1) Loyd Park at Joe Pool Lake
One of the most popular places to camp is right on the recreational Joe Pool Lake. Located just 30 minutes from downtown Fort Worth, Joe Pool Lake has a swimming beach, boating, kayaking, paddle boarding, and fishing. The most common fish caught in Joe Pool are largemouth bass, white bass, white crappie, and channel catfish. If you are a lucky angler, you could be having blackened grilled catfish for dinner at your campsite! The campground has 200 sites, with each having water and electric hookups. Some sites are shaded, while others are more out in the open. There are even some lakeside sites for the best sunrise views. If you have a family reunion or large group, there are two Group Campsites with 10 sites situated around a large picnic pavilion. You can see why this is one of the absolute best places to camp near Fort Worth!
2) Murrell Park
Northeast of downtown on Grapevine Lake’s north shore is a small, tent-only campground with all of the sites right on the lake. With only 11 sites, you can imagine how peaceful your stay will be. Bring your kayaks and mountain bikes with a boat ramp right in the park and the North Shore Trail for mountain biking (or hiking!). Keep an eye out for the local wildlife like white-tail deer, turkeys, and armadillos. If you want to do some fishing, the lake has black crappie, white crappie, bass, and catfish. A classic camping experience only 35 miles out of town.
3) Dallas/Arlington KOA Holiday
Just east of Fort Worth is Arlington, where the Dallas Cowboys play football. There is also a Six Flags Over Texas amusement park for some of the biggest roller coasters around. The Dallas/Arlington KOA Holiday is a great home base for exploring Fort Worth and Arlington (Dallas is right there too!). So you can watch the Daily Cattle Drive at the Stockyards in Fort Worth (at 11:30 am and 4:00 pm) where the Longhorn Cattle are paraded through town and tour the Kimball art Museum one day, camp at the KOA, then spend the day at Six Flags. The campground has enough activities on-site that you could spend a few days just relaxing at the park. There is a swimming pool, playground, and a fenced dog park for your pups. Rent a couple of bikes for a morning bike ride up to the Krispy Kreme for donuts and coffee. There is also a camp store on site for all your basic needs. Definitely one of the absolute best places to camp near Fort Worth!
4) Bear Creek Campground
On the south shore of Benbrook lake is a nice wooded campground with sites right along the lake and creek. There are 46 campsites and one group site for RV’s and tents, including larger RV’s up to 85′. Many picnic tables are covered for a lakeside picnic right at your site. Take your boat out on Benbrook for fishing or paddle along the shoreline in your kayaks, looking for wildlife like roadrunners, hawks, and woodpeckers. The campground is only 20 miles from downtown, so you could easily make a day trip to the Fort Worth Zoo to see the prairie dog town and the new baby giraffe (Pele, born June 12, 2022). Stop for dinner at one of the amazing restaurants downtown, then head back to your campsite for a campfire and s’mores.
5) Northlake Village RV Park Dallas/Fort Worth
Another great campground north of Fort Worth is the Northlake Village RV Park. You will feel at home in this resort-like RV park with a swimming pool, fitness center, and outdoor community fire pit area. The campsites are good-sized and can accommodate larger campers. All sites have full hookups, and some have nice concrete patios. The RV park is only 3 minutes to the Texas Motor Speedway and a short 20 min drive to the airport. It is also about 15 minutes from Grapevine Lake, the west side, where there is an ATV/MX track and trails for some dirt biking fun. You can also take a boat out for some fishing with largemouth bass, channel cats, and alligator gars (the largest Alligator Gar on record in Texas was a whopping 279 pounds caught back in 1951!). A variety of activities to do in a central location!
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