Towering pines and white sand beaches set the scene for year round camping in Southeast Texas.
With the Gulf Shore to the south and the Texas Pine Curtain to the north, Beaumont makes it easy to escape to nature. This southeast Texas city sits along the border of Louisiana, about halfway between Houston and Lake Charles. A mild climate means camping is possible throughout the year, giving campers access to kayaking, hiking, biking, and some of the best bird watching in the country.
Sea Rim State Park, a popular destination for beach combing, paddling, horseback riding, and fishing, occupies 5.2 miles of Gulf shoreline an hour south of Beaumont, where you can pitch a tent in the sand, reserve an electric hook-up RV site or even kayak to a floating campsite. Further west on the Bolivar Peninsula, you can camp anywhere you’d like along the 27-mile-long Crystal Beach.
Beaumont serves as the southern gateway to the Piney Woods region of East Texas. Camp at the edge of the Big Thicket in Village Creek State Park, just north of Beaumont, for recreation along one of the few free-flowing creeks in the Lone Star State. Head further north into Big Thicket National Preserve for a backcountry camping adventure only accessible by hiking or paddling.
Just under two hours northwest of Beaumont sits Lake Livingston, a reservoir in the East Texas Piney Woods popular for on-the-water recreation. Lake Livingston State Park at the southeast corner of the lake offers tent sites, full hook-up RV sites, and ADA-accessible screened shelters. Hike and bike along the lakeshore, or get out on the water for boating, kayaking, or fishing for white bass, catfish and perch.
Unless you’re camping near the cooling waters of the Gulf of Mexico, the best weather for pitching a tent and enjoying the great outdoors tends to fall from March to May or September to November. Summers can get hot and humid. Gulf currents tend to keep winter temperatures mild, but the region does experience an occasional freeze. Springtime is a favorite among birdwatchers along the Texas coast.