Looking for an awesome place to take your RV this summer? Why not head down to Texas? Texas is an amazing place to explore, and because it’s so big, there is a lot to see and do. One of the best ways to experience Texas in an RV is by camping your way through the state’s incredible state parks.

Texas has some of the best state parks around, offering guests amazing views, awesome recreation opportunities, and even surprisingly clean bathrooms. Not only that, these parks are also incredibly diverse, featuring everything from mountains to beaches, as well as some seriously awesome caves (among other things).

Still not convinced? Read on to learn more about these state parks and why you simply must visit them.

Texas State Parks We Love

Let’s begin by discussing some of the parks we’ve visited and fallen in love with. These particular parks were simply outstanding, and we 100% recommend them to anyone with the time to work them into their travel schedule.

Dinosaur Valley State Park

Located in Glen Rose, TX, Dinosaur Valley State Park is a dino-lover’s dream come true. Here, visitors can see actual dinosaur tracks and walk in the footsteps of these amazing creatures.

Summer is the best time to visit, as the tracks can be covered by water during other times of year, so be sure to plan accordingly. Additionally, you will want to make sure to bring good hiking gear, as some of the tracks can be a bit difficult to reach.

Galveston Island State Park

Everyone loves a good old-fashioned beach day. What if you could spend several days in a row on the beach? At Galveston Island State Park you can do exactly that.

While several of the park’s campsites are located across the road and about a mile and a half from the beach, there are a few sites that are sitting right by the water and a quick two-minute walk will have you at the beach and ready to play. What could be better than that?

Just be aware that this park does book up quickly in the summer!

McKinney Falls State Park

The location of this park simply couldn’t be better. McKinney Falls State Park is located within Austin city limits, meaning you can easily drive into the city during your stay and experience all the music, barbecue, and fun Austin has to offer.

That said, the park is secluded from all this hustle and bustle, and gives campers a great place to escape at the end of a long day of exploring. Hiking is a wonderful way to spend a day in this park, and the gorgeous falls are wonderful to look at. Best of all, the water in this park is nice and cool—perfect for swimming on a hot Texas summer day.

Other Bucket-List State Parks in Texas

While we have seen quite a few of the Texas state parks, we have yet to visit them all. For that reason, a few of these parks are still sitting on our bucket list. These are parks that we’ve heard about from traveling friends, and based on what we’ve heard, we highly recommend you add them to your list of things to see as well:

• Big Bend Ranch State Park
• Palo Duro Canyon State Park Colorado Bend State Park
• Longhorn Cavern State Park

Saving Money While Camping in Texas State Parks

One of the very best things about using Texas state park campgrounds is the fact that these campsites are so well kept, yet so inexpensive. We’ve visited state parks all over the country, and feel these parks are far better than most—and yet in our experience, their rates range from only $18–$25 a night.

That said, the parks do charge campers their day-use fee on top of the camping fees. This can add up quickly, especially if you take your whole family camping, and will easily eat up any savings you may have had by staying in a state park over a private park. Luckily, there is a way around this issue.

The Texas State Parks Pass is an annual membership that allows you free entry to all of the parks, as well as waived day-use fees when camping. On top of that, those who own a Texas State Park Pass will receive half-off their second night of camping, saving you even more money.

We think this pass is well worth the $70 investment, and found it paid for itself in almost no time. Therefore, it is definitely something you’ll want to look into if you plan to camp in these parks often.

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About the author: Chelsea Gonzales

Chelsea has the amazing opportunity to take part in full-time RV living and traveling with her tiny tribe. She homeschools her five-year-old son as they travel, and takes full advantage of their unique situation by using the entire world as her son’s classroom. A group of total Disney fanatics, Chelsea and her family often find themselves in the Orlando area in order to visit the Disney parks, but they have also visited over 25 of the 50 states with plans to see many more along the way. No matter where her travels take her, Chelsea enjoys riding bikes, gazing at beautiful sunsets, finding new coffee shops, Irish dancing, and sitting around a campfire with her family.

You can join her adventures through her blog, Wonder Wherever We Wander.

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Kari W. ~ “We were locked out of our vehicle with groceries. The service provider was quicker than the quoted arrival time and we were on our way in seconds. Just sign and drive which makes me happy and my husband was relieved I purchased Coach-Net, because yes ….these things happen.”