Campground Review

Galveston Island State Park is a really beautiful, peaceful stretch of land south east of Galveston (the city) straddled by Galveston Bay along its north and the Gulf of Mexico to the south. We were amazed at the number of day use patrons there were but it was Easter Weekend and about the best possible place to picnic in all of Galveston. (Day use is $5 per person, kids under 12 are free, or if you have the $70 Texas State Parks pass it gets everyone in the car into any TX State Park for a year.)

There are two areas to camp at GISP - on the Bay Side and on the Beach Side. There are 10 Bay Side Primitive Tent Campsites at $15/night and Water/Electricity Hook-Up Sites are $20/night. Beach Side only offers “Premium Camping” with Water/Electricity Hook-Ups at $25/night. IMO, the Beach side is worth the extra $5/night since you are literally steps away from the water. All sites have picnic tables with shaded cover, trash, fire pits, and nearby restroom access. Additionally, there are two really beautiful cabins you can rent at $200 or $250/night but they are booked months in advance…

A couple other things about GISP. No trees so plan on waking up with the sun cooking you in your tent (RVs outnumbered tents). There are no open alcohol containers are allowed (but I think that applies more to glass bottles) and dogs must be on leashes at all times. We saw some well-behaved dogs off their leashes along the beach but I think this is more for the safety of the animals because there are long grasses between the beach and the bay sides with venomous snakes. Galveston’s water is not my favorite and it was particularly cold this early in the season but there were tons of people swimming, boogie boarding, kayaking, and fishing along the beach (especially on piers closer to town). It’s a great place to ride bikes and Galveston has a great cultural history that is unique in Texas.

4/5

14901 FM 3005 Galveston, TX 77554

Product Reviews

As a Ranger for The Dyrt, I get products to test from time to time - this weekend I tested two new products, Midland USA Two Way Radios (GXT1000VP4) and Mountain House Turkey Dinner.

Let me start with the Midland Radios. They. Are. Rad. I am so excited to have these and am considering buying a second set as you can hook up additional radios and put them on the same channel. Without an FCC license you’ve got to stick to specific channels (certain ones are reserved for police, first responders, etc). These have lots of different ring tones and settings. They are water resistant (I took these into the ocean but didn’t submerge them… that makes me nervous) and they have a fantastically long range. Website says 36 mile range. I wasn’t able to test it that far but we got to 10 miles down the beach and they worked great. (We also used them in downtown Houston and were able to get about 2.5 miles away but that was with lots of big buildings and trees obstructing them - pretty impressed!). These walkie talkies came in extremely handy - whenever anyone would head back to the campsite or into town we could call back and forth. Considering the cell service on Galveston Island is pretty miserable, these were seriously great and came in so handy. (Furthermore, I cannot wait to use these puppies at music festivals this summer!!!!)

5/5

My second review is for the Mountain House Homestyle Turkey Dinner. Let me preface this with, I’ve got a particularly snobby chef husband who was very very skeptical of this just-add-water meal in a bag situation. Well. He loved it. And honestly, it tasted like Thanksgiving. Basically a stuffing with chunks of veggies and turkey. The directions on the bag could’ve been a little clearer. I think the time to re-hydrate should’ve been a bit longer as the turkey was a bit chewy and maybe a little salt? But overall, really quite good. Cooking while camping is either super fun or terrible, so this was extremely convenient and easy. I definitely plan on try some of their other products (I’ve heard the Mac & Cheese is yum).

4/5

I love getting out of Austin and coming to Colorado Bend. There are so many great hiking trails, caves to explore, rocks to skip and stars at which to gaze!

Highly recommend getting advance campsite reservations. The first time we drove out we assumed we could walk-up but they have a lot of Boy Scout groups throughout the fall and spring. So we had to go to a nearby private camp on the river. Second time we knew better.

I highly recommend hiking Gorman Falls and swimming in Spicewood Springs!

Campground Review

It's incredible that I was born and raised in Houston and have lived here the past four years but haven't made it out to Brazos Bend State Park until now! A quick, 45 minute drive southwest will get you out of the concrete jungle that is the sprawling Space City metropolis and into one of the lushest, greenest parts of Texas. Brazos Bend is a "Nature Lover's Paradise" - there is abundant wildlife. There is great fishing, ample bird watching, and lots and lots of alligators (!). Lots of trails for walking, running, biking, and horseback riding. The George Observatory is a pretty amazing feature of this park (but only open Saturdays).

We arrived at Brazos Bend on a Friday afternoon and were able to walk-in no problem. Walk-in rate is $12/day + the daily park entrance fee ($5 for adults, free for kids). I have a Texas State Parks Pass so we didn't have to pay the entrance fees (saved us $40 for two nights of camping!). Additionally there were several other great options including: Full-Site RV hook-up ($25/night), Standard Camping ($20/night, incl. water & electricity), and 14 Cabins ($80-200/night but have everything you could ever need or want).

We did a lot of nature walks, game playing, and swimming during our two days at Brazos Bend State Park. Summer is probably not the best time to visit any park in Texas - its hot and muggy and the mosquitos are out in full force. Bring your DEET. Seriously. Despite that though, we were very pleasantly surprised by the amenities (swimming pool, screened in picnic tables, fire pits, and tent pads!)

Product Review

As a Ranger for The Dyrt, I get products to test from time to time - this past weekend at Brazos Bend I tested out the Kameng Mid eVent Waterproof Hiking Boot by Mishmi Takin.

These boots have got it all.

First, these boots are hella comfortable! I was blown away how comfortable they were right out of the box. Over the years, I've owned many pairs of hiking boots and they all required a significant break-in period. Not these!

Second, they're waterproof AND breathable. Not water resistant, like actually water proof.

Third, the look great. All 3 color schemes are fantastic I had a tough time choosing between green, grey and orange.

Fourth, so lightweight. These only weigh 1.5lbs so even though they are boots, they won't weigh you down.

5/5 Would Recommend.

This is such an amazing place. Shi Shi Beach was beautiful and you MUST go to Cape Flattery via Neah Bay. Find the time!

Shi Shi is part of Olympic National park. Lots of cool water rocks and features that make the west coast of Washington so darn amazing. To camp here you need a permit which can be a little difficult and requires advance planning ($10)!

This is pretty primitive camping. No firepits/grills you'll have to build your own campfire. To get here you have to go to Neah Bay.

Hobuck Beach camping is also nearby.

I loved our night at Kalaloch Campground.

As we made our way up Highway 101, we were able to get a last minute reservation at Kalaloch for the night (which apparently can be rare).

It is about 11 minutes south of Ruby Beach (photos!) and has immediate beach access as well. There are fire pits, picnic tables, potable water and restrooms. No showers however. Its a pretty decent sized campground with over 160 campsites. No cell service at all which is good and bad (depending on if you need to to find the place!)

One of the only campsites on the west coast of Washington that is technically part of/near Olympic National park. We loved it!

We loved our trip to Zion and stay at Watchman Campground within Zion National Park. It is super hot during the day (of summer months especially July… like 100-105F) but the nights cool off considerably into the 60s.

This campground is close to the visitor center, shuttles (which take you to all the hot spots throughout the park) and is near the South Entrance to the park. The Virgin River flows throughout the park and there are lots of spots to hop in and cool off (we found a secret one which was amazing ! See the video!)

There are lots of RVs at this campsite (to be expected) and but the actual tent camping wasn't particularly private or spacious.

ARCHES National Park is beyond description. Its the weirdest, coolest, strangest, spookiest place I've ever been. I cannot do it justice but wow, what a spot.

This campground is cool because there is actually shade (as opposed to a lot of the rest of the park). It gets ungodly hot in the dead of summer but I heard that winters are quite cold too. According to a friendly waiter in Moab, Arches is the busiest during the fall and spring months.

Once you are in the park (only one entrance), you will still have to drive a good 20-30 minutes to get to Devil's Garden. This is the area with the famous Landscape Arch (not as spectacular as Delicate but pretty amazing nonetheless). There are picnic tables and small grills (not the big open wood fire ones, little tiny ones for a propane tank or so). They are pretty easy going about pitching multiple tents on a site, and you have privacy within the campground. This spot fills up quick during the peak months so book in advance or check last minute for cancellations. No showers or "general stores" so come prepared!

This was my first time to the Grand Canyon and I was lucky enough to snag a last minute camping spot at Mather. Mather is in the park and $18. Using the recreation.gov website to book was easy enough and the actual campsite was pretty good. Lots of dirt and pine needles and rocks so we needed to clear a pretty decent area before we could set up. It gets incredibly dark at night (within 45min of the sunset) but the stars are truly incredible. I'd advise cooking before sunset! Each campsite had a grate covered fire pit. The general store is of course overpriced but literally had everything you could possibly need so don't fret if you forget lighter fluid, firewood, enough beer, etc. Mather was pretty crowded but it was a great first experience at the Grand Canyon. We were there in mid-July (2016) and could sleep very comfortably at night. Will definitely be back!

This was my first time to the Grand Canyon and I was lucky enough to snag a last minute camping spot at Mather. Mather is in the park and $18. Using the recreation.gov website to book was easy enough and the actual campsite was pretty good. Lots of dirt and pine needles and rocks so we needed to clear a pretty decent area before we could set up. It gets incredibly dark at night (within 45min of the sunset) but the stars are truly incredible. I'd advise cooking before sunset! Each campsite had a grate covered fire pit. The general store is of course overpriced but literally had everything you could possibly need so don't fret if you forget lighter fluid, firewood, enough beer, etc. Mather was pretty crowded but it was a great first experience at the Grand Canyon. We were there in mid-July (2016) and could sleep very comfortably at night. Will definitely be back!

We had the most fantastic 4th of July weekend here a couple years ago. The beach is rocky but toward the top it gets sandier and you can find a good spot for a tent. There were no firepits or grills or picnic tables but we made due. The beauty of this place more than makes up for what it lacks in accommodations.

Word to the Wise: Seldovia comes to life July 4th with super fun activities (salmon toss anyone!?) going on all day in town. Its a precious little town that you need to take a ferry to get it but what a total blast. I LOVED my time here and would go back in a heartbeat!

This place is magical. The softest grass you ever laid your feet upon. Hot free showers. Home of the "Wild Burger" (I never got one). They also have a coffee bar.

My suggestion would be to stay along the right bank of trees (facing east) to avoid an early wake up call from the sun!

Definitely not a very nice place to stay.

We had an RV on our family trip into the Grand Canyon and we decided to spend the night here on our way in. This place is pretty gross - the toilets are nasty and the showers didn't work.

We would've been better off staying at Mather (which we did on a subsequent trip) if we had booked in advance we would've read the reviews and done a little research!

No shade for the actual campsites either. SEe photo

I didn't sleep over night at this campground but we stopped here for lunch during our day hike.

This site has a beautiful view of Byers Lake and Denali. There are 70+ campsites and a few cabins you can rent for the night. There are picnic tables and firepits (we didn't use them since we packed a lunch) but this is a great spot to park and continue on for the day. Cascade Trail leaves from here and is a easy to moderate 2 mile hike.

We actually camped for the night in Talkeetna (about an hours drive) which is an awesome little town with great food, great bars and great camping. Add Moose Creek Campground guys! It is fantastic.

Ninilchik is a tiny little blip of a town but in the summer it is home to one of the best music festivals anywhere- Salmonstock!

HOnestly, we didn't spend much time at these campgrounds but were shuttled to and from the Ninilchik Fairgrounds during Salmonstock. What a blast that was. If you happen to be in Alaska during Salmonstock heed my advice and go!!!

The campground was pretty basic, each site was "primitive" and we had a picnic table. Honestly it was perfect for sleeping - quiet and private. Other than that, just make sure you go to Salmonstock! Did I say that already???

Pace Bend is one of my most favorite places to camp in Texas.

Not far from the old (and new!) Backyard (a great place to see live music in the live oak capital of Texas), Pace Bend is a quick drive away. A perfect spot to pitch a bunch of tents, jump off cliffs, swim and barbeque. Maybe 45 minutes from downtown Austin (without traffic).

I won't lie the cliff diving kinda freaks me out. Be careful is all I'm saying!

There are several primitive campsites throughout the park with picnic tables, grills and toilets. Additionally there are 20 RV hook-up type sites that offer running water, electricity, restrooms and showers.

Great campgrounds for those wanting to knock a few degrees off the sweltering desert heat. About 70 campsites, all with tables and food lockers and about half of which have shade. Several restroom facilities and locations for water. Much cooler during the fall, winter and spring months but even during the summer it cools down quite a bit at night.

Fantastic views of the Windows and other picturesque spots in Big Bend.

If you are in the area for several days make sure you go to Ft. Davis (McDonald Observatory) and Marfa to check out some world class art!

I love Enchanted Rock. I have day hiked here several times and only camped once. Camping was lovely but it comes with a tale of caution.

Very close friends of me were arrested at Enchanted Rock! They were drinking beers (out of cans!) and smoking cigarettes - while this is expressly not allowed, the Park Ranger coulda shoulda given them a warning. Instead of giving them a warning, they called the cops, and the cops came in and handcuffed my buddies. Not cool.

Long Story Short: Don't drink and smoke here or you could get in big trouble.

Short Story Short: Go here for a day hike and go stay in a fancy bed and breakfast in Fredricksburg :)

This spot is just so unbelievable.

We should never have questioned the 4.5 hour drive from the South Rim because in all honesty - this was the best campground in or on or around the Grand Canyon.

It is so quiet, its beautiful, and you have space! You don't feel like you are part of a huge cattle herd either! There are a fraction of the number of campsites compared to Mather Campground too, so you have space and the quiet you are looking for when camping!

My favorite part about this place was the proximity to the rim. You have to of course remember to approach at your own risk (and I probably wouldnt recommend going after dark), but we were a 3 minute walk from the North Rim edge. We didn't get as spectacular of a sunset as we did on the South Rim but thats ok.

Each campsite comes with a picnic bench and grill. The bathrooms were pristine compared to Mather. The general store was amazing! They had everything we needed (that we forgot!)

Wow. Just wow.

Waking up on the spit in Homer Alaska is unparalleled to any other camping experience I've ever had the pleasure of having.

The sand is comfy so you aren't sleeping on tree knobs or rocks, just soft, soft sand. Homer is a beautiful little spot near the end of the Kenai Peninsula on the Katchemak Bay.

I loved waking up and going to get delicious breakfast and coffee at the Two Sisters Bakery. Dont forget beers at the Salty Dawg Saloon.

LOVE HOMER

This amazing little campground is fantastic. Right next to Beaver Bay and about a 10-15 minute drive from the Lava Flows and Mt. St. Helen's, we totally lucked out finding a spot here.

We were a little nervous at first by the huge "NO DRINKING NO SMOKING" sign, but the campground hosts were easy going. This is not a party campground by any means but we kept beers on the down low and no one minded.

We were in Campground "A" which is reservation only while Campground "B" is first come, first served. My friend booked it but I think for 2 nights it was $40 or so. Not bad for 4 people. Firewood bundles were $5

There are incredibly beautiful, tall trees that surround you here. It rained a bit so I would advise putting up that rain fly!

The bathrooms are basic but decent!