any place to boondock in texas?

[el patron]

i dont own any land or know people with land so where do yall go ?

-el patron

[Red Barchetta]

I thought you could go anywhere you wanted to in TX anytime you wanted to so long as you have a g__ in your hand.   
Go to any TX NF and have a great time!   

"For those who wish to get away from it all, dispersed camping outside of developed campgrounds is permitted at no charge -- permits are not required. Camping in this manner is limited to 14 days and the site must be occupied once every 24 hours."

from;
http://www.fs.fed.us/r8/texas/faq/index.shtml

from;
http://www.fs.fed.us/r8/texas/

[el patron]

I thought you could go anywhere you wanted to in TX anytime you wanted to so long as you have a g__ in your hand.   

haha ! sure you can ! problem is, the landowner has a gun too... and he can lawfully do something with it if your on his property !

thanks for the links! ill check em out..

[Between Trips]

Depends on your definition of boondocking. We've dry camped along the Gulf coast at Padre Island NS. No hookups, but it is an established place to park the trailer. There are NF's and NG's (National Grasslands). The USDA Forest Service link provided is the place to check them out. Some NF campsites can be reserved on the Recreation.gov website. All are site-specific.

[mgwerks]

I don't know where el patron hails from, but a big issue is that there are really no federal options like that in central and south Texas.  East and northeast, yes, but no National boodock-able lands for hours around here (closest is PINS).

[el patron]

im in dallas..

i kinda figured there wasnt any place close by...
but i do have some relatives in corpus and occasionally head down there..so its good to know all the camping options..

[Unstable Tripod]

You can camp anywhere in a National Forest unless there are specific signs in specific places that say you can't camp at that spot.  These restrictions would usually be for things like fire danger.  A quick glance at the Texas page of my national Rand-McNally map showed me that you have the  Davey Crockett National Forest and the Sabine National Forest in the east, near Louisiana.  Have you checked them out for boondocking?

[mgwerks]

I have boondocked in the Sabine & Sam Houston NFs before.  Very nice and not too populated - but remember that there are people that DO live in there in their own homes and trailers, so make sure the road or spot you are camping on isn't in their property boundary.  Usually they will have applied paint marks to trees to let you know - two vertical purple stripes, at least 8" long, between 3-5 feet off the ground.

As to Padre Island NS - if you camp in their established campground (no utilities), the restrooms, showers and beach access are first rate and clean.  You had better like wind, though...   

[Between Trips]

Wind is good though, as it keeps the skeeters off you. There'll be plenty of sand and salt spray to go with that wind. We were there last November for 3 nights and the beach smell (which I enjoy) was in our trailer for about a month or so after we returned. Sand here and there, but nothing overwhelming that isn't easily cleaned.

I have some pics of PINS in my photo gallery from our trip in '04 with our (then) hybrid.

We're heading to Sam Houston NF in a few months for the first time ever, but staying in one of the established CG's.

[Unstable Tripod]

I don't have positive memories of Padre Island.  I tent-camped down there one weekend in the early '70s when I was in the Air Force in San Antonio.  I got the worst sunburn of my life.

[mgwerks]

Agreed - PINS is not for a steady diet.  We spent Christmas down there this year.  The wind was a constant 20-25 gusting to 35, everything was wet due to the wind-driven spray.  But, there were no mosquitoes!  That time of year, it was not full, and there was a great deal of beach combing time for just he two of us.

[Red Barchetta]

I thought you could go anywhere you wanted to in TX anytime you wanted to so long as you have a g__ in your hand.   

problem is, the landowner has a gun too... and he can lawfully do something with it if your on his property !

You aren't kidding!

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/texassouthwest/stories/DN-shooting_10tex.ART.State.Edition1.4cc6d12.html

 

[Fishin Camper]

I've camped numerous times in the Sam Houston National Forest near Huntsville and new Waverly and have enjoyed every trip.  Since you're in Dallas, it wouldn't be that far for you.  Just remember, if it's hunting season, be sure to stay in a hunter's camp.  They're designated camping areas that have enough of a boundary to keep people from getting shot.

http://www.fs.fed.us/r8/texas/recreation/sam_houston/samhouston_gen_info.shtml