Best Tent Camping near Waco Lake in Texas

Recent Tent Reviews near Waco Lake

341 Reviews of 10 Waco Lake Campgrounds

• K

  Katie S.

  Traveler

  

  Apr. 25, 2021

  Fort Parker State Park Campground

  Peaceful place

  We tent camped in a primitive spot #47. Overall the spot was nice but not very level making the best placement of our large tent a bit of a challenge. Vault toilets were clean and had hand sanitizer. The nature and hiking in this park was our favorite part. Even rented a canoe and paddled across the lake to the river. Park staff were friendly and helpful. Some primitive tent sites are right on the edge of the lake and after a big rain were very swampy. I believe all sites had partial shade and some have more privacy than others. We did spot some full hook up sites in the RV section that have good space for a tent set up and we may try that next time cause we definitely will be back.

• C

  Carol W.

  Scout

  

  Apr. 16, 2021

  McCown Valley Park

  Fantastic, scenic along Lake Whitney

  Great COE campground on Lake Whitney with well spaced sites for trailers and tent camping. Includes a large section for equestrian campers that includes paddocks for your horse as well as trails to ride on. There are both 30 and 50 amp spots as well as tent camping sites. A boat launch, shallow swimming areas and 2 playgrounds round out this fantastic, family friendly campground!

• H

  Heath L.

  Traveler

  

  Jan. 28, 2021

  Union Grove

  Clean

  Clean and quiet. I probably wouldn’t stop here again tent camping in the winter. Random windstorm 30mph no way really to block it. I felt like it was more of an RV park. Plenty of deer and pretty view of the lake. Clean restrooms.

• 

  Janese W.

  Traveler

  

  May. 6, 2021

  Dana Peak

  Tent camping

  This is a gorgeous place to camp. We did tent camping this pass week. Our camp site was right by the water an absolutely gorgeous view to wake up to. I will definitely come back. The only draw back was the winds, they were so strong they shattered our tent poles. So i would recommend to definitely check the weather before selecting a date.

• 

  Wes M.

  Traveler

  

  Nov. 21, 2021

  McCown Valley Park

  Great location and scenery

  The hidden gem of Lake Whitney. Tent sites are tucked in the back of the park away from foot traffic and most vehicles. Lake front sites are perfectly located with access to the lake but not too far from hard stand bathrooms and showers. We will definitely be coming back again.

• K

  Kim R.

  Traveler

  

  May. 10, 2017

  Meridian State Park Campground

  Lovely little park

  Stayed in a screened shelter right in the lake because it was supposed to rain. The trails were nice and there were some good views. Some are definitely appropriate for beginners like me. We definitely will go back for tent camping. Note that the "lake" is very small - no motor boats. Folks were enjoying bank fishing and kayaking. The Rangers seemed omni-present. We enjoyed our stay.

• 

  Kyle G.

  Guide

  

  Jun. 6, 2018

  Meridian State Park Campground

  Awesome until it rained

  This campground is nice and clean. The lake is small but has fish in it. Our tent site was kind of close to the road and there was a weird dude driving a suburban around all day and night. Plenty of trees to hammock camp. I would stop here again. They sell wood on site(pay with CC)

• 

  Celeste M.

  Traveler

  

  Jan. 3, 2021

  McCown Valley Park

  Great spot

  Tent camped at site 60 which was great! Right off the water and super close (but not too close) to the restrooms. Weather for us was rough with high winds the first day but the next two were beautiful! Lots of wildlife, as we were pulling into the park we saw lots of deer..and throughout our stay we were visited by some Canadian Geese. The fire circle comes with a grill but it’s pretty small, and this specific site isn’t very level but we found a spot for our tent. Definitely coming back!

• G

  Greg

  Scout

  

  Oct. 10, 2021

  McCown Valley Park

  Sand Spurs everywhere

  The reason I'm leaving three stars is because we have small kids and tent camp. There was sand spurs all over the ground. I had to try to shovel out most before putting the tent out. It didn't matter, every 2 minutes the kids where crying or I was pulling one out of the dogs paw or my leg. They didn't seem as bad around other parts of the park. However, spot 48 and the tent areas around there were terrible. Other then dealing with sand spurs the entire time, the view and lake was nice!

• 

  Dani D.

  Guide

  

  Nov. 10, 2020

  Airport Park - Waco Lake

  Weekend Trip

  We tent camped at a sheltered cabin - cabin had two tables, water, and electric, plus a fan! Lots of easy water access. Showers and restrooms were available but definitely would advise these are "natural" bathrooms. Park staff very friendly. Sheltered cabins not super close to one another so helped with privacy and making you feel like you aren't crowded. No hiking trails though but is close to Mammoth if you want to spend a day there. About 3 hours from San Antonio. Wifi and cell service

• 

  Will B.

  Guide

  

  May. 31, 2021

  Military Park Fort Hood Belton Lake Outdoor Recreation Area

  Great lake

  This camp ground was great. We tent camped by the water in section 3 and had the whole site to our self. The lake was nice to canoe on and had a beautiful view of the sunset.

  The bathrooms were to far to walk so we had to drive to them ever time and there were no showers so this was a negative.

  If you stay on the water just plan for the wind it was blowing the whole time and really hard at some points. Also there is no shade by the water so bring a shade tent.

  Last thing this is a open camp ground and we had several people late at night ride by and shine there lights in our tent.

• 

  Josie J.

  Traveler

  

  Dec. 9, 2020

  Airport Park - Waco Lake

  A nice near spot to camp

  This Is a great area to camp near Waco without having to travel far. Just 5 minutes outside the Waco City limits, these grounds have a lot of hook up spots without feeling too crowded. Its also a great place to tent camp, or use one of a few cabins that are available. Nearly every camp site is a  stones throw from the water. Great Swimming and fishing. There are a number of places to pull your boat up to shore. There is a play ground, but its only near a few sites and quite a distance from most sites. But for older kids with bikes, it's a fun ride. There are deer and rabbits and birds and squirrels. Its a nice little spot that is laid out to feel big.

• 

  Michael C.

  Legend

  

  Nov. 2, 2020

  Speegleville Park

  Beautiful on the lake

  Excellent campground. Very clean. Hard stand shelters over picnic tables. Beautiful views of Waco lake. We were there after season so the neighboring resort was closed. Lots of trails to walk.

• 

  Michael C.

  Legend

  

  Nov. 11, 2020

  Speegleville Park

  Very clean facility

  Right on Waco lake, the picnic tables were set on concrete pads with solid shelter covers. Many trails to ride and walk on. There is a marina with food facilities nearby, however was closed for the season.

• 

  Stephen K.

  Guide

  

  Aug. 10, 2017

  Meridian State Park Campground

  Great, small lake

  My wife, dog, and I headed here for an impromptu overnight. We did not know what to expect, though. We were tent camping, and the campground is pretty small and quite. We loved the place. We got one of the Shinnery Ridge West "primitive" sites which means no water faucet nearby, but it was right on the lake and had a nice picnic table and grill. We had plenty of room and the site could have held two tents.

  We hiked two trails: the Shinnery Ridge trail made about a 2 mile loop from our campsite. The first quarter mile or so was paved like a sidewalk to be ADA accessible. It then went up a ridgeline and looped back down. There weren't any great views, but there were lots of rabbits.

  The Bosque hiking trail looped the entire lake in about 2.5 miles. You get to see areas of the lake filled with lilly pads and walk across the dam. On the far side of the lake from our site was the swimming area & boat ramp, and we were able to get more water to drink as we went by.

  The swimming area was pretty good. It isn't sandy, but the lake isn't very rocky and it gently slopes down to allow you to wade out and splash and play. You can rent kayaks and SUPs by the hour here. The lake seemed sheltered enough to make these great options, but we did not take advantage on this trip.

• 

  Janet H.

  Guide

  

  Mar. 12, 2022

  Mother Neff State Park Campground

  Old CCC Construction Melds with New TPW Construction

  Texas Parks & Wildlife (TPW) goes BIG with this sweet little park! In 2015, a new Visitors Center and 20-site campground were built among the remnants of the old CCC structures. Little reminders of CCC construction were visible just feet from my campsite (#17)… a portion of an old wall and BBQ pits. The campsite itself was wonderful! Plenty of spacing between neighboring sites. Freshly raked gravel, four large benches/chunks of quarried limestone, a picnic table, fire pit, pole with two hooks for hanging trash or gear, water, and electric. No specific tent site— since the whole area was level. Just a short walk along a path from my campsite to the restroom/shower facilities, which were very clean. Womens’ side had two sinks, three bathroom stalls- with one being ADA accessible, and two shower stalls, one of which was ADA accessible. The restroom had a large outdoor sink area, a little library, bike rack, and informational bulletin board. Only a few miles of hiking trails within the park, but beautifully maintained, with walking access to trail system from the campground. If you’re driving a taller/bigger vehicle, you’ll want to consider using those trail access points, rather than driving back to the small trailhead parking lots. The road leading back to the TH parking areas has an 8 ft height limit. Hiking highlights are an old CCC viewing tower, a CCC picnic table, a cave, and old washing pond. Camp hosts were cordial, and Park/Visitors Center staff were helpful and efficient with check in process. I received a call from the Park staff earlier in the morning on the day of my arrival, to let me know the entrance road from the south into the park was closed, so I’d have to access from the north, and also to let me know a county-wide burn ban was in effect, so no campfires during my stay in March 2022.

• 

  Brittany S.

  Legend

  

  Aug. 18, 2018

  Mother Neff State Park Campground

  Great piece of history!

  What a great park full of history! Mother Neff has a lot to offer and is just about 30 miles from Waco, TX that is known for all the Magnolia stuff! The park headquarters have a lot of information so you can figure out your trip and hit all the main attractions in one decent hike! The cave is an amazing part of history and is definitely a must-see!

  Leon river runs through this park, although we are currently in a drought so it is as dry as a bone. The Tonkawa tribe lived along the river in the 1800's and many artifacts have been found along with the awesome cave they used. You can also see the wash pond and parts of the original park in the 1930's. There are lots of trees which make for some great trails and lots of shade. Plus the facilities are brand new and so nice.

  The trails are quite short and you could go through the whole park in a day but it is well worth the drive to see and feel the history around you. The do have some really nice RV sites, but the tent camping is very limited and closed currently along with the cabins because of flooding. The park has been destroyed many times from the Leon River flooding and is still in the process of being cleaned up.

  Also if you take a 7 mile drive down the road to The Grove, TX, you will find another beautiful piece of history. The Grove a tiny, tiny little ghost town that was established in the 1860's! If you love seeing old buildings it is definitely worth the quick drive and take some awesome pics! Some of the original buildings are still there.

  I took a trip here with my son and my grandmother and it was such a fun experience. All of the main attractions were able to be seen from the main trail so my grandma was able to keep up and see the park she has memories of as a kid. She said it is much more fancy now than it was in the 60's!

• T

  Tori M.

  Ranger

  

  Jun. 15, 2018

  Meridian State Park Campground

  All time favorite in the Texas State Parks!

  Meridian SP is such a hidden gem. If you’re not a fan of the Texas heat they just added one limited use cabin in addition to RV, tent and screened shelter sites. The BEST place to stay is the shelters on the lake hands down! There is also a CCC building at this park that serves as a gathering area on the lakeshore. It has several well maintained trails and the lake is good for fishing. Wildflower season here is CRAZY!

• T

  Traci M.

  Scout

  

  Oct. 19, 2018

  Lake Whitney State Park Campground

  Come Hell or High Water We Are Camping

  We had limited weekends to take the grandkids camping. It has been raining non stop all over Texas. I began to look for places within 2 hours of Fort Worth. Texas State Parks are a great. I settled on Lake Whitney. They have these shelter sites that are awesome. For $30 per night ($10 per night more than normal e&w site) plus $5 per adult gate fee. That may not be economical for everyone, but $40 for an overnight camp was fine. The shelters are very clean and well kept. Inside is a picnic table and enough floor space for another plus some. So if your tent fails in you go. The top of walls are screened and bottom solid. I set up my camp kitchen and we ate meals inside due to weather. We set up our large tent behind the shelter to block wind from the lake. The site also had it's own parking, another table outside and fire ring. We had site 4 right across from the lake and swimming area. The bath house was very clean and only a short walk. You can fish license free from the shore. There are 5 or 6 moderate hiking trails. Also the park is home to plenty of woodland animals. The 4 yo and I took a 2 am bathroom break and saw a herd of dear about 30 head.

  The park is very good for families and fishing.

  There are also a boat ramp, small airstrip and day use areas.

  The staff is awesome.

• 

  Heather P.

  Ranger

  

  May. 18, 2018

  Meridian State Park Campground

  beautiful lake views

  We camped at site 31 which is a primitive tent only site. The sites are HUGE!!! tons of space between you and the next site. Sites are level and easy to find a spot to pitch your tent.

  Set up a camp chair, bust out your fishing gear and kick back and relax while watching the amazing sunset over Lake Meridian.

• 

  Gordy T.

  Scout

  

  Oct. 30, 2021

  Meridian State Park Campground

  Great little park!

  Clean park but lake currently has an algae bloom. Older small camp sites with a few drive thrus. Really friendly people and stores about 5 mi away. Nice time but better for tent campers. No wifi.

• 

  Alicia F.

  Legend

  

  Sep. 21, 2019

  Midway

  Beautiful View

  This campground is the closest, of the lake campgrounds, to Waco. After a fun day at Magnolia Farms and DT Waco we found this campground on, the Dyrt, of course. We stopped at Walmart on the way and arrived just in time to jump in the lake. It was refreshing after a long hot day and we got to watch the sunset as we floated in the water. You have to reserve a spot on recreation.gov if you arrive after 6 PM. The reticent off duty camp host notified me that I couldn’t stay unless I made the reservation online. If you are in an RV there are a lot of lake view sights w great shade and some w canopies over the tables. We stayed at a “tent” ($16) site in our minivan. I’m still not sure where the water is for the tent ⛺️ people because I snuck over to one of the open RV sites to get water. There is a decent bathroom with toilet and shower which can’t be beat for $16.

• 

  Jake H.

  Scout

  

  Oct. 23, 2022

  Lake Whitney State Park Campground

  Good state park site

  Really nice sites to park and camp. Lake is beautiful but rocky shoreline. Only nit-picky thing is that the tent pads between me and my neighbor were pretty close, but hey - it’s a state park. The bathrooms were also further than you’d want to walk. Overall, good experience though!

• 

  Deborah C.

  Ranger

  

  Nov. 26, 2021

  Lake Whitney State Park Campground

  Lake Whitney state park, Texas November 2021

  Our family started a new tradition of having a small camping thanksgiving the weekend before thanksgiving and we love lake Whitney. We camped in spot 91 and 92. We have our tent and the kids have a RV. The campground is nicely maintained and the bathrooms are clean. We hiked and biked.

• 

  Patty D.

  Traveler

  

  Nov. 18, 2021

  Morgan Lakeside Park

  Quiet.

   I have been to this site a couple times, I s first come first serve, good for tents and for rigs, paved roads and outside bathroom. you can stay up to 14 days free, it also has picnic tables  but no electric, busy on the weekends but during the week hardly noone is there. nice quiet place.

• 

  Heather M.

  Traveler

  

  Aug. 17, 2018

  Meridian State Park Campground

  Breath taking views

  By far one of my favorite state parks in Texas

• 

  Deborah C.

  Ranger

  

  Nov. 30, 2020

  Lake Whitney State Park Campground

  Lake Whitney state park,Texas November 2020

  We decided our immediate family would have our thanksgiving camping, there were 10 of us,one RV and two tents. We scored a spot at lake Whitney state park the weekend before thanksgiving and it was awesome! We hiked and biked and enjoyed the weather. The restrooms were clean and the staff was helpful. There was wifi by the restrooms. We hope to make this an annual tradition. It’s only an hour or so from the Dallas area.