20 Best Places to Camp Within 2 Hours of Austin, TX

The state capital of Texas is most well-known for its live music scene and beautiful scenery. The Colorado River runs right through the heart of Austin, and it creates a few lakes for people to swim, fish, or boat in. The downtown area has a lot of nightlife and shopping for everyone to enjoy. The west side of the city is perfect for those who want to reconnect with nature. Here are some great places to camp in Central Texas!

The Colorado River flows through the middle of Austin, giving residents easy access to the water.

1. McKinney Falls State Park

This camp within a state park has beautiful surroundings and is very close to the city. There are lots of things to do. Campers can hike, bike, or fish! No fishing permit? No problem! A license is not required to fish from the shore of a Texas state park! 

There are almost nine miles of trails for hiking and biking enthusiasts to enjoy! Visit their website to figure out which trail would work best for you! After you work up a sweat, campers are allowed to swim in Onion Creek; however, be careful of the creek because it can flood after heavy rainfall. Some of the trails are specifically bike trails, so make sure you know which is which. 

Pros:

  • Hiking
  • Road or mountain biking
  • Water and electrical hookups
  • Cabins
  • Fishing

Cons:

  • Creek can flood
  • Lots of restrictions

2. Austin East KOA Holiday

This section of the KOA chain has RV hookups, tent camping, and cabins. Guests will feel like they’re staying at a resort instead of a campsite. There’s something for everyone in the family to enjoy! From swimming and fishing to biking and hiking, this campground has a little bit of everything! This KOA is a great getaway for families who are going on a road trip!

Pros:

  • Multiple ways to camp
  • Pool
  • Wifi
  • Pet friendly
  • Laundry
  • Fishing
  • Boating
  • Golf course
  • Camp store
  • Hiking and biking

Cons:

  • Not for those who want to rough it

3. Austin Lone Star RV Resort

This RV park is year-round, and it offers loads of amenities. There is a pool, game room, fitness center, and clubhouse! If you forgot something at home, there is an on-site store for you. Campers can choose to hook an RV up or rent a cabin. All this, and it’s only five miles from downtown Austin! This place is perfect for you if you’re wanting to enjoy the nightlife of Austin! It’s within Austin’s city limits!

Pros:

  • Pool
  • Pavilion
  • Market
  • Restrooms and showers
  • Wifi
  • Multiple camping areas
  • Gated property
  • Pet friendly

Cons:

  • No trails for hiking

4. Evergreen RV Park

This RV park is great for those who want a quiet environment to sneak away to. It’s conveniently located very close to downtown Austin, but it offers serene surroundings too. If you’re going to be staying for a while, the park has different rates so you don’t break the bank! If you’re headed to Austin for a work trip and want to stay in your RV, this park is great for you!

Pros:

  • Peaceful environment
  • Wifi
  • Laundry
  • Different rates for different stay periods

Cons:

  • No tent camping
  • No bathrooms
  • No showers

5. The Oaks RV Park & Campground

This RV resort is settled under 15 acres of big oak trees, providing the perfect shade from the Texas sun. While staying here, guests have full access to wifi, laundry, and a bathhouse. The park has a covered pavilion with picnic tables, ceiling fans, and grills! The park is currently in the process of putting in a pool and fire pit, too! Guests can take in the beautiful scenery by doing some bird watching or by just relaxing.

Pros:

  • RV hookups
  • Picnic tables
  • Pavilion
  • Wifi
  • Bathhouse
  • Grills
  • Laundry

Cons:

  • No tent camping
  • No recreational activities

6. Austin RV Park North

This RV park’s slogan is, “Convenient City Access Meets Peaceful Country Atmosphere.” The park prides itself on the fact that its best amenity is its location. Besides that, it also offers a wifi hotspot, laundry, and sewer hookups. It also has a bathroom and shower. It’s great for people who want to visit Austin in the comfort of their own RV!

Pros:

  • Bathroom
  • Shower
  • Laundry
  • Sewer hookups
  • Wifi
  • Convenient location

Cons:

  • No resort-style amenities
  • No tent camping

Lake Austin is perfect for all kinds of aquatic activities.

7. Windy Point Park

Sitting on Lake Travis, this campsite’s primitive camping style is tent camping under the shade of the trees. Guests can swim in the lake or relax and take in its beauty. While camping here, you’ll have access to free wifi, hot showers, grills, portable restrooms, and picnic tables. If you want to spend a while along the side of Lake Travis, Windy Point Park is perfect for you! Campers can even go scuba diving in the lake!

Pros:

  • Tent camping
  • Lake access
  • Hot showers
  • Portable restrooms
  • Scuba diving
  • Wifi
  • Boat launching
  • Grills
  • Picnic tables

Cons:

  • No flush toilets
  • No RV hookups
  • No resort-style amenities

8. Rio Bonito Cabin and RV Park

This park offers cabin rentals and places to park an RV. It’s located on the North San Gabriel River, and it has lots to do! Guests have access to a playground, pool, and dog park! Also, campers can go kayaking, tubing, canoeing, fishing, or swimming in the river! It has many resort-style amenities for guests to enjoy, and it has a lot of activities for people of all ages!

Pros:

  • Laundry
  • Wifi
  • Cabin rental
  • RV hookups
  • Trails
  • Pool
  • Pet friendly
  • River

Cons:

  • No tent camping

9. COTA Camping

This campsite is perfect for racing enthusiasts! It is steps away from the Circuit of the Americas racetrack! So if you plan on visiting the track, this place has the most primitive sites for you! Besides the racetrack, this campsite also has restrooms, laundry, full hookups, wifi, picnic tables, and a pool. For those who want to visit this racetrack, COTA Camping offers trackside access! The reviews will tell you that this is many people’s favorite spot to stay when visiting the racetrack!

Pros:

  • Next to Circuit of the Americas
  • Restrooms
  • Laundry
  • Wifi and cable
  • Pool
  • Picnic tables
  • Full RV hookups

Cons:

  • Mostly for those who want to visit the racetrack

10. Riverbend RV Park on Lake Austin

This RV park sits right on Lake Austin and has premier access to the lake. Guests can rent a paddleboard or kayak and explore the lake! Campers will be fully immersed in nature while staying here. The shady trees surrounding the park offer campers the full camping experience. The lake has low-density populations of catfish, so make sure you remember if you catch one!

Pros:

  • Bathroom
  • Full hookups
  • Fishing
  • Kayak and paddleboard rentals
  • Picnic tables

Cons:

  • No tent camping
  • No resort-style amenities

11. Oak Forest RV Park

This RV park has a lot of things for campers to participate in! The park offers laundry and pet parks, as well as a pool and fitness center. Check out the website to find out what new activities are being offered! Oak Forest also has ping pong tables and bocce ball courts! This park is a great getaway for everyone!

Pros:

  • Full hookups
  • Pool
  • Fitness center
  • Laundry
  • Pet friendly
  • PIng pong

Cons:

  • No bathhouses
  • No tent camping

12. La Hacienda RV Resort

At La Hacienda, guests can choose to hook their RV up or rent one of their luxury cabins. Guests are welcome to have campfires and go fishing! Wifi and cable tv are included in the price of the stay, as well as access to all their resort-style amenities. The park also has planned activities for campers to participate in! 

Pros:

  • Pet friendly
  • Pool
  • Two ways to stay
  • Fitness center
  • Wifi
  • Fishing
  • Restrooms and showers
  • Pavilion

Cons:

  • Laundry not included with the price
  • No tent camping

The Texas hill country has lots of bodies of water for people to enjoy.

13. Royal Palms

This RV park has convenient access to Austin, as well as many amenities. There is a library where guests can rent books or DVDs and a clubhouse with tv, pool, laundry, and fireplace! Campers are welcome to bring their dogs and play with them in the fenced dog park. 

Pros:

  • RV camping
  • Swimming pool
  • Library
  • Pool
  • Wifi
  • Laundry
  • Pet friendly

Cons:

  • No bathhouses
  • No tent camping
  • No cabin rentals

14. Hudson Bend RV Park

This RV park is close to many amenities, such as a grocery store, Lake Travis, and laundry facilities. Guests have full access to picnic tables and cable tv. The park is surrounded by beautiful trees, and it’s perfect for those who really want to reconnect with nature. While Hudson Bend doesn’t have many of the resort-style amenities other campgrounds have, it makes up for it by having a world-class staff.

Pros:

  • Full hookups
  • Picnic tables
  • Cable tv

Cons:

  • Many amenities are close by, not in the park itself
  • No bathhouses

15. Big Oaks RV Park

This veteran-owned park has full hookups and purchasable storage space. Guests have full access to laundry facilities, a restroom, a camp store, and wifi! Pets are welcome; however, there are restrictions as to what kind of pets campers can bring. Big Oaks is surrounded by gorgeous oak trees that shade the campsites really well!

Pros:

  • Full hookups
  • Wifi
  • Restroom
  • Pet friendly
  • Recycling
  • Camp market
  • Laundry

Cons:

  • No showers
  • No tent camping

16. Lake Travis Inn & RV Park

If you have work in or around Austin but don’t need to move there, this campsite is the place for you. This campground sits on eight acres of land, so it has lots of beautiful scenery. It has a laundromat so you don’t have to spend time on another chore! It sits right on Lake Travis so guests have full access to the lake! Campers can go fishing, or they can find somewhere to rent a paddle boat and hit the lake.

Pros:

  • Laundromat
  • Beautiful land
  • Full hookups
  • Cable tv

Cons:

  • No bathhouses
  • No resort-style amenities
  • No tent camping
  • For extended stay only

17. Emma Long Metropolitan Park

This park is open 24/7, and it has lots of open space for campers to enjoy. Guests can load their boat into the Colorado River using one of the two boat ramps the park provides. There are a lot of volleyball courts for campers to use, as well as one basketball court! Campers can hook up an RV or pitch a tent. This is a great spot for those who want to spend time on the Colorado River! There are designated swimming areas, so make sure you know where to swim! This campground has more tent sites than RV sites, so fast!

Pros:

  • Swimming hole
  • Picnic tables
  • Restrooms
  • Volleyball courts
  • Basketball court
  • Mountain biking trails
  • RV and tent camping
  • Boat ramps

Cons:

  • No showers
  • No cabin rentals

18. Arkansas Bend Park

This park has different camping sites for everyone! It’s located around Colorado Bend and it has lots of things to do while staying there. Campers can put their boat in using one of the two boat ramps, go for a swim, or fish in the lake. It has a playground for the kids and miles of multi-use trails. This park is located about an hour west of Austin!

Pros:

  • Boat ramps
  • Miles of trails
  • Tent and RV sites
  • Picnic tables
  • Restrooms
  • Playground
  • Grills
  • Fishing

Cons:

  • No showers
  • No wifi

19. NW Austin KOA Holiday

This portion of the KOA chain has loads of activities and amenities. Guests can spend their time playing basketball, swimming in the pool, or playing on the playground. It also has 24-hour laundry, showers, and restrooms! Campers can rent a movie for a night in or go out and see what Austin has to offer! 

Pros:

  • Several ways to camp
  • Camp store
  • Picnic tables
  • Wifi
  • Pool
  • Kitchen
  • Fire ring
  • Basketball courts
  • Pet area
  • Playground
  • Laundry
  • Bathhouses

Cons:

  • Can get crowded

20. Sunset RV Resort

This RV resort is located southwest of Austin. It has full hookups of several different Amps to fit everyone’s RV. It’s a family-owned business, and they are very hands-on! There are 50 feet between each site, so campers have lots of privacy! Also, pets are welcome!

Pros:

  • Laundry
  • Full hookups
  • Bathhouse
  • Family-owned
  • Wifi
  • Pet friendly
  • Lots of space between sites

Cons:

  • No tent camping
  • No cabin rentals
  • No resort-style amenities

Final verdict:

Rio Bonito Cabin and RV Park offers the most to do with the best location to Austin. Guests have full access to the North San Gabriel River, as well as all types of river activities! There are many things for anyone to do! While there is no tent camping, the activities within nature make up for it! There are miles of hiking trails and lots of natural areas. Rio Bonito is the best camping spot for people visiting the Austin area. Rio Bonito has the best primitive campsites for those who want to go camping around the Austin area!

 

Bonus tip: Check out this video for things to do around Austin, TX!

 

Riley Draper

Riley Draper is a writer and entrepreneur from Chattanooga, Tennessee. As a world traveler, he has been to more than fifty countries and hiked some of the most elusive trails in the world. He is the co-founder of WeCounsel Solutions and has published work in both national and global outlets, including the Times Free Press, Patch, and Healthcare Global. When he's not writing, he's probably on a hiking trip or climbing in the mountains.

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