Camping / Beyond state parks
State parks aren't the only option - and they're handy to know when parks are full. These are run by other agencies, with their own rules and booking sites. Keep state and federal separate.
Texas has two national parks plus other federal park sites. How you book differs by site.
Vast desert and mountain park in West Texas, with developed campgrounds and designated backcountry camping (no dispersed/boondocking).
Booking: Developed sites on recreation.gov; entrance fee (America the Beautiful pass valid).
Home to Guadalupe Peak, the highest point in Texas (8,751 ft), with three campgrounds.
Booking: recreation.gov; entrance fee (America the Beautiful pass valid).
Miles of beach camping on a barrier island.
Booking: First come, first served - no reservations; entrance fee applies for overnight stays.
Backcountry primitive camping in the East Texas woods.
Booking: Free permit in person at the visitor center - not recreation.gov, and no entrance fee.
Reservoir camping in the Panhandle (Meredith) and on the Rio Grande (Amistad).
Booking: Mostly free, first-come sites (no entrance fee); a few hookup/group sites are reservable.
Federal sites that charge an entrance fee use the America the Beautiful interagency passes (about $80/year), which are separate from the Texas State Parks Pass. At Texas's fee-free federal sites (Big Thicket, Lake Meredith, Amistad), the pass gives no entrance benefit.
Texas has four national forests (Sam Houston, Davy Crockett, Angelina, and Sabine) plus the Caddo and LBJ grasslands. They allow something state parks don't: dispersed camping. That means free, primitive camping out in the forest - not just at campgrounds. A common Forest Service rule limits you to 14 days in any 30-day period. Check the Motor Vehicle Use Map for where you can drive, and always follow fire rules.
Many Texas lakes have camping run by other agencies. Some are managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and those campgrounds book on recreation.gov. Others belong to river authorities like the LCRA on the Colorado River, which uses ReserveAmerica instead. Between them they have hundreds of campsites, often near great fishing.
County, city & private: Counties, cities, and private RV parks and campgrounds add even more options - handy when state parks are full. Each sets its own rates and rules.
Official sources
Federal camping is run by the National Park Service, U.S. Forest Service, and Army Corps of Engineers (recreation.gov or first-come); LCRA river parks use ReserveAmerica.
Caution: Federal fees, rules, and booking change, and many sites are first-come, first-served. The official agency pages are the final word.
