Best Tent Camping near Tomball, TX

Tent camping near Tomball, Texas provides access to several established campgrounds within driving distance of the city. Tomball RV Park offers tent sites with amenities including fire rings, picnic tables, and toilets. For a more natural setting, Huntsville State Park Campground, located about 45 miles north of Tomball in the Sam Houston National Forest, features extensive tent camping options with water-only sites and electric sites. Lake Niederhoffer Campsite offers primitive backcountry tent camping with walk-in access, while Big City Little Farm provides a more intimate tent camping experience with just six sites.

Most tent campsites in the Tomball area require advance reservations, particularly at Huntsville State Park where weekend spots fill quickly. Tent sites at Huntsville feature picnic tables, fire rings, and water hookups, with restrooms and showers nearby. Lake Niederhoffer Campsite requires a 1.3-mile hike to reach the camping area and offers no facilities - campers must pack in all supplies and pack out all trash. Summer temperatures regularly exceed 90°F with high humidity, making spring and fall the most comfortable seasons for tent camping. Wildlife is abundant throughout the region, with alligators present in Huntsville State Park's Lake Raven.

The tent camping experience at Huntsville State Park offers extensive shade from tall pine trees, providing relief from the Texas heat. According to reviews, the waterfront tent sites in the 70s loop are particularly desirable, offering "water access, beautiful views, and generous square footage with plenty of trees for hammocks." Lake Niederhoffer provides a more secluded backcountry tent camping experience. One visitor noted, "Plenty of spots to space out even if it was crowded. Easy hike in, could have used a wagon for extra stuff." Wildlife encounters are common at both locations, with raccoons, coyotes, and various birds frequently spotted by tent campers. The extensive trail systems at Huntsville State Park make it an excellent base camp for hikers exploring the piney woods.

Best Tent Sites Near Tomball, Texas (8)

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Tent Camping Reviews near Tomball, TX

379 Reviews of 8 Tomball Campgrounds


  • Napunani
    Jun. 22, 2022

    Cagle Recreation Area

    Quiet

    Pros 

    Senior pass discount 

    Quick check-in( in fact, we were still backing into our site) by camp host who delivered vehicle pass 

    Asphalt parking pad surrounded by grass 

    Non moveable metal frame wooden picnic table on an oversized concrete slab 

    Metal fire ring with cooking grate 

    Lantern pole 

    Shady site #4 

    Spacious area between campsites 

    Quiet 

    Good night sky viewing as there are no street lights in park and shower/toilet facility had minimum lighting 

    Cons 

    Campers ignore basic rules/courtesy such as keeping dogs on leash and letting children run thru everyone’s campsites 

    Entrance gate unmanned (closed) 24/7) so lots of“drive-by” gawkers in the campground Non campers consistently showered in the campground showers facility

    Gates to campground not locked overnight 

    TP not available in women's restroom SWEETGUM most of the 2 nights of our stay 

    No security drive-throughs by park staff 

    Unlevel parking pad Site #4 

    No privacy from any other campers as there is absolutely no brush/vegetation between sites 

    No firewood for sale in park 

    Non-climate controlled shower/toilet building, but did have a box fan sitting on the floor running, but he was a sweat box in that facility!

    Site picnic table at the rear of the site and it was anchored to the concrete pad 

    No WiFi 

    1 bar Verizon

  • Elliott B.
    Sep. 29, 2016

    Stubblefield Lake Recreation Area

    Great sites, great access to Lake Conroe

    These are some great tent/trailer (small RV) only sites with no hookups (both deterring the giant RVs). You have nice open sites with pads under the tree cover with your standard table and fire ring but you then also have access to potable drinking water and flush restrooms and actually some showers. Easy access to the lake and lots of trails.

  • Fred S.The Dyrt PRO User
    Apr. 28, 2022

    Stubblefield Lake Recreation Area

    Really nice, wooded campsites

    Old campground, nicely maintained. Wooded; big pines. Two restroom/showerhouses; old, but clean. Camped for 2 nights in a camper van at site #24. It was a very large site surrounded on 3 sides by a thick forest of trees & shrubs. Private. Water faucet on site. No electric. The Lone Star Hiking Trail conveniently located in the campground. Nice hike through a thick forest. Canpground road & campsite driveways are paved. Sites have tent pads & appear pretty much level. Sites have a table, fire ring & lantern poll. The road toward the campground is paved, but broken up in places with several potholes. AT&T service is okay, but no T-Mobile service. This campground is great for tent campers, campervans, car campers & truck campers. I don't recommend this campground for large RVs.

  • GoWhereYouAreDraw N.The Dyrt PRO User
    Apr. 30, 2019

    Huntsville State Park Campground

    What you'll need to know....

    You’ll find Huntsville State Park six miles southwest of Huntsville, TX in Walker County in the Sam Houston National Forest. Huntsville State Park has over 20 miles of trails to explore along with a pretty great lake to fish, paddle or swim. Fish for crappie, perch, catfish, or bass. Lake Raven also has a boat ramp, fishing piers, and fish cleaning stations. Bring your own canoe or rent one from the little supply store. The supply store also has miscellaneous supplies and bait for purchase.

    Campsites are spaced modestly except those in the full hookup loop. If you are looking for full hookups, book in advanced as those are in high demand at this location. All sites have a two-day minimum on Friday and Saturday.

    Available sites:

    • Full hookup campsites - pull-through, picnic table, fire ring, water hookup, lantern post, restrooms & showers nearby 20/30/50-amp hookup
    • Electric sites - picnic table, fire ring, water hookup, lantern post, restrooms & showers nearby 20/30/50-amp electric hook up
    • Campsites with water - picnic table, fire ring, water hookup, lantern post, & restrooms & showers nearby
  • Sarah M.
    Jun. 27, 2016

    Huntsville State Park Campground

    Beautiful Piney Woods Campground

    We went Thursday - Saturday, and will go again during the week to avoid crowds.
    The check-in process is a bit troublesome if you're picky about getting a good tent site- you can't reserve specific sites ahead of time. Also, your visit will cost you more than listed on the website because they charge entrance fees for each person on top of the campsite rental. That was an unpleasant surprise. The only other unpleasant surprise is that the campground store is closed on Thursdays. Lesson learned- bring your own Snickers!
    However, the scenery, quietness, and availability of rental boats was wonderful. We camped in tent site #70, and I would grab that one again in a heartbeat. The 70's sites have water access and beautiful views, and are generous with their square footage. Plenty of trees down there to hang hammocks and clotheslines on, and more than one flat spot for tents on each site.
    I normally would not devote a whole paragraph to restrooms at a state park, but I will this time. These were the CLEANEST restrooms I've ever seen at a state park, and the most updated. The stalls had modern dividers, the toilets all had clean, functional seats, the showers had separate bench areas with lots of hooks, plus normal faucets you could just turn on once (as opposed to having to push a button every minute), and the sinks also had great faucets with good pressure and reliable water temperatures. Very easy to use.
    All our issues with this park were related to unexpected costs and logistics, but the park facilities were fabulous. We will definitely be back!

  • A
    Feb. 10, 2021

    Stubblefield Lake Recreation Area

    Very quiet here in the Sam Houston National Forest!

    28 campsites! Not too close together either! They fixed the water spigots throughout the camp just recently. Bathrooms get cleaned daily, super clean during the week, but gets crowded on weekends. So bathrooms get kinda overused. The showers are hot! Many places have luke warm, but they turn up the heat here which is great. New host Robert is cool AF. Nice guy, doesn't bother anyone who isn't being a nuecince. Walker County has many fire bans, so check before you head out. First come first serve. No reservations. Gets overcrowded on weekends. Fishing, kayaking, the LSHT ( Lone Star Hiking Trail), all are great fun. Dogs are welcome , but forest workers come regularly, like 2xs a day drive by to check if people got them on leash. Alcohol permitted, but not publicly. Only on your site. Verizon service is great here! Sprint sucks. Att was marginally working. You may stay up to 14 days at a time here. I actually love it here, been back 5 times! $15 a night, if you have Americas Beautiful Pass, its half off! $7.50 a night folks! Pass is $80 annually online at National Forest. Just Google it.

  • Napunani
    Dec. 13, 2022

    Brazos Bend State Park Campground

    Beautiful

    This would be a 5 star if there was sewer hookup 

    PROS 

    No fee to make my own on-line reservations

    Park security gate closed overnight hours 

    Good space between sites 

    Grass mowed in each site 

    Extra wide campground roadway 

    Quiet during our weeknight stay 

    Wooden and metal picnic table on concrete slab 

    Pedestal BBQ grill 

    Metal firering (no cooking grate) 

    Clean, climate controlled toilet/shower facility. 

    Ample supply of TP, and hand soap but hand dryer didn’t work and no paper towels. Campfire wood for sale via honor system in the campground 

    Regular ranger patrol through campground

    Lots of dumpsters throughout the campground

    .85 miles round trip from site 114 to closest toilet/shower facility 

    2 bars T-MOBILE 

    CONS 

    No discount for a one night stay 

    Aggressive raccoons 

    Site 114 not level 

    No lantern pole in campsite 

    Site picnic table is anchored to concrete slab and not moveable 

    No WiFi

  • Stephen & Theresa B.
    Jul. 18, 2021

    Stephen F. Austin State Park Campground

    Pleasant Texas State Park

    We 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

  • Napunani
    Nov. 18, 2021

    Cagle Recreation Area

    Night Sky Friendly

    Reserved 183 days prior to arrival. 

    PROS 

    Quiet even on Halloween weekend except for road noise from FM1375 

    Night sky friendly. NO STREET LIGHTS in Campground! 

    Two FHU Campgrounds. Sweet Gum with 19 sites and Sycamore with 28 sites. 

    Metal picnic table 

    Cooking grill on metal fire ring 

    Site level and asphault parking pad in good condition 

    Friendly camp host who came directly to site on our second day for our check-in 

    Not charged a fee to make my own on-line reservation 

    Campsite discount with America the Beautiful Pass 

    CONS 

    Campsite water hook-up sprayed water everywhere. Even tried using plumber Teflon tape that didn’t even reduce the large spray. Talked to camp host about it and he just laughed and agreed it was needing some repairs, but no one ever came by and it sprayed like that for 4 nights! We had quite a large puddle.

    Security gates are NOT closed overnight

    Extra high sided campfire ring

    No privacy from any other campsites

    Toilet/shower facility without temperature control

    4 Camp Hosts for 47 campsites. Sweet Gum Loop #11 Camp Host site packed to the max with all kinds of stuff that isn’t seen at other Camp Host sites. Definitely hording homesteaders.

    Only park amenity is boat ramp for Lake Conroe.

    No swimming is permitted.

    Never saw any park rangers or park security driving through campground Wildlife sightings of grey squirrels

    Zero to 1 bar AT&T

    No park Wifi


Guide to Tomball

Tent camping opportunities near Tomball, Texas range across a variety of environments within 50 miles of the city. The area features a mix of pine forest and prairie landscapes with elevations ranging from 150 to 330 feet above sea level. Summer temperatures frequently reach 95-100°F with high humidity, while winter overnight temperatures can drop to the 30s, creating varied camping conditions throughout the year.

What to do

Kayaking on Lake Raven: At Huntsville State Park Campground, campers can bring their own kayaks or rent them at the park. "We loved our campsite and this beautiful park. We got to use our kayaks, go fishing, swimming, and hike also. It was just gorgeous! We actually had our campsite in a perfect place for we could put our kayaks in and out of the water right behind our tent," shares Melanie C.

Hiking extensive trail systems: The Sam Houston National Forest provides multiple trail options. Lake Niederhoffer Campsite connects with the Lone Star Hiking Trail. "Just pull up to the gate, park at the side and it's about a 1.3 mile hike to the lake. DON'T forget to turn right when it's time, the trail is a little overgrown where you turn so keep that in mind," advises Trenton V.

Wildlife spotting opportunities: Night activities include listening for coyotes and watching for nocturnal animals. A camper at Lake Niederhoffer noted, "Saw an otter and a little snake. Heard a lot more than that at night, entire forest seemed to be alive, with coyotes howling, something snorting, footsteps all over the place, a donkey making noise."

What campers like

Early morning views: The sunrise experience gets high marks from tent campers. "Great site right on the lake/Awesome sunrise! Well maintained camping sites with lots of space to each site. Wonderful facilities and activities around the park," reports Adam C. at Huntsville State Park.

Natural swimming opportunities: Big City Little Farm offers swimming options close to tent sites. "There was plenty of space and a beautiful night sky. The cozy fire was perfect for s'mores," notes Hector S.

Secluded camping experiences: Many campers appreciate the isolation available at certain sites. At Lake Niederhoffer, Joey G. reports, "I went out here for the day after seeing the reviews and holy cow what a hidden gem. I went out on a Friday and not a soul it is so quiet all you hear is a plane every once in a while."

What you should know

Trail access considerations: Some of the best tent camping near Tomball requires hiking in equipment. At Lake Niederhoffer, one camper advises, "Easy hike in, could have used a wagon for extra stuff."

Weather preparedness essential: Summer heat requires extra planning. "It was pretty hot and humid for most of it. Nights got a little chilly by 4-5 am," reports Bear T. about their Lake Niederhoffer experience.

Pack-in, pack-out requirements: Leave no trace principles apply at backcountry sites. "The one thing that disappointed me was there were some other people here while we stayed and though they were respectful with noise, they did leave trash," observed a camper at Houston West RV Park.

Insect considerations: Red ant infestations can impact camping comfort. "They've got a pretty severe red ant infestation everywhere, so you can't spend too long standing outside on the gravel or the grass," warns Tara R. from Houston West RV Park.

Tips for camping with families

Fishing-friendly sites: Several campgrounds offer accessible fishing opportunities for children. At Houston West RV Park, one camper notes, "Nice, clean and stocked pond. I would definitely recommend this park."

Bathroom facility considerations: For families with small children, bathroom access varies widely. "The bathroom had a lot of spiders but I'd expect that. The showers drained super slow but you just have to take a quick one," reports Kyndall W. about Huntsville State Park facilities.

Spacing between campsites: Tomball RV Park offers more spacious sites that work well for families. "This was our first family camping trip and very beautiful spacious and clean!" shares Roxanne G.

Wildlife safety for kids: Parents should be aware of wildlife encounters. "Plenty of spots to space out even if it was crowded," notes Heston T. about Lake Niederhoffer, which helps families maintain safer distances from wildlife areas.

Tips from RVers

Finding level sites: RV campers recommend checking site conditions before setting up. "The site is fairly level side-to-side with 2.75 inches low difference. The site is sloped front-to-back, but even with a long rig you should be fine," advises steven B. about Huntsville State Park.

Budget-friendly options: Comparing prices helps maximize value. "Every other campground in the Houston area seems to be $55+, but with AAA discount I only paid $45 here!" reports Tam C. about Houston West RV Park.

Proximity to urban amenities: Some campgrounds provide both natural settings and city access. "Just outside of Houston, Texas, the Big City Little Farm is a great spot to camp and enjoy a serene getaway while having the opportunity to check out the city in a quick day trip," notes Jake C.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular tent campsite near Tomball, TX?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Tomball, TX is Tomball RV Park with a 5-star rating from 1 review.

What is the best site to find tent camping near Tomball, TX?

TheDyrt.com has all 8 tent camping locations near Tomball, TX, with real photos and reviews from campers.