Best Glamping near The Hills, TX

You have the choice of camping at a tent site, park your RV, to glamp in a yurt or cabin, or even walk out to a more secluded “TentRR” site. Regardless of what choice you make, there’s a community kitchen with small appliances/dishes and the bathhouse with showers, toilets, and vanities. It really is the best of both, especially if you’re trying to camp for several days and would like to stay relatively clean and well fed. We’ve stayed there three years in a row now!

We really enjoyed Son’s Guadalupe! It’s a beautiful setting, cabanas and glamping tents on a small hill overlooking the Guadalupe River with it’s huge cypress trees and giant limestone bluffs. The glamping tent was perfect for us. It had 2 queen beds with foam mattresses, 1 twin bed, bedside table with fans and the best part: AC! It’s a very family friendly location compared to others on River Road. We tubed Whol we stayed there as well. It’s a nice setup as they take you up river to float back down to your glamping tent and/or cabana.

Ashley here from The Dyrt! It was great to add this glamping retreat that advocates for ecological protection. Each site provides comfortable amenities. Check them out and leave them some love!

Living Waters on Lake Travis is a lakeside venue for romantic getaways, yoga retreats, weddings, songwriting retreats, family reunions, work retreats and glamping (glamorous camping). You can rent one structure for a personal getaway or rent them all for a group event.

I attended a special event at this venue. There are various whimsical houses, cabins, yurts and tents in which to stay. There is an open lawn for group gatherings, a covered gazebo for outdoor yoga and a boathouse for lakeside activities. In addition there are amenities such as hammocks, lawn chairs, porches and tents in which to relax. The venue offers a variety of personal services such as massage, yoga, a private chef and watercraft rental. 

Whether you would like to be active or sedentary, Living Waters on Lake Travis might meet your needs.

We stayed in one of their air-conditioned glamping cabins. It was very nice and clean and the AC stayed very cold. They have private, lockable, full bathrooms right behind the cabins. The place is very pretty and the staff friendly. We loved tubing and kayaking the San Marcos River! It’s a great getaway!

This state park is a little outside of Austin near the airport. The park stays busy and it’s easy to see why– it’s really nice with waterfalls you can check out in the park and it isn’t far from the airport. We had a great stay here and will definitely check it out again if in the area. Although– watch the branches if you are in a bigger rig– we watched a guy hit one and mess up his roof. Also, if you will be camping in Texas State Parks a bit be sure to get the annual Texas State Parks pass– it will end up saving you a lot of money! Also, we went to a nearby market to buy what we thought was salsa(see pictures)– it definitely wasn’t and it was sooo spicy!!

Pace Bend is one of my most favorite places to camp in Texas.

Not far from the old (and new!) Backyard (a great place to see live music in the live oak capital of Texas), Pace Bend is a quick drive away. A perfect spot to pitch a bunch of tents, jump off cliffs, swim and barbeque. Maybe 45 minutes from downtown Austin (without traffic).

I won't lie the cliff diving kinda freaks me out. Be careful is all I'm saying!

There are several primitive campsites throughout the park with picnic tables, grills and toilets. Additionally there are 20 RV hook-up type sites that offer running water, electricity, restrooms and showers.

I actually would rate this campground 3.5 stars, because it is better than average and getting better every year.

In 2011 a forest fire swept through this park and devastated over 90% of the piney woods. The park is still recovering.

However, something that has never changed about this location is that Bastrop State Park offers multiple camping options and great opportunities for family fun.

The park has car camping, walk-in camping, RV camping and even cabin camping/glamping. One of my favorite activities when visiting this park is to drive the scenic and winding tree lined road between Bastrop State Park and nearby Buescher State Park.

There are recreational activities for kids such as a playground, swimming pool, fishing, geocaching and hiking trails. Many of the facilities underwent a remodel and now offer restrooms with modern sinks, showers and toilet stalls.

There are sections of the park where one can see the devastation cause by the forest fire. It is a humbling experience for both children and adults to see the burnt but recovering forrest. There are also sections of the park where one can still stand under some of the old growth majestic pine trees. The walk-in sites are surrounded by forrest. The RV site has some of the tallest trees still standing. One caveat about the RV site is that you can hear the auto traffic from the nearby highway.

The park office has a small store and sells camping necessities and souvenirs. The town of Bastrop is nearby where you can find supermarkets, stores and restaurants so you're never too far from supplies.

Based on my recent visit to this park, I think that it still offers a variety of camping options, family fun and possibly an eco lesson for all of us.

My family and I all visited Son’s Guadalupe in August for a quick getaway. I grew up camping, tubing and swimming in the Guadalupe growing up so I wanted to share that experience with my three sons but being from the area I also know how river rd can be rowdy at times in the summer. I was happy to find out Son’s recently opened up a place out there as we had visited a couple of their other locations and they had been very family friendly. We rented a cabana for the day as well as an air-conditioned glamping tent to stay overnight. We had such a great time! The cabanas sit right on the bank of the river and have everything you need including: seating, picnic table, BBQ pit electricity and water. The river is a bit shallow at their location for swimming (much of the Guadalupe is) but it the perfect depth to get in relax and cool off. This section of the Guadalupe River is very clear and flows great for tubing. We rented some tubes and they took us up river a couple of miles to float back down to our cabana which was very convenient. The scenery on the tubing trip is absolutely gorgeous, huge cliffs and cypress trees! After a fun day it was nice to relax in a comfortable tent with AC! The mattresses were foam and very comfortable. You do have to bring your own pillows, sheets and blankets though. For bathrooms, they have 5 individual bathrooms up top with showers. Overall we had a great time and I’d recommend the place. It can get a bit crowded on weekends so go during the week if you’re not wanting to be around crowds. Also, they rent everything a-la-carte, so if you plan to stay the night you need to tent a cabana or covered picnic table during the day. There website does a good job explaining everything but it’s a bit different if you haven’t been before so be sure to read through your reservation before heading out.

We went camping over memorial weekend at Pedernales Falls. We did the primitive camping. This was some of the best TEXAS camping we've done. We found a really nice spot that was on the cliffside and had an incredible view of the hill country. It was isolated enough from other campsites. We saw deer in the morning in the grassy area next to our tent. We also found a path down to the river that was close by.

The sites are very packed together. We ended up in a site facing another camper. We both had to adjust where we were parked so that we could each extend our awnings. The sites are level but you don’t come here for the sites - its the water park or for the activities in the Hill Country. The back in sites at the back of the park actually give you the most room.

There are tons of activities for the kids and adults alike.

This park, for many people in the hill country of Texas, is the quintessential park to visit. Within an hour’s drive of Austin, it offers a quick escape for a day visit and is also one of the more popular parks for overnight camping. Under Covid-19 conditions entrance permits were given out for a specific time, but with the park’s popularity, the procedure might stay in place after the worst of the pandemic has passed. We lucked out by getting a site due to a cancellation on both Friday and Saturday nights, which meant we had to move sites, but didn't have to book 5 months in advance!

The campground has well-spaced and wooded sites with water and electricity. Each campsite has its own little section of the forest, and makes you feel like you’re one of just a few people in an otherwise full campground. The bathrooms are also very clean, the showers are excellent with good water pressure and plenty of hot water. Note: check out the newer building if you want to see the camping bathroom Taj Mahal -- let's just say it's Texas sized!

The weather in January can be all over the map.  We were in shorts the first two days, then it snowed more than the area had seen in 20 years on our final day.  Come prepared for anything!

Lots of hikes begin right from the camping loop, but it’s a short drive over to the scenic falls which give the park its name as well as other. Less a waterfall and more a series of cascades tumbling over the limestone bedrock of the Pedernales River, the falls area could take a whole day to explore. Walking, crawling, hiking over the myriad of rocks shaped by the river one can escape into their own area and world for a moment or afternoon of poolside reflection. Just know that there are going to be other folks wandering about.   Tip!  The parking lot is very full at the trailhead to the falls...ride your bike from the campground to avoid the bottleneck at the end of the road.  You'll be greeted by armadillos and many birds along the way.

With dozens of other trails, it doesn’t take long to leave the busy sections of the park behind and find your own space out in the forest. We were here for 3 days and didn’t even come close to getting out on all of them. 

Nearby Johnson City has a medium sized grocery store as well as gas and other necessities. If you’re going that way, spend the afternoon at the Lyndon B. Johnson State Historic Park, which is a cool tribute to the settlers of the Texas Hill Country and our nation’s 36th President.

This park is a popular weekend destination for people living in Austin and San Antonio for day use and overnight camping - so it gets busy. During the week the park has much more availability for camping. There are a limited number of reservable developed and primitive campsites. Try to make a reservation as early as possible if you plan to visit on a weekend. The developed campsites have water and electricity with restrooms nearby. The sites have varying coverage of trees and shade. The primitive campsites are located down a trail and are basically a cleared patch of land surrounded by trees. All of the campsites are within walking distance to the Pedernales River. However, the actual Pedernales Falls is about 2.5 miles away from the developed campground. I typically drive to see the falls. The falls is not what one might think of as a traditional waterfall. It is more like a river that has carved out a pathway through limestone rock. While this might not sound all that interesting, it is quite dramatic to actually walk along the riverbed and explore the falls up close. During the dry season or when there limited rain, it is possible to walk along the riverbed and explore the falls and all of its intricacies. During the rainy season or when there is heavy rain, the falls turns into a turbulent raging river and access is restricted. There are a few established hiking trails that wind through the trees and over the hills. There are some hidden water holes that are swimmable for the more adventurous. Be aware of snakes in the spring and summer.

Campground Review

This was my first time to Jellystone Hill Country, and my family had a wonderful time.  We will be returning in the near future for sure!  Luckily for us, they do have a very detailed website that addresses a lot of the questions and concerns one might have.  So in this review, I will do my best to give insight to the aspects that may not be clear on their website.  

CABINS

We stayed in a Cindy Bear cabin, number 6 specifically.  What a fabulous cabin.  It had everything we needed and had plenty of space for our family of 5.  I love that the “master bedroom” is on the opposite side of the cabin from the bunk room.  Makes the space feel larger.  The kitchen has a full size fridge/freezer, microwave (huge, modern microwave), coffee maker, toaster, and plug-in 2 burner stove.  NO oven so skip the frozen pizzas.  You will need to bring ALL your own linens, including sheets, blankets, TOWELS, and dish rags.  There was a small bottle of dish soap on the sink for us, but no sponges or rags.  There was also plenty of plates, bowls, cups, silverware, etc. but the pots were somewhat old and had lost their non-stick properties.  I would throw a frying pan into your luggage if you plan to make pancakes during your stay.  (Actual items vary by cabin, so another cabin may have a very nice frying pan, who knows?).  I literally didn’t see a single spider or fly in the cabin the whole time we were there, which is a miracle considering all the buggy cabins I’ve stayed in over the years.  What a clean and pleasant experience.

GOLF CARTS

We rented a golf cart during our stay.  While they are cute and fun to buzz around in, the park really isn’t big enough to warrant one, unless you are staying in a cabin or site very far from the action.  When booking, there is an option to choose your specific site for a $15 fee.  My advice is to pay the $15 and choose a site close to the Hill Country Hall and the waterpark, and save the $62 a day on the golf cart.  We stayed RIGHT next to the HCH and had no noise problems whatsoever.   

ACTIVITIES

Each weekend they have planned activities for the kiddos.  Most of these activities occur on Saturday.  Our weekend was Carnival Games and Halloween.  The carnival was cute little games set up for the kids to play with candy as prizes. I would say the optimal age for that carnival was between 4 and 7 years old.  In the evening they had a costume contest (we won best group!) and trick or treating around the park.  The kids had a blast.  Check their website before your trip to see the calendar of events.

WATER AMENITIES

Wow!  If you and your kids love to play in the water, this is the place for you.  Their outdoor complex includes: one standard rectangular pool, one very shallow splash pad with several water spouts and a tiny kids slide, which flows into a deeper (3 foot) pool, and a large kids water play center that includes two decently large kids slides, high pressure water cannons, and lots of stairs to climb around.  We were so impressed by the sheer square footage of fun and how a whole family could be happy in this one place for hours.  Also, plenty of seating for mom to relax ;).  Here you can find their concession stand, that serves fairly priced hot food and Blue Bell ice cream.  

If the sun is not your scene, no fret!  They have an INDOOR pool too!  The water is the perfect temperature, and has a connected hot tub for soaking.  Perfect for mom and dad to relax in the hot tub and keep a close eye on the kids swimming.  

STORE

If you forgot anything, or have the unexpected occur (like my husband having a stomach ache), the store is there with items you may need.  They also sell tons of souvenir items if you want to adorn your entire house (or RV) with Yogi Bear paraphernalia.

Overall, I can’t say enough good about this place.  The staff is friendly, the cabins clean and roomy, the activities sweet and age-appropriate, and the water park out of this world.  We are already planning our next trip back!

(My family and I were given a discount in exchange for this review, but these opinions are my own and no way affected by the discount)

Product Review

As a Ranger for The Dyrt, I get products to test from time to time - here I am testing the MH2 Headlamp by Ledlenser ( http://www.ledlenserusa.com/mh2-505.html#start=3 )

One night, my daughter noticed a “cave” (read: drain pipe under a bridge) that she wanted to explore.  Sure that there would be dangerous critters in said cave, we strapped the MH2 on her and followed close behind.  Well if there were any critters, we would have seen them for sure!  

The lamp was bright and strong and showed exactly where you needed it to shine.  You can simply twist the lens in the front, and the beam can change from focused to broad.  It also can shine red light, or flash, both of which would be very useful in an emergency.  The headband is also wide and comfortable.  The adjustable strap made it easy to transition between my daughter, all the way to my husband in a second.  Both could wear the light comfortably.   I recommend this headlamp for anyone looking for a low-price hands-free lighting option.

the best park ive been to in central texas