I grew up going to Erwin Park to camp. It was a well kept secret with spacious tent sites, picnic areas and hiking trails.

Located just outside of McKinney, it has become a popular spot with mountain bikers. That can create issues on the weekend when the trails are teeming with cyclists. It just gets crowded and parking can be a challenge. Hiking also isn’t as safe.

The park is maintained by parks & rec and can cleanliness can vary. Unfortunately we have noticed more litter and left over junk in the fire pits as its popularity has increased.

If you are a mountain biker, this park offers great creekbed, wooded trails. As I mentioned before, it’s a popular spot so bring your patience with other riders.

For many years Ft Davis was one of our regular destinations during spring break. That part of Texas is breathtaking in the spring. We have had javelina come through even investigate our tent. So be sure to keep your spot clean and store all your food properly.

There’s a great hike that goes from the state park to the historic fort that I would recommend. It can be semi-strenuous but it’s well worth it.

Nestled down in the Canyon are several campgrounds. If you can, I suggest getting a spot in the Mesquite campground. It’s the newest camping area and it’s been thoughtfully designed with plenty of room between you and your neighbors and beautiful scenes. We have found the older camp sites are a bit crowded together and don’t over the same vistas.

The bathrooms are clean and offer showers. Because this park is popular, there can sometimes be a line.

Palo Duro offers lots of hiking, horseback riding, zip lines and bike trails.

It is prone to flash floods. So plan accordingly.