Governors Landing Campground — Amistad National Recreation Area

We will definitely come back to this one. It is $10 per night to park overnight and the automated machine takes card! We found a nice spot that fit our 21ft travel trailer and 20ft van pulling it right next the the Reservoir. We woke up to beautiful views of the blue/green water and took a morning hike down to walk right out onto one of the natural jetty’s that goes right out into the middle of the water. The picnic tables on the way down to the water have usb charging that is solar powered and umbrellas built in. Perfect spot to have morning coffee/breakfast. We met some nice folks who also helped us back into our spot since it was dark. 10/10 for a boondocking experience

Área muy bien cuidada con un viento contante que te ayuda a mitigar el calor.

Everything you would want out of a cheap campground. This was our first stop in our week long van-camping trip. We swung by the dispersed site past the reservoir going west on 90, but it was occupied by a large family with very little room left. Right before crossing the reservoir we noticed a campground overlooking the water and it looked somewhat open. The map showed it to be Governor’s landing and guided us into a sketchy road off the highway under the bridge, but once we entered the campground you can see Amistad Reservoir in all its glory.

$10 a night and first come first serve so you should get there early enough to find a spot facing the the water. You can hear the highway for sure but I didn’t mind it. The wind, on the other hand, was a challenge. I learned it’s more efficient to cook in a charcoal grill than a gas stove with high winds. The winds were so high, the overhang of my roof top tent lifted up taking the ladder up with it. By the way, if you ever get into that situation, tie down your tent to your vehicle. You’ll thank me later.

Come to find out, that wind fed a storm that freaked both us out inside our tent! We’ve weathered a storm before in the tent, but the added high winds had us holding on all night.

Concluding my review of this place, we went back as a bookend to our trip because we did love the place and learned how to deal with high winds since. Then, of course, we were hit with a storm. Again. Same camp. Same time. Same day of the week. But this time we sealed up the tent tight and hung out in the van watching movies on an iPad using the car stereo to over power the thunderous storm.

We see you Governor’s Landing. We’ll be back. We still love you.

This is a small well maintained campsite next to the main road. It had potable water, clean sites, clean bathrooms, tent pads, BBQ, picnic table with shade covers, day use area and NPS workers showed up. It had an easy check in kiosk where we used a credit card. The sites that were on top of hill have a lot of road noise. The sites that sit lower and also further away would be your best bet. 15 was flat but noisy. There were not many sites available when we pulled in at night. 4? Available at 7pm on a Sunday.

The campsites were well maintained and the bathrooms were clean. The views are fantastic and all the other campers were respectful. NPS came through in the morning and checked the garbages and bathrooms. I would stay here again!

This campground has running water, pit toilets, and well maintained campsites (small camper van or tent - not good for big rigs). First come availability- we pulled in at 7pm and had plenty of spaces to choose from. No electric Beautiful views of the water Safe and clean Credit cards only to pay fee ($10)

Great views of the lake. Just a short hike down to the water. Best swimming area is under the bridge. Just $10 ($5w/pass). Vault toilets and water every few sites.

First bathroom completely trashed, second bathroom, someone left the door open and the seat of the pit toilet up...was swarming with flies. Opted not to stay, witch was a shame because it was gorgeous otherwise.

Ok. On to the next. Its just north of Del Rio, TX...named the nations friendlist boarder town. Crime rate is reportedly almost non existent around here. I did notice a TON of boarder patrol agents and police cruising everywhere around here......anyway, this is yet another campground maintained by the national park service and they do a great job. Not quite boondocking perse..... but 10 bucks a night, 5 If your a senior. First come, first served. Only 15 spots. Can stay 14 days. Was talking to one of the park service workers and he gave me the scoop on a couple other nice spots around here and still part of this national recreation area....ill stay a couple night here, than I'll check them out.. (big bend will just have to wait). No hook ups but I don't need them. My solar is cranking away. There are several potable water stations, trash cans and vault toilets if ya need them. Some sites are level, some aren't. Vzw and att Cell/data service are both strong. Laughlin Air Force base is about 20 minutes south of here and is the largest air force training base in the country. ~350 air force pilots graduate from there every year. More planes take off and land there everyday than any other airport in the country....when I was driving in on rt 90...there was a steady stream of Talons coming and going....right over the road. I hear them buzzing around the lake too. This lake...is really a reservoir. Lake Amistad was a joint project between the US and Mexico. The damn was completed in 1969. Amistad means "friendship". It was made from both the Rio grande and the Devils Rivers. It covers almost 65,000 acres, 851 miles of shoreline (574 in Texas...rest in Mexico) and has a max depth of 217' and like many bodies of water in the SW water levels are low, however it is still a popular rec area and is well known for fantastic bass fishing. Several televised Pro tournaments are held here each year. It is the 2nd biggest lake in Texas. Pretty impressive right? Yeah...glad I stopped! Quiz to follow later...lol.

This small campground sits high above the banks of the Amistad Reservoir, but unfortunately, a little too close to HWY 90. The campsites enjoy a stunning view of the Chihuahuan Desert landscape and the water. The sites are spacious with lots of room for bigger rigs, and enjoy a shade structure over the picnic table area. 

With potable water and clean pit toilets this campsite is worth the inexpensive fee.  Bring your solar panel because there are no electrical hookups.  With water recreation opportunities just a stone’s throw away, the boat launch is just below the campground, you can escape the heat of the day. There are just a few hiking trails nearby for more land-based recreation. 

We spent just one night at the campground and it was an easy drive in and park situation. But we found the numerous trucks along the highway a little disruptive of our sleep starting around 4 am, when they begin to hit the road. There are other campgrounds along the Amistad Reservoir that are not as impacted by the road, and they are definitely worth a look. 

The city of Del Rio, TX is a short drive away where you can get anything, including a Starbuck’s coffee – which has become, for us, the indicator of modern suburbia. Be sure to check out some of the amazing Mexican Food of this well-integrated, bi-lingual, boarder town.

These campsites are very nice. Each one had a shaded picnic table and a fine gravel tent pad. There are pit privies near each site. Sunsets and sunrises are gorgeous, stars are fantastic. Only downside is the noise from the highway is quite loud and there’s some light pollution from the highway as well.