Paul Winter - SETX Camping

Family campsite on the Gulf Coast Texas beach at sunset with campfire and fishing rod

Gulf Coast Texas Camping — Complete Guide to Beach Camping Near SETX

Gulf Coast Texas camping covers everything from 27 miles of free drive-on beach at Bolivar Peninsula to a Texas state park perched on the edge of 4,000 acres of coastal marsh at Sea Rim, to a recently renovated beachside campground on Galveston Island where concrete pads face the Gulf…

Hiker on a boardwalk trail through Big Thicket National Preserve in Southeast Texas

Big Thicket National Preserve Camping — Backcountry Guide and Nearby Parks

Big Thicket National Preserve camping is unlike anywhere else in Southeast Texas — because there are no campgrounds. Not one developed site, not one hookup, not one reservation system. What Big Thicket has instead is 113,000 acres of the most biologically diverse landscape in North America, a free backcountry…

First-time campers setting up a tent with beginner camping gear in Southeast Texas

Camping Gear for Beginners — Exactly What to Buy for Your First Texas Trip

Camping gear for beginners has one enemy: the camping gear industry. Walk into any outdoor retailer and you’ll find an overwhelming wall of equipment, most of it designed for conditions that don’t exist in Southeast Texas and priced at a level that makes a first camping trip feel like…

Fisherman on Lake Livingston reservoir at sunrise in East Texas

Lake Livingston Reservoir Camping Guide — Every Campground Compared

Lake Livingston reservoir camping ranges from a state park with 141 sites across six loops to private RV resorts on the water to a smaller fish camp on the north end of the lake. They’re spread around a 90,000-acre reservoir in the East Texas Piney Woods, and picking the…

Camping with Toddlers — 12 Tips That Will Save Your Trip

Camping with toddlers in Southeast Texas is entirely possible. I want to say that upfront because a lot of camping content makes it sound like you should wait until your kids are older, more capable, less likely to melt down at 7pm. That's wrong. Toddlers love camping — the…

Best Camping Games and Activities for Kids — 25 Ideas for Southeast Texas

Camping games and activities for kids don't need to be elaborate or expensive. The best camp activities I've seen work on kids in Southeast Texas are almost always free, require no equipment beyond what's already at the campsite, and keep kids genuinely engaged for hours in a way that…

What to Pack for a Family Camping Trip — The Complete Checklist for Southeast Texas

What to pack for a family camping trip is the question that causes more last-minute stress than anything else in camping. You're standing in the garage the night before, trying to remember if you packed the headlamps, and suddenly you're not sure you have enough dry bags or whether…

Family hiking along the lakeshore at Lake Livingston State Park in East Texas

Camping at Lake Livingston State Park — The Complete Guide

Camping at Lake Livingston State Park is one of the best decisions a Houston-area family can make for a weekend trip. Seventy-five miles north of Houston on Highway 59, this park sits on the edge of one of the largest lakes in Texas — 90,000 acres of Pineywoods reservoir…

The Ultimate Guide to Family Camping in Texas — Tips, Gear & Best Campgrounds for Kids

Family camping in Texas gets talked about a lot in the context of the Hill Country and Big Bend — and if you search ‘family camping Texas’ that’s mostly what you’ll find. But for families living in Southeast Texas, the best camping is right here. The best family camping…

Camper applying insect repellent at a Southeast Texas campsite near water at dusk

Best Insect Repellent for Camping in Texas — What Actually Works on SETX Bugs

The best insect repellent for camping in Texas is not a question with a casual answer. West Nile virus caused more than 2,000 U.S. cases in 2025 according to CDC surveillance data, and Southeast Texas sits in one of the more mosquito-dense regions in the country from May through…