The Absolute Best Camping Near Houston

Whether you live in Houston, TX, and want to get away for a weekend of camping or you are visiting the area and are looking for an amazing place to stay close to downtown, there are many great options for camping in, and near, Houston. We have a list of the absolute best camping near Houston.

1) Lake Conroe/Houston KOA Holiday

Less than an hour away is one of the nicest campgrounds in the area. The great thing about camping at a KOA is they have so many amenities right at the campground you may be tempted to never venture out. The Lake Conroe/Houston campground has a swimming pool, hot tub, jumping pillow, basketball, playground and stocked fishing lake (see what I mean?). But it is also only two minutes to Lake Conroe (eight minutes to Lake Conroe Park) so you are going to want to leave the campground to enjoy the swimming beach, marina and great fishing. You can fish for largemouth bass off the docks and near the marinas or channel catfish and bluegills are also commonly caught in Lake Conroe.

The KOA campground has tent sites, RV sites and 34 fully furnished cabins. The tent sites have water and electric, the RV sites have full hookups with some being back-in while others are pull-thru and there are 34 fully furnished cabins with bathrooms and kitchens. A variety of camping options to stay right near downtown Houston, but still have a camping experience!

2) Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Park

With so much to do right at the campsite you might not need to visit all the sites and attractions in downtown Houston! The Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Park has all the resort-like amenities including a swimming pool, water slides, splash pad, jumping pillow and mini-golf…all included with your stay! You can fish in the fishing pond stocked with largemouth bass, bluegill and catfish (catch and release but you can take photos of your catch for later fish tales!). For camping there are tent sites, RV sites and cabins for rent. The tent sites include water and electric, RV sites are water/electric with pull-thru or back-in and the cabins (some are lakeside!) have private bathrooms and kitchens. Definitely one of the absolute best places to camp near Houston!

3) Galveston Island State Park

The Houston area is amazing but it is a bustling city, so if you want to get away from it all you can pack up the camper or throw the tent and camping gear in the the trunk and head out to Galveston Island State Park. How would it feel to wake up and poke your head out of your tent to be greeted by a flock of seagulls and a bottlenose dolphin leaping out of the water? At Galveston Island State Park you can camp right on the sandy beach! They have both Oceanside and bay-side campsites so you can choose what suits you better. The fishing for freshwater and saltwater fish is amazing in this area so choose or do both. You can bring home some good sized bass, bream and catfish or fish in the ocean waters for cobia, mahi mahi, and tuna.

The campground has both bay side and Oceanside campsites with some right on the sandy beach. Choose from 50 beach-side water and electric sites to 20 water/electric bay side campsites and a variety of in between. One of the best places to camp near Houston!

4) Northlake RV Resort

One of the closest places to camp near Houston is just 23 minutes from downtown at the Northlake RV Resort. Spend the day visiting the Space Center Houston, the Houston Museum of Natural Science or the Houston Zoo (plan ahead, there is a new Galapagos Island exhibit including Humbolt Penguins, giant tortoises and sea turtles). After a day on the town head back to your RV site at Northlake and relax by the pool or Jacuzzi.

The RV park is located around a small lake that is stocked with fish (catch and release) and has many shaded campsites, many with lake views. Besides the pool and Jacuzzi there is an outdoor kitchen with a large fire pit, rec room, fitness center, playground and dog walk. Sites are spacious and the grounds are meticulously maintained. You can see why this is one of the absolute best places to camp near Houston.

5) Eastlake RV Resort: near Lake Houston and Alexander Deussen Park

One of the popular day trip destinations for those that live in the Houston area is Alexander Deussen Park. The park is on the south shore of Lake Houston with access to the lake with two boat ramps and a large dock area. There is a beautiful water gazebo right on the lake and picnic shelters along the shore. You can take a boat out to try to find some great fishing spots or try the small fishing pond by the baseball fields. The largest blue tilapia was pulled from Lake Houston back in January of 2010 by Michael Sample, with the weight of seven and three quarter pounds. Other fish you’ll find in Lake Houston include white bass, crappie and blue catfish.

There is not a campground at Deussen Park the Eastlake RV Resort is one of the closest places to camp near the park. The RV park has spacious sites for small and large RV’s, all with full hookups, as well as a few cabins for rent. After a day at the lake you can grill up some burgers at the outdoor kitchen located right on the small lake at the park. There is also a swimming pool, Jacuzzi, fitness center and Rec. building. Being only 20 minutes or so from downtown Houston makes this a great camping option.

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