May is a beautiful time to get outdoors in South Central Texas. There are plenty of options for being active and lots of warm, sunny days. May always ends on a three-day weekend, too, making it a perfect time for lovers of the great outdoors to “get back to nature” at a local campground.
This time last year, stay-at-home orders put many South Central Texas camping facilities out of service, making May 2021 an even more appealing time to visit a local campground. If you’re thinking about an outdoor getaway this month, we’d like to highlight some fantastic South Central Texas camping options. These spots lie both in and around GVEC’s service territory, and many are closer to home than you may realize.
Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Park Camp & Resort – Canyon Lake, Texas
Who wouldn’t want to camp on grounds named for a beloved cartoon icon with a reputation for being “smarter than the average bear?” Jellystone offers RV and tent camping, along with a complete range of cabins and room types—even RV rentals. There’s a whole lot more here than just camping, too. This facility offers enough for a multiday family getaway—a single weekend might not be enough:
- Heated indoor pool
- Complete water park
- Outdoor swimming pools and splash pad
- Mini-golf
- Lazer Tag
- Bounce Houses
- Fully Equipped Playgrounds
- An outdoor sports area with basketball and volleyball courts, and horseshoe and dodgeball pits
- Arts & crafts
- Arcades and more
Leisure Resort on the San Marcos River – Fentress, Texas
Whether you prefer staying in a tent, an RV or a hotel-like cabin or “treehouse,” Leisure Resort on the San Marcos River has a range of accommodations. You can even spend part of your time tubing on the San Marcos. Leisure also features the following facilities:
- Swimming pool
- Sand volleyball court
- Basketball court
- Horseshoe pits
- Miniature golf
- Children’s playgrounds
- Fishing sites (state license required)
- Nature Trail
- Pet park and more
Dead End Creek Campground – Goliad, Texas
For nature lovers who prefer a “rougher” South Central Texas camping experience, Dead End Creek offers a no-frills, off-the-grid hideaway with no running water, paved roads or electricity. If you’d like to spend time far away from the hustle-and-bustle of everyday life, there are few better places than these 20 acres of total seclusion. Besides any camping companions who may go with you, the only company is an array of Texas wildlife, including turkey, deer, armadillos, coyotes and more.
Goliad State Park & Historic Site – Goliad
If camping in the lap of Texas history interests you, there aren’t many better places than Goliad State Park & Historic Site. The walls of Mission Espíritu Santo stand watch over the area, while the mission itself features a host of displays and exhibits, allowing visitors to get in touch with Lonestar heritage and history. This venue features campsites ranging from contemporary to rustic, offering hiking and biking trails, picnicking facilities, and fishing in or paddling on the San Antonio River.
Lake Wood Park & Recreation Area – Gonzales, Texas
This 35-acre park includes a small onsite supply store, but is otherwise devoted to camping, including spots for RV parking and tents. Visitors to Lake Wood Park and Recreation Area who want to pitch a tent can choose from sites with modern amenities or areas that are more secluded and “primitive.” The quiet, scenic park also includes picnic areas and a playground.
Palmetto State Park – Gonzales
Palmetto State Park’s website describes it as “a little piece of the tropics,” perfect South Central Texas camping. The site offers RV and tent accommodations and is populated by a range of wildlife and plants, all fed by the San Marcos River and other smaller water sources. Visitors to Palmetto can enjoy swimming, tubing, fishing, kayaking and canoeing. There are also hiking and biking trails and picnic areas.
Son’s Blue River Camp & Son’s River Ranch – Kingsbury, Texas
Like others on this list, Son’s Blue River Camp and Son’s River Ranch are situated on the San Marcos River. Son’s, however, specializes in “glamping”—camping that retains many of the trappings of modern life, including fully furnished “tents” with electricity, air conditioning, a kitchenette, and beds. For a rougher experience, both campgrounds offer areas for tent camping situated on the river. Both also feature available tubing, fishing, kayaking, covered picnicking and riverside cabana rentals.
Don’s Fish Camp – Martindale, Texas
Don’s Fish Camp features tent camping along the San Marcos River. RV parking is allowed, but there are no hookups for electricity. The facility also offers tubing excursions on the San Marcos.
Camp Huaco Springs – New Braunfels, Texas
When it comes to South Central Texas camping and other outdoor activities, New Braunfels is one of the area’s most popular destinations. It’s no surprise then, that this list features more campgrounds in New Braunfels than in any other local community.
Located on the Guadalupe River and featuring 30 acres, with over a mile of riverfront camping space, Camp Huaco Springs offers non-electrified and electrified tent camping, RV camping, and cabin rental. This camp’s primary draw, of course, is its proximity to the river, where visitors can go fishing, tubing, wading or swimming. There’s also a spring-fed kiddy pool for younger children.
KL Ranch Camp On the River – New Braunfels
KL Ranch Camp is also located on the Guadalupe River and offers electrified tent camping and RV camping. Featuring some of the most beautiful landscapes New Braunfels has to offer, this site allows visitors to fish, or tube or kayak right from their campsite.
Lazy L&L Campground – New Braunfels
The Lazy L&L Campground features 3/4 mile of riverfront camping on the Guadalupe, including 53 tent sites (with electricity and water) and 33 RV spaces, all of it shaded. The camp includes 38 additional electric-and-water tent sites and 108 additional RV spaces with river access. Several additional acres here are reserved for primitive tent camping without water or electricity. The camp also includes the following amenities:
- All campsites include a picnic table, fire ring and BBQ grill
- Horseshoe pits
- Washer pits
- Sand volleyball court
- Wi-Fi
L&L also offers cabin rentals, fishing, tubing and kayaking on the Guadalupe River.
Mountain Breeze Campground – New Braunfels
Located on the outskirts of New Braunfels alongside the Guadalupe on picturesque River Road, Mountain Breeze Campground offers three options for South Central Texas camping: tent, RV parking and cabin rentals, spread across 15 acres. The river is accessible to all visitors for tubing, rafting, swimming, wading and fishing. There’s also lots of picnic space, sand volleyball courts and horseshoe pits.
The site features Cowboy Mike’s Grill and a bar, along with a small store. There’s live music and a DJ every Saturday night during summer. The views along the Guadalupe are cozy and splendid at this facility, making it a perfect place to spend hours drifting along and enjoying the scenery. It should be noted, however, that Mountain Breeze bills itself as an “adult party campground.” Children are allowed, but the facility recommends staying at one of New Braunfels’ other, more family-oriented South Central Texas camping facilities for family-based camping.
Squawk & Skedaddle Campground – Schulenburg, Texas
Although it’s located just beyond GVEC’s service area in Fayette County, we thought Squawk & Skedaddle Campground worth a mention for its breathtaking 10-acres of wooded South Central Texas camping space (we’re partial to the name, too). This facility features both RV parking and plenty of land reserved for pitching a tent. Although Squawk & Skedaddle has a terrific “wrapped in natural seclusion” vibe, it’s within quick, convenient reach of Schulenburg coffee shops, antique stores and shopping. It’s also not far from Bastrop, Victoria, La Grange and others.
Son’s Island – Seguin, Texas
Situated on an actual island in Seguin, Son’s Island is a secluded South Central Texas camping gem designed to create a sense of being hidden away from the world on a remote tropical paradise. The island’s 4000-foot perimeter is outlined with large cypress trees and cabanas. The island features “all-inclusive” tent camping, delivering a glamping-like experience. The island offers no other overnight camping options, though. It’s surrounded by Lake Placid, which is fed by the Guadalupe River, and is perfect for swimming, kayaking, paddleboarding, boating, rafting and jet skiing, or just floating along. There is also a volleyball court and horseshoe pits.
Guadalupe River State Park – Spring Branch, Texas
The Guadalupe River State Park sits on nearly 1,939 acres and features four miles of riverfront shoreline. There are over 90 camping spots, most offering electricity and water, but also a number of spots for primitive camping. Given that the Guadalupe River is a short way from any campsite, it’s no wonder that canoeing, fishing, tubing and swimming are extremely popular here.
For those seeking land-based activities, this park features 13 miles of hiking and biking trails, which also make great spots for birdwatching. Horseback riders are welcome, too, but the park does not offer equestrian camping. There’s also plenty of space to picnic and a Discovery Center where visitors can learn more about the park’s natural features and geography, including a number of hands-on exhibits.
R&R Campground – Spring Branch
The R&R Campground prides itself on being uniquely situated along a bend in the Guadalupe where the river meets Rebecca and Schultz Creeks. The facility offers a number of South Central Texas camping options: cabin and lodge rentals, RV rentals and parking spots, and tent areas, both electrified and primitive.
No matter how you stay at R&R, there’s plenty of family-friendly activity, including horseshoes, volleyball and a children’s playground with a small rock-climbing wall. And of course, R&R is a great place for swimming, boating, rafting and tubing. With 16 acres of land, it’s a great place for hiking, too, along with photography, bird watching and picnicking.
Helton Nature Park – Floresville, Texas
The Helton Nature Park is a 98-acre facility situated along the San Antonio River. This facility specializes in tent camping and features economical overnight rates. Helton takes pride in offering campers breathtaking views of the nighttime sky free of light pollution. It’s also a great place for hiking or biking, with a three-mile trail that weaves through large, shady pecan trees. With its quick access to the San Antonio River, Helton is a great place to hit one of the San Antonio River’s paddle trails or to go swimming or wading. It’s also a good place for bird watching, nature photography and to hold a large family or community event.
These Aren’t Necessarily Your Only Options
Keep in mind that this list isn’t all-inclusive. There are many other South Central Texas camping options you can discover with a quick search of Google.
RV-Only Camping
There are far too many RV-only sites in our region to mention them all in a single blog. Instead, we’re listing several and including a link to each facility’s website. For more on RV camping across our region or close to where you live, try searching Google.
- Rivercrest RV Park – Cuero, Texas
- River Haven RV Resort – Cuero
- Texas Freedom RV Village – Gonzales
- River Ranch RV Resort – New Braunfels
- Rio Guadalupe Resort – New Braunfels
- Evan’s RV Park – Nordheim
- Pecan Park Riverside RV Park – San Marcos, Texas
- River Shade RV Park – Seguin
- Meadow Lake Resort RV Park – Seguin
- Twin Palms RV Park – Seguin
- Hill Shade RV Park – Shiner, Texas
- Shiner Boggy Creek RV Park – Shiner
- Westhoff RV Park – Westhoff, Texas
- Shade Tree RV Park – Yoakum, Texas
