Tyler State Park Campground

We drove from NWArkansas the end of January to purchase a conversion van in Tyler, but towed our 19-foot Coleman camper just in case the van didn't work out, at least we'd have a nice camping trip! We stayed in a pull-though space (#340) which was large enough for our Tundra, the Coleman, AND our newly acquired 2000 E-350 Sportsmobile Van. 

The campsites were quiet (except for our dogs, who loved the racoons and deer...sorry!!) and well maintained. Beautiful walk around the lake to watch the sunrise. The facilities are standard state park facilities...everything worked. One toilet was a mess, but that wasn't the rangers' fault. One would think women would be more mindful of the mess they make. 

Note that the gift shop isn't open on Tuesday/Wednesdays, so if you want a head badge for your walking stick, you can purchase one at the ranger station CASH ONLY.  Highly recommend this park.

I brought my dog on a two night weekend stay and we had a blast. The campsite was well maintained and we loved all of the trails.

The park has many hiking trails. The tent sites are close together so there is not much room for privacy. Many racoons. Park facilities are clean, nice swimming area and good roads.

Such an unbelievable, majestic landscape that can truly only be seen in person to fully take in the beauty. Can’t wait to go back

I've camper at Tyler State Park many times in my life. This is the first time in an RV. Rangers were nice & helpful. The facility is well organized & well maintained. They are constructing a a new headquarters in the pines near Cedar Point but the crews were considerate and no bother to us. No noise problems or traffic issues. The camping is limited in the Tyler area but this place is a jewel. Nice lake for fishing but few campsites near the water. Bathrooms were close & clean. Our campsite shaded our RV. No solar but there is an open area for starlink. No cell service from Verizon.

PROS 

Texas State Park Pass discount saving $49 

Reserved 151 days prior to arriving 

Not charged a fee to make my own on-line reservation 

Big Pine site #308 very shady site 

Extra wide asphalt parking pad 

Concrete slab that locked down the wooden picnic table 

Metal fire pit with cooking grate which was cleared of ash upon our arrival 

2 hook lantern pole 

Dark sky friendly 

Trash dumpsters near the toilet/shower building 

Tyler Rose Garden features over 30,000 bushes and is open free to the public from sunrise to sunset…very beautiful and serene 

CONS 

Had to sweep for nearly an hour to clean debris from site 

No entrance gate locked overnight 

Never saw any rangers patrolling campground during our entire stay 

Dogs on leashes not enforced 

Unable to move picnic table 

Big Pine site #308 way out of being level but manageable 

Big Pine site #308 close to campground road 

Big Pine site #308 tight fit for 28 ft 

Only pine firewood for sale in Park 

No WiFi 

1 bar Verizon 5G

Not a fan of the site just due to the raccoons. Did a shakedown run of a new RTT after having appointments in the general area - the location is nice, but lots of road noise from the freeway. The worst part was a family of raccoons kept coming up for food all night. It was hard to sleep with them in the (empty) bed of the truck all night playing around.

We stayed for a few days in the winter, it was quiet and beautiful at the lake. We didnt use the facilities but they look in great shape.

Nice pull thru spots near a beautiful park with lots of trails

Reserved on-line 153 days prior to arrival. 

Pros 

Area 2 campground night sky friendly with good dark sky viewing

Site 211 has fantastic views of the lake

Mid afternoon Sunday check in at entrance station very busy but processed quickly Utility hookups in good condition 

Sites with grass neatly maintained 

Campground mostly quiet except for Interstate 20 traffic noise 

Showers were individual entry on opposite side of the building from the toilets 

Campsite and entrance fee discount with Texas State Park Pass 

Not charged a fee to make my own on-line reservation 

EXXON station directly outside of State Park sold oak firewood 25 pieces for $20 

Cons 

Raccoons very aggressive and tried to take food that we were eating from our hands!!! Area 2 Lakeview sites require leveling side-to-side 

Area 2 campsite parking pads are narrow with trees and large boulders close to parking pad. 

ery narrow roadway in Area 2 with limited space to maneuver into backin sites. 

One pull-thru site was so tight to the roadway, their trailer was partially on the road! Area 2 campground sites have no privacy from any other camp sites 

Site 211 table, fire pit with cooking grate and lantern pole are located opposite side of the trailer door 

Area 2 restroom/shower building serves 58 campsites and it shows it! Restroom facility badly needing some TLC, cleaning and maintenance Women’s restroom had 3 toilets and 2 sinks; men’s had 2 toilets and 1 urinal 

Firewood for sale in Area 2 was only pine wood

I have camped her roughly 7 times in the past 30 years. I only wish they had more readily-accessible trash cans. But: the fantastic lake makes up for it! Awesome gift shop too!

The camp site was clean. The staff are friendly and helpful. The restroom/showers are close by and clean. Will definitely be back at this Park.

I visited the Shortleaf camping area in the Tyler State Park for the weekend to participate in a 50k trail race. Each campsite in this area has a sheltered cabin, picnic table, fire pit and 2 parking spots. Tent camping is also permitted on the site but I used my iKamper Roof Top Tent as my primary place to sleep. The sheltered cabin has screens on the windows to keep the bugs out and electricity. I used this area primarily for storage of the food & gear that I used during the weekend. My campsite was located at the bottom of a hill and had a path to the restrooms and showers. These facilities were very clean and had 2 shower stalls and 3 toilet stalls along with 2 sinks. This location had access to the lake via a short hike. This type of camp site is the best of both worlds, you can camp via tent/car and still have a cabin like experience via the sheltered cabin. 

In September it is still pretty warm in Tyler, humidity was 100% when I visited without rain. I'll visit again in October when the cooler temps arrive and undoubtable have an even better experience.

We camped for 1 night and swimmer during summer for a friends birthday. The area is marked clearly with a deck in the middle of water. This helps you take a nice swim with adequate rest at the other end. Fun place for kids.

Very good cross country mountain bike trails and hiking trails around the lake. You will need a mountain bike to ride the trails due to the roots.

Great lake for kayaking, paddle boating, swimming and fishing! We had a blast! Several trails for great variety!

Lots of thoughtfulness in the layout and work of this camp. The trail that goes around the lake truly goes around so it's a trail runners dream. Playground is substantial and well away from cars. Bathrooms could be bigger but are clean. Tons of options and good signage.

And super safe!

Stayed here October 9-13, 2020. We got reservations in August. Temps were perfect. 50 types of birds. Rode  all the mountain bike trails. Trails are mostly intermediate with only a few difficult spots.

Hear me out :D The Park itself is very beautiful and the staff there are some of the nicest hosts you will encounter at a SP. Bathrooms were clean, and the showers were nice as well. Our issue was that Tent camping is primarily offered on the south side of the park. Which as the crow flies is about 1 mile from I20. So throughout the night the constant rumble of cars on the highway can keep you up most of the night. Then you have the local Emergency Services. Sirens down the park road and on i20. This is the perfect day use SP for the Trails and water sports. Also looks like it would be prefect for RV camping.

From beginners to people who like to sweat, the trails out at Tyler State park are some of the best in the area. 5 loops to choose from. Loops C, and D have some good uphills for leg burning fun, and the downs are fast. Day trips are only $6, or camp overnight! Great place to get some well needed relaxation. Beautiful park with large sky scraping pine trees and gorgeous flowing creeks. I’ve come here all year round and it’s always a joy.

I tent camped and there were alot of trails, alot of activities to do and the water was alittle on the chilly side but was still nice!

LOVE THIS PARK! A fabulous place to just get away from the city and noise. Relax and unplug. Perfect place to go camping, RVing, swimming and hiking, biking etc.

Great spot found a week out from trip. Just wanted to spend a night there to check it all out . Great trails and swimming area. The shop was closed while I was there and the boat rentals as well . Be careful for raccoons saw a lot of them while here !

Great little park with full hookups ,nice hiking trails.

I brought our girls out for their maiden solo kayak trip and it was a great place to start the kiddos out. This week we took some friends out for their first yak trip; it was a perfect spot!

My family and I enjoy the trails and lake at this park. The playground is one of the best Ive seen at the state parks we’ve been to! We love our SP so close to home!

Sites are semi level, full hookup, some shade! Great little lake to fish, kayak, swim and hike! Hard to get reservations because it is so popular! If you get reservations it’s kinda like winning the lottery 😃. But it’s all worth it!

Nestled in the piney woods, Great Lake, MTB, hiking and good facilities.

Water is clear and great for swimming, which is a rarity in Texas. Camp has kayaks to rent and a great playground. Lots of camp activities and great hiking. Clean bathrooms!

We had a good time here, nice campsite, pretty treeline right behind our campsite. The raccoons are a riot though. They all came out at once and kind of pushed us into the tent. They weren't aggressive or anything, but you know. We went out on a boat on the lake, that was fun. The lake isn't very big though, but it was still a fun time. Make sure to bring a watch, they didnt have any at the little shop ( I was scared to bring my phone)! I will say though that it was kind of pricey? This was a while ago and we stayed 2 nights, I remember it being like 60$. We had the water and electric campsite. Nothing special and only me and the boyfriend (with texas liscence plates). Should not have been that much imo, and I've told people and they think it's crazy too. Just make sure to check the website before you drive all the way out there and spend way too much money. It is pretty though and peacful.