I took a trip here with my husband, our son (3yo), my sister-in-law, her husband, their daughter(1yo), and a total of 4 dogs! We had an absolute blast! Since we live in Houston and my sister-in law lives in Corpus Christi, TX we all wanted to get out of the city and just enjoy nature. So glad we chose to camp here. We stayed for a total of 4 nights in tents! My husband and I got there first and the park ranger said we were the first to check in, so we could choose the site we wanted. We wanted a site fairly close to the bathrooms because of the kiddos, one big enough to fit us all, and also one with a lot of shade because it was hella hot! We chose site 72 and it worked really well. Just be aware if your going with a group, the big sites do not have much shade.
We decided to do a bit of hiking with the kids and this place was perfect for a family trip.The trails were beautiful and easy to get through (marked well) with all of us and the staff was helpful and kind enough to let us know which ones were closed (aftermath of Hurricane Harvey). Most of the trails were short (less than a mile), so if you are looking for a place for moderate or extreme hiking, it is not here, but for the kids, these were perfect! Obviously in Texas the land is pretty flat in most places, so there wasn't much incline at all. We were able to go on every trail with rest and snacks in between for little ones. There is also fishing, but because of Harvey everything was still in clean up mode. Being from Houston, we definitely understood that it would take some time to get everything going again. It seemed like Hurricane Harvey turned the outermost trails/ longest trails into a big creek bed. It literally just washed everything out.
The facilities were old, but very well taken care of and clean! Very few bathrooms and showers, so if you are going during peak season be aware you could be waiting in line (especially the girls restroom/showers). During our stay there were many Boy Scout groups camping and many others, but thankfully I am an early riser, and got to the showers by 6 AM with no wait! Also if you have kids or a small bladder get a site close to the bathrooms otherwise it could be little walk from one of the other sites because of the way they are spaced out.
The campsites were very clean and we watched a few times as people left that the rangers would come out and clean them immediately! Also firewood is for sale on site and it not expensive. We had to go back twice to get wood and the lady who was there was so sweet and gave us extra just in case for no extra cost.There is a fire-pit with a grill rack at ever site which is helpful. We brought some foil to just put over the rack to cook burgers and it worked well! They have RV campsite, Water-only campsites, walk-in sites, group sites, and I believe screened group shelters for youth camps and such.
This state park is a great little place! We have a state park pass so we try to visit as many as possible and obviously our entry fee is free, but we enjoy the history and education they provide as well. This park is only 30 miles from Houston and about 8 miles from a Bucee's (worlds best gas station) in case you need any supplies or gas. We will definitely come back to this one!
