Texas campgrounds across the state accommodate nature enthusiasts, fall festival attendees.
Fall is a busy time at campgrounds across the Lone Star State, many of which accommodate nature enthusiasts, fall festival attendees and Winter Texans making their way south toward Hill Country, the Gulf Coast and the Rio Grande Valley.
“Campgrounds, RV parks and resorts make great base camps for many different types of fall activities, so we expect Texas parks to stay quite busy throughout the fall shoulder season,” said Brian Schaeffer, executive director and CEO of the Texas Association of Campground Owners (TACO), which hosts travel planning websites at www.TexasCampgrounds.com and www.TexasCabinRentals.net.
Here’s a sampling of the many different types of festivals and other activities taking place in Texas this fall along with descriptions of nearby Texas campgrounds that can be used as base camps for Texans and Winter Texans:
Fall Festivals in the Dallas / Fort Worth Area
— Autumn in the Dallas Arboretum (www.dallasarboretum.org): This event, which runs through Nov. 23, features more than 150,000 fall blooming flowers, including zinnias, impatiens and salvias as well as over 90,000 beautifully arranged pumpkins, gourds and squash. Fodor’s Travel named this event one of America’s best pumpkin festivals while Architectural Digest named the arboretum one of the world’s 15 most breathtaking gardens.
— State Fair of Texas (www.bigtex.com): This event takes place through Oct. 23 at Fair Park in Dallas
Nearby Campgrounds
— Texan RV Ranch in Mansfield: This 145-site park is within 20 minutes of major Dallas / Forth Worth Metroplex attractions, including Cowboys Stadium, Hurricane Harbor and Hawaiian Falls. The park features big rig friendly pull through RV sites as well as one bedroom cabin and two bedroom cottage rentals. Amenities include a swimming pool, a pavilion and free WiFi and cable TV. www.rvparksdallasfortworth.com
Fall Festivals in the Austin / New Braunfels Area
— Wurstfest (www.wurstfest.com): This is a 10-day German themed food and craft beer event from Nov. 4 – 13 at the Wurstfest grounds in New Braunfels.
Nearby Campgrounds
— Leisure Resort in Fentress: This is a 117-site campground with 22 cabins, five of which have full size kitchens. The park also has elevated 12-by 12-foot “tree houses,” which feature bunk beds, mini-refrigerators and barbecues. It also has a clubhouse as well as a pavilion for hosting weddings, family reunions, birthday parties and other special events.
The park is east of the Texas Hill Country and is roughly 40 miles from Austin and 60 miles from San Antonio.
“We are a destination park,” said Patricia Lopatowski, the park’s general manager. “People come to go river tubing and rafting on the San Marcos River.”
The spring-fed river, she added, has been replenished by heavier rains this year.
Leisure Resort also has numerous onsite amenities, including a pet park, fishing, a nature trail, playgrounds, pool and sand volleyball court and basketball court, and a shuttle service for river tubing enthusiasts. www.leisureresort.net
— Pecan Park Campground in San Marcos: This park was featured last year in Country Living Magazine as one of the nation’s “must visit” RV campgrounds in America. It sits on a scenic bluff overlooking the San Marcos River and is a popular location for river tubing enthusiasts.
The campground, which has access to nature trails, has numerous pull through sites and is shaded by mature pecan trees.
“It’s just a nice place to be,” said Daryl Cagle, a retiree with a son in Buda and a daughter in San Antonio who has frequently camped at Pecan Park since 2008.
“They have nice big campsites,” Cagle said. “The water pressure is always good. They have a guy come in who keeps the park mowed and manicured and looking nice. They also have a nice indoor pool. My wife likes to swim and my grandkids like to go down to the river.” www.pecanpark.com
— Stone Creek RV Park in Schertz: This park is a great base camp for excursions to major attractions in New Braunfels, such as Schlitterbahn Waterpark, Rockin’ R River Rides and Texas Tubes, and San Antonio, which is home to The Alamo, The River Walk, the San Antonio Zoo and Aquarium and many other attractions.
Onsite amenities include a hot tub; family and adult swimming pools; two large off leash dog parks with dog agility equipment; and two large recreation halls. The park also provides free cable TV and WiFi and cabin rentals. www.stonecreekrvpark.com
Fall Festivals in the Rio Grande Valley
— Texas Butterfly Festival (www.texasbutterflyfestival.com): This event takes place Oct. 29 – Nov. 2, at the National Butterfly Center in Mission. Activities include field trips and educational activities designed for beginners to experts.
Nearby Campgrounds:
— Oleander Acres RV Resort in Mission: This park is a great place for nature enthusiasts. Not only is it located near the World Birding Centers of the South Texas Rio Grande Valley, but it features more than a dozen butterfly gardens that attract about 100 different types of butterflies.
Oleander Acres also features leash free dog runs for big dogs and small dogs. The park is about an hour’s drive from Brownsville and South Padre Island. www.oleanderacres.com
— VIP La Feria RV Park in La Feria: This big rig friendly park has two heated swimming pools; two whirlpool hot tub spas; a large rec hall with live music and shows as well as kitchen and banquet facilities; horseshoe pits and fenced dog park areas. www.viplaferia.com.
Base Camps for Outdoor / Nature Activities
— Fort Amarillo RV Park in Amarillo: This park is often used as a base camp for excursions to Palo Duro Canyon State Park, which features a rugged 800-foot deep, 110-mile long chasm that is the largest canyon in the U.S. after the Grand Canyon.
Fort Amarillo RV Park also accommodates travelers bound for the annual Albuquerque Balloon Festival, which takes place during the first week of October, as well as people interested in seeing Amarillo area rodeos.
Fort Amarillo RV Park has many amenities, including a 4,500 square foot dog park, tennis courts; an indoor heated swimming pool; and a unique gift store called Lizzie Mae’s Mercantile, which features everything from Texas-themed souvenirs to Christmas ornaments, unique baking mixes and condiments and home decor items. www.fortrvparks.com
— Loyd Park in Grand Prairie: Loyd Park is a 791-acre recreation area located in the middle of the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex on the west shore of Joe Pool Lake.
The park has 221 campsites, eight lakefront cabins, an 18-room lodge and a two-bedroom, one bath house for rent.
Built on a site with large majestic oak trees just a few steps from Joe Pool Lake, the Loyd Park Lodge, which opened last year, features a fully furnished kitchen, a covered porch with rocking chairs, barbecue grill, a fire pit and big screen TVs and WiFi.
“The new Loyd Home is the newest rental addition to Loyd Park,” said Heather Markham, program coordinator for the Grand Prairie Parks, Arts and Recreation Department. She said the home can accommodate up to four guests who want to enjoy the natural beauty of Joe Pool Lake while still having all of the comforts of home, including a fully furnished kitchen and a living room with satellite TV, and a backyard deck with a hot tub.
Loyd Park also features furnished one- and two-bedroom cabins with kitchens and bathrooms as well as large private and group campsites, each of which comes with its own picnic table, pavilion, grill and fire ring.
In addition to offering boating and swimming at Joe Pool Lake, Loyd Park offers canoe and kayak rentals as well as a paddling trail along Walnut Creek. Hiking, biking and equestrian trails are also available. Additional amenities include volleyball courts, a softball field and a playground. www.loydpark.com
Base Camps for Fall Rafting and Water Sports
— Pecan Park Campground in San Marcos: This park was featured last year in Country Living Magazine as one of the nation’s “must visit” RV campgrounds in America. It sits on a scenic bluff overlooking the San Marcos River and is a popular location for river tubing enthusiasts.
The campground, which has access to nature trails, has numerous pull through sites and is shaded by mature pecan trees.
“It’s just a nice place to be,” said Daryl Cagle, a retiree with a son in Buda and a daughter in San Antonio who has frequently camped at Pecan Park since 2008.
“They have nice big campsites,” Cagle said. “The water pressure is always good. They have a guy come in who keeps the park mowed and manicured and looking nice. They also have a nice indoor pool. My wife likes to swim and my grandkids like to go down to the river.” www.pecanpark.com
— Rio Vista Resort in Kingsland: This park is located on Lake LBJ, which is popular with water sports enthusiasts. The resort offers kayak and canoe rentals, while jet skis and larger boats can be rented from other businesses along the lake.
In addition to RV sites, Rio Vista Resort offers lake houses that sleep up to 20 people and villas that sleep up to eight. Most RV sites are within 200 to 300 feet of the lake, many are on shady spots, and all of them have easy access to the lake, fishing pier, and boat slips. Other amenities include a swimming pool, a water trampoline, water slides, a splash pad and mini golf. www.riovistaresort.com
Year Round Destination Parks and Nearby Attractions
— BCS Marino Road RV Park in Bryan: This big rig friendly park is located near Texas A & M University, the George Bush Presidential Library and Museum, the Blue Bell Creamery, Lake Bryan and the Brazos Valley Museum of Natural History, among other attractions.
The park features nice landscaping and sitting areas with gazebos, barbecue pits and charcoal grills. A dump station is also located onsite. www.bcsmarinoroadrvpark.com
— Mill Creek Ranch Resort in Canton: Located 60 minutes east of Dallas, this upscale park is an ideal base camp for shopping enthusiasts who are itching to visit the world’s largest flea market, which takes place on the streets on Canton Thursday through Sunday before the first Monday of every month. Mill Creek features RV sites as well as cabin and cottage rentals. Amenities include hiking and bike trails; disc golf; catch and release fishing ponds, paddle boat rentals; life size chess and checkers games; horseshoes; volleyball; basketball; swimming pools, a hot tub; and an onsite spa with yoga instruction. www.millcreekranchresort.com
— Rayford Crossing RV Resort in Spring: This park will have its annual chili cookoff and Halloween party on Saturday, Oct. 29. The weekend will also include family craft activities and a DJ by the pool. Rayford Crossing also has a Thanksgiving Day potluck where the park provides the meats and the guests bring the side dishes. The park also offers special Black Friday events for children so that some of the adults can go out shopping.
Guests often use Rayford Crossing as a base camp for sightseeing in the Houston area or for attending local festivals and sporting events. Concerts in the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, one of the world’s top rated outdoor amphitheaters, are another big draw.
Rayford Crossing is a three-time winner of TACO’s “Park of the Year” Award, also offers plenty of recreational activities, including hiking and biking trails as well as an exercise room and luxurious bathroom facilities with granite and stone showers. Park owners Bill and Gwen Craig recently completed more than half a million dollars in improvements to their swimming pools, buildings and patios. They also built a new dog park. www.rayfordcrossing.com.
Consumers can research Texas campgrounds, RV parks and resorts and book their reservations through TACO’s travel planning websites. TACO also offers a free printed campground directory, the 156-page RV Travel and Camping Guide to Texas, which can be ordered through TexasCampgrounds.com or accessed in digital format online.
For more information about camping in Texas, call Brian Schaeffer at 817.426.9395.
SOURCE: TACO press release
