Wanderlust World Wanderlust World Ranked as the number one campsite in Texas by Tripleblaze.com, a website for campers, Double Lake Recreation Area is known for its rich fishing grounds. The campground, which is part of the greater Sam Houston National Forest, is owned and maintained by the U.S. Forest Service. Double Lake, which is only about one hour north of Houston, has 65 family campsites, which include electricity and sewer hookups, as well as nine group sites. Each site comes with a number of amenities, including picnic tables, a lantern holder and a campfire ring or cooking grill.
Campers should bring fishing tackle for use in the 23-acre lake. Species include bass, bream and catfish, which fishermen can catch off of one of the park's three piers. For the hiking and cycling enthusiasts, there is a five-mile hiking trail as well as an eight-mile mountain bike trail.
Owned by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and located near Corsicana, TX, the Navarro Mills Lake campgrounds ranked number two on Tripleblaze.com's list of best campsites in Texas. Located just about one hour south of Dallas, the Navarro Mills Lake campgrounds offers campers an uncrowded lake flanked by beautiful oak and pecan trees. Campers can set up in one of four parks, each of which have controlled gate stations, public restrooms, showers and RV dump stations. The largest of the parks is Liberty Hill Park, which features more than 100 campsites, 14 of which have sewer hookups and five of which have screened in shelters. The least populated park is Pecan Point Park, which with 35 campsites offers campers a quieter camping experience. However, Pecan Point is only open from April through September. As for fishing, campers can expect to catch crappie, catfish, bass, carp, drum and sunfish. The area also offers fishermen a lighted and partially sheltered marina as well.
If you are looking for a truly unique Texas camping experience, then look no further than Big Bend National Park. This West Texas campground borders along New Mexico and features the highest mountain peak in the entire state, making it a perfect destination for climbers and hikers alike. Big Bend, which is part of the Chihuahuan Desert, provides campers with three distinct ecosystems: desert, mountain and river. Much wildlife can be seen in the desert, including bats, shrews, rabbits, gophers, kangaroo rats, frogs, turtles, snakes and lizards. Within the park itself, there are three designated campgrounds, all of which can accommodate tents, trailers and RVs. Big Bend is also unique in that it offers primitive camping sites, where campers can completely live off the grid, away from even dirt roads, and set up tent. This kind of camping, however, does require a permit. For the less adventurous, the Cottonwood Campgrounds on the west side of the park, offers visitors a beautiful view of the Rio Grande, the large river that stretches throughout the region.