Best Glamping near Vidor, TX

This was a spur-of-the-moment trip from NW Arkansas so we could dip our toes in the ocean in the middle of winter. It's unfortunate that you have to go through Port Arthur to get to the state park, but totally worth it once you get there. WARNING: the mosquitoes are serious here. We have an Aliner and although we use pool noodles to seal gaps in the A-frame's roof, they found a way in--hundreds of them. We only stayed the one night because of it. Having said that, if you have a class A/B/C camper, you should be fine. I wouldn't recommend it to tent campers even with the best bug spray...and we went in December! Clean, beautiful facilities. You can park in a site, or if you don't want/need utilities, you're allowed to camp on the beach.

Do not do the floating campground. Yes it looks cool on Instagram and yes it is a unique experience, but for all the wrong reasons. We booked two nights on it and only stayed one. It was covered in bird poop and rusted so badly that when I accidentally cut my hand on it I went to get a tetanus shot. It is kind of difficult to get up on the platform and we ended up having to lay our bodies on what we referred to as the "poop deck". So by the end of the day you are covered in bird poop.

Keep in mind you have to bring your own waste bucket. There is a nook to place it in so you aren't just doing your business in the middle of the platform for the world to see. Not that it matters, we saw one other boat while we were there (I see this as a positive). Definitelt bring your own toilet seat. The one they provide is gross.

It is a decently long paddle to get there (especially when loaded down with gear). No problem if you are in good physical shape, but it is not for everyone. It stormed violently the one night we were there. Very cool but terrifying. The whole platform shook. We learned that the storm worked in our favor though because we didn't see many mosquitos (see my other review). We saw several alligators and caught some fish as well. This is a beautiful park with a wide array of wildlife.

This are has been hit by multiple hurricanes, flooding and fires. The rebuilding process is taking time but it is on it's way. Large viewing ponds of alligators, turtles and birds are surrounded by walking and biking trails for all different levels of activity. The sites are only full rv hookup because thats where the money is. Hopefully primative tent sites will open in the next year or two. Laundry, bathhouse and wifi are available. Ice, camping needs are NOT available for purchase but only an 8 minute drive away. Slight constant hum of traffic can be heard otherwise very quiet camp.

The Mosquito Coast Dec 2022•  We had RV campground reservations for 3 nights but left after one because of the mosquitoes. I had read reviews and came prepared with Thermacell repellent and DEET spray but were overwhelmed by the mosquitoes. My Labrador had mosquitoes swarming him. The campground and park is surrounded by a marsh. The mosquitoes are not bad on the beach where there is a breeze. The park rangers are very nice and the campground itself is nice with spacious flat spots with electric and water hook ups. A dump station is available. Verizon coverage is poor. About half the RV spots were used however I only saw one other camper outside of their RV while we were there. I guess everyone else stayed inside their RV because of the mosquitoes. If you are a first time beach camper to the Texas Gulf Coast, try boondocking on the beach here or further down the Bolivar Peninsula near Crystal Beach. You need to be away from the marsh where the breeze keeps the mosquitoes away.

The first time we went to the beach (just visited, no camping) we were able to kayak into the ocean and fish. The second time the waves were way too intense. We still enjoyed our time overall though. We got there early and picked a spot. The park ranger told us that wherever the tide was at 11am, that is where it would be at 1am. We placed our tent accordingly. There was a weird swarm of gnats that showed up both times we were there. Just gnats though.

We walked along the beach and watched the beautiful sunset. We sat in our chairs as it got dark and just took it all in. Big. Mistake. I felt tingling on my legs and stated that the gnats were back. I turned on my phone light to see how many there were and to my horror my legs were covered in... mosquitos. I'm not exaggerating. My legs were absolutely covered. This of course led to a freak out session in which we frantically tried to put everything away and get into the tent. I dove into the tent and zipped it closed, only to discover they were still on my legs. I slapped and slapped and by the end my legs were covered in mosquito bodies and blood. We managed to kill most of the ones that followed us inside and then we watched as our tent was covered from the outside in a thin layer of them. It was at this point that I realized I needed to pee but we just tried to go to sleep. (The next day we realized that I had 150+ mosquito bites...)

Fast forward to about 1am. Boyfriend wakes up because the rain flap has come unstaked and is flapping in the wind. He tells me he will get it so I roll over to go back to sleep. He steps outside of the tent (the mosquitos are long gone) and firmly tells me to get up... now. Annoyed by this, I ask why. The panic in his voice as he urges me to get up, right now, is enough to urge me to get up and see what is going on. I step outside and see the waves gently hitting our tent. Our kayaks are one wave away from being carried away, the back tires of my truck are in a thin layer of water, our grill is submerged and the bathroom tent is flooded. We work together and get everything moved a safe distance away. Remember that park ranger and her advice? Yeah, don't listen to them. Put your tent and gear as far back as you can.

Even with all of this we still mostly like this campground. You just need to be aware of the tide and the mosquito swarm that will come right at dark. Be in your tent before then and you will be fine. We enjoyed fishing and crabbing and just relaxing. It is cool that you can go from marsh to ocean in 5 minutes all within the same park. There are definitely better beaches out there though.

Or stay in the small, open campground with picnic tables, fire rings, water and electric hook up and a nearby comfort station. There’s an outside cold water shower and an elevated walkway crossing wetland to the beach.

The birding is absolutely fantastic so come with binoculars. I saw great flocks of Avocets feeding at the waters edge along with Willets, and a variety of sandpipers and terns including Caspian. There’s a paved trail to hike through the wetlands. Bug spray is essential.

Beach camping is available to any vehicle or camper. The upper beach sand is hard packed like a road and it goes for about three miles on the East side and about 10 on the West side.

I can’t say enough about the staff who became dedicated to rescuing me after a major storm dumped three inches of rain in a couple of hours causing an inland pond to overflow cutting a channel through the beach to the Gulf. I was stranded about two miles out in my 2X4 camper van for two delightful days before they brought out the heavy equipment and towed me across the channel and back to the real world.

Gas up in Port Arthur before driving down.