My 10 year old son is itching for a tent camping trip. We spend most of our weekends playing tournament baseball but we could use some good quality time doing some hiking, fishing, canoeing, etc.

I have a travel trailer but he wants to go primitive so looking for some good recommendations for areas at Somerville that may be close to the water.

Thanks for any info boys!

I have to laugh a little that tent camping is considered primitive. I grew up "car camping" camping with my cub scout pack at Lake Somerville several times a year. I say car camping because you park very near to if not at your campsite. As I recall there are the State Parks, Yegua Creek & Nails Creek. I think Yegua was a drive in, park next to your camp site. There were sites on or very close to the lake & we had plenty of fun riding bikes, swimming, fishing, & playing capture the flag. more information here.

Spent many weekends with my daughters when they were younger at Birch Creek unit of Somerville. We were in the Y - Indian Princess program at the time. That park was on the camping rotation every year....

Girls really liked the park. It was usually warm (they could get in the lake - kayak - water ski). Plus it was relatively close to Houston.

Believe the campsites have all been rebuilt since the flooding over the past few years. I know most of the campgrounds were under water at some point in time.

Edit: Link to the TPDW info on current status

https://tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/lake-somerville

Grew up about 15 miles from Lake Somerville. We used to go camping 3-4 times a year at Birch Creek. Lots of good memories there.

The following is based on camping at the state park before the big floods. We haven't been back since, but you can call the park offices to find out current conditions.

I have not ever seen any primitive camping sites that are close to the water at either unit of the state park. All the sites have electricity and water. However, IIRC there is a trail that connects the two park units, and there are camping sites along this trail. These will be primitive sites. I can't tell you how far you have to hike to get to one of these sites, but the office personnel should be able to give you that information.

C

Be aware that some genius district commander or other for Army COE declared an end to day use or non-reservation camping in most, if not all corps of engineers parks.

There are day use facilities that have been sitting empty for nearly 2 years, and you must make a call in or online reservation to camp at a site. The only drive in usage they permit is the boat ramps, and you have to be in a vehicle towing the boat to get in that way. It's pretty crazy.

Have you considered camping at Padre Island National Seashore? You don't need a reservation and you can't beat the fishing. I took my son there last year and we had a blast. But I will warn you I am still finding sand in my truck from that trip to this day.

I would give Yegua a shot. There are some spots that surround a cove kind of on top of a small hill that are awesome. No electricity, but I remember there being water. Best one is furthest right of the cove if you are looking at the water. Site number is in the 40's. Awesome watching the sunset over the water from there.

I'd try out Nails, it's going to be less crowded and more primitive. Birch would also be good.
We've tent camped at Nails a few times in years past, winter time, and there was hardly anyone else in the park. It was great.

Have you thought about canoe camping? If interested I can make some detailed recommendations. By canoe camping I mean put all your gear in a canoe, paddle down a river and camp on the banks. Definitely my personal favorite way to camp because you can haul a cooler and camp near the water but also get way out and usually not see anybody else

Huntsville state park is a great option and only a little further away. It won't have the flooding recovery issues that Sommerville is dealing with now.

I was thinking about taking the kids to Huntsville. Not to detail the thread but you have any recommendations on campsites there? This would be tent camping near the truck with the goals of hiking, biking, fishing. Kids are 8 and 5. My better half has zero interest so it would be 3 of us. Can you build fires there? If so, do you bring in your own wood? Thanks in advance for the advice.

CT'97 said:

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Huntsville state park is a great option and only a little further away. It won't have the flooding recovery issues that Sommerville is dealing with now.

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A good option for camping, but in case the OP doesn't already know, Huntsvill SP does not have primitive campsites.

dr_boogs said:

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I was thinking about taking the kids to Huntsville. Not to detail the thread but you have any recommendations on campsites there? This would be tent camping near the truck with the goals of hiking, biking, fishing. Kids are 8 and 5. My better half has zero interest so it would be 3 of us. Can you build fires there? If so, do you bring in your own wood? Thanks in advance for the advice.

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I don't have a recommendation for a particular campsite, but you can always change your assigned site if you don't like what they pick for you. Of course it is much easier on everyone if you do your changes before things get busy at the park office, such as seen in late afternoon on a Friday.

Some of the less busy parks will allow you to drive in and pick a site, and then go back to the office to pay for it. If you ask nicely, of course. And if they are not busy. Don't bother to ask if a lot of people are trying to check in when you are checking in.

You can build fires, as long as it is in the firepit. You cannot pick up wood off of the ground. You have to bring your own firewood. Some parks will sell firewood, but as we always bring our own and therefore don't have to look for a place to buy, I do not know is Huntsville SP currently has wood for sale. You can always call them and find out.

C

Caladan said:

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dr_boogs said:

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I was thinking about taking the kids to Huntsville. Not to detail the thread but you have any recommendations on campsites there? This would be tent camping near the truck with the goals of hiking, biking, fishing. Kids are 8 and 5. My better half has zero interest so it would be 3 of us. Can you build fires there? If so, do you bring in your own wood? Thanks in advance for the advice.

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I don't have a recommendation for a particular campsite, but you can always change your assigned site if you don't like what they pick for you. Of course it is much easier on everyone if you do your changes before things get busy at the park office, such as seen in late afternoon on a Friday.

Some of the less busy parks will allow you to drive in a pick a site, and then go back to the office to pay for it. If you ask nicely, of course. And if they are not busy. Don't bother to ask if a lot of people are trying to check in when you are checking in.

You can build fires, as long as it is in the firepit. You cannot pick up wood off of the ground. You have to bring your own firewood. Some parks will sell firewood, but as we always bring our own and therefore don't have to look for a place to buy, I do not know is Huntsville SP currently has wood for sale. You can always call them and find out.

C

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With the new reservation system you can select specific campsites when you make the reservation.

They had firewood for sale a month ago when I was there at the camp host site.

I don't have a specific recommendation about a site, just look at the map and see what you like. With younger kids I would consider how far from the bathroom you are for that middle of the night "daddy I have to go" call.
For car camping I think all the sites are nice but being on the backside of the road away from the lake offers a little more protection from any inclimate weather. Trails are easily accessible from almost anywhere.

K_P said:

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Have you thought about canoe camping? If interested I can make some detailed recommendations. By canoe camping I mean put all your gear in a canoe, paddle down a river and camp on the banks. Definitely my personal favorite way to camp because you can haul a cooler and camp near the water but also get way out and usually not see anybody else

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I've always wanted to do this ever since I read "Goodbye to a River". How do you manage camping on what I assume is mostly private property. I almost did this once on the Devils River but was warned I'd probably get shot if I was caught camping. I would appreciate any recommendations.

rootube said:

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K_P said:

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Have you thought about canoe camping? If interested I can make some detailed recommendations. By canoe camping I mean put all your gear in a canoe, paddle down a river and camp on the banks. Definitely my personal favorite way to camp because you can haul a cooler and camp near the water but also get way out and usually not see anybody else

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I've always wanted to do this ever since I read "Goodbye to a River". How do you manage camping on what I assume is mostly private property. I almost did this once on the Devils River but was warned I'd probably get shot if I was caught camping. I would appreciate any recommendations.

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Plus not sure my canoe skills are strong enough. I once saw a guy in a canoe who navigated the middle fork of the Salmon river in Idaho which has some insane whitewater in early spring.

check out Birch Creek State Park at Lake Somerville. Like others have said, there are camping spots with electricity hookups, but you just park your car there and tent camp 10-20 yards away. There are also non-electricity spots in the "Equestrian" area. Horses are no longer allowed there since the flood, so the spots are really just non-electricity tent camping spots. They have group water spigots (one spigot for multiple spots).

I like Birch Creek over Nails creek state park b/c Birch has spots that are more wooded/secluded. Spot 109 in Birch Creek is the most secluded, but 113 and 112 are also secluded (all three are in the Equestrian area).

You can reserve spots on for specific time periods on their new state park reservation system.

Lastly, some of Birch creek is not currently open due to the flooding the past few years. I think the trailway between Birch and Nails is open but only to foot & bicycle traffic.

Navigating Private Property
As you know, the river and river banks are public. This includes any islands. This also includes the lower part of the bank, but as a rule I typically don't camp on any part of the bank if the bank is private. (If planning to camp on islands, make sure they are going to be above water. Google Earth coupled with USGS flow data is great for this.)

You can find islands in hill country rivers like the Guad below FM474 or coastal rivers like the Colorado below I10.

It is important to point out that the public owns the bank between the low water line and half way to the top of the cut banks. (The cut bank is "steep side".) I typically interpret this as the ability to camp on the broad sand bars in coastal rivers.

Good rivers
Southwest Paddler is a great resource.

My personal favorite around the Houston area is Village Creek. I have done the section between Hwy 327 and US 96 and the section from US 96 to the Lake View day use area on the Neches. I like Village creek because it's relatively narrow and shallow, the water is clear, the sand is clean, and I usually catch fish. There are usually very few people. (Especially below 96; we saw nobody.)

For all Texas, you can't beat the Rio Grande in Big Bend. Santa Elena canyon is easily the best. I have never felt at all unsafe down there. (It's hard to imagine that drug runners would want to cross down and back up a canyon thousands of feet deep in the middle of nowhere.)

For the US, my favorite has been Labyrinth Canyon on the Green River.

Canoe Camping Tips

• You can bring more than you think. The first time I went, it was in canada and we did lots of portaging so we couldn't carry much. In TX there typically isn't any portaging, so you can carry much more. Bring a cooler and air mattresses.
• Scout the route on google earth. look at the image date stamp and cross reference to USGS
• Plan to be leisurely. My favorite trip on Village Creek, we took a couple that had never been camping at all. I planned to only do 13 miles over the course of 3 days with a relax day in the middle. That was a lot of fun. You can reasonably do 10+ miles per day if you want to.

K_P said:

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Navigating Private Property
As you know, the river and river banks are public. This includes any islands. This also includes the lower part of the bank, but as a rule I typically don't camp on any part of the bank if the bank is private. (If planning to camp on islands, make sure they are going to be above water. Google Earth coupled with USGS flow data is great for this.)

You can find islands in hill country rivers like the Guad below FM474 or coastal rivers like the Colorado below I10.

It is important to point out that the public owns the bank between the low water line and half way to the top of the cut banks. (The cut bank is "steep side".) I typically interpret this as the ability to camp on the broad sand bars in coastal rivers.

Good rivers
Southwest Paddler is a great resource.

My personal favorite around the Houston area is Village Creek. I have done the section between Hwy 327 and US 96 and the section from US 96 to the Lake View day use area on the Neches. I like Village creek because it's relatively narrow and shallow, the water is clear, the sand is clean, and I usually catch fish. There are usually very few people. (Especially below 96; we saw nobody.)

For all Texas, you can't beat the Rio Grande in Big Bend. Santa Elena canyon is easily the best. I have never felt at all unsafe down there. (It's hard to imagine that drug runners would want to cross down and back up a canyon thousands of feet deep in the middle of nowhere.)

For the US, my favorite has been Labyrinth Canyon on the Green River.

Canoe Camping Tips

• You can bring more than you think. The first time I went, it was in canada and we did lots of portaging so we couldn't carry much. In TX there typically isn't any portaging, so you can carry much more. Bring a cooler and air mattresses.
• Scout the route on google earth. look at the image date stamp and cross reference to USGS
• Plan to be leisurely. My favorite trip on Village Creek, we took a couple that had never been camping at all. I planned to only do 13 miles over the course of 3 days with a relax day in the middle. That was a lot of fun. You can reasonably do 10+ miles per day if you want to.

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This is so awesome. Thank you so much for sharing.

At least before the flooding, Birch Creek State Park has primitive campsite where you hike in. You begin at the Equestrian Camp sites and hike in. The trail goes to Nails Creek State Park.

Even when horses were allowed we enjoyed camping in the Equestrian area. It seemed that the sites were larger, and if cout our little granddaughter enjoyed being around the horses.

MouthBQ98 said:

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Be aware that some genius district commander or other for Army COE declared an end to day use or non-reservation camping in most, if not all corps of engineers parks.

There are day use facilities that have been sitting empty for nearly 2 years, and you must make a call in or online reservation to camp at a site. The only drive in usage they permit is the boat ramps, and you have to be in a vehicle towing the boat to get in that way. It's pretty crazy.

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This is insane! Back when I went to A&M we would go out to Rocky Creek Park in the spring and catch white bass and catfish from the bank. Sucks that this is no longer an option for the public.

NBD - if you need anything feel free to email since you don't have PM



ETA - that is assuming you're around Houston you're welcome to borrow anything you need (and I have probably everything you need.) canoes, tents, etc etc etc. goes for anybody with AG tag

SanAntoneAg said:

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MouthBQ98 said:

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Be aware that some genius district commander or other for Army COE declared an end to day use or non-reservation camping in most, if not all corps of engineers parks.

There are day use facilities that have been sitting empty for nearly 2 years, and you must make a call in or online reservation to camp at a site. The only drive in usage they permit is the boat ramps, and you have to be in a vehicle towing the boat to get in that way. It's pretty crazy.

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This is insane! Back when I went to A&M we would go out to Rocky Creek Park in the spring and catch white bass and catfish from the bank. Sucks that this is no longer an option for the public.

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That is some bull**** - I have some great memories going there to stand in the lake fishing and wish we owned a boat

MouthBQ98 said:

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Be aware that some genius district commander or other for Army COE declared an end to day use or non-reservation camping in most, if not all corps of engineers parks.

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I've never understood this, and never will.

It seems like people put in charge of public land do everything possible to prevent the public from actually using the land.

****s crazy to me.

MTTANK said:

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I would give Yegua a shot. There are some spots that surround a cove kind of on top of a small hill that are awesome. No electricity, but I remember there being water. Best one is furthest right of the cove if you are looking at the water. Site number is in the 40's. Awesome watching the sunset over the water from there.

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Last time I was there, the entire Gonzales family held a reunion next to our campsite. Tejano music blaring all damn night and a generator that sounded like a got damn steam engine. Cops finally showed up and shut it down about 1 am.

Stayed at Birch Creek last spring in the tent sites in the old equestrian section. I can't remember what site we had but you almost couldn't see your car. Walked through a small opening in the trees that then opened up into the site. Those sites are mainly on the left side of that road as you head toward the trailway. 104, 105, 106, 107 are more open and better for group camping. I think we were probably 113 or 112 but the culdesac spots were decent too.

There were a lot of sandy areas by the boat ramp at Birch Creek. Even though the water was freezing, my kids still waded out on a nice sandy bottom and had a blast. Birch is also closer to College Station if you wanna fit in an Aggie baseball/softball game.

ETA- at the Birch Creek equestrian sites, you are basically at the trailway trailhead. My son was almost 9 when we were there last spring and the trail gave him all he wanted on his bike. We turned around and came back but could've kept going. Not sure if you can go as far if you start at the Nails Creek Unit. We went almost 2 miles from the trailhead in Birch before turning around.

Only problem with Birch as far as what you want is proximity to water. Have to drive really.

CT'97 said:

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Caladan said:

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dr_boogs said:

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I was thinking about taking the kids to Huntsville. Not to detail the thread but you have any recommendations on campsites there? This would be tent camping near the truck with the goals of hiking, biking, fishing. Kids are 8 and 5. My better half has zero interest so it would be 3 of us. Can you build fires there? If so, do you bring in your own wood? Thanks in advance for the advice.

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I don't have a recommendation for a particular campsite, but you can always change your assigned site if you don't like what they pick for you. Of course it is much easier on everyone if you do your changes before things get busy at the park office, such as seen in late afternoon on a Friday.

Some of the less busy parks will allow you to drive in a pick a site, and then go back to the office to pay for it. If you ask nicely, of course. And if they are not busy. Don't bother to ask if a lot of people are trying to check in when you are checking in.

You can build fires, as long as it is in the firepit. You cannot pick up wood off of the ground. You have to bring your own firewood. Some parks will sell firewood, but as we always bring our own and therefore don't have to look for a place to buy, I do not know is Huntsville SP currently has wood for sale. You can always call them and find out.

C

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With the new reservation system you can select specific campsites when you make the reservation.

They had firewood for sale a month ago when I was there at the camp host site.

I don't have a specific recommendation about a site, just look at the map and see what you like. With younger kids I would consider how far from the bathroom you are for that middle of the night "daddy I have to go" call.
For car camping I think all the sites are nice but being on the backside of the road away from the lake offers a little more protection from any inclimate weather. Trails are easily accessible from almost anywhere.

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In my experience, the fishing dock in the Prairie Branch section of the park has been less crowded. If you want to camp nearby and walk to the dock, try to get a site in the 123-157 range. 142-157 are on/closest to the water. 126-136 are further away up the hill. Fires can only be built in the fire rings or grills, nothing on the open ground. Plenty of park roads for biking or you can hit the trails for mountain biking. Plenty of kid friendly hiking trails. Plus you can rent a canoe and/or paddle boat and have a good chance at spotting an alligator on the water.

K_P said:

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Navigating Private Property
As you know, the river and river banks are public. This includes any islands. This also includes the lower part of the bank, but as a rule I typically don't camp on any part of the bank if the bank is private. (If planning to camp on islands, make sure they are going to be above water. Google Earth coupled with USGS flow data is great for this.)

You can find islands in hill country rivers like the Guad below FM474 or coastal rivers like the Colorado below I10.

It is important to point out that the public owns the bank between the low water line and half way to the top of the cut banks. (The cut bank is "steep side".) I typically interpret this as the ability to camp on the broad sand bars in coastal rivers.

Good rivers
Southwest Paddler is a great resource.

My personal favorite around the Houston area is Village Creek. I have done the section between Hwy 327 and US 96 and the section from US 96 to the Lake View day use area on the Neches. I like Village creek because it's relatively narrow and shallow, the water is clear, the sand is clean, and I usually catch fish. There are usually very few people. (Especially below 96; we saw nobody.)

For all Texas, you can't beat the Rio Grande in Big Bend. Santa Elena canyon is easily the best. I have never felt at all unsafe down there. (It's hard to imagine that drug runners would want to cross down and back up a canyon thousands of feet deep in the middle of nowhere.)

For the US, my favorite has been Labyrinth Canyon on the Green River.

Canoe Camping Tips

• You can bring more than you think. The first time I went, it was in canada and we did lots of portaging so we couldn't carry much. In TX there typically isn't any portaging, so you can carry much more. Bring a cooler and air mattresses.
• Scout the route on google earth. look at the image date stamp and cross reference to USGS
• Plan to be leisurely. My favorite trip on Village Creek, we took a couple that had never been camping at all. I planned to only do 13 miles over the course of 3 days with a relax day in the middle. That was a lot of fun. You can reasonably do 10+ miles per day if you want to.

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Question , how do you handle parking and getting back to your car? Do you use 2 cars and park in seperate spots?