Austin, Texas

[S-n-L]

Hello Folks,

We are looking for recommendations for campgrounds in the Austin, TX area for a few weeks to a month in January. We have a 45' motor home so it would have to be big rig friendly.

All suggestions are welcome.

Thanks.
Leslie & Stuart

[dayle1]

La Hacienda RV Resort on Hudson Bend Rd.

[DebbieMH]

Pecan Grove is right downtown. We've stayed there once, very, very tight. Lots of perm folks. More of a trailer park, IMO. But, keep Austin weird - they are accomplishing that. Our son and daughter in law now live in south Austin, so we usually stay at Austin Lone star rv. Decent, good cable and full hookups. Fairly easy to get in and out. Again, not a destination in itself, but doable. Others have recommended Oak Forest Rv - more on the eastern side of Austin. La Hacienda is nice, and we would stay there, but too far away from the kids. Next time we are there is over Thanksgiving.

[Dutch Star David]

Originally Posted by S-n-L

Hello Folks,

We are looking for recommendations for campgrounds in the Austin, TX area for a few weeks to a month in January. We have a 45' motor home so it would have to be big rig friendly.

All suggestions are welcome.

Thanks.
Leslie & Stuart

Miller Creek RV Resort on 281 just south of Johnson City. Reasonably close to Austin, San Antonio, Luckenbach and Fredricksburg if you are interested in seeing the Texas Hill Country.

[livesound]

I live in Austin and x2 for la hacienda. It's very pretty, by the lake and full featured. But they are a half hour from town. But lakeway is nice area. Carefree has a spot close to down town, it's pretty crowded but it's ok. I go to la hacienda for weekends when we want to use the boat.

[S-n-L]

Thank you for all the suggestions. I will start checking them out.

Safe travels.

Best,
Leslie

[oatmeal]

I'm sure someone has done it at some point in history, but the last thing I'd try to shoehorn into Pecan Grove is a 45-foot motorhome. My better half took our 40-foot motorhome, pulling a trailer, to the French Quarter in New Orleans. Yes, it can be done, but I'd never recommend it. It's a shame, because Pecan Grove's location is pretty much perfect.

Oak Forest RV Park has "permanent" sites in one area, among the trees. The transient sites are big pull-thrus out in the open, up near the front. Very easy access. The park is nice enough, but the neighborhood is depressing.

Lone Star RV is an older, more shaded place than Oak Forest. It's right on the northbound access road of I-35, and not really in a neighborhood at all (its actual neighbor is an X-rated video place). If you're headed south, you have to go about 2 miles past it to get to an exit to head back northbound, and all of this is on I-35, which is notorious for traffic snarls.

I've never been to La Hacienda, but I've driven to Lakeway more times than I care to remember, and if you're wanting to do things in Austin frequently, the drive will likely become a burden. But if you want a real nice place to be living, then it's the obvious choice.

People like McKinney Falls State Park. If your "few weeks" stay is two weeks, then you might consider it (14-day limit). However, it's E/W only, and Texas state parks charge a per person daily admission fee in addition to the stated camping fee. At McKinney Falls, it's $6/person/day. With a stay of 14 days, it would probably pay to get an annual pass (which admits carloads and isn't per person like the daily fee).

Nobody has mentioned Old Settlers Park in Round Rock, north of Austin. It's just an open space with RV hookups. The nice thing about that one is it's first come, first served, so if you don't know how long you want to stay you can just keep extending it. Other than that, it doesn't have a whole lot to recommend it, except it is in a big park and I watched people play cricket in that park once, which was pretty cool. It's not particularly ratty, but not real scenic despite being in the park. And there's a train that's not that close but the sound travels. And to get to Austin you'll be on good old I-35. But the daily rate is probably only half of La Hacienda's.

Round Rock is about as far out as I'd be willing to go if I were wanting to do Austin things. Georgetown, north of Round Rock, has a couple of RV parks, and I know people commute to Austin from Georgetown every day but I think they're crazy.

Same with Leander, northwest of town. There's a KOA out there, but if you're going to be that far from town and pay KOA-type rates, stay somewhere swank like La Hacienda. And don't be fooled by the rail option from Leander--it's more of a commuter train and has limited hours. They turned to highway to Leander into a toll road; you can stay on the access road to avoid the tolls, but then you're dealing with the access road. Makes for an unpleasant drive to Austin. I'd definitely take La Hacienda over that, but I'd seriously consider Oak Forest because it's close to town, and I'd favor that one over Lone Star because it doesn't involve I-35.

[Thunderfoot]

Originally Posted by S-n-L

Hello Folks,

We are looking for recommendations for campgrounds in the Austin, TX area for a few weeks to a month in January. We have a 45' motor home so it would have to be big rig friendly.

All suggestions are welcome.

Thanks.
Leslie & Stuart

A bit more info would be useful. Austin proper or nearby, are you looking for a "glamping" experience, urban or rural, small or large, something on the water, etc.? There are too many choices to list here without knowing more of what your requirements are.

[bullheaded]

Originally Posted by dayle1

La Hacienda RV Resort on Hudson Bend Rd.

Been here.....would go back.

[jeryan59]

Originally Posted by S-n-L

Hello Folks,

We are looking for recommendations for campgrounds in the Austin, TX area for a few weeks to a month in January. We have a 45' motor home so it would have to be big rig friendly.

All suggestions are welcome.

Thanks.
Leslie & Stuart

If you want convenience to downtown Austin, I have stayed in Lone Star more than once, kind of noisy but I run a roof air fan at night or box fan and it isn't bad. Older but I stay their for the location. If you don't want convenience to downtown Austin, then LaHacienda is a great place. I have also stayed here but it isn't convenient to downtown if that is more what you are looking for? Good Luck!

[Scottybdivin]

If you are visiting to see the downtown attractions (Austin Weird), LBJ, Bob Bullock Museum, University of Texas, 6th Street, Lady Bird Lake Hike and Bike, Zilker Park, Barton Springs Pool nothing comes close to comparing with Pecan Grove. It is litterally within walking/bicycle distance to these areas. It is nearly full of FTers and tight, but it is the essence of Austin. I have been here for 35 years and it was old back then. I am astonished that it is still there and has not fallen to developers for uptown condos.

If you want to experience Austin and the Texas Hill Country, La Hacienda. Although Lake Travis is more than 50' low right now.

[oatmeal]

The OP said, "We have a 45' motor home so it would have to be big rig friendly." Pecan Grove has many things going for it, but "big rig friendly" is most definitely not one of them. It might be "big rig do-able" but even that might be a stretch for a 45-foot motorhome with a Cherokee as a toad.

The word on the street about Pecan Grove not being bought out is that it's owned by a middle-eastern billionaire who for some reason has a soft spot for it and isn't going to be swayed by somebody waving developer money in his face.

[Scottybdivin]

Originally Posted by oatmeal

The OP said, "We have a 45' motor home so it would have to be big rig friendly." Pecan Grove has many things going for it, but "big rig friendly" is most definitely not one of them. It might be "big rig do-able" but even that might be a stretch for a 45-foot motorhome with a Cherokee as a toad.

The word on the street about Pecan Grove not being bought out is that it's owned by a middle-eastern billionaire who for some reason has a soft spot for it and isn't going to be swayed by somebody waving developer money in his face.

I don't disagree with you and have never personally stayed there. Although my all time favorite restaurant is just mere steps away. RV Park Reviews does state that it has "Big Rig Access". I'm sure it would be a bit of a challenge. Just driving a big rig down Barton Springs Rd may be more than some folks want to endure. I had never given it a thought until I was reading another similar thread. It would have been a home run to have been parked there for the Stones concert a few years back. Probably gets booked up way in advance for events like that and ACL. There have been a few times I would have like to crash out there instead of the 45 min drive home.

[Bobcat12]

We stayed at Oak Forest last November. We would go back. Sites were level pull thru's, full hook ups, dog friendly. There was a small laundry room and fitness room, plus pool and hot tub.