet location. Has a few tent camping spots. We loved it super quite and very nice at night.
Scout
Has some great fishing. If you don’t have time to go to the coast but love fishing for reds this is a nice spot to come to. Camping sites allow for both RV hook ups and tent camping.
Traveler
It was a cute place. A lot of the RV spots are taken up by people who live there. The glamping tents are super cute. The regular tent camping is nice and grassy. Dogs have to be on leash 24/7 that was the only bummer.
Scout
Stayed this past winter on a short trip. Great fishing and river view tent campsites. Restrooms were very clean.
Scout
Arrived on a Thursday plenty of tent sites available. Some are small others are nice and spacious. The tent pads are caliche. Having a hammer is a must. Pet friendly. River to swim in. Restrooms were clean. Staff friendly. Lots of hiking
GuideSpots are great! Walking for tent camping is close about 50 ft but get here early as it’s very crowded. Lots of people fishing too so be careful of hooks in the water. We did a little hiking but not a ton of that to do here.
Scout
This was the perfect getaway for a last minute weekend trip. We arrived after dark, but Reza was so helpful in making sure we had everything we needed as we set up at the tent site. We really appreciated the little extras: reclining chairs at the tent site and also at the fire pit, the flush toilet and the outdoor shower, a picnic table and firewood was also available. Both Dot and Reza were so pleasant and very accommodating to our needs. They were readily accessible without being intrusive. We definitely had our privacy but knew they were just a phone call away. We cannot wait to come back and reconnect with nature. The stars are abundant and the vibe is so amazing, we felt completely recharged. We're so happy we found this gem!!
GuideNice campground with lots of River Access. Beautiful little area with small rapids called Devil’s playgroup is fantastic. Lots of RV and tent sites on the water. Small store for snacks and water. Bathrooms are fine - you need tokens to shower.
Traveler
I was planning on staying there, but it is basically an equestrian state park. You can camp there, but there's not electrical and water hook ups. It's mostly tent camping. The staff was very friendly. I went to visit there just to see what it was about. If you're a hiker, there's hiking trails, so you'll enjoy that.
GuideOne of the first camping trips I had with my son was Guadalupe River State Park. We tent camped and had one of the primitive sites. We had so much fun swimming in the river and hiking. We worked with the park Ranger program and my son was awarded a Ranger Badge. The bluffs above the river are gorgeous. Mid November and swimming was still fun. The next morning was 10 degrees so a whole different experience. One of my favorite places to visit.
Guide
this was a great location for spending some time on the medina river and close to medina lake. we camped in the tent camping area above the cabin. it's a bit of a steep walk from the campsite to the river, but not bad. we were able to carry our kayake with no problem. we were also able to use part of the grassy lawn next to the cabin which is closer to the river. only downside was a lot of dogs barking all night long. but if the time of year is right you will see fireflies and lots of deer. overall we enjoyed it a lot.
GuideWe recently took a vacation to Lazy L & L and from the tent site to the dance at night and the store with everything you could need right there was everything we could ask for and some. The night we ate at the dancehall the food was amazing and the live band was great. They had horseshoe and bean bag toss set up with a volleyball net and jenga as well. We were right on the water close to the bathroom and showers, and everything was kept clean. We definitely enjoyed our stay and will be back again for another camping weekend.
Ranger
RV and tent camping areas. We dispersed-camped due to after sunset arrival. Park is clean and well used during the day, but the whole place got quiet at 7 pm. A cop patrolled the perimeter twice, once right at sunset then again 2 hours later. There were wildlife sounds all night long, i.e. coyotes yipping and owls hooting. The bathrooms are simple, but clean with flush toilets. The showers are currently shut off. Plenty of picnic tables and trash cans. In the morning expect joggers and dog walkers right at sunrise. There’s plenty to see and do if you stay for a while, the river is alongside the park and there are hilly walking trails.
GuideWill and I wanted to get away after being stuck in the house for months and finally camping opened back up in Texas! We wanted to check out San Antonio as well and this offered both the peace + quiet of a campground plus not being too far from downtown San Antonio. We were lucky enough to get a spot (I’ve heard that this is a difficult place to get a camping spot so book in advance!!). The first day we got to the park and set up camp we were lucky enough to get a spot close to the river. They are doing construction on some of the other sites so space really is limited if you want to camp here. We pitched our tent at a nice shaded spot and made our way to San Antonio. We came back to the campground around 12am and used an entry code to get in as the gate was closed (which is nice if you are looking for a secure spot to camp!) The next day we packed up and headed into the park. We only had a one night stay but it was perfect. You have to be packed up by 12pm but you are allowed to stay in the park until closing at 10pm. We took our raft down to the river and floated for the afternoon. The visitors section of the river was a little crowded. I can’t imagine what this park is like when it is in full swing/not limiting its guests. Other than that it was clean and the campsites were really nice, they had raised gravel patios for tents. The only thing we didn’t really like was that they weren’t drive up sites so we had to hail our gear to the site.
ScoutWe could not have found a better place. From the moment we arrived we were treated like we knew them forever. We had a welcome bucket at the site. It had first aid kit, water, citronella candle, bug spray etc. The RV sites and tent sites are exceptionally clean. The view is breath taking, the stars at night are romance and enticing. We saw deer, wild turkey, longhorns, humming birds. We got a tour of the property and it was so perfect. You are positioned perfectly to visit San Marcos, New Braunfles, Drippings Springs, Wimberly, Blanco, Canyon Lake and Krause. Gruene. It was perfect
Guide
Tent camped 5JUL20, 1 night.
This is a great park, right on the banks of the Blanco and right on the edge of downtown Blanco, Tx.
Site 6 had decent trees but we were right in between 2 giant motor coaches, so quiet and rustic it was not, but it was beautiful and we made ample use of the river and swimming areas. Enjoyed the roof over the picnic table.
Restrooms were clean but a little older. No real hiking to speak of but we enjoyed every minute of it. Afterwards we went to town and had some great BBQ.
Not too much to say about this park except that we loved it and will definitely be back, oh and MURDER HORNETS! (Maybe, but prolly not)
Guide
Lake veronic is far enough out of San Antonio to avoid the big city traffic. However it's close enough to access all the conveniences that San Antonio has to offer. My husband enjoys their stock pond for catch and release fishing. I prefer their pool and hot tub as a relaxing break. There's something for everyone here.
Legend
The picturesque drive to Bankersmith, TX via old San Antonio Rd is worth the trip alone! Lovely wildflowers along the way. Once off old San Antonio the private road into the camp is crushed gravel. Some ruts when I was there, but totally passable. I just went slowly. There was a bobcat there so it appears the road in is maintained after Texas gully washers.
Camp Bankersmith is dry camping (generator use ok) in a fairly level cow pasture with pretty hill country views. Fire pits were available at each “site” when I stayed, but because this pasture is grass I assume fires may be restricted depending on the fire risk. This camping experience can be as communal or as private as you’d like, depending on who is camping while you’re there. Met some really great folks during my stay. On a clear night the stars are amazing and the full moon didn’t disappoint either!
The ranch’s equestrian expert invited me to take a ride into town in a carriage pulled by 2 beautiful horses. Awesome experience! Check out the ranch's resident camel and other animals, and make sure to visit the famous Bankersmith Saloon just down the road. Great folks, burgers and brews! Also, another must see is located just south on old San Antonio Rd. Visit the Old Tunnel State Park which is home to thousands of bats.
Traveler
In my opinion the best park in San Antonio. Large spaces,mature live oaks,beautiful pool,convenient to many attractions, lakes,rivers etc.
GuideMedina Lake Thousand Trails RV Park is an awesome campground with large sites and lot of nature! There are trees and shade and it is along Medina Lake shores. The lake was dried up during our stay, but it was still beautiful views all around. They have 30 & 50 amp hook-up sites. Not all have sewer connections, but there is a dump station on site. There are tent sites, also. There are lots of amenities such as a huge pool, playgrounds, dog runs, restrooms, laundry, trails, boat launch, community center, games, basketball, pickle ball, mini golf, and so much more! Fun for the whole family. This campground does have a lot of deer around. We really enjoyed this park and the smell of nature here.
For videos on this campground and others, check out our YouTube channel: Jeff & Steff’s Excellent Adventure
GuideThis place is close to San Antonio, but the sites are sardene like and there si no shade. This is an ok place to spend a night but nothing really nature about it.
ScoutMark is a very kind host extremely thoughtful and helpful. If your looking for a peaceful environment western trails is the place to be. A short trip in any direction to Seguin, New Braunfels, or San Antonio.
San Antonio, Texas, offers a variety of tent camping options that cater to outdoor enthusiasts looking for adventure and relaxation in nature.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near San Antonio, TX?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near San Antonio, TX is Government Canyon State Natural Area with a 4.4-star rating from 15 reviews.
What is the best site to find tent camping near San Antonio, TX?
TheDyrt.com has all 18 tent camping locations near San Antonio, TX, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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