Several tent camping options can be found in the vicinity of Valley View, Texas, including the free dispersed camping at Lyndon B. Johnson National Grassland and the established tent campgrounds at Black Creek Lake NF Campground. Both locations offer different experiences for tent campers seeking outdoor recreation, with the National Grassland providing more primitive camping opportunities while Black Creek Lake offers basic amenities. Most tent campsites in this area are situated within a 30-minute drive of Valley View, making them accessible weekend destinations for visitors from the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex.
Walk-in tent sites are common at several campgrounds in the area, with varying degrees of amenities. At Tadra Point Trailhead & Campground in the LBJ National Grassland, primitive tent campsites feature picnic tables, fire rings, and vault toilets, but no potable water. A visitor commented, "There are two non-flushing restrooms. Plenty of poles for tying horses and there is water trofts for them but the water looked pretty disgusting. May want to think about bringing several gallons of water." Sites are generally first-come, first-served with a $10 per car fee at self-service payment stations. Black Creek Lake offers tent-only primitive camping with fire rings and picnic tables at 14 official sites for $2 per night.
Tent campers seeking more secluded experiences should consider the dispersed camping areas within the LBJ National Grassland. These walk-in tent locations provide greater privacy but require campers to be self-sufficient. A recent review noted, "We stumbled upon this dispersed camping area after driving forest service roads for a while. I would NOT recommend taking any kind of trailer or motorhome down these roads and to this spot." The grassland features diverse terrain with some forested areas providing shade and open meadows offering stargazing opportunities. During summer months, visitors should be prepared for heat, mosquitoes, and potentially encountering wildlife including rattlesnakes in taller grass areas. For those willing to haul gear short distances, the walk-in tent sites at Sycamore Bend Park provide lake access with primitive facilities.
"We stumbled upon this dispersed camping area after driving forest service roads for a while. I would NOT recommend taking any kind of trailer or motorhome down these roads and to this spot. "
"Was transiting between central Texas toward Colorado in an off-grid TT and didn’t want to venture far off 287 for a comfortable, quiet & safe place to stay for the night."
"The restrooms really stink, but are always clean and stocked in my experience. Max 3 night stay, no electricity, water, or showers. Nice fire rings, flag pole, and calm park."
"No access to drive to the actual site so I couldn’t use my RTT but it’s a short walk from where you park. Really nice park right on the lake, but it does get a bit crowded."
from $20 / night
"This campground has restrooms and a gravel drive to access the grounds. You will find a small playground and picnic tables at this site as well as a public boat launch."
"small RV park on the lake, quiet and shaded"
"Erwin Park is a great place to visit if you're looking to spend a few days running or biking trails. Campsites are far enough apart that you have privacy yet close enough that you don't feel alone."
"I’ve had many great experiences at this park it’s a ways out of the way of the city noise. The only sound other than bird song is the occasional moo and some coyote yips in the distance"
"Electric hookups for RV generally a small area first come first serve.... 5 dollars per tent....restrooms and park lights.... stores nearby..... no showers"
"We really enjoyed this camp space. Peaceful, open, spacious and super nice management and staff. We stayed in spot 23 and although windy, I really enjoyed the scenery and quietness."
"Close to Dallas, very clean and organized camp area."
from $37 / night
GuideThe KOA is clean and well maintained. There is lits of space for the pull throughs. Dog park is amazing, host are friendly and kind. They are very welcoming and the store is small, but clean with a little bit of everything for everyone! We will definitely be back!
TravelerSuper easy in and out. Pretty much every amenity that you would want at a very modern campground.
TravelerDisappointing and unnecessarily confrontational experience.
I booked and paid for a campsite at The Vineyards in my self-contained Sprinter camper van. I checked in without issue and had already spent one night there when the park manager, Lisa, approached me while I was relaxing inside my van to inform me that my vehicle was not welcome.
She stated that the city requires RVs to have hookups and be commercially manufactured. However, the campground’s published policies explicitly allow management to approve converted camper vans (and I am fully self-contained). It also allows for truck campers, which I suppose theoretically could have sewer hookups, but I assure you my custom converted Sprinter is more aesthetic than a truck camper, if that was her concern (no offense to my truck camper friends).
I also could not find the city ordinance she was referring to.
I understand that campgrounds have rules and that management has discretion to enforce them. What I don’t understand is why my reservation was accepted, why I was allowed to stay overnight, or why the situation needed to be handled so confrontationally.
When I offered to leave if they would refund my unused second night, Lisa told me it was too late for a refund and that I might as well stay.
So apparently my van was prohibited until refunding my money became the alternative.
I wasn’t causing a disturbance, requesting special accommodations, or asking to use facilities I hadn’t paid for. I was simply enjoying a campsite I’d reserved and paid for.
The campground itself is lovely, which makes the experience even more disappointing. A straightforward, respectful conversation about their policies would have been entirely reasonable. Instead, I was made to feel unwelcome at a place where I was already a paying guest.
If you’re traveling in a self-contained converted camper van, I’d strongly recommend getting written approval before booking, regardless of whether your reservation is accepted. And given that I am now reading other complaints of the staff being rude, I might avoid this spot altogether.
TravelerRed River RV Resort (Deluxe) in Thackerville OK is a hot mess to be polite. The entire campground is covered with goathead sand burrs. It's impossible to go outside and enjoy any part of the campground. If you do go out you have to be very careful not to bring any of the sand burrs into the camper. The property owner / management knows of the campground issues but they're not doing anything to fix the issues. The pool and hot tub are disgusting, both have green slimy water with leaves, dirt and whatever else blew into it. The community room is locked and you have to ask at the office to get access. The community room has multiple TV's but none if them turn on so whats point in having them. On the good side it has two nice pool tables so its has some purpose. The gym area is packed with equipment but looks more like a storage locker than a gym.The campground has a good laundry room and okay WIFI. The showers are okay, older facilty but it all works. It has a fenced dog park but again It's covered with sand burrs so its unuseable. There's several empty/abandonded campers through out the campground. We went down the street to the local public park, sadly the park is unuseable as well due to the sand burrs being everywhere. It appears sand burrs are a bigger issue in the area and just not only at the campground. The campsites have full hook ups, some of the sewer hose tubes have caps while others don't. The neighboring campsite sewer connection didnt have a sewer cap and it has a huge wolf spider living in it.... we had planned to stay the full 14 days but leaving early due to the 8 billion sand burrs. Our dog is unable to walk in the grass, dirt, pavement without a paw full of sand burrs. I'm very disappointed C2C thinks this is a deluxe campground, I would be embarrassed to be in any way connected to it. There's other campgrounds in the area that have similar nightly cost ($40 - $50) if I was to pay outside of the C2C members rate with useable grass yards, clean useable swimming pools and community rooms. This could be an amazing campground if someone would fix the issues. As it stands now I would avoid this campground at all costs.
ScoutWe had a great time here. Lots of shade, privacy and great view of lake
GuideFolks want different things out of campsites. For me, it's scenic beauty, quiet for work and mental health, and nice places to take my dog. This checks all the boxes!
None of my reviews will be useful for amenities or activities because I just don't use them. I can't tell you about bathrooms, fishing, etc. I can tell you the water is very soft and feels slick or soapy even after you rinse. I have onboard reverse osmosis and wouldn't recommend drinking city water anywhere in Texas. There's too much oil production here and gas and chemicals are all over.
The staff at the gate were pleasant and said, "You must be David," when I pulled in, which was very nice and made it easy and welcoming.
Texas has many undiscovered and wonderful public lands, whether you're really camping or just working remote, watching the deer, or seeing the sunrise over a lake from your bedroom window. Get out here and come see them!
LegendGot here after Labor day weekend and mostly all to ourselves.
ScoutThis is a great campground. Power was good, att service is good and the grounds are very clean. The only downside is no full hookups and the dump station is outside of the gate which they lock at 10pm and don't open again until 10am. So no getting back in while locked and you can't dump except when there are lines.
TravelerCamped in site 14. Level site, beautiful view of the lake with covered concrete table. You can walk down to the lake to swim. BUT ants! Make sure you take precautions to keep them out of your rig!
Tent camping near Valley View, Texas offers access to the LBJ National Grassland's diverse ecosystems, with mixed-grass prairies and scattered oak mottes characteristic of the Cross Timbers region. Summer temperatures routinely exceed 95°F during June through September, requiring adequate water supplies and sun protection. Most campgrounds sit at elevations between 700-950 feet, with a mix of open grassland and forested areas providing varied camping environments.
Water recreation: Lake access at Meadowmere Park & Campground provides opportunities for fishing and swimming. "Close to Dallas, very clean and organized camp area," notes a camper who found it ideal for water activities.
Mountain biking: The trails at Erwin Park are maintained by DORBA and offer about 9 miles of paths. A visitor explains, "Great easy spot for day camping or easy car camping with family. Best mountain bike single tracks around with lots of built features."
Wildlife viewing: Early mornings and evenings at Black Creek Lake are prime times for spotting local wildlife. "There are birds, squirrels, raccoons and opossums which roam the grounds," making it an excellent spot for nature observation and photography.
Stargazing: The darker skies at more remote campsites provide excellent night viewing opportunities. At Meadowmere Park, a camper appreciated "the scenery and quietness" which creates ideal conditions for stargazing on clear nights.
Proximity to Dallas-Fort Worth: Many campers appreciate the short drive from urban areas. At Erwin Park, one reviewer noted it "feels like you're far from home but only a few min away for us. When you want a spur of the moment trip it's a great place to go."
Lake breezes: The cooling effect of water nearby helps during hot Texas summers. At Black Creek Lake NF Campground, a visitor shared, "The temperature was soaring but a nice breeze off the lake coupled with the shady trees made for a very nice experience."
Privacy between sites: Several campgrounds offer good site separation. Meadowmere Park has "peaceful, open, spacious" campsites, with management that makes late arrivals easy to accommodate.
Clean facilities: Well-maintained bathrooms are frequently mentioned as a plus. At Meadowmere Park, a camper was impressed that "Porta potties were incredibly clean and a main bathroom area featured showers and very clean as well."
Seasonal water levels: During summer months, water sources may become less appealing. At Tadra Point Trailhead & Campground, a visitor noted, "There is water trofts for horses but the water looked pretty disgusting. May want to think about bringing several gallons of water."
Road conditions: Some dispersed camping areas have difficult access. At Lyndon B. Johnson National Grassland Dispersed Camping, a camper warned, "I would NOT recommend taking any kind of trailer or motorhome down these roads and to this spot."
Weekend crowding: Popular spots fill quickly, especially those with good mountain biking. At Erwin Park, a visitor cautioned that "it has become a popular spot with mountain bikers. That can create issues on the weekend when the trails are teeming with cyclists."
Payment methods: Most campgrounds use self-registration. Black Creek Lake has an honor system at the kiosk for payment, and a reviewer advised bringing "cash because the kiosk does not accept cards it is a cash only system with no ATM within 10 miles."
Playground availability: Some parks offer child-friendly amenities. Black Creek Lake "has a small playground" that keeps younger children entertained when not hiking or swimming.
Easiest access: For families with small children, look for drive-up sites. At Sycamore Bend Park, a camper mentioned, "No access to drive to the actual site so I couldn't use my RTT but it's a short walk from where you park."
Budget-friendly options: Price points vary significantly. One camper at Sycamore Bend Park noted, "The price has gone up from $7 to $20, but that's about average it seems now."
Noise considerations: Some areas offer better quiet time enforcement. Erwin Park offers a buffer from city noise, with a camper noting, "The only sound other than bird song is the occasional moo and some coyote yips in the distance."
Hookup availability: Electric connections are limited but available at certain campgrounds. At Little Elm Park, a visitor reported, "Electric hookups for RV generally a small area first come first serve.... 5 dollars per tent....restrooms and park lights."
Access roads: For larger rigs, evaluate road conditions before arrival. A visitor to Tadra Point Trailhead & Campground shared, "We weren't sure about the accessibility to the trailhead road with our 23 foot travel trailer so we opted to stay off road 904, where the horse trailers park, since there were some nice flat spots."
Dispersed options for smaller setups: Smaller RVs have more flexibility. A visitor to LBJ National Grassland noted, "Taking the Trinity exit north off the loop around Decatur and using the navigation to the LBJ Grasslands to Park Rd 904 access was easy."
Site selection: Look for level ground and shade. One camper found that at Black Creek Lake, "There are two areas at Black Creek Lake that you can camp: this side, the improved side with amenities, and the back side, which does not have any amenities."
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Valley View, TX?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Valley View, TX is Lyndon B. Johnson National Grassland Dispersed Camping with a 5-star rating from 3 reviews.
What is the best site to find tent camping near Valley View, TX?
TheDyrt.com has all 19 tent camping locations near Valley View, TX, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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