If you’re looking for a new Texas State Park, RV Park, or campground to explore; plan to spend a couple nights in a campground as part of your vacation; need an RV park to stay in as you explore Texas; or if you want to take advantage of some of the day-use amenities in Texas parks and campgrounds, this section of Texas Outside will provide you with the information you need to find the perfect State Park, RV park, or private campground.
The main objective of this section of Texas Outside is to make it very easy for you to:
find a Texas campground or Texas RV park - click on the regional map below to locate by region or click here to find a site by city or name
Click on the Texas region where you would like to find a Texas State Park, RV Park, or Texas campground. Once the regional Google map comes up, you can move the map in any direction as well as zoom in or zoom out to find the perfect RV Park or campground. Above each campground map is a "Select a Campground" which will quickly take you to that State Park, RV park, or campground on the map. Click on the Park map icon and it will have a link to the Park's website or Texas Outside's review of the Park. Park icons that are red have been reviewed and rated by Texas Outside. Texas State Parks fill up quickly, so book a reservation now.
Click on a Texas Region to see a map of State Parks, RV parks, and campgrounds in that Region
Here are some additional ways to find a place to camp:
Another great way to find a new campground or RV Park is to read our review of Parks where Texas Outside has enjoyed a stay. You'll find information on the best sites, what to see and do, Park amenities, pictures, and more.
If you're interested in finding out how we rate Parks, click here. If you have an RV Park or campground that you would like to recommend to our visitors or have listed on Texas Outside, please contact us.
RV Parks and Campground Reservations
Now that you have selected a campground or Park to visit, you need to make a reservation by using any of the following links:
Before you head out, read some of these articles to find other things to see and do during your camping trip or as you are exploring or vacationing in Texas
Thank God For Weekends – relive fun-filled weekend trips to a park, lake, music festival, or some other exciting place or event. If you can’t have some fun reliving some of these trips, then you should probably watch the weather or cooking channel on TV all weekend.
Travels With Grandma - take some trips with grandma as she explores the Texas backroads
Golfing Texas - why not add a round of golf to your next camping or weekend trip - the Golfing Texas section has a quick way to find a golf course near your campground or RV park, course reviews, and coupons
Exploring Texas Cities - if you like to explore Texas cities, then these articles are for you
Fun Things to See and Do - pick a city and see a list of articles on what there is to see and do in that city
Lakes and Boating - check the Lakes & Boating section of Texas Outside if you want to fish, boat, or camp on a lake - you'll find lake reviews, boat rentals, fishing guides, cabins, lake camping, and much more
Exploring Texas - this section has lots of fantastic information on Texas cities (restaurants, things to see and do, golf courses, etc.)
Specials and Discounts On Camping
A number of Texas Outside sponsors and clients have been kind enough to offer Texas Outside visitors a special on camping and other fun things to see and do in Texas. So before you head out, check out the:
The Entertainment Passbook has fantastic 2 for 1 deals on restaurants, golf, admissions, and more. Order one for your city or a city you plan to spend to time visiting - it pays for its self in two uses!
State and National Parks savings on camping and entrance fees:
Texas Saver Card - This FREE card will save you 10-15% off daily camping fees at over 300 Texas Association of Campground Owners member parks!
Texas State Park Pass – You can enjoy unlimited visits to more than 115 state parks and state historic sites without paying the daily entrance fee. Members also receive exciting "members only" discounts on camping, lodging, park store merchandise and recreational equipment rentals and are eligible for special promotions. Support our Texas State Parks!
Golden Age and Golden Access Passport - For US Citizens 62 or older the Golden Age Passport is a lifetime entrance pass to federally operated parks, monuments, historic sites, recreation areas and national wildlife refuges administered by the federal government. The small annual fee provides free entrance and a 50% discount on federal use fees charged for services such as camping, boat launching, and parking. The Golden Access Passport is a free lifetime entrance pass for citizens who are blind or permanently disabled.
National Parks Pass -The National Parks Pass is an annual pass that provides admission to any national park charging an entrance fee. The pass is valid for one full year from first use in a park.
Golden Eagle - For an additional few bucks, a Golden Eagle sticker may be purchased and affixed to a National Parks Pass to cover entrance fees at not only national parks, but also at sites managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the U.S. Forest Service, and the Bureau of Land Management.
Happy Camper members receive a 50% discount at nearly 1,000 quality RV parks throughout Texas and the United States - the per year membership pays for itself on the first camping vacation.
Recreation USA has a membership program offering members a significantly reduced price on campsites across the USA
Passport America members save 50% off the regular rate at over 1300 participating campgrounds throughout the United States, Canada, and Mexico. State, National or Corps of Engineer parks are not included in this program.
CampClubUSA provides discounts of up to 50% on campgrounds throughout Texas and the United States.
Join the Good Sam Club a small annual fee you'll receive a 10% discount at over 1,600 RV Parks & Campgrounds in the U.S. and Canada -- as well as many other valuable member benefits.
KOA Value Kard -the Value Kard provides discounts at KOA sites across the US.
Do you plan on doing a lot of driving to campgrounds or just exploring Texas? Are you like me and even though you get precise directions you still make a lot of U-turns, spend time reading the map, or have several stops for directions? If that is the case with you, then you need to get a GPS. Check out our review of a new Garmin GPS that we just got - it's fantastic and well worth the money.
If you own a boat or travel trailer, then you ought to check out the Hitch Aid - an easy way to hook up using a wireless remote camera.
Don't let this happen to your rig - drive carefully and perform maintenance on a regular basis!
RVs, Pop-up's, and Trailers
RV’s are a Texas Outside passion (our diesel pusher is our 5th RV since 1976) and RV usage is growing in popularity because of their convenience and elimination of a lot of the pain in camping. However, it is still great fun to tent camp and some of our best experiences were tent camping out of the back of a 1967 Mustang – painful but a lot of good memories.
The RV Section of Texas Outside has some content on dealers, rentals, RV's for sale, and lots of other good information.
Visit TexasRV.com for information on RV shows, dealer locator, RV rental locations, RV service facilities, and to sell your RV or buy a new one.
RV Rentals – Renting an RV, popup, or trailer is a great way to have a wonderful family vacation or try a unit before you spend the big bucks on a new or used one. Some rental firms include:
Quest RV Rentals - Rockwall - rentals of elite coaches, luxury RVs, and economy RVs
– Cedar Hill
– Houston
National RV rental firms with multiple locations in Texas
RV Storage, Parts, Service, and Dealers
Below are some companies that offer a variety of RV Services including repair, parts, tires and more. Also included below is a list of Texas RV dealers. Texas RV a sister website is dedicated to RVs and has a more comprehensive information on: RV dealers, service, and repairs; RV gear, equipment, and merchandise; RV social networking/forum; and much more - check it out and let us know what you think.
RV Services and Repairs
Texas RV - you can search a comprehensive database with lots of RV service and repair shops
Looking for a new RV or are you planning to sell your RV and buy another one? If so, you need to list your RV on RVUSA.com for a nominal fee and you should be able to find a another one that fits your requirements and budget from their selection of over 28,000 units! You will also find a list of new RV dealers on TexasRV.com. and you can select a list of dealers by RV manufacturer to make your search easier.
Camping and RV Resource Center
Family Motor Coach Association (FMCA) is the largest club for RV owners. They offer discounts, accessories, trip routing, and much more.
Texas State Park Guide -- this electronic version of the Texas State Park Guide is meant to help you plan the best trip possible, with maps and information on some 120 parks and historic sites
Join the Good Sam Club -- for $19 they offer discounts, a magazine, trip routing, and more. Join now!
Hunger Busters – there is nothing better than food cooked outdoors at your favorite campsite -- my mouth is watering just thinking about some of the good camping grub that we’ve listed here. How ‘bout sharing your favorites with us – keep ‘um simple, remember some of the Texas Outside Members may be camping out of a tent and cooking on a wood fire. However there are a few of us that eat better in the campsite than we do at home!
Great Merchandise and Gear
Before you go camping check out the Merchandise and Gear section to find some quality camping gear, new apparel, maps, and fun games. A good Texas Outside Camper always brings lots of games for the adults and kids on every camping trip – there’s nothing better than playing games around the fire or picnic table at a great campsite!
We have selected vendors that we know provide quality merchandise and gear at reasonable prices. Each month Texas Outside will feature a new and unique product for you to spend your hard-earned dollars on – do it now, life is short! Help us out and please order merchandise from our vendors through Texas Outside – the prices are exactly the same and your orders will enable Texas Outside to continue to grow and expand the content that we will deliver to you. Thanks for your support.
Texas Outside Park Reviews and Ratings System
If you are looking for a new Texas State Park, RV Park, or Texas Campground to enjoy for the week or weekend, you should find this section of value. Texas Outside will provide a review and rating of the campground, a list of park amenities, and our favorite campsites. You’ll see the fun Park activities in a "Typical Texas Outside Day", which includes hiking, biking, climbing, golfing, and more. Click here to find the State Parks, RV parks, and campgrounds that we have reviewed.
When we review and rate a Texas State Park, RV Park, or campground, we use a tough rating scale and it’s hard to get a “10”. Each campground is rated on:
Scenic Beauty: flat with no trees or character gets a “1” and hills, lots of trees, beautiful lake site, and lush ground cover gets a “10”
Park Condition: the cleaner, well kept, and maintained campgrounds receive high scores
Amenities: we are looking for lots of amenities like restrooms, dump stations, playgrounds, boat ramps, shelters, concession stand, rental toys, and more.
Campsites: low scores are given for sites that are right next to each other (good for getting to know your neighbors, but not what we’re looking for when we’re camping); have no lantern holder, fire pit, grill, or picnic table (or it’s rotten wood); have no trees, no view, and are crushed rock (my bare feet hate that stuff!); have no water and electricity; and require a lot of work to get your rig or tent level.
Things To Do: Bonus points are given for campgrounds that offer lots of fun things to do at the park or very nearby – this includes: biking, hiking, climbing, boating, entertainment, golf, swimming, fishing, volleyball, horseshoes, and more.
Texas Outside Members
For Texas Outside members we plan to have additional and unique content; special packages and discounts on golf, camping, or gear; newsletters; and other great stuff as fast as we think of it. When you sign up as a member, we encourage you to provide some personal demographics and areas of interest to help us in structuring content of value to you and to help Texas Outside marketing efforts in delivering more valuable and relevant information - including coupons and discounts.
As the new owners of Texas Outside, we recognize that some of the content in certain Texas Outside sections is a little light – please be patient as we are adding content, reviews, ratings, pictures, etc as rapidly as we can. If you don’t find what your looking for today, please come back again to experience all the new stuff. We have been camping, boating, biking, hiking, golfing, and having fun weekends in Texas since 1980 and we are eager to part with that knowledge by expanding the content as soon as possible.
We have structured Texas Outside to deliver what you’re looking for – if we don’t deliver, please let us know. We’re interested in your comments, suggestions, and ideas on how the site can be improved to provide value to you. We can also use your help expanding the content – send us an email with your comments, reviews, rating, and pictures (keep ‘um clean) on fun things to do or places to visit.
To keep the site going we need advertising revenue and as such, you’ll see we have selected advertisers and vendors that offer products or services that relate to outside activities, rentals of fun toys or cabins, fishing and hunting guides, fun places to visit, and more – so please visit the advertisers by clicking on the link to their site or purchasing their goods/services through Texas Outside. Through Texas Outside you are dealing directly with the vendor and their best pricing.
Before leaving, make sure you visit the all the other Texas Outside sections on Parks & Camping, Lakes & Parks, Hunting & Fishing, Hiking & Biking & More Sports, Discover Texas, Outdoor Weddings, Texas Music Festivals & Events and other outdoor activities.
Live. Play. Enjoy…….Get Outside!
Thanks for spending some time with us today, come back soon -- see ya outside.
s 
elimination of a lot of the pain in camping. However, it is still great fun to tent camp and some of our best experiences were tent camping out of the back of a 1967 Mustang – painful but a lot of good memories. 
