Discover the best beach and dog-friendly campgrounds near Austin, Texas

United States
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Texas
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Austin

96% (407 reviews)

Popular camping styles for Austin

Dog-friendly getaways

5 top beach and dog-friendly campgrounds near Austin

99%

(192)

Colorado RiverBend Retreat #CRBR

6 sites · Lodging, RVs, Tents12 acres · Smithville, TX

This 12.4 acres of wildlife on the Colorado River is full of so much natural beauty! We're Located In Smithville Tx Home Of Hope Floats! 5 mins from downtown! Plenty of stores if needed! Roundtop And Lagrange Tx home of the antique shows (15-25 mins) Sherwood Forest Fair (25mins) Beautiful Historic Bastrop (12mins) 🚨PSA Please Be Advised🚨 This Is The Country Where Folks Do Hunt And Shoot!! Although Your Completely Safe, You MAY Or May NOT Hear Gun Shots!! If You Have A FurBaby That Is Panicked And Stressed From Fireworks Popping And/Or Gunfire ( AS I DO ) It May Be Best 2 Leave Them Home,, To Prevent Any Uncomfortable Anxieties That May Occur IF there happens to be gun shots. PLEASE NOTE (TP) CAN BE PURCHASED BUT IS NO LONGER PROVIDED AS WELL AS TOWEL BUNDLES. 🚨🚨 We Can Not Control Mother Nature Guys! 🚨🚨 If There Has Been Excessive And Continuous Rainfall Travis Co. WILL Open The Gates On Us Little Guys Down River! (which makes for the BEST fishing BTW #MonsterCats) But This Will Inevitably Flush The River Stirring Up The Sandy Bottom Which Usually Takes 2-3 Days To Clear Out. When that happens the Beautiful SandBar Is NonExistant As The Rising waters Cover it. This doesn't happen with A Down Pour Here And There As Stated It Would Have To Be Heavy And Consistant Fall For Days For This To Happen And Does Rarely Occur But We Have Recently Had A Rare Season With Hurricane Baryl barreling through Our Parts Of Texas That campers weren't so happy about so I just want to note it here as something to keep in mind!!! Hipcamp now offers a weather insurance that you may want to add to your booking just Incase Mother Nature decides to smack us around a bit. PLEASE BE MINDFUL THE PRIVATE DOCK IS THE RIVERRAT SHACK BNB GUESTS' RIVER ACCESS!! Please be respectful and courteous to All Guests and their campsite's and individual spaces!! 🙏 📢 PSA 📢 Reading The Shower Instructions Is Best Done B4 Entering The Shower!! Always turn the hot on 1st and do not add any cold until it's All The Way HOT 🥵 We No Longer Have Cows Grazing!! 📣Attention Campervan's 📣 A Campervan is a type of RV And RVs Are Only Allowed @ Campsite 3 As To Not Block The River Views From Other Camper's. If You Have A Campervan And Want To Be @ A Bank Site.... You'll Need To Get Permissions From The Host 1st, B4 Booking!! 🙏 This Can Be Accommodated But Will Have To Be Ironed Out Ahead Of Time!

River Forest Haven

46 sites · RVs, Tents30 acres · Del Valle, TX

River Forest Haven is a unique space that seeks to bring you closer to nature. We do not artificially light the camp and we strive to leave as much of the property in its natural state as we can. This provides a unique experience that is not your typical campground as we keep all of our campsites tucked under lush natural canopies. Car and tent camping works great! For most sites, you can easily drive up to your spot. Arrive, take a look around and settle into your site. We are always happy to deliver any of our items from our general store- just message us on HipCamp and we will come by. With nearly half a mile of Colorado riverfront to swim, fish, toob, paddle-board, kayak, and canoe*, along with 30 acres to hike and explore, River Forest Haven is also a quick 20-minute drive from downtown Austin.THINGS OF NOTE: ⁃ cell phone service is mostly non-existent ⁃ firewood can be brought or bought, but not collected.

Orrasis Ranch

30 sites · Lodging, RVs, Tents6 acres · Marble Falls, TX

This property has been a store, restaurant, bar, and now a place for folks to rest a while and enjoy the hill country and all it has to offer. There is a bar b q trailer and a store down the street for your convenience.

Colorado River Camping

12 sites · RVs, TentsSmithville , TX

The land has been mainly used by ranchers. It is a simple small getaway. Kirtley used to be a thriving city but once they took the post office away, they attached it to Smithville. Luckily, it hasn't lost its quaint nature. There is a stretch of river property that is normally inaccessible to the general public, but you can access it here where it still lives in its pristine nature. If you look for it you can also find a lot of petrified wood. Learn more about this land:This listing is best for people who want to fish, kayak or Canoe on the river. Please read all this information to the bottom of the page. Note that this is primitive camping ( if you don't know what that means look it up). so no toilets, no drinking water. There is trash service. Walmart sells Reliance double doodie bags with bio gel for restroom solutions. If you want to be right on the river bank, the island is the best place for you to camp. (up stream). You would need to bring a kayak or canoe to access the islands. I have kayaks (3) for rent. I do also rent the house on the property with showers and toilets but you must make prior arrangements. You can pitch your tent on the property (it is fenced in to keep wildlife out an it is not directly on the riverbank). You do have access to the river. The river access is not a beach. The camp site is not directly on the river but very close. 2 minute walk to the river. This place is best for people who want to be on the river fishing, kayaking or canoeing. I have three kayaks to rent if needed. No refunds on kayaks or on rain days. The river levels changes constantly and so does the weather. Bring water tubes, kayaks or canoes. There is an island that you can explore or spend time on if you kayak a short distance up stream. Wear a life vest for your safety and water shoes. If you want to spend the day on an island beach you must bring or rent a kayak, You can put kayaks in up stream and end up at the property if you have a way to transport the kayaks. I have 3 Kayaks to rent 35 each if needed for the day. Also bring a shade tent, a hat and sunscreen in the summer. A headlamp is recommended. Check in before it gets dark. Sometimes the grass is a bit long when it has rained a lot and it can not be mowed unless the ground is dry. Please do not leave glass or trash cans n the field. Everyone who stays must pay the fee. I have someone checking on the property and the vehicles on the property. Please be respectful to others camping and do not go onto other people's private property. Let me know when you are close to the property and when you leave. I require a picture of you removing your trash so that you do not get charged for leaving trash. The river is so beautiful and very much not commercialized. The area you are entering is not accessible to the general public because it is all private property.

East Austin Riverfront Campground

6 sites · RVs2 acres · Austin, TX

Beautiful waterfront campground, located on historic landmarks, ENJOY the Colorado River in Austin Texas. Conveniently close to downtown and Tesla, Coda, and the Airport. Excellent fishing, paddling adventures with sightseeing. Next door is Texas River School provides a first-class concrete boat ramp. FREE canoe and equipment are provided on site here with 220' + shoreline, and a well maintained extra 100' + sandbar attached to the property. There is a 100' by 6' fenced dog run, to leave your pet behind if desired. Also, water, trash can, porta potty, an outdoor hot water shower, tables and BBQ pits. Relax on a beautiful floating dock gazebo. Campfires are permitted and the property is fenced on 3 sides.

Nearby parks

Explore the area’s public lands.

Beach and dog-friendly camping near Austin guide

Overview

State capital, cultural hub, camping hotspot—Austin, Texas has everything going for it. Head out of the city to behold the vistas of Pedernales Falls State Park with its waterfalls and limestone cliffs, or wander into the woods of Lost Pines—an uncommon pine-oak forest—in Bastrop State Park. Other options include heading to the hills for mountain biking around Pace Bend Park’s trails, or setting up camp in your RV at Inks Lake State Park with full hookups and picnic tables. Glamping near Austin is also popular thanks to rustic cabins and yurts. There’s more to Austin than tacos and music festivals, though Hipcampers can enjoy those while camping, too.

Where to go

Texas Hill Country

Texas Hill Country may just be the most popular offshoot destination for those looking to escape Austin. Here, campers can spelunk through underground caves and explore thousands of vast caverns—just don a headlamp and watch your step as you descend deeper and deeper into the Earth, surrounded by columns, flowstone, and even skinny tubes of dripping calcite. Afterward, sit back and unwind at one of the dozens of wineries and vineyards in the area. Hipcamps on private lands offer serenity and space, while the walk-in primitive campgrounds at Hill Country State Natural Area allow for a quick getaway from modern life with access to more than 5,000 acres of awe-inspiring canyons, rocky hills, and flowing springs.

Guadalupe River State Park

This Texas park is named for its river for good reason. Go fishing along the four miles of Guadalupe River frontage (with plenty of launching points for tubing and canoeing, too), or hit the 5-mile Guadalupe River State Park Paddling Trail. From the park’s tent camping area set within the 5,000 acres of preserved natural land, head out on one of the dozen hiking trails, many family-friendly and easy to complete in just a couple of hours—not including snack breaks and wildlife spotting, of course.

McKinney Falls State Park

Less than half an hour from downtown Austin, McKinney Falls State Park is home to a couple of (justifiably) popular swimming holes. Chill in the gently flowing waters of Onion Creek at one of two locations: The Upper Falls has deeper water, so families with younger kids will want to stick to the Lower Falls. Water shoes are a good idea, too. McKinney Falls camping spots come with electricity, water hookups, picnic tables, and fire rings. Don’t forget to visit Old Baldy while you’re there—at 103 feet tall and more than 500 years old, it’s one of the oldest bald cypress trees in Texas!

Lake Travis

On an overhead map, Lake Travis looks more like a salamander-shaped river than a lake. This man-made reservoir on the Colorado River was built in 1942 to contain floodwaters, but today, it’s a wildly popular spot for countless outdoor recreation opportunities—from ziplining to scuba diving. For the more daring, Hippie Hollow Park near the eastern end of Lake Travis is the only legal clothing-optional park in Texas, where you can let it all hang out, au naturel.

When to go

For the most comfortable camping experience, stick with the spring and fall months for camping near Austin. During this time, daytime highs are usually in the 70s, and overnight lows rarely dip below the 40s—so you won’t be sweltering on day hikes, and the cool evenings are ideal for campfires and s’mores. With more moderate weather and abundant food, wildlife is most active during spring and fall, too—look for white-tailed deer, armadillos, raccoons, and more. Some campers may want to avoid the crowds, heat, and humidity of summer—temps get well into the 90s in July and August.