Stephen F Austin State Park

I’ve been coming here since I was little and I still love this park; it never gets old! The park is far enough away from the city to feel as though you’re really «away,» but close enough to get back to civilization without having to travel for hours. Pitch your own tent or rent a screened cabin for $ 25/​night. Cabins lock with a key and there are outlets and one interior light. You do have to make a trek to the restrooms where there are stalls, sinks and showers, but that’s all a part of the fun!

Lovely park! Great for camping, hiking, biking. We often go here for biking and soak in the pretty surroundings! There are tons of deer here and they have a feeding troth for people to view them at a pretty close distance. They also have a little stage, I’ve never seen an acts there but would love to! Fun all around!

The park is great in many ways: an hour drive from Houston so you don’t spend your days traveling, lots and lots of wild life (deer, owls, wood peckers, rabbits, snakes!!) we saw them all, lovely trails that didn’t feel too long, you could easily walk a few trails, go back to your campsite for a beer and go out «hiking» again later.
Bathrooms were clean but bare minimum and I would not take a shower in there unless I was staying for more than a few days, I mean you are camping, let’s face it, you’re not supposed to shower every single day out there, right? Showers were just dingy and looked like they needed a good hard scrubbing — so wear your flip flops or water shoes if you’re a clean freak and wanna bathe.
Here is the HORRIBLE part — I would strongly advise that you call ahead prior to your stay, or perhaps reserve your campsite over the phone, and ask if there are any large groups staying the same time. The reason I say this is, the second day we were here we were approached by a cub scout master who apologized in advance for the chaos that we were about to endure… yes, the ENTIRE rest of the campground was reserved by cub scouts for the whole weekend. This meant the rest of our stay we listened to tons of 8 – 10 year old boys running around screaming, waking up at 6:00AM, etc, etc. I think you get the idea — they ran us off on our last day at 8:30AM we couldn’t take it anymore.
Although Stephen F. Austin has an «event» section on their website, they do not list an entire campground of cub scouts as an event so you won’t know unless you call, hope this helps someone else from enduring what we did!

Wide open spaces, well manicured lawns, camp sites are clean and welcoming. The trails wrap around the campsites so your kids if hiking without you are not far away. It had rained the previous days so bike riding on the trails were banded and rightly so as there were large mud craters in quite a few places. On a nice day as others have said this is a short drive and good getaway from it location. Get outside people!

This is a nice park, close enough to Houston for last minute weekend camping trips, yet far enough to be relaxing.
We had an awesome weekend with fishing, cooking on a campfire, roasting marshmallows and telling stories.

What a wonderful state park close to Houston and not far from the freeway. There are lots of hiking trails of varied length and difficulty, so there’s something for everyone. We did see some people fishing from the banks of the Brazos River. Not sure they caught anything. There are free showers in the restrooms, and the restrooms were reasonably clean. There’s a playground and amphitheatre. We just came for day hiking. I know there used to be a swimming pool here, but I didn’t see it this time. Did they close it? Adjacent to the park, there is a golf course and driving range. Not sure who owns or operates same. All in all, a great park.

If you’re a first time camper or if you’re a tad high maintenance like myself, Stephen F. Austin park is THE place to go camping. I like to think of it as «all the fun and experience of camping without actually roughin’ it.»
A group of friends and I (mostly first timers) spent a night here this past weekend and had a really great time. It’s $ 22 to reserve a campsite and a measly $ 4 entrance fee per person. Keep in mind, you’re only allowed a total of 2 cars per site and you will have to drop by the front office to get parking permits for each car. The campsites are perfectly spread apart — far enough so that your party has some privacy, but also close enough so that you don’t experience any civilization separation anxiety once the darkness hits. Trust me, I’ve watched too many Walking Dead episodes to let that happen. Each campsite is equipped with a fire pit, picnic table, water faucet, electrical outlet, and public restroom facilities (including showers) within walking distance. You can also purchase bags of ice for $ 2 and firewood for $ 5 from your Camp Host. Other than that, you’re on your own.
There are plenty of hiking trails to explore near camp, one of which runs along the Brazos River. The trails are relatively shaded and clearly defined, so you can adventure freely and enjoy nature without the worry of getting lost. In addition, the park offers activities like group hikes and shows at the amphitheater to keep you entertained during the day. Once night falls, it’s best to stick near camp, roast some marshmallows, grill some burgers, and play drinking games. (They don’t allow alcohol bottles, but no one said anything about a little vodka in water bottles…) The park has a Quiet Time Period from 10pm-​6am, though I’m not sure how strictly they enforce it since my party was up and making a tipsy ruckus until at least 11. Whoops! Nights at the park are extremely peaceful, and although you may not get to see the stars through the tree branches, you’ll quickly fall asleep to the sound of crickets and the breeze overhead.
All in all, I definitely recommend this place for «luxury camping.» It’s right smack-​dab in the middle of being «camping» and being «comfortable,» and it’s an awesome experience in the end.

I’m only reviewing the hiking trails here. I went in the spring when my sister was visiting for her spring break. The trails are not difficult and are suitable for a nice stroll through the woods. The weather was warm, but not hot which made it an even better experience. The sun came through the trees and it cast this pretty green glow above our heads. Very nice way to spend a spring afternoon.

There were nice short trails that a family with even small kids can enjoy. The park itself is too close to a golf course and train tracks. We heard the train on/​off the whole night.
Bring your bike to ride the trails and ear plugs if you plan on sleeping through the night.

This park was okay, it’s pretty wide open, and the screened shelters are really close together, with no trees separating them. It’s very quiet which is nice. It’s close to Houston, so we would come back for an enjoyable short weekend.
We do really love that there is a heavy deer population here, and you will see them everywhere, especially in the morning. No matter how occupied the park is, they will graze in the playground area, streets, and right next to your shelter. We would come back for a relaxed mini vacation, but not for adventure. It is further than 30 minutes away from Houston, though. I’d say an hour past Katy.

Great state park located just 30 minutes away from Houston. The park is probably more renowned for its 18-​hole golf course but it also has great hiking/​biking trails, a nice swimming pool, and wonderful camping facilities for RVs and tents alike.
The RV area is located in an open wooded area. Some sites are more shaded than others. It has electricity, water, and sewer hookups. There’s a picnic table at every site. There’s also a public restroom facility that has hot/​cold showers.
There are plenty of hiking/​biking trails to explore. There’s also a river that runs through the park, Brazos River. I wouldn’t swim in the river, though. Water is really murky and the currents seemed strong.
The trails can get pretty muddy but right next to the restroom, there’s a bike/​mud clean area. We used it to bathe the dogs after they were done playing around the river bank.
Trails are really well shaded so even in the summer time, it doesn’t get too hot.
Definitely lots to explore, and it’s a cheap little getaway from Houston!