Camping at Magnolia Ridge puts you on the northwest shore of B.A. Steinhagen Lake, 12 miles east of Woodville, deep in the East Texas Piney Woods. It’s smaller than Sandy Creek across the lake — 41 sites against Sandy Creek’s 78 — but the tree cover is better, the atmosphere is quieter, and it has the one amenity that makes it genuinely different from every other campground in the Steinhagen system: a dedicated stocked fishing pond reserved exclusively for kids under 15.
If you’re camping with young anglers, Magnolia Ridge is the call. If you need 50-amp service, the larger site selection, or the Martin Dies Jr. trail connection, see our Sandy Creek Park guide on the southeast shore.
Getting There
Location: East of FM 92, north of US 190, approximately 12 miles east of Woodville, TX
Project Office: (409) 384-5716 | Mon–Fri 8am–4:30pm
Reservations: Recreation.gov #232636 or call 1-877-444-6777
No cash — credit or debit card only at all USACE Town Bluff facilities
From Woodville: Head east on US 190 approximately 12 miles to FM 92. Turn north on FM 92 to the park entrance. Watch for USACE Town Bluff Project signs.
From Jasper: Take US 190 west approximately 12 miles past the lake. Turn north on FM 92 to the park.
Nearest supplies: Woodville, 12 miles west — food, gas, and basic supplies. Jasper, approximately 25 miles east, for a larger selection including Walmart and tackle shops.
Local food: Wild Bill’s restaurant near Woodville is worth the drive — best catfish in East Texas as far as I’m concerned. Plan dinner around it at least once on any Magnolia Ridge trip.
Campsites — What’s Available
Magnolia Ridge has 41 sites in a well-treed, spacious layout. All 41 sites are reservable through Recreation.gov.
30-amp electric and water — 32 sites
The primary site type at Magnolia Ridge. No 50-amp service is available here — if you need 50-amp, Sandy Creek on the southeast shore is the only option at Steinhagen Lake. For the majority of RV setups and all tent camping needs, 30-amp is sufficient.
Site 25 is the one to ask for — it backs directly up to the lake, handles large RVs, and gives you gator-watching built into the morning routine. Book it by name when you reserve.
Primitive (no hookups) — 8 sites
The most affordable option at $10/night. Eight sites without power or water in the park’s wooded sections. The shade at Magnolia Ridge is genuinely better than at most SETX campgrounds — the primitive sites here are more comfortable in summer than equivalent sites at more exposed campgrounds.
Screened shelter — 1 site
One screened shelter with 30-amp electric and water. The most popular reservation at Magnolia Ridge — book it the moment your window opens.
Fees
- Primitive/tent: $10/night
- 30-amp electric + water: $18/night
- Screened shelter: $30/night
America the Beautiful Senior Pass: 50% off all site fees at Magnolia Ridge and all USACE campgrounds. Available as an annual pass ($20/year) or a lifetime pass ($80 one-time) for U.S. citizens and residents 62 and older. At $18/night for a 30-amp site, the pass brings nightly cost to $9 — two nights of East Texas Piney Woods camping for $18 total. Hard to beat anywhere in the region.
Site map: View the full Magnolia Ridge campsite map on Recreation.gov to browse individual sites, identify waterfront positions, and book site 25 by name before someone else does.
Site Rules
- Maximum 2 camping structures per site
- Maximum 8 persons per site
- Maximum 14-day stay within any 30-day period
- 2 vehicles per site + 1 boat trailer
Facilities
- 3 boat ramps (one lane each)
- Kids’ Fish Pond (children 15 and under + individuals with special needs)
- 2 waterborne restrooms with showers
- 1 vault toilet
- 1 group shelter (day use and overnight options)
- Playground and volleyball court
- RV dump station
- Camp host on site
The Kids’ Fish Pond — The Feature That Sets Magnolia Ridge Apart
The Kids’ Fish Pond at Magnolia Ridge is not a token amenity. It’s a dedicated stocked pond separated entirely from the main lake — and from the alligators in it — reserved exclusively for children 15 and under and individuals with special needs.
The pond is stocked annually by the park with catfish and rainbow trout. Local anglers also contribute catches to the pond from time to time. Kids’ Fish Day is held each June as an annual event at the campground.
A free day pass is required to use the Kids’ Fish Pond. Download it on your phone before you arrive at Recreation.gov. The pass is free — it’s a management tool, not a fee. Don’t forget it.
For families where the young angler is the star of the trip, a dedicated safe fishing area that doesn’t require boat access, life jackets, or constant supervision at the lake edge is genuinely valuable — and rare.
A simple kids’ fishing rod combo is all you need. Bring a few hooks, bobbers, and a small container for bait — worms work fine. The pond is designed for first-time and developing anglers.
Fishing the Main Lake from Magnolia Ridge
Beyond the Kids’ Fish Pond, B.A. Steinhagen Lake itself offers year-round fishing for largemouth bass, catfish, and crappie. Magnolia Ridge’s northwest shore position puts you on the shallower, more vegetation-rich section of the lake — good for bass around the brush piles and channel edges.
Three boat ramps provide lake access. Several waterfront sites allow boat tie-up directly behind the campsite — the same waterfront camping experience as Sandy Creek, on the opposite shore.
Texas freshwater fishing license required. Available at tpwd.texas.gov.
Biking
The internal road system at Magnolia Ridge offers 3–5 mile loops in good condition. The roads stay shaded through most of their length — a real advantage over open campground roads in SETX heat. Bring bikes if you have them.
Geocaching at Magnolia Ridge
The Geocaching app shows active caches throughout the Magnolia Ridge area and the surrounding Angelina-Neches/Dam B Wildlife Management Area. The wooded, varied terrain at Magnolia Ridge — pine uplands, hardwood stands, lake edges, and the bayou sections adjacent to the northwest shore — makes for genuinely interesting cache hunting.
How to start: Download the free Geocaching app at geocaching.com before leaving home. Open it at camp and search the nearby map for caches. Start with difficulty 1–2 and terrain 1–2 for a first hunt with kids. Navigate to within 30 feet using the app, then search the area. Sign the logbook, trade an item if there’s swag, replace it exactly as found.
The Magnolia Ridge angle: Camping under a massive magnolia alongside tall pines and oaks — that kind of dense, varied terrain is exactly what geocache hiders favor. Natural features like unusual trees, root systems, and shoreline structures are the preferred hiding spots. The shaded wooded sections between sites are worth checking on the app before you set out.
Pair it with wildlife: Geocaching through the forested sections of Magnolia Ridge produces wildlife encounters you wouldn’t get from the campsite. Deer in the tree lines, woodpeckers in the snags, herons at the water’s edge — the walk to a cache becomes a wildlife walk in its own right. The Wild Southeast Texas Wildlife Coloring Book pairs well for kids who want to identify what they see along the way.
Wildlife
Magnolia Ridge sits adjacent to the Angelina-Neches/Dam B Wildlife Management Area — nearly 13,000 acres of prime East Texas habitat covering pine uplands, bottomland hardwoods, and mixed forest. What you’ll actually see from camp:
Alligators — Present throughout the lake and along the northwest shoreline. Gators ranging from small juveniles up to full-size adults cruise the bank at all hours near the waterfront sites. Maintain 30-foot distance, never feed, keep children and pets away from the water. Respect their space and they’re not a problem.
White-tailed deer — Common at dusk and dawn near the wooded sections.
Cranes and herons — Great blue herons, egrets, and sandhill cranes work the shoreline and the bayou sections near the northwest shore.
Wild hogs — Present in the surrounding WMA. Keep food secured overnight.
Songbirds and waterfowl — The combination of pine forest and lake edge makes Magnolia Ridge a recognized stop on the Great Texas Coastal Birding Trail. Bring binoculars — the birding is genuinely good year-round and exceptional during spring and fall migration.
Nearby Attractions
Heritage Village Museum (Woodville): An open-air museum depicting pioneer life in East Texas, 12 miles from camp. Good half-day activity for families with kids who’ve had enough of the lake for one afternoon.
Wild Bill’s Restaurant (near Woodville): Best catfish in East Texas. Worth building dinner around it at least once on any Magnolia Ridge trip.
Martin Dies Jr. State Park: 15–20 miles by road from Magnolia Ridge. Three units on the Neches River and Steinhagen Lake, with paddling trails (Walnut Slough, Sandy Creek, and Neches — 3 to 16 miles), additional hiking, and some of the best bottomland hardwood forest in East Texas.
Best Time to Camp at Magnolia Ridge
Fall (October–November): Peak season by every measure. Heat breaks, mosquitoes thin out, bass and catfish fishing picks up, and the birding during fall migration is excellent. October at Magnolia Ridge under the hardwood canopy is as good as SETX camping gets.
Spring (March–May): Bass spawn, warming temperatures, and kids in spring break mode make this a popular window. Book 2–3 months ahead for weekends.
Summer (June–August): The shade at Magnolia Ridge is a genuine asset in summer — the tree cover is better here than most SETX campgrounds. Still hot and buggy, but manageable with the right preparation. Kids’ Fish Day in June is worth building a trip around for families with young anglers.
Winter (December–February): Quiet, cold, and good for birding. Waterfowl on the lake in significant numbers. Senior pass holders especially — two nights of winter camping at $9/night is a hard value to beat.
What to Pack
- Picaridin insect repellent — mosquitoes near the lake are real, especially at dawn and dusk. Apply before going outside in the evening.
- Thermacell — campsite perimeter protection for evenings
- Quality cooler — East Texas summer heat is real regardless of tree cover
- Dry bags — boat access and afternoon storms
- Life jackets for anyone on the main lake
- Binoculars — the Great Texas Coastal Birding Trail designation means you’ll use them
- Kids’ fishing gear — simple rod, hooks, bobbers, and bait for the Kids’ Fish Pond
FAQ
What is the Kids’ Fish Pond at Magnolia Ridge?
A dedicated stocked pond reserved exclusively for anglers 15 and under and individuals with special needs. Stocked annually with catfish and rainbow trout. A free day pass is required — download it before arrival at Recreation.gov. Kids’ Fish Day is held annually in June.
Does Magnolia Ridge have 50-amp electric hookups?
No. Magnolia Ridge has 30-amp electric and water hookups only. For 50-amp service at Steinhagen Lake, Sandy Creek Park on the southeast shore is the only option.
Are there alligators at Magnolia Ridge?
Yes. Alligators are present throughout B.A. Steinhagen Lake and along the Magnolia Ridge shoreline — including large adults near waterfront sites. Maintain 30-foot distance, never feed, keep children and pets away from the water.
Which is better — Sandy Creek or Magnolia Ridge?
It depends on what you need. Sandy Creek is larger with 50-amp hookups, 2 fishing piers, and trail access to Martin Dies Jr. State Park. Magnolia Ridge is smaller, better shaded, and has the Kids’ Fish Pond. Both are excellent Corps campgrounds at the same price point.
Is there a swim area at Magnolia Ridge?
No. Neither Magnolia Ridge nor any other Steinhagen Lake campground has a designated swim area. Swimming in the lake is inadvisable due to alligator presence throughout the system.
How far is Magnolia Ridge from Martin Dies Jr. State Park?
Approximately 15–20 miles by road. There is no direct trail connection from Magnolia Ridge to Martin Dies Jr. (unlike Sandy Creek). A separate entry fee applies at the state park.
Magnolia Ridge is the campground that keeps bringing people back. The shade, the size, the wildlife, the Kids’ Fish Pond, and the quality of the facilities add up to something that’s hard to find at the same price point anywhere in Southeast Texas.
For the larger campground on the southeast shore with 50-amp hookups and the Martin Dies Jr. trail connection, see our Sandy Creek Park complete guide. And for the free primitive boat-in camping on the Neches and Angelina Rivers in the same lake system, our B.A. Steinhagen Lake primitive camping guide covers all 13 sites.
For the full regional picture, see our best campgrounds in Southeast Texas guide.
Before your trip, grab the free Ultimate Family Camping Checklist — 83 items built for camping in Southeast Texas.
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