Best Glamping near Spurger, TX

This is one of my top favorite State Parks in Texas. It a bonus that it's reasonably close to home.

Its a classic east Texas state park. The restrooms arent hotel quality but they are for sure better than a hole in the ground. The park itself is pretty and situated on a lake, providing scenic trails and water craft activities

This may very well be the cheapest lakefront real estate in Texas. You simply cannot beat $15/night right on the water! Very quiet, and never crowded (in November). Decent cell signal, and great reception on my Transistor/Weather radio.

Thia camp ground is owned and managed by Texas Parks and Wildlife. It is well maintained and kept. The RV camp sites are plenty big and the tent sites are big enough to pitch the large multi person cabin tents. The fishing is a amazing and the store is cool.

Ok it's August it Texas so it was hot and the mosquitos were in full force. We knew that was. coming so we were prepared. The fishing was great and this State Park is one of those hidden gems. There was no crowd, it was like we had the whole place to ourselves. the deer walked by every night and the fireflies put on a show.

We stayed in a tent at site 124. It was crazy windy when we were setting up our tent. This part of the park was really windy for two of the three days, but we still had a great time. Typical, nice Texas State Park. Nice sites. Enjoyed the hiking on wide trails. They did not rent canoes or kayaks because of the winds.

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...

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.

I love going to Martin Dies Jr. State Park. I have gone there four times now to run week long canoe camps.

We often do it in the summer time, so there aren't many people around and we almost have the place to ourselves.

On the South side of the park, there is a big open lake to paddle and swim around in. The North side has a great paddling trail, but it has become choked with vegetation in recent years.

The North side is also the end point of the Bevilport Paddling Trail, which is a great trail to do.

They have signs for gators, but I have not seen any.

All sites have water and bathrooms are not too far away from any one site.

You should check it out if you have a chance.

This is a huge campground with many sites being on the water and the rest being close to it. If you’re here for boating or fishing, like most people, you can get a campsite near a boat launch. The campgrounds are all very wooded and shady, though some spots don’t feel very private. They have a lot of sites with electricity and there are lots of bathrooms and shower houses. So while it’s crowded and large, it’s well laid out and still feels like you’re really close to nature. They also have a bunch of cabins and screened mini-cabins you can rent to ease the bug situation...which was pretty intense. The mini-cabins were very cute and look relatively new, but we didn’t stay there. You can walk along some trails straight from your campsite. Bring a kayak, canoe, or boat and you’ll have a great weekend here.

We loved our visit to Martin Dies! Coming from Houston it wasn't a long drive, and we enjoyed the greenery. The day we went, we were literally the only people there. I think this place is a bit of a hidden gem. Our cabin was very nice and spacious and air conditioned. There is fishing and a playground and bathrooms close by. The downside? It rained really hard and the whole place flooded up. Huge pools of water everywhere. We ended up leaving early because of it. But besides that, awesome spot!

2 night stay from Friday to Sunday. We stayed at an electric and water site. The restrooms were clean, however the park was full the weekend I stayed and ran out of toilet paper often. We hiked, swam and fished. The trails were clean as was the rest of the park.

Campsites are modern, many have a waterfront view. The campsites are well shaded by trees, all have fire pits. Many sites have water and electric and facilities are easily accessed.

There are many things to do at the state park that are appropriate for all ages. Hiking trails are well shaded and not terribly difficult. Kayaks and canoes are available to rent, there are water trails mapped as well for those who enjoy boating. There are programs available for children as well.

The park is not far from town so there are many things to do nearby as well.

This campsite was amazing. Right off the river making the sunsets beautiful. We went in March and the temperature was perfect. Low to mid 70s in the afternoon and lower 50s at night. The trails are beautiful and there are tons of activities. It’s a beautiful Forrest park.

This park is a great option for those looking for a spot not too far from Houston, but less busy than other parks such as Huntsville State Park, etc. that are a little closer to Houston. It’s also a nice option for those wanting to visit Big Thicket, but seeking a less primative camping experience (the Big Thicket National Preserve has primitive camping only).

Most of the campsites have enough trees to set up a hammock. If you get there while the office is open, they will give you the choice of picking your own campsite (of those still available).

Canoe and kayak rentals are dirt cheap. You might see an alligator while canoeing, but per the park workers they don’t bother people.

Bring bug spray! Especially in the hotter months.

My wife and I have been park hosts here at Martin Dies jr state park for 3 months now. We have been coming here for years. The park has around 200 rv, tent sites, and cabins ( 3 cabins have a/c ). They have trails and rent kayaks and canoes. Plenty of Wildlife like deer, raccoons, gray foxes, birds and of course gators.

Great

Beautiful park but so many bugs. Did some canoeing, hiking and bird watching. A good park to get away from the city. The landscape is swampy but it was beautiful in its own way. A very good campground to see stars at night. It gets pitch black. Restrooms are very clean and the rangers are very helpful and nice.

We tented here on a rainy weekend unfortunately. It was a nice site right near the water, and we saw a lot of wildlife like an armadillo, raccoon, and deer. We got out for a little bit to go for a walk and went to some of the trails which were scenic but super buggy. Bring spray and citronella candles!

We came in late and left early, but it seems that there is quite a bit to do at the park. The lake is pretty and the tent spots are grassy and large. Clean bath house and nice showers. Mosquitos were out, but that's to be expected.

Great trails and kayaking in the slough!!! Beautiful SP!

Such a beautiful park that was extremely clean and easy to enjoy. Their map was very easy to understand and it was packed full of activities for all ages to enjoy. Can’t wait to camp and enjoy it again!!

Family fun

This park is near my home so we have camped here many times over the years.  It is well maintained and the landscape is well groomed.  There are usually park ranger run programs for children on a variety of subjects like animals found in the park, flora and fauna in the park etc. There are also canoe rentals for the more adventurous.  There are several hiking trails through the forest and a few geocaches for those who cache. Many families like to ride bikes through out the park.  The speed limit for cars is very low and most people seem to respect the limit, making it pretty safe for riders.There is a fishing area complete with fish cleaning stations.  When you visit, be sure to bring mosquito spray.  The mosquitoes tend to be aggressive especially on the trails and in the many areas near water. You will be miserable if you do not have mosquito spray. There is a small convenience store just across the bridge in case you forgot something.  Jasper, where we live is a 15 minute drive and there is a Wal-Mart there if the convenience store doesn't have what you need.

Tent Camped 9JUN20- 1 night

TO BE FAIR, this was RIGHT after everyone reopened and things were all weird. There was no one to check in with and the whole time we were there we never saw any park personnel. The park was MAYBE 25% camped, but might have been less than that. Sites were huge and well treed, no pads but good drainage, which was a blessing because it POURED overnight.

Site 334 was on the water with great trees and soft ground to camp on. Our closest neighbor was 500 feet away, and they were the only other one on our loop.

The park was empty and quiet with no canoes or anything available due to COVID.

The bathrooms were older and pretty clean, but not overly tended to.

The trails were a little rough and needed a lot of rotted wood replaced on the bridges and benches. Tons of birds and wildlife to see.

Brought my dog but not a lot of good places for him to get in the water.

It was the first time I had camped in 10 years, so this was the perfect place for a shakeout camp.

This campground has been a favorite of ours for a few years. The large pine trees are picturesque against the backdrop of the reservoir. There are plenty of trails and lots of opportunities for fishing, even without using the paddle trails. I would recommend for anyone looking for a relaxing weekend close not too far from the greater houston area.