Discover the best family-friendly waterside campgrounds in Texas

United States
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Texas

98% (9930 reviews)

Popular camping styles for Texas

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3 top waterside campgrounds in Texas

96%

(1003)

Sparrow Bend River Retreat

11 sites · Lodging, RVs, Tents8 acres · Pipe Creek, TX

Sparrow Bend River Retreat is a beautiful 8 acre multi-site vacation rental property with camping, RV sites and 2 vacation homes.With a private 300yard stretch of the crystal-clear, spring fed MEDINA RIVER your party will spend the day exploring its majestic cliffs and coves, paddling/floating the river (tubes and kayaks for rent), splashing in the shallows, playing yard games on the lawn or sunbathing on a massive bolder.Enjoy a delicious and memorable dinner in Lakehills (15min), Bandera (20min) or Boerne (25min). Or stay in and grill out over the fire, or at the provided grill.Camp sites each have a customized picnic table for you convenience.Spend you evening sharing laughs around the provided firepit as you take in the dazzling canopy of stars. (Firewood available for sale)Our family has always dreamed of hosting a place for families and friends to come enjoy nature however we would have never dreamed of finding a property as unique and beautiful as this. A lake when the water is high, a beautiful river when the waters low. All crowned by a majestic limestone bluff, complete with boulders, coves and endless room for adventures.This land was once a part of a wagon trail along the river and, if you're lucky, you can still find arrowheads along the paths.The property is gated with a high privacy fence along the neighboring borders for security.

Lake Godstone™ Lodging and Camping

24 sites · Lodging, RVs, Tents188 acres · Graford, TX

Lake Godstone™, near Graford, Texas, is a thriving destination introduced to the market in 2017. Initially focused on families, church youth groups, and sports teams, it has since become a hub for a wide array of events, such as birthday and graduation parties, family reunions, church camps, and business team-building retreats. The venue boasts extensive facilities and activities, including: Accommodations: A 35-person lodge, a three-bedroom guest home, fully furnished cabins, primitive cabins, group campgrounds, RV and tenting campsites, and primitive tenting sites. Recreational Activities: Three sandy beaches, six partially covered docks with swim ladders and canoe moorings, kayaks, canoes, a rowboat, pedal boats, water lily pads, and a sports field complex featuring a lit basketball court, sand volleyball court, and baseball and soccer practice fields. Nature and Exploration: An observatory with a telescope, four miles of mountain bike and hike trails, two new fishing ponds, wildlife feed and water stations, a bird view house overlooking a beaver pond, an aquaponics greenhouse, and six miles of all-weather roads. Rental Options: UTVs, a golf cart, and a pontoon boat. Amenities: A comfort station with restrooms and showers, picnic tables, charcoal grills, large fire pits, shelters, a tree house shelter, a campground office, and a small store with a kids' sand playground. Lake Godstone's diverse offerings and scenic environment make it an ideal location for any retreat or gathering.

Fishers Of Men Ranch

71 sites · RVs, Tents39 acres · Marble Falls, TX

Fishers Of Men Ranch is Perfect for Looking for a Private Place to bring yourself, family, and friends. Want to ESCAPE the HUSTLE and BUSTLE of Everyday Life! We’ve have the PERFECT Environment for Enjoying a Relaxing Stay here! We have Rustic, Rugged, Terrain to Hike, Discover, Explore, and Observe! Gorgeous 39 acres to Roam freely and find your favorite place to Get Away From It All! This is a GUEST RANCH ONLY! NO Dogs Allowed. Bill and Kaz will meet you at the Gate and Estcourt you into the Ranch and show you where to go. Need to Set up Arrival Time when giving information to Kaz for Invoice information she will ask for in a Text after you BOOK with HipCamp. You will LOVE it here at the Ranch because We are Different from other Camping places! We Strive to be Different! The April 8, 2024, Solar Eclipse was an AMAZING Experience with OVER 200 Guests on the Ranch to View the Eclipse! Everything went Extremely WELL Without A Hitch! Thank You Dave for bringing your 4 Telescopes and Screen to View the Eclipse! Several others brought their Telescopes and Fancy Cameras! Thank all of you who shared your Telescopes! The Ranch has OPENED UP More Camping Roads to make more room for More Tent Camping! Used allot of them during the Solar Eclipse! Bill and Kaz are already Working on improving MORE Campsites after the Eclipse! Opening these New Campsite Roads has also OPENED UP More to Explore! Kaz will be ADDING More Pictures of Latest Goings On on the Ranch! Be sure and Checkout our Pictures of the Ranch! Most pictures taken with Cell Phones! All Pictures of the Animals are found on the Ranch, come see the many Varieties we have here! When you Book EXPECT a friendly Text from Kaz asking for information that she needs from you being this Ranch is Private Property. FRONT GATE STAYS CLOSED AT ALL TIMES! To Keep All On The Ranch SAFE! All RV and Tent Camping is a PACK Your TRASH IN and PACK Your TRASH OUT! Because of the Volume of Campers coming, the Ranch can NO Longer take your Trash! Buzzard's, Raccoon's, Foxes, and Etc. will get into the Trash! Don't leave TRASH Outside! ALL CAMPFIRES MUST BE DROWNED OUT! WATER is Provided and you are EXPECTED to DROWN OUT Your FIRES! And if Bottles Used REFILL Them! FREE Firewood is Provided. Oak Wood for Cooking and Cedar wood for Campfire ambiance! Keep Campfires LOW! NO Bonfire! All TENT Camping is Primitive! NO Facilities! RUSTIC! BRING a Potty and Tent or SHOVEL and BURY it! ALL Campsites are VERY CLEAN and Keep It Clean! FOR RVers We have ALL HOOKUPS for Water, Electrical, and Sewer! On WEST Side. EAST Side has Electrical and Water ONLY, to Use DUMP Station, Working on More Sewer Hookups in Future. Unless LARGE CROWD, Most of the Time the West Side is Available for RV Camping! NO Throwing Rocks in Lake because hurts your feet when walking on bottom! We are ASKING Everyone to HELP Take Rocks OUT OF LAKE! FOR SAFETY ON YOUR FEET! If Everyone Takes Out 6 Rocks No Matter the SIZE that will HELP RID of the ROCKS Out of the Lake! Of Course You Can Take More Rocks OUT! "KNOCK YOURSELF OUT" (LOL) PUT ROCKS STACKED IN A PILE ON NORTH END OF LAKE and Bill and Kaz will pickup the Pile. (Thank You in Advance!) NO MUDDING with 4X4 Vehicles because leaves BIG Ruts in the Mud and messes up the Lake Environment! Keep the Lake area beautiful! Kaz always had a DREAM to help kids with Life Skills & Mentor in God’s Principles because she had Christian Mentors growing up! They were always there for her through her life and kept her focused down the right path and stayed out of trouble and learned a tremendous amount from them! Bill her husband supports her and they raised 7 children together and have 10 grandkids. Kaz father was Asperger's Autistic and from 5 years old started showing Kaz hands on learning skills that are still instilled in her today! She found this to be a Valuable Lesson from her Dad. These methods and skills through the years working with her own children and other children through the years with different organizations confirm to be very beneficial and encouraging for the children growing up. Bill and Kaz have shared equally through all they’re projects during they’re 40 years of marriage. They’re Jack Of All Trades, Artists, Shown in Art Shows, Remodeled Homes, Churches, Work on the Ranch Together, and Etc. They are able to teach others how to do things that can benefit kids till they graduate and have a better understanding of what they want to do in their lives as an adult and PLUS have the mentoring to guide them through life. The Ranch has its main Mission to work with youth but is open to Renting the Ranch House that Sleeps 1 to 20 guests, and RV/5th Wheeled Campers Camp Sites and Tent Camping for them to Enjoy the Marvels that God has Created and Lot's to Experience, Explore, and Observe! The Ranch is PERFECT for Hosting: Weddings, Special Events, Retreats, Family Reunions, Youth Activities, Church Activities, Boy/Girl Scouts, Boys/Girls Club, RV Camper Clubs, and Etc. to accommodate whatever you need for the special essentials you would like to have provided for your special event! The Fishers of Men Ranch (Name) is Biblical and was Given to Kaz by the Lord 4 years before finding the Ranch. You see that the Lord had something Special here for Bill and Kaz to do for others Long Before they purchased the Ranch the LORD had His PLAN for Bill and Kaz. They have owned the Ranch since, July 2016. (For Hosting a Special Event Call, Text, or Leave Voicemail to the Ranch Directly) (Hosting Special Events handled through Ranch) Fishers Of Men Ranch is a Family Friendly Environment and Christian Based!

Family-friendly waterside camping in Texas guide

Overview

They say everything’s bigger in the Lone Star State, and that includes the variety of options for campers, whether you're looking for an RV park, tent camping, or a primitive camping backcountry adventure. Beat the summer heat on sandy Gulf beaches, or head inland to the arid deserts of Big Bend Country in winter for some of the nation’s darkest skies and best nighttime views. Spring and autumn offer the best weather for wine tasting in Texas Hill Country, hiking the canyons of the Panhandle, or paddling the bald cypress forests of the Texas Pine Curtain.

Big Bend Country

Remote West Texas boasts some of the most pristine landscapes in the state. Explore the hiking trails of Guadalupe Mountains and Big Bend national parks, raft through narrow canyons along the Rio Grande River, go rock climbing in Hueco Tanks State Park near El Paso, or hit the dunes in Monahans Sandhills State Park. The quirky communities of Marfa, Terlingua, and Marathon serve as convenient gateways to desert adventure.

Texas Hill Country

Known for its wineries, whiskey distilleries, swimming holes, and rich German heritage, the rolling hills of this central Texas region extend between Austin and San Antonio, with plenty of small towns to explore along the way. Springtime brings bluebonnets to the roadsides of the region. In fall, head to Lost Maples State Park for some of the state’s best leaf peeping. Soak up panoramic views from Enchanted Rock, venture deep into the Caverns of Sonora or the Cave Without a Name, or take a leisurely float along the Guadalupe River.

Gulf Coast

The Texas Gulf Coast stretches for more than 600 miles along the shores of the Gulf of Mexico and includes the Padre Island National Seashore. Sun seekers will find plenty of sandy beaches with warm Gulf waters (plus opportunities for beach camping), while the natural areas along the coast feature some of the best birdwatching in the nation. Houston, Galveston, South Padre Island, and Corpus Christi are among the most popular areas to stay.

Panhandle

The plains of the Texas Panhandle comprise one of the largest regions in the state. Here you’ll find America’s second-largest canyon within Palo Duro Canyon State Park, as well as the iconic Cadillac Ranch car sculpture along road trip-worthy Route 66.

Pine Curtain

Lakes, forests, and swamps dominate the landscape of the lesser-known Piney Woods of East Texas. Step back in time at Mission Tejas State Park, straddle the state line in Texarkana, pitch a tent among the gargantuan pines of Daingerfield, or make the 835-mile camping trip along the Texas Forest Trail. If you want to get out on the water, it's hard to beat a kayak in Caddo Lake State Park.

Prairies and Lakes

This region sweeps down through the center of the state from the Dallas-Fort Worth area to Waco, Bryan, and College Station (home of Texas A&M University). You don’t have to drive far to find a lakeside campground or on-the-water activity, thanks to the area’s 17 Texas state parks and one national wildlife refuge.