If you're looking for a place to pitch your tent near Somerville Lake, look no further. You can find tent campsites by type, including drive-in, walk-in, and even hike-in for a backpacking adventure. Each tent campsite offers quick access to one or more of Somerville Lake's most popular destinations.
We are a very private campground Situated On The Colorado River Off Hwy 71 Just a stones throw from downtown Smithville, A Few Minutes To Lagrange, Bastrop, Roundtop, etc.
We Have A Total Of 3 Campsites To Keep A Most Private & Serene Camp! Each site is equipped with 20Amp Power, A Picnic Table, A Fire Pit With Cooking Grate, And A Garbage Bin!! There is a Community bathhouse Central To The Camp Making It Just Feet Away No Matter which site you camp! The bathhouse is complete with 2 Hot Shower's, 2 Sink's, & 1 Potty!! It's Stocked With Most Of What You Would need!
Come Enjoy... Camping, Fishing, Kayaking, Bird Watching (Eagle's Nest Across The Way) Horshoes, CornHole, Or Just Relaxing & Soaking Up Natures Truly Magical Ambience.
$55 - $65 / night
Group Camp (Hike-in | Trailway) People per Site: 16 Number of Sites: 1 Wolf Pond Group Camp is four miles from the Birch Creek Unit. Access the site on foot, bike or horse via the 13-mile Lake Somerville Trailway. Potable water is not available. Ground fires are permitted in designated areas only. This site is available on a walk-up basis; it cannot be reserved in advance.
No Water Chemical toilets
$20 Nightly
Plus daily entrance fee
$20 / night
Primitive Campsite (Hike-in | Trailway) People per Site: 8 Number of Sites: 1 The Flag Pond campsite is located one mile from the Newman Bottom parking area and 4.5 miles from Nails Creek Unit. Potable water is not available. Access the site by hike, bike or horse via the 13-mile long Trailway.
No Water Chemical toilets
$10 / night
Private, peaceful and secluded. We purchased the 5.3 acres as a forest back in 2007. We cut down a little bit of the forest to build our house.
Native Americans once lived here. Sometimes you can find arrowheads.
Some of the forest burned down in the great Bastrop wildfire in 2011, but it has grown back.
Learn more about this land:
Lost Pines Camping is located on a gravel dead-end road. We are in a pine forest with some oaks and have a two-acre lake on the property that is good for swimming. Bastrop and Buescher State Parks are nearby and easy to access through back roads. Blackberries can be picked for a month or so in springtime. The land is a bit hilly. Downtown Bastrop and Downtown Smithville are both a ten-minute drive away. There is one tent site a one minute hike downhill into the forest. The bathroom is on the other side of the property near our house, a 2 minute walk from the tent site.
The tent site has a water spigot and electricity. There is no tenting next to the parking spot.
$29 / night
Rural property located 1 hour east of Austin, in Bastrop County.
Primitive camping w/ 110v electricity at every campsite.
Climate controlled communal bathroom facility.
$30 - $80 / night
Several isles of gravel and silt mound up in the Colorado as it flows away from Austin and toward Bastrop. At 9 acres, so-called Boy Scout Island is particularly popular for paddling breaks and overnight campouts. But why the abundance of islands here? Look to the dams in Austin, just upstream. “When you dam up a river, the flow drops,” explains Melissa Parker, a river conservationist for the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department. “The Colorado near Bastrop doesn’t have enough flow to flush the sediment”—the main ingredient in Texas’ river islands.
Traveler
This is a mountain biker's dream! Well groomed tent camping around a large pond with showers and toilets just a short walk away. Firewood and ice are complimentary! Great trails for intermediate to advanced mountain bikers. There's also an Air B-N-B on the property for those who don't want to tent camp as well as a sheltered area for cots, etc. Helpful, available staff and I didn't hear a peep of highway traffic or other sounds of civilization for the 3 days we were there!
ScoutVarious camping options including primitive tent sites, RV sites(with and without hookups), and group camping heardle areas.
Traveler
This is a very nice, small, State park. There is a lot to do and it didn't feel crowded at all. The tent camping spots were great! We stayed at a walk in site (water only) and had a great time! Good fishing, hiking, etc.
Guide
Cabin staff are available as well as tent campgrounds. Trails are pretty. Beware of snakes, the poisonous kind we saw almost everyday.
Ranger
This is a wonderful very well maintained Corp of Engineers campground on Lake Somerville. RV sites are level with plenty of spacing, lots of people tent camping. Sites have water and electric and there is a dump station. Clean bathrooms, well maintained trails and miles of accessible shoreline. Great AT&T and 2 bars T-Mobile reception. Some areas are closed because of previous flooding. Tons of deer wandering around every evening. Highly recommend for a relaxing place to stay.
Guide
I've camped at Stephen F. Austin a number of times and have always enjoyed it. I've been with my family and by myself. The primitive walk-in sites are great for tent camping. My kids had a great time building a campfire and roasting marshmallows. There are 4+ miles of trails and we had a wonderful hike on the ironwood trail. I definitely recommend this park. The only caution is to call ahead to confirm trail conditions. 2015 and 2016 have been very wet and flooding and rain have resulted in trails being closed.
Traveler
The lake is fairly warm, large amount of bass, huge gar, croppy, And catfish. when the water is right you can take a flat bottom boat up to any of the creeks. Overall a great campground with decent facilities. They do have horse stalls at many of the campsites so definitely bring your horse and trot around the lake !! They do have rv and tent sites with a lot of trails that are mowed down and well taken care of. Lots of picnic areas and covered areas S well!
ScoutWe made a reservation for a tent site and found the rate very reasonable. Sites are well equipped with water, a fire pit with grill grate, picnic table, and pole to hang food if necessary. Bathrooms and dumpster area are clean and well lit. The park hosts were very friendly and helpful. We enjoyed the short trails that were accessible from the campsite. Saw deer in the camp area and enjoyed (mostly) watching the big yellow garden spiders building their webs next to the trail in the morning.
Traveler
We were are spot T2, along with another group at T10 (only ones camping out there)! The spots are somewhat close together. It’s an all-around great camping spot. Has ample sites to camp either in tents or RVs, with both electricity and water hook ups. Really quiet, everyone is respectful of the 10pm silent rule. Good shade spot while tent camping in the summer. Campsite is a walking distance from bathrooms and showers. Close to water (walking distance) for swimming, boating, fishing, kayaking, etc. By the campsite (not the marine side) there is a small inlet of the lake that is great for swimming. Other parts are too deep, but are perfect for taking a boat out and fishing! Staff is very friendly with any questions. Very dog friendly. Good price!
Legend
We have been to this park twice now, once at a tent site and once at a Yogi on the Lake cabin. Both during Halloween time a year apart. What a FUN place to be!! Our kids loved that we got to go Trick or treating at a campground! But probably my favorite thing about this place is the waterpark. Really refreshing on a hot day, and the best part? The staff are usually pretty lienient about slide rules, so small kids and parents alike are allowed to ride! I just can't say enough good about this place. Can't wait to go back again!
Scout
It is mentioned that the campground has 82 sites, out of which 65 have 50-amp electrical and water hookups. Additionally, it provides flush toilets, showers, picnic tables, fire rings, two boat ramps house of hazards, an interpretive trail, and a dump station on-site. The natural features of the campground include the scenic shoreline of Somerville Lake, where pelicans and other waterfowl can be seen.
LegendWe had a really nice relaxing stay at Stephen F Austin State Park near San Filepe, Texas. Great little state park easily accessed from I-10. The 38 RV sites are all asphalt pad pull throughs with 30/15 amp electric, water and sewer complete with concrete pad for table, fire pit, lantern and all well spaced for plenty of privacy...big rig friendly. They have an additional 39 tent only sites with water and 25 primitive. Screened shelters are reservable for tent camping with 20 amp electric and water plus one rustic cabin with amenities. There is a$5 daily entrance fee in addition to camping fees. The bathhouse facilities are brand new. It's a small park but they do have five miles of trails for hiking/biking with views of the Brazos River. We enjoyed the wildlife; deer strolling in the campground every morning and evening, birds, rabbits, frogs, turtles, a bobcat and numerous owls. They have a Nature Center; however it was not open during our visit. The park office has a small store with sundries and park souvenirs. The nearby San Felipe de Austin State Historic Site tells the story of early settlers to Texas and is worth a visit. We made a run to the nearby town of Sealy to do a much needed laundry stop...small community with grocery, dining and fuel to meet most needs. GPS 29.811982-96.108059 l(979) 885-3613 l Park Road 38 San Felipe, TX 77473
GuideI recently went on a camping trip solo (minus the hubby) with my old-man dog here. We tent camped at site #177. This is a beautiful park on a beautiful lake! Here are some of the pros: friendly couple at check-in/entrance shack, friendly rangers driving around checking on folks, deer everywhere(!), beautiful lake view, well-maintained grounds, good shade trees, trash dumpsters within walking distance, electricity/water hookups worked great, picnic table/fire ring/grill, gorgeous sunsets(!), very quiet at night, cute and clean little beach/swim area to hang out in. The cons for me were: getting to the water from my site was not as direct as it looked on the map, circular bricks with holes on the shore were not dog friendly (not human leg friendly either), bathrooms/showers were closed in our area/circle due to Covid-19. I would ABSOLUTELY return to this park!!
I really appreciated the hospitality shown here! They recognized that I was a lone female (but a very confident/independent one) with an old man-dog and, respectfully, went out of their way to make sure that we were okay!
Traveler
We spent 2 nights here in the tent sites a couple weeks ago. We loved it.
There are 8 tent-only sites at the north end of the park - there is a short trail by the restrooms that lead to them. Upsides are that they are removed from most of the park's bustle, so it's easier to relax and enjoy your time "in the woods". The restrooms and shower facility are a ~200-300 ft walk, depending on which site you choose. Each site has a grill, picnic table and fire ring. The sites are not particularly level, but we were able to get two tents on the site with minimal issues. The tent area also has a community grill and fire pit that would make it a great candidate for a group camping event.
There is a small floating dock where you can fish or launch a kayak (remember, you can't park close so you'll have to carry the boat in...good for kayaks, bad for canoes). There is ample room at the park's main launch to put in larger canoes or kayaks without carrying them as far.
The park amenities are fine - swimming area, fishing pier, and fairly clean showers/restrooms. Also, there is a Bucee's 5-10 minutes away for those last-minute needs/forgotten supplies!
All in all, a good weekend, and a good spot to camp!
LegendBastrop 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!
Legend
I came across this campground while searching on thedyrt. I had not previously heard about this park, so I decided to check it out. The park is operated by the City of Smithville. There is not a park office on the grounds to accept reservations or fees for camping. To reserve a campsite, call the City Recreation Center at 512-237-3282x7 Mon-Fri, 8:00am - 4:30pm.
There are a number or recreational facilities at the park such as a playground, baseball field and frisbee golf course. The Colorado River runs along one side of the park and offers opportunities for paddling and fishing. One of the most unique features is that there are rodeo facilities on the grounds. The rodeo events only occur during certain times of the year, so check the park's website and calendar.
The campground area is at the very back of the grounds down a gravel road. The park is primarily designed to host RVs, but they do allow tent camping. Each site has a parking pad, water and electric hookup, picnic table and grill. There are bathroom facilities in the center of the campground.
Compared to some of the other parks in the area such as Bastrop State Park, Buescher State Park and Lake Bastop South Shore Park, this city park is a little bit rough around the edges. The reservation system, or lack of an onsite office, is a bit baffling. But if you're looking to witness a rodeo, this might just be your only option.
LegendNovember 2020 ALERT! Due to Interstate 10 construction, the eastbound exit for San Felipe is closed so the navigation system took us further East and then backtracked on some horrible condition rural roads. Recommend going to Brookshire and using FM 359 and then FM 1458 to reach Park Road unless you want to really beat up your rig. West bound entrance onto Interstate 10 was a bit crazy also so you may want to do some recon before finding yourself down a horrible back road. No notice of this on the State Park website. 40 FHU sites here under Spanish moss-draped trees. Good spacing between most sites, but no privacy from neighbor sites. The site required leveling side-to-side. Quiet campsite. No highway noise. Train whistle in distant. Saw lots of deer that came fairly close to us. Nice trails but very busy on weekends as Houstonians escape the city for some country fun! A brand new toilet/shower facility opened in early November 2020 in this FHU campground that includes 2 family restrooms. Toilet stalls are very narrow with residential toilets which are water-saving that required 4-5 flushes to empty the bowl. Dyson hand dryer. In the FHU loop, there were 3 camp hosts and one campsite marked for the 4th camp host. Another site has a firewood wagon and an ice machine. Then another site is coned off. So 6 sites gone from the inventory! There is a camp host site also in the tent loop. Wow- 5 camp hosts?? That has to be a record for this size park! We did see Park Police drive thru the FHU loop very frequently. A new toilet/shower facility is under construction in the tent loop. Construction just began so probably another 6-9 months to finish. In the meantime, there are 4 job johnnies and campers from the tent loop utilizing the new toilet/shower facility, with 3 toilets for women and 2 for men. AT&T 1 bar signal.
Katy Texas is a 20 minute drive where you will find all types of stores and services.
GuideThe only reason I gave it 4stars is because of a lot of street noise outside the park. The park itself is beautiful and quiet. Great bathroom fac; very new and clean. All of the tent sides have sand tent pads, but if you’re a hammock camper be sure the trees fit your kit.
GuideOK, this was my second visit to a Texas State Park. Simply said, I was blown away with this park. Driving in, deer scattered the landscape. Like my trip to Huntsville State Park, I opted for a screened shelter. The protection from the elements were well worth the $122.50 I paid for four nights. With electric/water, I was very comfortable and was able to use my electric heater in my tent. The shelter came with a locking door, although I don't think anyone would bother you anyway. There are some nice trails, including one that will take you to the Brazos River. The park was nice and quiet and the weather was cold, I absolutely loved it. The Park entrance has a little Store and the town of Sealy is just a few miles away should you need supplies. The staff was remarkably helpful and courteous. I really enjoyed the peace of this park, the Solitude and good energy force you to take in it's grandeur. Since it was freezing cold, (which I loved) the extremely clean bathrooms, with showers would be a welcome site. I was surprised how clean the facility was, it was even heated. I definitely plan on returning to the park, maybe gonna try out the cabin.
LegendThis campground is located a short distance away from the city of Austin, Texas. The park is managed by the Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA). At the entrance there is an office where you can pay your admission fee and it has a small store where you can pick up supplies. If you arrive late, there is an after hour station to pay your fee which accepts cash or a credit card.
This park has car and RV campsites. There are no primitive sites. There is a campground called the Lake Bastrop North Shore Park located 15 minutes away with primitive sites.
The campsites are all very similar. There is an area to park your car and it will fit a small or midsize RV. There are water and electrical hook-ups which make it very convenient. There are typically plenty of trees for shade. Each site has a picnic table for dining, a grill for outdoor cooking, a pole to hang food or trash and there is a fire ring for a campfire. Of course they also have pad sites where you can place a tent. The pad sites will fit anywhere from a two man tent up to an eight man tent. In addition to the campsites there are a number of small cabins which can hold up to four people. The cabins have some basic amenities and the restrooms are nearby. Most of the campsites and cabins are only a short walk to the lake shore where you can catch a sweet view of Lake Bastrop.
There is limited hiking with one trail that runs along the lakeshore for about 6 miles. The main attraction of this park is living the lake life. Near the campsites one can launch a canoe or kayak. But there is also a boat ramp and boat dock where you can launch larger sized watercraft. If you don’t have your own watercraft you can rent a canoe or kayak from the office and pick it up near the boat dock. It is possible to fish from a boat or the shore. There are a number of community spaces which are great for picnicking. There is a sand volleyball court. And there’s a special area of the lake that has been roped-off and is designated for swimming.
I think that the only possible downside about this park might be that there are always lots of families and energetic kids running around. If you’re seeking peace and quiet this might not be your place. If you are seeking some fun activities, this place is great.
I think that the Lake Bastrop South Shore Park is a 5 star campground for all of the facilities, amenities and considering that the staff are friendly.
TravelerWe camped at spot 1, right up from the lake. Very spacious spot to fit three tents. Dog friendly. Very quiet, everyone courteous. Two great fishing spots: down on the lake by the campsite and by the marina (both super close to the campsite).
LegendBuescher State Park, Texas is a wonderful and beautiful place to spend some time relaxing and RV camping! We had the pleasure of spending a day and night at Buescher State Park, Texas in May of 2017. This was our third stop on a 10 day 5 park tour. Buescher State Park, Texas is located in the Lost Pines area of Central Texas and is a great place for springtime camping, fishing and swimming! Hill Country wildlife abounds in this wonderful park! If you enjoy fishing, swimming, birding, hiking or Geocaching then you will enjoy a visit to Buescher State Park, Texas.
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TravelerThis campground provided the perfect setting for our family's medieval adventure! The Sherwood Forest Faire itself was clean and well-maintained, with Retro Bowl spacious sites that offered plenty of room for our tent, car, and campfire.
LegendBuesher State park is a great spot to take the family and relax! There is lots to do and it is a pretty good sized Texas park. They have tent, group, and RV sites, along with cabins and screened shelters alongside the lake. You cannot swim in in the lake, but they do have boat and tackle rentals at the park. It makes for a great place to fish with the family.
The park is very shaded with lots of pine trees, but a fire did wipe out a lot of the trees on the Northern side of the park towards Bastrop. So many of the longer trails are not as shaded or are still in the process of repair. I went on a trail that was about 5 miles long and it was very nice. It was moderately challenging, a little muddy, but so much to see. Beautiful wildflowers of ever color were growing and I saw about eight white tail deer. Also a great place to birdwatch and take photography.
The facilities are old, but well maintained and there is a store on site that sales snacks, wood, and souvenirs. The have a nice playground on site for the kids and the campsites are very spacious.
Also if you have the time there is a 12 mile scenic road that connects Buesher State Park with Bastrop State Park that will take you about thirty minutes. It is a twisty, hilly road that has some really great views of fields of wildflowers and tall pines. You can also see where the fire took out part of the forest and is beginning to regrow. Also Bastrop state park is a great place to visit for some challenging hikes!
GuideWe tented here late spring so it was hot and quiet. The sites are very open and not super shaded, but they are fairly big. There is. Nice trail system to walk or bike and lots of wildlife. Kept hearing a loud shriek at night and figured it out to be an owl! (Sound in video)
GuideCampgrounds are far enough that you won't be bothered by noise. Park host maintain the restrooms and showers very clean. Good hiking trails with great views. Plenty of dumpsters to throw your trash bags. Each site comes with a picnic table, fire pit and an sand area to place your tent on so that you don't worry about removing rocks.
ScoutAll inclusive pricing is great, very close to town and Texas A&M. Very tight spots and close to your neighbors
Tent camping near Somerville Lake in Texas offers a unique blend of natural beauty and outdoor adventure, perfect for those looking to escape into nature.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Somerville Lake?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Somerville Lake is Colorado RiverBend Retreat with a 5-star rating from 2 reviews.
What is the best site to find tent camping near Somerville Lake?
TheDyrt.com has all 9 tent camping locations near Somerville Lake, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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