stephen f. austin state park

I visited this park in the spring before the busy season began. It was chilly, but it was a piece of cake compared to Nebraska's spring temps. I had the campground almost all to myself when I arrived, but the next day was overrun by Boy Scouts! Lol! I was told many school groups come to the park, so it's a good idea to check their schedule before planning a quiet weekend here. There are lots of things to do, many of the activities centering around the little wood between the campground and the Brazos River. The trails are well-maintained, with delightful little copses and views from beginning to end. I fished a little in the Brazos--didn't catch anything but a stellar view of the sunset. I was happy except for the mosquitos. On the way to the river, I had met two crusty old men on bicycles. They were searching for mulberries, and each had a small baggie full of them. They warned me not to go off the path, though, due to nasty plants and critters. I didn't look for mulberries, but I did get some amazing photos--especially at dusk on my way back to my tent. I saw many families near the river on Saturday, some fishing with small children, some riding bikes, some walking hand in hand looking around them with relaxed smiles. There is a very nice little interactive visitor's center, too. If you're from the area, ask about use of the community hall. It looks clean and well-organized. Separate areas for campers, tents and picnics help you avoid being overrun by visitors with different goals from your own. There's a nice group camping area and ampitheater, too. Staff at the entrance office was friendly and helpful without being too intrusive. As I left the park, the ranger asked me if I'd had any luck fishing. I said yes, lots of luck, but no fish. :)

we completed our last of three wonderful nights camping at this park this morning! we stayed in the walk in sites and experienced the cleanest bathrooms we have ever experienced. there are lots of beautiful pecan trees but we learnes its against the rules to pick pecans there. i enjoyed how quiet it was, however it does have a golf course next door so you may hear golfers in the morning.

We spent two days. The campsites are big and smartly arranged. The wildlife is everywhere. The dears almost eat out of your hands. Bathrooms very clean. Staff very nice. Highly recommended!

We rented a shelter and went tent camping for our first visit there in April. Some friends from out of state met us there to camp out with us. Pros: The prices were very impressive for what we got. The staff were extremely friendly, there were lots of park rangers patrolling, the shelters were clean and well kept. We felt very safe because of all the rangers. Cons: The shower/bathroom was in serious need of attention. To be fair, I must say there were many, many boy scout troops camping that night. They were using the facilities, and not cleaning up after themselves. We have camped there since then and the shower/bathroom was much cleaner without all the kids going through it. We are definitely camping there again. It's not far from Houston (where I live), but when you're there it feels like we're a million miles away. Lots of deer there too. Very nice place. I highly recommend it.

Stopped for the night at this park. Beautiful setting, helpful staff in office. Great place to get out and enjoy nature

This was my 4 year old girls first camping trip! This is a beautiful location. Nice camp sites. We tent camped with water at site 45 which had some shade but not much. Close to the bathroom with showers. The park host was very nice. We saw deer, racoons, and owls. We're going to return. :)

Good access, lots of wildlife, nicely kept, very clean. RV sites have water, sewer & 30 amp service. Sites are nice sized, not too close, fairly level. Good place to camp with kids & teens. Very close to excellent golf course and driving range.

This was a quick, overnight trip while driving through TX with our pop-up trailer. We had no problem finding a nice site with water and electricity at 9:30 pm (summer does not appear to be peak camping season in TX). All of the sites had some privacy (i.e., not just a big field). There is NO road traffic noise. The bathrooms and showers were clean. Stargazing among the armadillos at night was relaxing. I went for a five mile run along the hiking trails in the morning and saw rabbits, dear, vultures and heard a rattlesnake. They have a nice wildlife viewing area and an amphitheater for groups.

Great campground. Only forty campsites for RVs with electric, water, and sewer. Many other campsites have either water only, or no water at the site, primarily for cool weather dry camping or tenters. Lots of roadways and bicycle paths for biking. More trails just for hiking. Golf course nearby. Abundant wildlife. It is located about 3 miles off of I-10, so there is no traffic noise. Nearby San Felipe Historical site has an informative small museum, can easily be bicycled to. If in area again, we would camp here again.

Spent 2 nights with family, we stayed in the limited cabin which has a bunk bed and full size bed and A/C small fridge and microwave. Park host was really nice, bathrooms and showers were clean.. Only problem not much of a playground for little kids only a swing set. I did see in the front of the park they have basketball courts and a volleyball net. The park is very shaded by big trees, which was wonderful since it was so hot. We brought a $10 kiddie pool for kids to play in. Trails were nice and not hard. Overall it was a great first time camping trip for my family. We are talking about going back in the fall.

A lovely park, some nice small trails for younger kids to enjoy. We were all busy looking for some different kinds of birds. They have some small swings & slides on some places to enjoy...We will be going there more often, since its closer & we have Annual State Park pass :)

The two Rangers we had contact with, Barbie and Joan, were both extremely pleasant and helpful. We purchased a State Park Pass ($70) for the year as we will be staying in more Texas State Parks - be aware... this will save you the daily Park visitors fee which you are charged for each day and also gives you 4 coupons for a 1/2 price 2nd night if you stay more than 1 night. All up using the pass saved us $27 that one time. We only have to use it twice more to have saved money. The park is lovely. Clean, spacious, quiet with easy hiking and biking trails.

Great park, clean, well maintained. Nice trails. Very quiet. Spacious RV sites. You will definitely see deer. Beautiful birds. As our personal preferences only the sites we liked the best would be: #21, 23, 25, 26, 24. Manicured not overpriced golf course. Sweet hosts. Helpful office.

Just spent the weekend at this park. Nice and green. I suggest going when they haven't just had rain though. There are many low spots at the campsites. They had just had quite a bit of rain the week before we went. Then it rained on Friday night. Most of the trails are made of a clay surface. We tried walking one and our feet were totally caked in the mud. The bikes got totally wasted with mud. I assume this is a common thing (I think the area gets a lot of rain) because they have a bike mud washing station! The park is very beautiful with trees everywhere. Each spot is very large, but definitely open to the other campsites. Not much seclusion. But, if you camp where the travel trailers are, lots of those people never come out of their trailer, so it is very quiet. It would be nice to go back when the trails are dry. Not much else to do there. It is 75 miles to NASA. Too far for us. Right outside the park is a historical site honoring Stephen F. Austin. Enjoyable place to visit but only takes about an hour tops (assuming you read everything).

Stephen F. Austin is a nice, clean, well kept state park. The restrooms are up kept. The trailer area campsites are wide and somewhat open, which lends itself to meeting neighbors or group camping but does not provide much seclusion. Fire pits are nice. Staff is friendly. Park is on the western outskirts of the metro Houston area providing access to many events. Lots of large Mosquitos, so beware. Did not see much wildlife. Golf course is on the site if you are interested. Enjoyed our stay and plan to return.