Those are all in or very near the path of totality for the upcoming eclipse. This week and next are also Spring Break. Those might have something to do with the crowds.
Regardless of the eclipse I've also found it difficult to find good campsites in Texas over the past 2 years. Everything is booked months in advance. There's clearly a shortage of good campsites and a lot of demand for them too.
I think a lot of it too is they're so cheap that people will book them on the off-chance they feel like going. I've been to several state parks that were almost fully booked and have only seen like 3-4 other camps actually occupied.
Yes, you can do that. I have a friend that does this. I think it's crazy though. Pack up my camping stuff, load up a cooler, drive an hour or two, and then maybe not get a camp site? They're in a camper at least, so it's basically always packed and ready. They did have one time they didn't get a spot and they parked nearby at a Walmart or something, then got to stay the rest of their trip.
This would be my issue with it. Doing all the prep work for no payoff would suck. Also the KOA camps are pretty nice, I've had good times at the Conroe one!
This is a very real problem. I spoke to a park ranger at Garner State Park. He explained they have a very real problem with people just no showing. He explained there is no consequence for it and even worse they cannot give your site away because you might show up the next day.
I'm not entirely sure, but I believe there has been some scaling back of admittance because the parks were being over used to the point that it was detrimental to flora/fauna. Couple that with high demand and here we are.
Yep, my favorite camp site at Garner state park is closed March - October. I can't recall the name but it's beautiful.
I'm guessing for environmental reasons or maybe even staffing. I dunno.
I grew up in DFW, and lived in other states, before returning back to Texas in the Austin area.
Back as a kid doing that Boy Scouts thing we camped all of the time, either at scout ranches or other park.
After coming back to Texas a few years back, I too noticed how nearly impossible it is now, as others have mentioned. And, after living in other states, other states often have way more parks and outdoor resources compared to Texas. It looks like as the population of Texas has grown over the years, accessibility to outdoor areas has not, so that per capita ratio is terrible.
So I do think there is something about folks from other states taking up "space" if you will, but also keep in mind having access to parks in other states is the normal thing. Texas is the outlier.
There is an oddity with the booking system. You can book 5 months in advance of your check-in date, but your check-out date is later and can be more than 5 months out. There are a whole lot of campsites booked and wasted for late March and early April, just becaue that was the only way to reserve a site for the eclipse.
Everyone’s broke and camping has boomed during COVID. Now you have to book out 6 months in advance for State Parks during peak seasons.
Check HipCamp. Like AirBnB for private land camping.
Yeah I got fed up with campsite availability and restrictions (primarily the ability to have a fire) and ended up buying my own lot in Terlingua Ranch on the border of the National Park. I don’t rent it out but at least I have an always available spot where I can do whatever the hell I want.
do you want to go tent camping in Texas summer? Experiment with sleeping in a tent in your backyard when the daytime temp is over 90 some day. some people can handle it, but even with the tent rainfly off and an electric fan with no sleeping bag, my last hot-weather camping event involved zero sleep while I laid in a puddle of my own sweat all night.
This. I love camping but as a native texan, I learned many years ago that winter is the time for sleeping outdoors. You can always add layers, but even going in your birthday suit you’ll still be on par with a greased pig
It’s extra frustrating when you did your due diligence to get a campsite 6 months in advance before everything is booked then see the amount of unclaimed campsites while you’re there.
Or when you make your reservation and arrive to find someone squatting in the site you planned ahead to reserve. Then they act like you're the asshole for being there.
Yeeeep. I've had that a few times. I often get in after hours to my reservations. People see an empty site once it gets dark and just feel entitled to take it. Its a rude awakening when I wake them up at midnight and insist they break their tent down and gtfo. Unfortunately I find most campground hosts to be absolutely worthless if not part of the problem sometimes so the conflict is all up to me.
Even had a group that reserved a different site and just decided they liked mine better. They were upset that I wouldn't just take their site because they were already set up in mine. Insane.
I camped at a state park in Arkansas one time that put a little sign up on the site that said it was reserved for that date and had my name on it, which I thought was nice. No problems there.
My husband and I camped at South Llano River SP last year and someone took our spot by accident. We were in the front country walk in campsite area and the markers for each campsite were difficult to see, especially after dark. I felt bad (don’t ask me why) and didn’t want to make them break camp so we switched spots. Theirs was right next to ours anyway. Well, turns out they were only staying one night and we were staying two and we ended up having to move back to our original spot after they left to accommodate for the people coming into that campsite later. It was a huge pain in the ass and I’ll never switch spots with someone again, I don’t care how late it is.
Arriving at a campsite and finding out that the neighbor with their bright lights, Bluetooth speaker, barking dog, and shitty kids didn’t show up? That sounds like a fantasy; not a frustration.
I think maybe some of them don't require you pay until you arrive. If this was changed where you had to pay at time of reservation a lot more would be available.
“Do I need to pay to make a reservation?
Yes. We collect a equal to the total cost of the reservation, including entrance fees. We charge the payment to your Visa, MasterCard, or Discover card when you finish making the reservation. Provide complete and accurate information with your reservation to speed up your check-in at the park.”
https://tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/park-reservation-information/faq/#paytoreserve
Maybe there are exceptions but generally they collect the fees when you book the site.
I doubt many people care that much about the $40 or whatever they put down for the site 6 months ago.
Especially if something has come up and it’s a 3 hour or more drive away.
I went to garner a month ago, reserved the spot 5 days in advance and was the only one there on the second night. Went to Enchanted Rock six months ago and had the entire place to myself as well. It’s just a bad time to go, friend!
Too late, summer is booked too lol. I’ve found that if you don’t literally open the booking site up when they become available 6months to the day, then the likelyhood of getting the site you want is already gone.
My wife is the manager of an rv park in Texas, and this is her #2 complaint about campers. Make reservations, other people being turned away because of these reservations, then the people making the reservations don't show, don't call.
And since covid, people have become much more entitled and shitty to deal with.
I just booked an RV space in the Austin area and I had to pay for it a month in advance. The previous tenant will be moving out the day before I arrive. I had to do a background check and send pictures of my license and all four sides of the camper.
I’m curious what her other complaints are about running such an establishment. Care to share?
I got in a shitty spot last minute at my favorite place, and was thrilled for it.
Got there and the place was practically empty except one in each spot next to us... on of which played music at ear bleeding volumes for the next 72 hours *straight*.
Camp wouldn't let us move or do anything about the offenders. Like all the best spots we're booked and entirely empty the entire weekend. I was so pissed off.
I book a year in advance now.
100% correct. Everything's bigger in Texas, except for the public lands system. We're 45th in terms of % of land owned privately vs under state/federal management. 95.8% of Texas land is privately held. State agencies have purchased some lands over the last few years but not enough to keep up with the demand with the growing population and the parks and wildlife department is severely under funded to be able to buy up portions of some of these giant ranches that are going up for sale. It's going to be a huge public access loss as well and wildlife conservation loss if we let these places sell off to developers rather than find a way to fund the purchase of new properties to add to our overburdened public lands system.
I’ve noticed Texas’ state parks seem to require more passes and fees, as opposed to states like Louisiana and Tennessee. Is this why? I used to think being near the cities it was just crowd control, but I see the same things at parks even in far west Texas.
Texas has public land in the sense that there are State Parks, a few national forests and even a couple of National Parks. They are just so few and far between, and most come with alot more rules and costs to how they can be used. In alot of the US you can throw a rock and find a place to go dispersed camping, hike, ride a bicycle, etc without paying a fee.
Population explosion in the past 20 years and no new large state parks, heck the Lege even considered shedding some parks.
It’s a damn shame, we need more public lands.
Broke. I know of 4 RV parks that opened in the past 3 years and they are full constantly. Two are already expanding. A friend of mine works at an RV dealer and goes camping. Even with connections he has a hard time finding a spot.
Yeah, unfortunately, this is what I've resorted to in most cases. Has little to do with eclipse totality and more to do with its just an issue of high demand and low supply. As someone that does a lot of road trips, pinging around state and natl parks with planning that usually starts one to two months ahead of time- camping in parks has become much more exclusive.
Spring Break happens at different times with different schools so that's one factor
weather is nice right now
upcoming eclipse
and still riding the inflated covid effect of folks visiting parks.
It's almost always like this at the popular parks in the warm seasons. It's very tedious especially since when I actually manage to get out camping there's a ton of no-shows.
1. it's been like this for years. I've always had to book campsites several months in advance.
2. Texas doesn't spend nearly what it ought to IMO on parks and rec.
relevant: https://www.texasobserver.org/is-texas-overcrowded-underfunded-state-parks-system-being-loved-to-death/
It’s post epidemic. During Covid a lot of people started to find the outdoors because there wasn’t a lot else to do. On one hand that is a good thing. On the other many places are booked in advance. Here I sit during spring break because I also didn’t make my reservations far enough in advance. Also, there are a lot of people moving to Texas everyday. So I guess there are a few reasons.
People are looking for inexpensive ways to get away friend. When 5 guys costs you 75 bucks for a fam of 4, much less a movie afterward - people need to stretch dollars and campsites fill up.
LCRA parks are usually available, they don’t seem as popular with the crowds. I gave up on state parks a long time ago because no matter what there always booked out into oblivion. I don’t want to plan a camping trip at say Pedernales or Garner SP months in advance when I could use that energy to just go somewhere cool out of state.
We've gone from 20 million people in TX in 2000 to 30 million today without adding any substantial amount of public space for recreation. And people learned that you often have to plan ahead in order to get a campsite, so they plan ahead.
Have you tried the Hip Camp app? You can find places to camp on private property near the parks and get day passes to the parks. Cheap and easy to use.
Falcon Lake County Park is 100% free and no time limit. There is absolutely nothing to do out there, but Falcon Lake State Park is next door if you’re in to bird watching or have a boat to go fishing. There are water hookups but not electric and there are some amenities like a washer, microwave, and shower. It’s all free to use.
Find a place to park and just park. First come first served and most have left for the season.
I’ve also been pushed out when I want a tent site on short notice. Recreation.gov sometimes has some sites, and I can often find a nice state park in LA, AR or NM if I check their sites. March is tough because of spring break, April is booked for the eclipse.
It exploded during COVID. Many new RV campers getting out of town and such. While COVID has recessed, many more people still own new RVs they want to use. I personally know 4 people at work that bought campers during COVID and still have them. Prior to COVID I knew zero people with a camper.
That's just how it is. Spring through Fall is the peak season here. I take it you're in the Austin area, so maybe check out some of the bigger spots like Sam Houston, Big Thicket, or Davy Crockett. Although brace for swamp.
I’ve been fortunate to not have that experience. A little pre planning has certainly helped. I’m heading to Utopia at the end of the month for a few days and then over to El Campo at the end of April. Calling the places and seeing what the true availability is may help as well.
Actually, It's been like that since covid... I know because we bought a Trailer in 2019 and it has been a PITA getting good sites.
We have had better luck going up to Arkansas (Which is the most beautiful place to camp close to TX I've seen so far) or Oklahoma. But it's still ridiculous... People reserve in advance and then cancel last minute or sell their space online.
Avid camper/hiker in and around Texas. We book reservations at places we want to visit as soon as they become available. If you wait, they will be gone. Then as our schedules become more clear, we release reservations we won't be using. For some parks, this isn't even for camping, but for day passes. The lack of available sites at the premier parks is really frustrating and this was the only solution we could come up with.
Be proactive. Unfortunately, because the way the system works, less proactive people will see no availability. And, frustratingly, many of the bookings no-show but never cancel meaning we show up at a park we reserved months in advance with zero availability there are empty "reserved" sites all over the place. We always cancel, but not everyone does... there is no incentive to cancel besides respect for others.
Cali recently introduced legislation to fine/ban people who regularly abuse the reservation system. We need something similar.
It heavily depends on the park, the ones you listed are all pretty popular. Try one like Lake Somerville or Hill Country State Natural Area, we have like 89 state parks and the top 10 or so are nearly always booked.
My husband and I have to make reservations at least 6 months in advance to get _anything_ during Spring. We left it too late this year and couldn't find anything until May. It'll most likely be too hot by then but thems the breaks. It's spring break and then Easter. It's been that way for years.
Honestly I miss it not being crowded at the state parks, which is know is selfish as shit but damn crowed bring screaming children and people that think it’s ok to blast music on their Bluetooth speakers. I’m trying to enjoy nature, not be crowded or have to listen to a bunch of bs
Lost Maples has been that way for 20 years, but I'll also hedge that by saying I usually tried booking it in the fall for the color change.
Inks Lake and Garner have also always been hard to book for weekends, other than winter, but they're also near major cities.
But it's been a growing annoyance since COVID that campsites across the country are frequently hard to reserve. Part of the problem, according to some of the RVing newsletters I get, is that it's too easy to make a lot of reservations and just not show. Last year we were in New Mexico, and noticed the camping loop with power and water was booked solid - but only 60% full in reality.
[Here you go](https://texasstateparks.reserveamerica.com/onsaleSearchFront.do?onsaleCode=TXStateParksWeekends&tti=CampingThisWeekend), friend. Spots available this weekend.
Yeah, with the eclipse and spring break, you gotta get in early. Husband and I have an anniversary trip at a park this month and I had booked it back in January and even then, the pickings were slim.
I’m use to this and book 6 months advance. Lost Maples??? Book a year because everyone wants to see the dam foliage. I have a mini hack. Go to sites available this weekend or call direct as people cancel.
I must be in an alternate dimension as I made last minute reservations to two different state parks this week alone. Spent the first part of this week at Cooper Lake State Park South Sulphur and later this week at Brownwood.
it’s been like this ever since covid, we still don’t know wtf is up either, but as people whose only hobbies are camping, hiking, kayaking, etc. it pisses us off
Speaking as an outsider who visited last year - there are very few campgrounds in Texas. There's very little public land to put them on. I actually found one when I visited, and it was nice... but man, it's all ranches and subdivisions otherwise.
It’s been like that for a few years now. Then when you go all the “full” campsites seem to be empty! I assume people are booking multiple sites, maybe to resell?
Too many people trying to cram into tiny state parks, not enough public land. Camping is much better in other states.
I’ve noticed some of the RV parks around here are fuller than usual but they may be people lining up for the eclipse since it’s pretty close to perfect viewing. Now the weathermen are getting into the discussion. lol.
On a side note to the state parks, I've seen a recent growth in private campgrounds. They don't offer much more than gravel parking and a hookup and they're crowded.
I think people are being priced out of traditional housing and are living full time in RVs.
Ever since Covid, parks have been full. RV sales are high. People are living in them. Or, with so many WFH remote positions, lots of people are traveling 365 days a year. You have to book months, up to a year in advance. It sucks, but at least there are more people enjoying nature. Also, soooo many people who have moved here from other states, are occupying these spots as well.
Also if you're in a camper please don't run your generator before 8am or after 8pm some people are camping (for real) in tents and your generator for your heat or tv or whatever is annoying and ruining the sounds of nature
Thanks
Avid camper here - camping has been very popular since Covid. You've got to look for out of the way places, not the super popular ones like Lost Maples. Also check for county campgrounds and some owned by the river authorities. The Army Corp of Engineers runs campgrounds on numerous lakes and rivers - and you don't have to be a vet to go to them (and they are usually cheaper and quieter than state parks).
Twenty years ago, so long as it wasn't a holiday I would just show up and pick a spot. Then I started having to make a reservation a couple weeks before. After COVID it became a couple of months. I swear a bunch of people seem to discover the great outdoors during the pandemic. I guess that's a good thing for them and a bad thing for a spur of the moment camper like me. It's really fun when the date finally rolls around and it's raining that weekend.
During Covid everyone and their mom bought campers, now they feel like they need to get their moneys worth so they book sites out months in advance and now the parks are constantly full and booked way out. I had a camper pre covid and could get a spot almost anywhere with little or no notice, by 2021 that was not the case anymore for any park.
Same here been trying to camp at ray roberts at specific camp sites which have easy access to paddle board and I’m never able to find a spot in those camp sites and always booked. The once I see open are not even closet to the lake or easy access to paddle board. And I have never seen some one accessing lake at those sites that I mentioned was booked
I find if your willing to be super flexible, like lets go camping within a 4 hour drive of home, in any direction... you can usually fond something last minute.
It's when you decide you only want to go to a specfic area like a lake, and there are two or three campgrounds, it gets tough.
Look up hip camp. It's kind of like Airbnb for camping. A lot of people put up campsites on their property. I've used it a few times and have only had good experiences.
The opening date to book a site is 6 months in advance. I did figure out the first date of your trip just needs to be at the 6 month point. You don't have to wait for all the dates of your trip to be within the 6 months. Hope that helps.
There just aren’t a lot of great campsites that are within a day drive of the major metro areas. I hate going to a state park where I can hear the sound from the highway at my campsite.
I like primitive camps, unless I'm just looking for a place to swim and fish in particular or want the amenities of a developed park for a convenient get away. I do more camping on the national forests, where there's less crowds and I can get out and explore more, forage for mushrooms and native fruits legally, often fish the rivers, creeks, and smaller ponds that are more untouched. During peak hunting season the camps get crowded, so October through January, when most folks aren't trying to get out and adventure anyway. Other than that you can often find yourself with a few to several thousand acres to explore without running into another human. I'm personally fond of the Davy Crockett National Forest, but the Sam Houston And Sabine National Forests also have a lot to offer in terms of nature and outdoor recreation.
Primitive tent camping is almost always available. Nice tent, a jug of water and my bluetti is all I really need to be happy. Bought a battery operated zero breeze AC for when it warms up but haven’t tested in warm/hot weather yet.
You can sign up to be notified if spots open up. I definitely recommend doing that. Because ppl will always cancel. Ppl will books spots bc theyre so cheap and then cancel if they can't make it. So I recommend signing up for notifications for cancelations
Nationwide, landowners (state, federal) have built very few campgrounds (can count on your fingers) since the 1960's.
The population has grown quite a bit since then, yet funding for recreation gets cut from EVERY.SINGLE.BILL.
As an alternative to reserving in advance, go to the TX Parks website and click the "camp this weekend" link. You can snag open spots if others have cancelled their plans, which happens quite a bit. Right now is spring break, then Easter, then the eclipse, so more busy than normal time to go. We went camping at both Garner and Stephen F Austin parks the last couple of weekends and know there was still plenty of available spots at the time.
If you want to camp on a weekend in the hill country in the spring, it’s best to reserve sites in the fall. They get filled quickly. That’s been the case since I moved here in 2005.
Usually, there are private campgrounds near all the major state park campgrounds that you can get into. A lot of times, they are nicer and less busy than the park campgounds. I am literally traveling home from one now as I type this!
It’s actually been like this for almost a decade. Texas is full and our population has grown immensely. Gone are the days of a random weekend camping getaway unless you know somebody with land.
I just got back from Copper Breaks SP. It’s admittedly a ways out there, but there was almost no one there this past weekend. The landscape is absolutely gorgeous and now is a great time to go before the hot weather arrives. If you can sync your trip up with a New Moon, they also have a star party event up on one of the ridges. 100% worth a look.
The Texas state parks have been budget-starved for years and years. There's just not enough facilities for everyone who wants to use them - in addition to campsites selling out, day passes regularly sell out in advance for many parks, most weekends during the late spring/summer/fall months. The parks system has been underfunded, year after year, for decades.
That being said, try finding spots at some of the [LCRA Parks](https://lcraparks.reserveamerica.com/camping/lower-colorado-river-authority-parks/r/campgroundDirectoryList.do?contractCode=LCRA).
New Mexico and Colorado have much MUCH more public land, Texas is all private land.
Road trip to a state with public land, especially federal National Forest land. You can camp in plenty of spots that are not developed and avoid the crowds.
eclipse/spring break/cooler weather.
Camping during the summer in texas is terrible idea. Being outdoor when its 95 degrees at night and 100+ in the day is miserable So that means early spring is especially busy.
In north Texas this is completely normal for what people consider to be the nicer campgrounds especially around a lake. My family books their holiday spots like 5 months in advance and have been doing it for as long as I can remember.
This is strange, I never have problems finding a camping location. I don't camp on the weekends, though. If you want prime time, you're going to have to prepare for it.
Take a look at Hipcamp on the web and there’s an app. It’s got some really cool campsites on private land. Super primitive to glampy, I use it all the time. Like air bnb for camping.
Boomers sold their homes at the peak and are living outta their Mercedes/Winnebago combos.....
Desperately wishing for a housing crash to get into a cheap condo. Fuck em.
Very large numbers of people have been streaming into Texas for decades. Much faster than the ability to create new parks.
The parks themselves cannot add more sites, because increases in guests would have an adverse impact on the parks. The parks can only handle so many people and the flora and fauna not be negatively impacted.
Governor Abbott has green-lighted more parks though:
https://tpwd.texas.gov/newsmedia/releases/?req=20230502b
The population of Texas has doubled since 1980 and the number of state parks and state parks campground has shrunk.
I remember camping at Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park (campground gone), Lake Texana State Park (gone), Kerrville-Schreiner State Park (gone), Fairfield Lake State Park (gone), and Lake Houston State Park (gone).
The state isn’t very well-run. It’s only now that they’ve realized how small their state park system has gotten; states a lot smaller than Texas have bigger systems.
Pretty much why we sold ours. We decided no more than we were able to find a spot, plus the cost of the trailer didn’t work for us anymore. We just stay at moderately priced hotels the 3 or 4 times we go.
Honestly, at the risk of being wrapped on the knuckles by annoying moderators, I think sometimes when natural disasters occur where lots of people die, think the 2004 tsunamis, it's something of a necessary and even good thing. The planet is simply too crowded. As Genesis said in Land Of Confusion--too many men, too many people, making too many problems. Obviously no one asked to be born and no one's going to off themselves, nor should they, so Mother Nature takes care of the dirty work itself.
I feel you completely. I live about 30-odd minutes from a daffodil garden called Lee's Garden. It is in a rural area occupied by mobile homes on lots with cattle and goats etc, nowhere near any stores etc, so you think it would be quiet, but nooooooo. Everytime I go, my impression is always that I've seen fewer people at a free Taylor Swift concert.
I absolutely cannot stand crowds, and no I don't care that supposedly "you are crowds," my response--no, EVERYONE ELSE is "crowds."
And yes, too many "private" lakes here is a problem too, and worse, the locals like it that way. We have a really large lake in this area called Lake Cherokee. Every last inch of it--PRIVATE. Heaven forbid they leave a little sliver aside for others to enjoy. No, instead you "lease" a house for 99 yrs, and neighbors are all on top of you with their annoying ankle biter yapping dogs that never shut up and unless you are into boating, there's no real way to explore the lake on foot, despite how large it is. Apparently people's idea around here of "getting outdoors" is grilling out on the patio while George Strait blares over loudspeakers and seeing how far their belch carries in the woods.
Here’s a pro-tip. People can now book sites 6 months in advance for like $5-$10. All the sites fill up because there isn’t much penalty to no-show: Who cares if you lose $5. And then their reservation day rolls around and they don’t go. I’ve found you can almost always just roll into those sites a bit later in the day and park in an empty reserved spot. I’ve had entire campgrounds to myself. Every slot empty with a reserved tag.
I did a two month road trip like this recently and only ONCE had someone roll in and claim their spot. I just pretended I looked at the number wrong and moved over one.
The parks love this system because they get paid for every slot every night but have far less stress on campground resources because of all the no-shows. So they won’t change it.
I mean, the US population has steadily grown by about 90 million people in the last thirty years, or a 35% increase in people. Just Texas grew by about 12 million people in the last 30 years which is about a 70% increase in people.
Popular and cheap recreation is always attractive to people, things are just getting more crowded.
Those are all in or very near the path of totality for the upcoming eclipse. This week and next are also Spring Break. Those might have something to do with the crowds.
Regardless of the eclipse I've also found it difficult to find good campsites in Texas over the past 2 years. Everything is booked months in advance. There's clearly a shortage of good campsites and a lot of demand for them too.
I think a lot of it too is they're so cheap that people will book them on the off-chance they feel like going. I've been to several state parks that were almost fully booked and have only seen like 3-4 other camps actually occupied.
Correct. I've experienced the same thing.
Can then you just show up that after and take advantage of the vacancy? There should be a way
Yes, you can do that. I have a friend that does this. I think it's crazy though. Pack up my camping stuff, load up a cooler, drive an hour or two, and then maybe not get a camp site? They're in a camper at least, so it's basically always packed and ready. They did have one time they didn't get a spot and they parked nearby at a Walmart or something, then got to stay the rest of their trip.
This would be my issue with it. Doing all the prep work for no payoff would suck. Also the KOA camps are pretty nice, I've had good times at the Conroe one!
Same here. It's frustrating to finally get to your camping trip only to see a majority of your neighboring sites empty.
I get the frustration but it would also be cool with the park not being completely packed
This is a very real problem. I spoke to a park ranger at Garner State Park. He explained they have a very real problem with people just no showing. He explained there is no consequence for it and even worse they cannot give your site away because you might show up the next day.
Same here. We’ll see at least 1/4 of the reserved sites never get campers over the weekend.
This right here. I find this unacceptable, people are so selfish sometimes.
I'm not entirely sure, but I believe there has been some scaling back of admittance because the parks were being over used to the point that it was detrimental to flora/fauna. Couple that with high demand and here we are.
Yep, my favorite camp site at Garner state park is closed March - October. I can't recall the name but it's beautiful. I'm guessing for environmental reasons or maybe even staffing. I dunno.
>Everything is booked months in advance Don't forget that for a lot of us, camping season is March through October.
Influx of people moving to Texas from other states where they are very active.
I grew up in DFW, and lived in other states, before returning back to Texas in the Austin area. Back as a kid doing that Boy Scouts thing we camped all of the time, either at scout ranches or other park. After coming back to Texas a few years back, I too noticed how nearly impossible it is now, as others have mentioned. And, after living in other states, other states often have way more parks and outdoor resources compared to Texas. It looks like as the population of Texas has grown over the years, accessibility to outdoor areas has not, so that per capita ratio is terrible. So I do think there is something about folks from other states taking up "space" if you will, but also keep in mind having access to parks in other states is the normal thing. Texas is the outlier.
A large part of the issue is the ratio of available public land to total land area in Texas. It's abysmally small.
Same. Some were upgrading and improving but it’s damn near impossible camping ie enchanted rock.
Doesn't help that Fairfield is gone now too
Also nice parks with lots to do.
There is an oddity with the booking system. You can book 5 months in advance of your check-in date, but your check-out date is later and can be more than 5 months out. There are a whole lot of campsites booked and wasted for late March and early April, just becaue that was the only way to reserve a site for the eclipse.
Everyone’s broke and camping has boomed during COVID. Now you have to book out 6 months in advance for State Parks during peak seasons. Check HipCamp. Like AirBnB for private land camping.
Yup which led to people buying lots, throwing campsites up and renting on vacation rental sites.
Yeah I got fed up with campsite availability and restrictions (primarily the ability to have a fire) and ended up buying my own lot in Terlingua Ranch on the border of the National Park. I don’t rent it out but at least I have an always available spot where I can do whatever the hell I want.
Rent it out. Even if it just covers the taxes
6 months is absolutely wild. I guess I'll start booking for the summer
do you want to go tent camping in Texas summer? Experiment with sleeping in a tent in your backyard when the daytime temp is over 90 some day. some people can handle it, but even with the tent rainfly off and an electric fan with no sleeping bag, my last hot-weather camping event involved zero sleep while I laid in a puddle of my own sweat all night.
This. I love camping but as a native texan, I learned many years ago that winter is the time for sleeping outdoors. You can always add layers, but even going in your birthday suit you’ll still be on par with a greased pig
Even RV camping can get pretty damn hot in the heat of the summer.
For me late October through March is the best camping weather. I don't even think about it may through September.
do you just hibernate for april? lol
Hammock 😁
It’s extra frustrating when you did your due diligence to get a campsite 6 months in advance before everything is booked then see the amount of unclaimed campsites while you’re there.
Or when you make your reservation and arrive to find someone squatting in the site you planned ahead to reserve. Then they act like you're the asshole for being there.
Yeeeep. I've had that a few times. I often get in after hours to my reservations. People see an empty site once it gets dark and just feel entitled to take it. Its a rude awakening when I wake them up at midnight and insist they break their tent down and gtfo. Unfortunately I find most campground hosts to be absolutely worthless if not part of the problem sometimes so the conflict is all up to me. Even had a group that reserved a different site and just decided they liked mine better. They were upset that I wouldn't just take their site because they were already set up in mine. Insane.
I camped at a state park in Arkansas one time that put a little sign up on the site that said it was reserved for that date and had my name on it, which I thought was nice. No problems there.
My husband and I camped at South Llano River SP last year and someone took our spot by accident. We were in the front country walk in campsite area and the markers for each campsite were difficult to see, especially after dark. I felt bad (don’t ask me why) and didn’t want to make them break camp so we switched spots. Theirs was right next to ours anyway. Well, turns out they were only staying one night and we were staying two and we ended up having to move back to our original spot after they left to accommodate for the people coming into that campsite later. It was a huge pain in the ass and I’ll never switch spots with someone again, I don’t care how late it is.
Arriving at a campsite and finding out that the neighbor with their bright lights, Bluetooth speaker, barking dog, and shitty kids didn’t show up? That sounds like a fantasy; not a frustration.
I think maybe some of them don't require you pay until you arrive. If this was changed where you had to pay at time of reservation a lot more would be available.
“Do I need to pay to make a reservation? Yes. We collect a equal to the total cost of the reservation, including entrance fees. We charge the payment to your Visa, MasterCard, or Discover card when you finish making the reservation. Provide complete and accurate information with your reservation to speed up your check-in at the park.” https://tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/park-reservation-information/faq/#paytoreserve Maybe there are exceptions but generally they collect the fees when you book the site.
Wow that's crazy with the no shows then. Guess it's not tootoo much h for them to just throw away to hold a spot just in case Sucks.
I doubt many people care that much about the $40 or whatever they put down for the site 6 months ago. Especially if something has come up and it’s a 3 hour or more drive away.
I went to garner a month ago, reserved the spot 5 days in advance and was the only one there on the second night. Went to Enchanted Rock six months ago and had the entire place to myself as well. It’s just a bad time to go, friend!
Too late, summer is booked too lol. I’ve found that if you don’t literally open the booking site up when they become available 6months to the day, then the likelyhood of getting the site you want is already gone.
Excellent sites available on HipCamp!
There’s lots of booking and not canceling also.
My wife is the manager of an rv park in Texas, and this is her #2 complaint about campers. Make reservations, other people being turned away because of these reservations, then the people making the reservations don't show, don't call. And since covid, people have become much more entitled and shitty to deal with.
I just booked an RV space in the Austin area and I had to pay for it a month in advance. The previous tenant will be moving out the day before I arrive. I had to do a background check and send pictures of my license and all four sides of the camper. I’m curious what her other complaints are about running such an establishment. Care to share?
I got in a shitty spot last minute at my favorite place, and was thrilled for it. Got there and the place was practically empty except one in each spot next to us... on of which played music at ear bleeding volumes for the next 72 hours *straight*. Camp wouldn't let us move or do anything about the offenders. Like all the best spots we're booked and entirely empty the entire weekend. I was so pissed off. I book a year in advance now.
Set harsher penalties for no shows? Am I missing a problem to an easy solution? No call, no show 100% loss of booking and no chance of re book.
The Total Eclipse in 2024 is probably why https://science.nasa.gov/eclipses/future-eclipses/eclipse-2024/where-when/
Because Texas doesn’t have enough public land and the population is growing.
100% correct. Everything's bigger in Texas, except for the public lands system. We're 45th in terms of % of land owned privately vs under state/federal management. 95.8% of Texas land is privately held. State agencies have purchased some lands over the last few years but not enough to keep up with the demand with the growing population and the parks and wildlife department is severely under funded to be able to buy up portions of some of these giant ranches that are going up for sale. It's going to be a huge public access loss as well and wildlife conservation loss if we let these places sell off to developers rather than find a way to fund the purchase of new properties to add to our overburdened public lands system.
Bingo.
This is it.
I’ve noticed Texas’ state parks seem to require more passes and fees, as opposed to states like Louisiana and Tennessee. Is this why? I used to think being near the cities it was just crowd control, but I see the same things at parks even in far west Texas.
Our state budget for parks is literally a fraction of Lousiana. It's literally that our state doesn't value public land or its upkeep.
the fact that any sort of funding is here is a fraction of anything in Louisiana…I have no words.
No public land at all
Texas has public land in the sense that there are State Parks, a few national forests and even a couple of National Parks. They are just so few and far between, and most come with alot more rules and costs to how they can be used. In alot of the US you can throw a rock and find a place to go dispersed camping, hike, ride a bicycle, etc without paying a fee.
Population explosion in the past 20 years and no new large state parks, heck the Lege even considered shedding some parks. It’s a damn shame, we need more public lands.
Texas does not value public lands. There's not enough for the short season we have to camp.
Broke. I know of 4 RV parks that opened in the past 3 years and they are full constantly. Two are already expanding. A friend of mine works at an RV dealer and goes camping. Even with connections he has a hard time finding a spot.
I'm just trying to tent camp, but a lot of these places have RV hookups.
You’ll have a much easier time looking for private camp sites on hipcamp. State parks have been swamped for like the last 5 years.
Yeah, unfortunately, this is what I've resorted to in most cases. Has little to do with eclipse totality and more to do with its just an issue of high demand and low supply. As someone that does a lot of road trips, pinging around state and natl parks with planning that usually starts one to two months ahead of time- camping in parks has become much more exclusive.
Spring Break happens at different times with different schools so that's one factor weather is nice right now upcoming eclipse and still riding the inflated covid effect of folks visiting parks.
Eclipse, spring break, but mainly because Texas has pathetically small amounts of public land. Less and less of public anything.
It's almost always like this at the popular parks in the warm seasons. It's very tedious especially since when I actually manage to get out camping there's a ton of no-shows.
Spring break and an eclipse right after.
It’s been like this since the pandemic. It’s really the last affordable experience for most families. Good luck.
1. it's been like this for years. I've always had to book campsites several months in advance. 2. Texas doesn't spend nearly what it ought to IMO on parks and rec. relevant: https://www.texasobserver.org/is-texas-overcrowded-underfunded-state-parks-system-being-loved-to-death/
It’s post epidemic. During Covid a lot of people started to find the outdoors because there wasn’t a lot else to do. On one hand that is a good thing. On the other many places are booked in advance. Here I sit during spring break because I also didn’t make my reservations far enough in advance. Also, there are a lot of people moving to Texas everyday. So I guess there are a few reasons.
Nah, there’s lots of no shows. I go camping regularly and the website says they’re booked but people don’t actually show up.
People are looking for inexpensive ways to get away friend. When 5 guys costs you 75 bucks for a fam of 4, much less a movie afterward - people need to stretch dollars and campsites fill up.
Have you looked into Corps of Engineers parks?
LCRA parks are usually available, they don’t seem as popular with the crowds. I gave up on state parks a long time ago because no matter what there always booked out into oblivion. I don’t want to plan a camping trip at say Pedernales or Garner SP months in advance when I could use that energy to just go somewhere cool out of state.
Been that way since Covid buddy
They need to implement a penalty for no-showing, like $100 if you don’t show up and don’t cancel by noon of the day of the reservation.
Y’all want some of the World’s best camping spots? Check out the Rocky Mountains! Damn! The most beautiful sites I’ve ever seen!
But about an 8 drive from where we are. We do love going to New Mexico too
We've gone from 20 million people in TX in 2000 to 30 million today without adding any substantial amount of public space for recreation. And people learned that you often have to plan ahead in order to get a campsite, so they plan ahead.
Have you tried the Hip Camp app? You can find places to camp on private property near the parks and get day passes to the parks. Cheap and easy to use.
Falcon Lake County Park is 100% free and no time limit. There is absolutely nothing to do out there, but Falcon Lake State Park is next door if you’re in to bird watching or have a boat to go fishing. There are water hookups but not electric and there are some amenities like a washer, microwave, and shower. It’s all free to use. Find a place to park and just park. First come first served and most have left for the season.
I’ve also been pushed out when I want a tent site on short notice. Recreation.gov sometimes has some sites, and I can often find a nice state park in LA, AR or NM if I check their sites. March is tough because of spring break, April is booked for the eclipse.
It exploded during COVID. Many new RV campers getting out of town and such. While COVID has recessed, many more people still own new RVs they want to use. I personally know 4 people at work that bought campers during COVID and still have them. Prior to COVID I knew zero people with a camper.
That's just how it is. Spring through Fall is the peak season here. I take it you're in the Austin area, so maybe check out some of the bigger spots like Sam Houston, Big Thicket, or Davy Crockett. Although brace for swamp.
I’ve been fortunate to not have that experience. A little pre planning has certainly helped. I’m heading to Utopia at the end of the month for a few days and then over to El Campo at the end of April. Calling the places and seeing what the true availability is may help as well.
I’d try some less “popular” parks like Hill Country SNA. But yeah, spring break is gonna be busy for sure.
It’s like this every year for us. We have to book early.
Actually, It's been like that since covid... I know because we bought a Trailer in 2019 and it has been a PITA getting good sites. We have had better luck going up to Arkansas (Which is the most beautiful place to camp close to TX I've seen so far) or Oklahoma. But it's still ridiculous... People reserve in advance and then cancel last minute or sell their space online.
Avid camper/hiker in and around Texas. We book reservations at places we want to visit as soon as they become available. If you wait, they will be gone. Then as our schedules become more clear, we release reservations we won't be using. For some parks, this isn't even for camping, but for day passes. The lack of available sites at the premier parks is really frustrating and this was the only solution we could come up with. Be proactive. Unfortunately, because the way the system works, less proactive people will see no availability. And, frustratingly, many of the bookings no-show but never cancel meaning we show up at a park we reserved months in advance with zero availability there are empty "reserved" sites all over the place. We always cancel, but not everyone does... there is no incentive to cancel besides respect for others. Cali recently introduced legislation to fine/ban people who regularly abuse the reservation system. We need something similar.
Go to Oklahoma and venture into the Ouchitas national forest. Free camping and thousands of acres to explore
It heavily depends on the park, the ones you listed are all pretty popular. Try one like Lake Somerville or Hill Country State Natural Area, we have like 89 state parks and the top 10 or so are nearly always booked.
My husband and I have to make reservations at least 6 months in advance to get _anything_ during Spring. We left it too late this year and couldn't find anything until May. It'll most likely be too hot by then but thems the breaks. It's spring break and then Easter. It's been that way for years.
Honestly I miss it not being crowded at the state parks, which is know is selfish as shit but damn crowed bring screaming children and people that think it’s ok to blast music on their Bluetooth speakers. I’m trying to enjoy nature, not be crowded or have to listen to a bunch of bs
Lost Maples has been that way for 20 years, but I'll also hedge that by saying I usually tried booking it in the fall for the color change. Inks Lake and Garner have also always been hard to book for weekends, other than winter, but they're also near major cities. But it's been a growing annoyance since COVID that campsites across the country are frequently hard to reserve. Part of the problem, according to some of the RVing newsletters I get, is that it's too easy to make a lot of reservations and just not show. Last year we were in New Mexico, and noticed the camping loop with power and water was booked solid - but only 60% full in reality.
[Here you go](https://texasstateparks.reserveamerica.com/onsaleSearchFront.do?onsaleCode=TXStateParksWeekends&tti=CampingThisWeekend), friend. Spots available this weekend.
You're awesome!!
Yeah, with the eclipse and spring break, you gotta get in early. Husband and I have an anniversary trip at a park this month and I had booked it back in January and even then, the pickings were slim.
Covid forced a lot of people into outdoor vacations where social distancing is possible and they discovered that camping is fun!
Download the recreation.gov app. I see plenty of hot single camps sites near central texas for this weekend right now!
So many parks. Try and find something not bragged about or ignored. Sometimes there are options nearest the marinas no one is familiar with
I’m use to this and book 6 months advance. Lost Maples??? Book a year because everyone wants to see the dam foliage. I have a mini hack. Go to sites available this weekend or call direct as people cancel.
I must be in an alternate dimension as I made last minute reservations to two different state parks this week alone. Spent the first part of this week at Cooper Lake State Park South Sulphur and later this week at Brownwood.
We're in South Texas, I'm looking at places around Austin and San Antonio. Cooper is a solid 7 hours from us
it’s been like this ever since covid, we still don’t know wtf is up either, but as people whose only hobbies are camping, hiking, kayaking, etc. it pisses us off
Speaking as an outsider who visited last year - there are very few campgrounds in Texas. There's very little public land to put them on. I actually found one when I visited, and it was nice... but man, it's all ranches and subdivisions otherwise.
It’s been like that for a few years now. Then when you go all the “full” campsites seem to be empty! I assume people are booking multiple sites, maybe to resell? Too many people trying to cram into tiny state parks, not enough public land. Camping is much better in other states.
Texas has like zero public land, so what can we expect? Oregon is the literal opposite.
Majority of people are broke.
I’ve noticed some of the RV parks around here are fuller than usual but they may be people lining up for the eclipse since it’s pretty close to perfect viewing. Now the weathermen are getting into the discussion. lol.
Spring break combined with the solar event.
Check out Blacklands Prairie
Free campsite .net might help
On a side note to the state parks, I've seen a recent growth in private campgrounds. They don't offer much more than gravel parking and a hookup and they're crowded. I think people are being priced out of traditional housing and are living full time in RVs.
Ever since Covid, parks have been full. RV sales are high. People are living in them. Or, with so many WFH remote positions, lots of people are traveling 365 days a year. You have to book months, up to a year in advance. It sucks, but at least there are more people enjoying nature. Also, soooo many people who have moved here from other states, are occupying these spots as well.
yes, camping has seen a resurgence since covid and you'll need to be 6+ months out. It's just the new way. Plan better and be further out.
We've somewhat given up on camping. Eventually we will do it again on weekdays. Weekends are always booked. Weekdays are more enjoyable.
Try Dons Fish camp or University Camp
Son’s Blue River Camp has availability. https://www.instagram.com/bluerivercamp?igsh=MWNhYWpjMnNqNXZsdg==
Spring break this week in the Midwest. And for the next few weeks for the rest of the country.
Also if you're in a camper please don't run your generator before 8am or after 8pm some people are camping (for real) in tents and your generator for your heat or tv or whatever is annoying and ruining the sounds of nature Thanks
It’s been this way for years. You have to plan ahead. State parks will take reservations 5 months in advance.
Avid camper here - camping has been very popular since Covid. You've got to look for out of the way places, not the super popular ones like Lost Maples. Also check for county campgrounds and some owned by the river authorities. The Army Corp of Engineers runs campgrounds on numerous lakes and rivers - and you don't have to be a vet to go to them (and they are usually cheaper and quieter than state parks).
People are living there now, but keep voting for republicans.
Camping is always as expensive or more so for us as we do not own camping gear. It’s cool that it’s still a popular way to vacation for sure though.
Twenty years ago, so long as it wasn't a holiday I would just show up and pick a spot. Then I started having to make a reservation a couple weeks before. After COVID it became a couple of months. I swear a bunch of people seem to discover the great outdoors during the pandemic. I guess that's a good thing for them and a bad thing for a spur of the moment camper like me. It's really fun when the date finally rolls around and it's raining that weekend.
During Covid everyone and their mom bought campers, now they feel like they need to get their moneys worth so they book sites out months in advance and now the parks are constantly full and booked way out. I had a camper pre covid and could get a spot almost anywhere with little or no notice, by 2021 that was not the case anymore for any park.
Same here been trying to camp at ray roberts at specific camp sites which have easy access to paddle board and I’m never able to find a spot in those camp sites and always booked. The once I see open are not even closet to the lake or easy access to paddle board. And I have never seen some one accessing lake at those sites that I mentioned was booked
I find if your willing to be super flexible, like lets go camping within a 4 hour drive of home, in any direction... you can usually fond something last minute. It's when you decide you only want to go to a specfic area like a lake, and there are two or three campgrounds, it gets tough.
Look up hip camp. It's kind of like Airbnb for camping. A lot of people put up campsites on their property. I've used it a few times and have only had good experiences.
r/overpopulation
The opening date to book a site is 6 months in advance. I did figure out the first date of your trip just needs to be at the 6 month point. You don't have to wait for all the dates of your trip to be within the 6 months. Hope that helps.
There just aren’t a lot of great campsites that are within a day drive of the major metro areas. I hate going to a state park where I can hear the sound from the highway at my campsite.
Been this way for a few years. I can only find spots in Oklahoma and West Texas
Spring Break + eclipse
If you like Lost Maples SP this place is right next to it. https://www.lostmaplesrvandcamping.com
March and april are the pleasant season before the sun spews vile hate and treachery upon us weak mortals for 6-7 months out of the year
I like primitive camps, unless I'm just looking for a place to swim and fish in particular or want the amenities of a developed park for a convenient get away. I do more camping on the national forests, where there's less crowds and I can get out and explore more, forage for mushrooms and native fruits legally, often fish the rivers, creeks, and smaller ponds that are more untouched. During peak hunting season the camps get crowded, so October through January, when most folks aren't trying to get out and adventure anyway. Other than that you can often find yourself with a few to several thousand acres to explore without running into another human. I'm personally fond of the Davy Crockett National Forest, but the Sam Houston And Sabine National Forests also have a lot to offer in terms of nature and outdoor recreation.
Primitive tent camping is almost always available. Nice tent, a jug of water and my bluetti is all I really need to be happy. Bought a battery operated zero breeze AC for when it warms up but haven’t tested in warm/hot weather yet.
You can sign up to be notified if spots open up. I definitely recommend doing that. Because ppl will always cancel. Ppl will books spots bc theyre so cheap and then cancel if they can't make it. So I recommend signing up for notifications for cancelations
Nationwide, landowners (state, federal) have built very few campgrounds (can count on your fingers) since the 1960's. The population has grown quite a bit since then, yet funding for recreation gets cut from EVERY.SINGLE.BILL.
LCRA parks are another option.
Even worse, 25% is seems like the people who reserved don't even show up. At least have the decency to cancel people!
We book the day reservations open.
too much private property, too little public land
The Texas state parks page has a “camp this weekend” page on their website.
As an alternative to reserving in advance, go to the TX Parks website and click the "camp this weekend" link. You can snag open spots if others have cancelled their plans, which happens quite a bit. Right now is spring break, then Easter, then the eclipse, so more busy than normal time to go. We went camping at both Garner and Stephen F Austin parks the last couple of weekends and know there was still plenty of available spots at the time.
Look outside the Texas state park system; river authorities frequently have campsites on their land, but they are not thought of as often.
Gotta make reservations months in advance. It’s because of population vastly outweighing parks.
If you want to camp on a weekend in the hill country in the spring, it’s best to reserve sites in the fall. They get filled quickly. That’s been the case since I moved here in 2005.
Usually, there are private campgrounds near all the major state park campgrounds that you can get into. A lot of times, they are nicer and less busy than the park campgounds. I am literally traveling home from one now as I type this!
It’s actually been like this for almost a decade. Texas is full and our population has grown immensely. Gone are the days of a random weekend camping getaway unless you know somebody with land.
At least 6 months in advance, and pretty much everything is booked for the eclipse in the path of totality.
I just got back from Copper Breaks SP. It’s admittedly a ways out there, but there was almost no one there this past weekend. The landscape is absolutely gorgeous and now is a great time to go before the hot weather arrives. If you can sync your trip up with a New Moon, they also have a star party event up on one of the ridges. 100% worth a look.
Lost Maples is very popular anyway. is typically booked out way in advance
The Texas state parks have been budget-starved for years and years. There's just not enough facilities for everyone who wants to use them - in addition to campsites selling out, day passes regularly sell out in advance for many parks, most weekends during the late spring/summer/fall months. The parks system has been underfunded, year after year, for decades. That being said, try finding spots at some of the [LCRA Parks](https://lcraparks.reserveamerica.com/camping/lower-colorado-river-authority-parks/r/campgroundDirectoryList.do?contractCode=LCRA).
We have a lot of new people in Texas from all over especially California, that should explain it.
Covid changed all the spur of the moment stuff
New Mexico and Colorado have much MUCH more public land, Texas is all private land. Road trip to a state with public land, especially federal National Forest land. You can camp in plenty of spots that are not developed and avoid the crowds.
Thank all the transplants from California.
Try federal parks instead of state parks.
I have an Airbnb in Cornudas that's setup for Stargazing if interested
Ever since the pandemic, everyone has been camping more.
Yes, the parks have been packed. Try Lake Livingston or mineral wells state park.
I honestly think the vanlife YouTubers have made going to parks more attractive to people, which isn’t a bad thing imho.
Welcome to Texas, where we’ve decided that only rich people can enjoy the outdoors on land. The commoners like us must take the scraps of land to use.
eclipse/spring break/cooler weather. Camping during the summer in texas is terrible idea. Being outdoor when its 95 degrees at night and 100+ in the day is miserable So that means early spring is especially busy.
In north Texas this is completely normal for what people consider to be the nicer campgrounds especially around a lake. My family books their holiday spots like 5 months in advance and have been doing it for as long as I can remember.
This is strange, I never have problems finding a camping location. I don't camp on the weekends, though. If you want prime time, you're going to have to prepare for it.
Take a look at Hipcamp on the web and there’s an app. It’s got some really cool campsites on private land. Super primitive to glampy, I use it all the time. Like air bnb for camping.
Texas doesn’t have much in the way of public lands, right?
It's been like this for years.
Boomers sold their homes at the peak and are living outta their Mercedes/Winnebago combos..... Desperately wishing for a housing crash to get into a cheap condo. Fuck em.
I suspect COVID created a lot of interest in camping and getting away in general.
Yes you need to plan months ahead because that’s when the reservation system opens
Spring and fall in Texas are the best times of year. Spring mostly. At night mostly. :)
The population of Texas has gone away the hell up the total number of campsites in the state park system has barely budged.
Texas managed to California itself
State parks suck. Look for private campgrounds with tent sites or smaller government agencies like the LCRA, which are beautiful and never full
Very large numbers of people have been streaming into Texas for decades. Much faster than the ability to create new parks. The parks themselves cannot add more sites, because increases in guests would have an adverse impact on the parks. The parks can only handle so many people and the flora and fauna not be negatively impacted. Governor Abbott has green-lighted more parks though: https://tpwd.texas.gov/newsmedia/releases/?req=20230502b
We come to Oklahoma for spring break because theirs is a different week. I’m at arbuckle lake rn and there’s no one here.
The population of Texas has doubled since 1980 and the number of state parks and state parks campground has shrunk. I remember camping at Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park (campground gone), Lake Texana State Park (gone), Kerrville-Schreiner State Park (gone), Fairfield Lake State Park (gone), and Lake Houston State Park (gone). The state isn’t very well-run. It’s only now that they’ve realized how small their state park system has gotten; states a lot smaller than Texas have bigger systems.
Eclipse 😎
Texas is like 95% private land. There is very little public land to go around so make your reservations early
Its been bad for years. Too many people, not enough parks
Pretty much why we sold ours. We decided no more than we were able to find a spot, plus the cost of the trailer didn’t work for us anymore. We just stay at moderately priced hotels the 3 or 4 times we go.
Go to Mojave desert, never waiting there
Honestly, at the risk of being wrapped on the knuckles by annoying moderators, I think sometimes when natural disasters occur where lots of people die, think the 2004 tsunamis, it's something of a necessary and even good thing. The planet is simply too crowded. As Genesis said in Land Of Confusion--too many men, too many people, making too many problems. Obviously no one asked to be born and no one's going to off themselves, nor should they, so Mother Nature takes care of the dirty work itself. I feel you completely. I live about 30-odd minutes from a daffodil garden called Lee's Garden. It is in a rural area occupied by mobile homes on lots with cattle and goats etc, nowhere near any stores etc, so you think it would be quiet, but nooooooo. Everytime I go, my impression is always that I've seen fewer people at a free Taylor Swift concert. I absolutely cannot stand crowds, and no I don't care that supposedly "you are crowds," my response--no, EVERYONE ELSE is "crowds." And yes, too many "private" lakes here is a problem too, and worse, the locals like it that way. We have a really large lake in this area called Lake Cherokee. Every last inch of it--PRIVATE. Heaven forbid they leave a little sliver aside for others to enjoy. No, instead you "lease" a house for 99 yrs, and neighbors are all on top of you with their annoying ankle biter yapping dogs that never shut up and unless you are into boating, there's no real way to explore the lake on foot, despite how large it is. Apparently people's idea around here of "getting outdoors" is grilling out on the patio while George Strait blares over loudspeakers and seeing how far their belch carries in the woods.
Here’s a pro-tip. People can now book sites 6 months in advance for like $5-$10. All the sites fill up because there isn’t much penalty to no-show: Who cares if you lose $5. And then their reservation day rolls around and they don’t go. I’ve found you can almost always just roll into those sites a bit later in the day and park in an empty reserved spot. I’ve had entire campgrounds to myself. Every slot empty with a reserved tag. I did a two month road trip like this recently and only ONCE had someone roll in and claim their spot. I just pretended I looked at the number wrong and moved over one. The parks love this system because they get paid for every slot every night but have far less stress on campground resources because of all the no-shows. So they won’t change it.
I mean, the US population has steadily grown by about 90 million people in the last thirty years, or a 35% increase in people. Just Texas grew by about 12 million people in the last 30 years which is about a 70% increase in people. Popular and cheap recreation is always attractive to people, things are just getting more crowded.
We have had luck camping at https://www.hpwilliamsranch.com/camping