Best Glamping near Shiner, TX

We had a fantastic time at Son’s Geronimo! Their glamping cabins are super nice and had everything we needed including AC, WiFi, full kitchen, fire pits, hammocks etc. We have a family of 6 and the setup was perfect: 2 queen beds and 2 twin beds. The property itself pretty large and has a lot of creek frontage. We kayaked, paddle paddle boarded, swam, fished and more! They also have lots of amenities: 2 pools, 2 hot tubs, volleyball court, basketball court, game room, horseshoe pits and more. We will definitely be back!

We loved everything about Son’s River Ranch! The staff is great, the place was very clean and we had a blast! Our glamping cabin was nice, it was well worth the money to not to have to set up a tent and do all that work. Plus the AC kept us very cold and comfortable at night and the kitchenette had everything we needed to cook and make meals. We rented a cabana for the day too and it was fun to hang out and relax by the river and BBQ. The next day we tubed and kayaked. They have a wristband you can buy for the day that is good for unlimited kayaking and tubing, we did both! The trip took about 2 hours by tube and an hour by kayak. They have shuttles to bring you back up to River Ranch when you are done. I highly recommend this place!

Beautiful and fun little state park with a 9 hole golf course, a swimming pool and nearby #1 Texas barbeque

This is a great campground with lots to do. It is awesome like geometry dash lite. We camped: the camp pitch was fairly level with electric hookup, water supply close to the tent and a fire pit for each pitch. There are also RV hookups as well. My kids totally enjoyed the laser tag, there is also a boating pond, fishing and live music on a Saturday night. The toilet block was the cleanest I have ever seen on a campsite- it was as clean as many hotels I have stayed in. One good advice for anyone staying in a campsite in Texas: compared to campsites in more temperate climes, Texas campsites are dusty and have as much dirt as grass on the pitches(and this site is no exception). Bring a tarp to put under your tent- it will be a lot easier to clean than the bottom of a sewn-in groundsheet when you get home.

Bastrop State Park, even recovering from the 2011 Bastrop complex fire, is a jewel in the state. Wonderful Depression-era buildings and history, hiking, biking, and camping, including very good cabins and facilities for events, reunions, weddings, etc. Connects to Buecher State Park near Smithville. A great stop between Central Texas and the Piney Woods.

Bastrop state park is awesome! So cool how this patch of pine trees are in central Texas and can give you the feel of being in the mountains. A lot of the park is still damaged from the fire but seeing the new pine trees grow is very encouraging and beautiful in its own way. There's also a playground which was great for our little ones.

We were here 2/8/21 to 2/13/21. We had 2 decent days and then the bad weather began. We golfed 18 one of the days, fun layout, not in the best shape right now but the price was right. With the Texas pass you also get a discount on golf and anything else you buy. Lots of short trails, close to town. Our loop had power and water at the sites. It was pretty quiet due to impending horrible weather.

Small park close to town and be sure to get some BBQ, lots of choices in town!

Good facilities at this site. The restrooms and showers are first rate. We stayed here just one night. The front office and check in process is excellent. The campsites have water and ample shade. Not much to see in this camp but good as a stopover or local weekend camping. It’s close to Austin Texas about 25 minutes. The have some good moderate hiking trails and some interesting historical sites. The have a children’s playground and a nice swimming pool. The trees here are being replanted and restored. The views are not the greatest and some of the sites are near a highway.

Pros 

Reserved on-line 123 days prior to arrival without incurring any reservation fee. 

Total cost was$18 each night. 

Campsite and entrance fee discount with Texas State Park Pass. 

Very quiet in December. No highway or train noise.

Great night sky viewing from park golf course.

NO STREET LIGHTS in campground., but toilet facilities had exterior lighting.

Campsite had cooking grill on metal fire ring and barrel BBQ smoker.

Campsite had metal cover over picnic table.

Level site #7.

Grass mowed throughout campsites.

Ample supply of TP, soap and hand towels in toilet facility.

Nice view of Golf Course from FHU campground.

Cons

FHU sites in wagon wheel configuration. Absolutely no privacy from other sites. Campsite fire rings placed weirdly which created confusion between campers as to which fire ring belong to which campsite.

Water pressure fluctuations constantly.

20 campsites total for this park with 3 park hosts which one is using a numbered site, so only 19 campsites to reserve.

Never saw any park rangers or park security driving through campground; no interaction with Park Hosts.

No security gate closed overnight. L

imited Shade. Seems each FHU site had one tree.

One toilet facility for 20 campsites PLUS day users, except for pool users. One shower only in each Men’s and Women’s.

Campsite #7 full of fire ants!

No campfire wood for sale.

1 bar AT&T No Park Wifi

Bastrop would be a great place for youth groups or family reunions. It has a little for everyone and is conveniently located about thirty minutes from Lockhart where you can get, in my opinion, some of the best BBQ in Texas. This state park has tent, group, RV, group cabin w/ barracks, cabins (some are wheelchair accessible), and a dining hall (also wheelchair accessible).

There is a swimming pool that is run by the local YMCA that is open during the summer, plus a huge playground that has disability swing set, which makes this park a 5 STAR for me. Some of the building were burned down in a fire six years ago and have since been replaced, so the bathroom and other facilities are brand spankin new!

There are some great fishing spots along with some of my favorite hiking trails. My favorite trail is the scenic overlook trail which starts at the top of the lookout and travels 2 miles down through wildflowers and over streams. It is a shorter trail, but it is a more challenging one. Some of the longer trails have been closed since the fire and flood, but you can connect a few of the others to make for one good one. Everything is so colorful here.

The walk-in tent sites are some of my favorites. The have a wonderful look and feel to them. Very scenic and off on their own away from noise from other campers. Also don’t forget to take the 12 mile scenic drive over to Buesher State park, it is well worth it!

So everyone knows that Lockhart has some of the best BBQ in Texas, but it is a lot more than that. Lockhart State park is a fairly small park, but it still has quite a bit to offer. If you are a hiker or a biker, this may not be the best for you, seeing as the most of the trails are less than half a mile long. But if you are just looking to get away, this is a great place.

They have a nice little swimming pool on site that is great for kiddos to enjoy, and they have quite a few places you can fish throughout the park. Then about half the park is for golfing, which is great news for the dad of the family. The short trails are nice a scenic with a lot of running creeks and streams throughout the park. 

There are tent and RV sites, along with a group recreation hall and dining hall. Seeing as I love to hike, this is not my go to place, but I find it great for a day trip.

My family and I love to grab some BBQ at Smitty’s, Black’s, or Kruez Market about 6 miles down the road and then find a nice picnic table by the water to chow down. Plus you can take a leisurely walk to burn off all those calories when you’re done! Lockhart is located about thirty minutes from the Austin/San Marcos area, so if you’re in the neighborhood check it out! It is also about thirty miles from Bastrop and Buesher State Park which also have a lot to offer with amazing trails, wildlife, and views!

The weather and the calendar aligned and there happened to be an open spot, so I took it, loaded up and headed out. 

Length of Stay: 2 Nights

Type of Park: State 

Check In: 2p Check Out: 12p

💲 Cost per night$25+$5 entry fee per person per day 
Discounts: Texas Parks Pass Total Cost$25

📝 Site#24 Notes:

Pull Thru
Water
Max amp: 50 
Sewer
Grill
Fire Ring w/Grate
Hook for hanging lantern or other items
Picnic Table: concrete Site Pad: level, asphalt, long enough for truck and trailer and extra space

👍🏻 Pros:
• Full hookups
• Overlooking hillside
• No one was camping on one side of me
• A little shade in the afternoon
• A couple tall Loblolly Pines still stand at this site

👎🏻 Cons:
• Because so many of the trees are missing, you hear more of the road noise from Highway 21 and 95
• No privacy between spots
• Spot is barely off main road

📝 Park Notes:
• Restrooms
• Showers
• Dump Station
• Munzees and Geocaches in the Park
• Trails- some are pretty challenging, steep
• Pool
• Pavilion
• Cabins
• Structures built by CCC(Civilian Conservation Corps)
• When you enter Bastrop or Buescher, You can drive or bike between the parks(11 miles@ 30 mph max), but I would not tow/drive an RV.

🐦 Wildlife:
• Birds: Woodpeckers, Cardinals, Bluejays, Mockingbirds, Misc small birds

💜 Highlights of this trip:
• Drove around this park and to Buescher State Park
• Made a run through Buc-ee's
•🍕 Neighbors Kitchen& Yard- I definitely recommend the Pepperoni Rolls and the Prickly Pear Margarita! Great view overlooking the Colorado River. Live music sometimes.
• Camping alone
• Glad I went when I did. The very next day, a "controlled" burn got out of control and burned over 800 acres!

More info at my blog: https://www.denisevajdak.com/2022/01/mlk-weekend-camping.html

First time there and was really impressed with this campground. The slots are a great price and big sites, most have a metal pavilion over the picnic table, which was convenient. Sites are very level, wide and deep. All the sites have great views of the lake and even if you aren’t on a lake front, there is plenty of access to the lake all around the grounds. Paved roads which was great for bikes or even electric scooters. Wooded trails and lots of wildlife. Lots of deer all over the grounds in the evening variety of birds. The campground sites on a giant peninsula, which gives so much shoreline, which is managed by the Army Corp. of Engineers, so it’s well maintained and undeveloped. Multiple boat ramps and sites that are on the shoreline, which have a shallow bank, so you can Anchor your boat right off the bank and have walk up access to your campsite and boat. Wild Bills is right across the street, which has all the little things you may have forgot to bring or ability to restock on some beverages and snacks. It’s a 10-15 min bike ride from your campsite or a 5 min drive. Very convenient. Bryan, Tx is only 25 mins away and has a Super Walmart with Curbside service if you need to grab something more specific or a larger grocery order. Quick and easy. College Station was about 45mins away and it’s all easy driving.

It can get pretty windy if you book a slot down lower at the tip of the peninsula, but they will let you swap spaces whenever you want to if there is something available. The campsite up the hill are pretty protected from the wind, so regardless of the wind they have options if it’s more than what you want to deal with. Definitely my place to camp when visiting Somerville. They also let me check-in early when the previous camper left early, so I really appreciated that as well.

The campground had a lot of activities for the kiddos. They had a haunted house for the little ones and one for the older ones.Lots of RV’s were decorated. Very cleaned and well maintained. We were in the new section that is still under development. There is also a restaurant.

My family of five enjoyed our stay at Splashway Campground. We liked that the easy access and closeness to the waterpark as well as the other activities the campground offered. We played chess, checkers, on the playground.. there is laser tag and a catch and release pond as well. We were unable to play the miniature golf because it is all rock and green so I was unable to wheel my toddlers stroller and wasn’t going to hold him the whole time. Our only complaint was that the particular spot we reserved was very close to the other spots. A travel trailer pulled in late last night to the spot next to us and when we came out the next morning we practically walked right into their camper. The ‘A’ section had a few sites that were spaced out but most were very close together! The golf carts also are really expensive. Just for a 4 seater it was $114 a day. They allow you to bring your own golf carts or side by sides but no four wheelers. Will be bringing our side by side next time for sure!

Yes, there's not a lot of spaces between spots like there are in most state parks, but the residents are quiet. We had space D25 which is on the outside of the big loop by the river and boat ramp. Lots of space on the door side to the next unit, and nature behind us.

When they talk about deer being everywhere, they ain't kidding. And watch where you walk in the grass, the deer left presents.

Very friendly staff, and the couple of other campers we talked to were very nice. Being a Thousand Trails property, there was no loud music or rowdy camps.

They have free WiFi. It's reception is spotty, sometimes great, sometimes bad. Supposed to be better up by the activity center.

AT&T reception is LTE and varies by location and time. I had 1 bar to 4 bars at the same spot throughout the day.

The area is beautiful, lot of animals and plants. It is advertised with a lot of facilities but the most, like the playground and mini-golf need immediate attention. I took my granddaughter to the playground and can't use it (old and broken). People treated us very respectful and nice but the campground is in need of repairs.

Overall pretty good experience, however the mosquitoes are annoying. We left with so many mosquito bites that it’s ridiculous. The grounds could be better kept i.e cutting the grass. Very clean bathrooms and competent staff. We originally had parked close to the river but had to relocate due to storms.

Decent sized spots. Very quiet. Trails to walk and lots of deer.

This is a very quiet and peaceful camp. Even though its springbreak and lots of kids, everyone is very respectful of thier neighbors. We're really enjoying our stay. The only downfall I had to pay an extra $10 a day to use the handicap spot because thier in the new section.