Camping

[lowthreeohz]

Please explain this "dispersed camping" a bit more.

I love the idea of just driving to the middle of a field where my dogs can run around freely and not have neighbors 30 feet away...I can't really find any literature on the websites..

I think he means primitive camping with a walk-in-and-camp-where ever kind of place.. no assigned spots, recreation areas, etc.. just a man, his two blood thirsty giant headed hounds, and a campfire.

[jluv]

Dispersed camping is where you can camp pretty much wherever you want. No designated campsites. No supplied water or power. Usually free. In Colorado, for example, where a huge portion of the land is public, you can just find a nice area and make it your camp. In Texas, you have National Parks like Big Bend, and then you have the National Grasslands, like Caddo and LBJ. These areas do have some private land, too, so you have to pay attention to signs to know what's public.

Primitive camping is where you hike in and stay in the wilderness, away from roads. Lots of state parks and other traditional camping areas have designated places set aside for primitive camping. On many of these, you can't make a fire, you still have to pay, and there my be a bathroom nearby. Think of an small, open field 2 miles from a parking lot where there may be a few other campers around.

Dispersed can be primitive, where you hike in, but it doesn't have to be. Where I go at LBJ Grasslands, you can drive around on roads and trails and find a spot, park, set up a tent (or just park your camper), build a fire, and camp. You don't pay. You probably won't have neighbors. And there are no bathrooms or any "common" areas. It's more of a free-for-all. There's thousands of acres available to you.

For primitive camping, you gotta carry everything in, so you normally would be limited to lightweight gear, and you typically wouldn't take a big cooler and a lot of perishable food. For dispersed, you don't necessarily have to stray far from your vehicle (although you can if you want), but you can still get far away from civilization.

[bcoop]

giant headed hounds,

You really took that to heart, didn't you? I'm sorry, Kyle.

[IHaveAMustang]

Where I go at LBJ Grasslands, you can drive around on roads and trails and find a spot, park, set up a tent (or just park your camper), build a fire, and camp. You don't pay. You probably won't have neighbors. And there are no bathrooms or any "common" areas. It's more of a free-for-all. There's thousands of acres available to you.

This is what I am interested in. I have a Jayco Pop up that I tow with my Escape. I just want to go somewhere alone, that my dogs can run around while I throw balls/sticks/frisbees without a park nazi coming by and enforcing the leash law.

It would be even better if I could shoot clay pigeons during hunting season, but that might be pushing it.

Can you PM me the details of where you go in grasslands? It's so close, I can try it at least once. Portopotty will finally be used.

[Snatch Napkin]

Here is a link to the Sabine River Authority of Texas. There is a guide to the Sabine Basin which has various camping areas. I know in my area there are places where you can pull up and camp. I just happened to notice I had a pamphlet and looked online to see if it was there. I believe the pamphlet is better, but this is a start.

http://www.sratx.org/basin/recreation.asp?page=site&ID=24

I'll bring a pamphlet next time we're in DFW in hopes of running into you.

[Sean88gt]

You can come camp up on the farm. It's a 3.5 hour drive though. Lots of coyotes and bobcats. The only other noise you'll hear is from the cattle and oil rigs.

Cattle hunt??

[bcoop]

Cattle hunt??

Not my cattle, so if you kill one, you're responsible for paying market value.

[GrayStangGT]

This is what I am interested in. I have a Jayco Pop up that I tow with my Escape. I just want to go somewhere alone, that my dogs can run around while I throw balls/sticks/frisbees without a park nazi coming by and enforcing the leash law.

It would be even better if I could shoot clay pigeons during hunting season, but that might be pushing it.

Can you PM me the details of where you go in grasslands? It's so close, I can try it at least once. Portopotty will finally be used.

Popups are perfect for LBJ, there are tons of small waterholes or what we always did was back the popup into SW the corner of the parking lot at Blackcreek and you have the whole field and shoreline there pretty much to yourself. There is also a fire pit and pick nick table right there.

On the grass about where the black truck is on google earth.

https://maps.google.com/maps?q=Black+Creek+Reservoir,+Caddo-LBJ+National+Grasslands,+Wise,+Texas&hl=en&ll=33.344699,-97.595465&spn=0.000693,0.001635&safe=off&client=firefox-a&geocode=FaPE_AEdRc4u-g&hnear=Black+Creek+Reservoir&t=h&z=20

Our set up last time I went there a few years ago.

[Jose]

If you don't find something secluded and decide to go with a State park give Purtis Creek State Park a shot, awesome fishing and nice park. I think the have remote spots, but I'm pretty sure they are hike in.

That looks like a pretty cool park and it's not far either. I'll have to check it out.

[Downs]

Lake Mineral Wells State Park ?

Mineral Wells state park has some hike in camp sites. The drive up camp sites are just like most other state and national park drive up sites where you will probably be close to someone unless it's a slow week/weekend.

PK Lake state park is pretty good to go. They also have some hike in sites and the drive up sites are pretty nice.

This is one of the few things I don't like about Texas is the total lack of public access land like they have further west where you can just ride off into the desert and camp wherever.

[Jose]

Thanks, Jose! I may have to check that one out.

Closer to home, Cedar Hill State Park has a couple of sites I like to use. Check out sites 41 and 319. 41 is really secluded, probably the most secluded out of any of the campsites I've been to. It has a circular drive and it's the only campsite in that circular drive. Probably not the "prettiest" camp site as it really has no views and it's surrounded by woods but if you want privacy it's the best I've camped at for a local state park.

Map of Cedar Hill State Park

[jluv]

This is one of the few things I don't like about Texas is the total lack of public access land like they have further west where you can just ride off into the desert and camp wherever.

There are public lands in Texas where you can do that. That's basically what this whole thread is about. I just got back from a new spot I found in LBJ Grasslands. There is also Caddo Grasslands, Big Bend, and some other areas down South. I do wish there was even more, though.

Closer to home, Cedar Hill State Park has a couple of sites I like to use. Check out sites 41 and 319. 41 is really secluded, probably the most secluded out of any of the campsites I've been to. It has a circular drive and it's the only campsite in that circular drive. Probably not the "prettiest" camp site as it really has no views and it's surrounded by woods but if you want privacy it's the best I've camped at for a local state park.

Map of Cedar Hill State Park

I hit Cedar Hill often, since it's so close to me. I think Ive camped in 319. There are some others I like in the Coyote Crossing section. I'll have to try 41 soon.

This trip was all about being away from everything (dispersed camping). Found a cool spot, but the duck hunters were going nuts this morning across the pond. The ol' lady was over it, so we came home a day early. I'll definitely be going back.

[Downs]

There are public lands in Texas where you can do that. That's basically what this whole thread is about. I just got back from a new spot I found in LBJ Grasslands. There is also Caddo Grasslands, Big Bend, and some other areas down South. I do wish there was even more, though.



I hit Cedar Hill often, since it's so close to me. I think Ive camped in 319. There are some others I like in the Coyote Crossing section. I'll have to try 41 soon.

This trip was all about being away from everything (dispersed camping). Found a cool spot, but the duck hunters were going nuts this morning across the pond. The ol' lady was over it, so we came home a day early. I'll definitely be going back.

I think Big Bend state park is one of the few. Big bend national park requires you to stay on the mostly graded gravel roads. I thought the grasslands required the same unless you are on foot.


Sent from my iPhone

[jluv]

I think Big Bend state park is one of the few. Big bend national park requires you to stay on the mostly graded gravel roads. I thought the grasslands required the same unless you are on foot.


Sent from my iPhone

They want you to keep vehicles on the roads and trails to protect the land, but that's a good thing. Those roads and trails already go all over the place like a spiderweb. You can get way lost out there taking one road off of another off of another, and so on. If they allowed vehicles to go anywhere else, there wouldn't be any nice land left. It's exactly the same on the piblic lands in Colorado. Not sure what else you would want.

[SS Junk]

Turner Falls up in Oklahoma is also pretty different.

Used to go there quite a bit. There is a spot right next to the falls that wasn't ever really taken. The two distinctive advantages were the view and the sound of the water, which helped us cope with the noise from the other camp areas. I want to say it's the little clearing dead center of the screen:

https://maps.google.com/maps?q=turner+falls,+OK&hl=en&ll=34.426647,-97.148007&spn=0.002011,0.00327&oe=utf-8&client=firefox-a&hnear=Turner+Falls&t=h&z=19