{"id":448342,"date":"2026-09-26T09:38:10","date_gmt":"2026-09-26T09:38:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/448342\/"},"modified":"2026-09-26T09:38:10","modified_gmt":"2026-09-26T09:38:10","slug":"best-texas-campgrounds-ranked-among-americas-top-camping-spots","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/448342\/","title":{"rendered":"Best Texas campgrounds ranked among America&#8217;s top camping spots"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img alt=\"Big Bend National Park was home to two Texas campgrounds featured in a new national ranking.\u00a0\" loading=\"eager\" fetchpriority=\"high\"   style=\"aspect-ratio:3 \/ 2\" class=\"x100 y100 opc bgpc ofcv bgscv block bg-gray200 mnh0px fill\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Big Bend National Park was home to two Texas campgrounds featured in a new national ranking.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Cavan Images \/ Chris Bennett\/Getty Images\/Cavan Images RF<\/p>\n<p>For a state that likes to brag about doing <a href=\"https:\/\/www.chron.com\/sports\/article\/texas-womens-flag-football-hardin-simmons-22337422.php\" data-link=\"native\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"\">everything bigger<\/a> and better, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.chron.com\/news\/article\/texas-camp-summer-2026-licenses-22243437.php\" data-link=\"native\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"\">Texas campgrounds<\/a> are looking pretty mid.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn-channels-pixel.ex.co\/events\/0012000001fxZm9AAE?integrationType=DEFAULT&amp;template=design%2Farticle%2Fplatypus_two_column.tpl\" alt=\"\" class=\"x1px y1px vh abs\" aria-hidden=\"true\" width=\"1\" height=\"1\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Not a single Texas campground cracked the top 25 in a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.chron.com\/texas\/article\/texas-us-news-2027-best-colleges-22436271.php\" data-link=\"native\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"\">new national ranking<\/a> of 136 popular camping spots, though four made the list overall.\u00a0With fall camping season underway, outdoor connectivity company <a href=\"https:\/\/www.trioflatmount.com\/\" data-link=\"native\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"\">TRIO<\/a> analyzed more than 111,000 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.chron.com\/food\/article\/houston-restaurants-kids-coloring-sheets-22404877.php\" data-link=\"native\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"\">Google reviews<\/a>, scoring campgrounds on cleanliness, facilities, staff, quiet, scenery, activities, bugs and their surrounding environment.<\/p>\n<p class=\"uiTextSmall f aic jcc\">Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n<p>Texas&#8217; best showing came from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.chron.com\/news\/article\/big-bend-border-wall-housing-22381915.php\" data-link=\"native\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"\">Big Bend National Park<\/a>, where <a href=\"https:\/\/www.chron.com\/life\/wildlife\/article\/big-bend-lodge-project-cancelled-22185319.php\" data-link=\"native\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"\">Chisos Basin Campground<\/a> ranked No. 29 nationally.<\/p>\n<p><img alt=\"Chisos Basin Campground in Big Bend National Park ranked No. 29 nationally, the highest of any Texas campground on the list.\u00a0\" loading=\"lazy\"   style=\"aspect-ratio:3 \/ 2\" class=\"x100 y100 opc bgpc ofcv bgscv block bg-gray200 mnh0px fill\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Chisos Basin Campground in Big Bend National Park ranked No. 29 nationally, the highest of any Texas campground on the list.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Wilsilver77\/Getty Images\/iStockphoto<\/p>\n<p>The popular\u00a0frontcountry campground, perched at about 5,400 feet in the Chisos Mountains, earned excellent marks for cleanliness, facilities, scenery and environment.<\/p>\n<p>One Google reviewer called it the &#8220;best&#8221; campground in the park, praising the surrounding mountains and helpful rangers who offered wildlife tips, hiking and keeping campsites clean.<\/p>\n<p class=\"uiTextSmall f aic jcc\">Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n<p><img alt=\"Chisos Basin in Big Bend National Park is home to Texas' highest-ranked campground in a new national list.\u00a0\" loading=\"lazy\"   style=\"aspect-ratio:3 \/ 2\" class=\"x100 y100 opc bgpc ofcv bgscv block bg-gray200 mnh0px fill\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Chisos Basin in Big Bend National Park is home to Texas&#8217; highest-ranked campground in a new national list.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>pchoui\/Getty Images\/iStockphoto<\/p>\n<p>Campers worried about losing access to\u00a0Chisos Basin also caught a break this year. A roughly two-year closure had been scheduled to begin in May as the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.chron.com\/wildlife\/article\/waco-mammoth-tooth-discovery-22438841.php\" data-link=\"native\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"\">National Park Service<\/a> prepared for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.chron.com\/texas\/article\/north-texas-i-35-project-22436272.php\" data-link=\"native\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"\">major construction<\/a> and infrastructure upgrades. The agency later canceled the project because of rising costs, budget constraints and design complications, leaving the campground, visitor center and surrounding trails open.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.chron.com\/wildlife\/article\/texas-arctic-tern-sighting-22328394.php\" data-link=\"native\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"\">Padre Island National Seashore&#8217;s<\/a>\u00a0Malaquite Campground was Texas&#8217; next-best performer at No. 33. The semi-primitive campground tucked behind the dunes near <a href=\"https:\/\/www.chron.com\/food\/article\/boardwalk-cafe-bbq-corpus-christi-22446988.php\" data-link=\"native\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"\">Corpus Christi<\/a> earned excellent marks for facilities, staff, scenery and environment.<\/p>\n<p><img alt=\"Malaquite Campground at Padre Island National Park and Seashore ranked No. 33 nationally in a new review-based campground ranking.\u00a0\" loading=\"lazy\"   style=\"aspect-ratio:3 \/ 2\" class=\"x100 y100 opc bgpc ofcv bgscv f bg-gray200 mnh0px fill\"\/><img alt=\"Malaquite Campground at Padre Island National Park and Seashore ranked No. 33 nationally in a new review-based campground ranking.\u00a0\" loading=\"lazy\"   style=\"aspect-ratio:3 \/ 2\" class=\"x100 y100 opc bgpc ofcv bgscv f bg-gray200 mnh0px fill\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Malaquite Campground at Padre Island National Park and Seashore ranked No. 33 nationally in a new review-based campground ranking.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Getty Images<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Beautiful &amp; secluded, this was the prettiest beach we visited on the entire <a href=\"https:\/\/www.chron.com\/gulf-coast\/article\/texas-fishing-pier-jetty-trash-22436730.php\" data-link=\"native\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"\">Texas Gulf Coast<\/a>,&#8221; one reviewer wrote, adding that it was quieter than nearby <a href=\"https:\/\/www.chron.com\/wildlife\/article\/texas-sea-butterflies-beaches-22418235.php\" data-link=\"native\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"\">Mustang Island State Park<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"uiTextSmall f aic jcc\">Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n<p>Live Oak Ridge Park Campground at\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.chron.com\/life\/wildlife\/article\/texas-drought-ghost-town-18348665.php\" data-link=\"native\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"\">Belton Lake<\/a> came in at No. 42, making it the highest-ranked option relatively close to Houston at about 170 miles away.<\/p>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.chron.com\/gulf-coast\/article\/galveston-battleship-texas-restoration-dredging-22445779.php\" data-link=\"native\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"\">U.S. Army Corps of Engineers<\/a> campground received excellent grades for cleanliness, facilities, quiet and environment. Every facilities-related mention analyzed by TRIO was positive, along with 98.3 percent of cleanliness mentions and 97.3 percent of peace-and-quiet mentions.<\/p>\n<p><img alt=\"Belton Lake is home to Live Oak Ridge Park Campground, which ranked No. 42 nationally in a new campground ranking.\u00a0\" loading=\"lazy\"   style=\"aspect-ratio:3 \/ 2\" class=\"x100 y100 opc bgpc ofcv bgscv block bg-gray200 mnh0px fill\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Belton Lake is home to Live Oak Ridge Park Campground, which ranked No. 42 nationally in a new campground ranking.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Getty Images<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;This is one of the cleanest and nicest campgrounds I have stayed in,&#8221; one reviewer wrote, also praising its spacious campsites, restrooms and boat ramp.<\/p>\n<p class=\"uiTextSmall f aic jcc\">Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n<p>Big Bend landed another spot with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.chron.com\/life\/wildlife\/article\/military-macaws-big-bend-20290828.php\" data-link=\"native\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"\">Rio Grande Village Campground<\/a> at No. 51. The park&#8217;s largest developed campground earned excellent marks for cleanliness, facilities, scenery and environment, with reviewers highlighting wildlife including\u00a0javelinas, coyotes, roadrunners and even Rio Grande beavers.<\/p>\n<p><img alt=\"A view is seen from an overlook on the Rio Grande Village nature trail.\" loading=\"lazy\"   style=\"aspect-ratio:3 \/ 2\" class=\"x100 y100 opc bgpc ofcv bgscv block bg-gray200 mnh0px fill\"\/><\/p>\n<p>A view is seen from an overlook on the Rio Grande Village nature trail.<\/p>\n<p>The Washington Post\/The Washington Post via Getty Im<\/p>\n<p>There was one catch. Rio Grande Village also ranked as the\u00a0seventh-buggiest campground in the country.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1790415490_779_rawImage.jpg\" alt=\"image\" title=\"#\" class=\"x100\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Smart, funny and sometimes unhinged look at the week that was.<\/p>\n<p class=\"uiTextSmall c-gray600\">By signing up, you agree to our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.chron.com\/terms\/\" data-link=\"native\" class=\"underlinedButton fw500 tuo1px tdu tuo2px tdc-secondary tdt-px hover:o70 td300\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Terms Of Use<\/a> and acknowledge that your information will be used as described in our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.chron.com\/privacy\/\" data-link=\"native\" class=\"underlinedButton fw500 tuo1px tdu tuo2px tdc-secondary tdt-px hover:o70 td300\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Privacy Policy<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Elsewhere,\u00a0Schoodic Woods Campground in Maine took the No. 1 spot nationally, followed by Indian Cove Campground in Arkansas. California placed the most campgrounds in the top 25 with five.<\/p>\n<p class=\"uiTextSmall f aic jcc\">Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n<p>At the other end of the list, Sycamore Grove Campground in Red Bluff, Calif., ranked dead last at No. 136. It also landed among the country&#8217;s dirtiest and loudest campgrounds.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Big Bend National Park was home to two Texas campgrounds featured in a new national ranking.\u00a0 Cavan Images&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":448343,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[1836,2299,1704,85744,27,29,28],"class_list":["post-448342","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-texas","tag-chronnews","tag-chronscience","tag-chronstaff","tag-chrontexas","tag-texas","tag-texas-headlines","tag-texas-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/448342","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=448342"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/448342\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/448343"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=448342"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=448342"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=448342"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}