How and Where to Camp in Beaumont

Of all the paths you take in life, make sure a few of them are dirt.

Camping means different things to different people, but at its core, it’s a way to get back to nature. It’s a time to disconnect, remember what matters, and spend some quality time with friends and family. It’s a chance to explore the wilderness, tell stories over a roaring fire, make sticky s’mores, and fall asleep under the night sky.

In Southeast Texas, camping is accessible year-round with a variety of habitats and facilities. Whether you want to sleep amongst the forest creatures or wake up to the sound of the lapping waves, there are plenty of places to sleep under the stars in Beaumont.

Village Creek State Park

Reservations Required: Yes
Fee: $10-30 plus $4 entrance fee
Ambiance: Forest

Just 20 minutes from town, Village Creek is a great place to get off the grid and sleep under the stars without venturing too far from civilization. There are 16 primitive sites for groups of eight with picnic tables, fire rings, lantern posts, and tent pads, 25 developed campsites with all of the above plus water and electrical hookups and restrooms nearby, and group sites which can host up to 50 people and ten cars. The bathrooms and shower facilities are surprisingly clean and just a few steps from most of the sites.

Sea Rim State Park

Reservations Required: Yes
Fee: $20 plus $3 entrance fee
Ambiance: Beach

Sea Rim has 15 campsites available for groups of eight or less with electrical hookups that can be reserved on the Texas State Parks website. Each spot is equipped with a picnic table, outdoor grill, tent pad, lantern post, and water hookup. There are also 75 primitive campsites that are first-come, first-serve when the weather and tides cooperate. Horses are also allowed to spend the night, but you’ll need to bring your own pens or tether rope. For a truly unique experience, there’s also one floating, boat-in campsite accessible only by kayak if you want an adventure.

Crystal Beach – Bolivar Peninsula

Reservations Required: No
Fee: Free
Ambiance: Beach

Bolivar Peninsula is one of the only places in the world where camping is allowed anywhere on the 27-mile beach year-round without a permit and really without regulation. It’s a bit of a choose your own adventure where you want to set up your tent for the night, whether you’re near the more developed area of Crystal Beach, which will have you closer to restaurants, shops, and civilization, or on the outer edges of the peninsula which are more remote and narrower strips of sand. The Bolivar Beach Pavilion has rinse-off showers and public restrooms, or you could duck into one of the area eateries to use the facilities, but other than that, expect to be pretty much on your own. Campfires are allowed if you want to cook your own dinner, but it is just as easy to eat at one of the local restaurants or grab some snacks from the Big Store.

Big Thicket National Preserve

Reservations Required: Yes
Fee: Free
Ambiance: Sandbar, Accessible only by boat

Camping in the Big Thicket is a real backcountry, off-the-grid experience with no road or hiking access so you’ll have to plan an overnight paddle excursion to reach your bunk for the night. Anything you bring in, you must bring out so pack light and thoughtfully. Camping in groups up to eight is permitted year-round in the Turkey Creek Unit, the Canyonlands Unit, along the Woodlands Trail, and on sandbars along Village Creek and the Neches River, including those in the Neches Bottom and Jack Gore Baygall Unit. It is also permitted throughout the Beaumont Unit, Big Sandy Creek Unit, Beech Creek Unit, Lance Rosier Unit, and Neches Bottom and Jack Gore Baygall Unit outside of hunting season, which generally runs October through February. Campfires are allowed. Call the Visitor’s Center at least a week in advance to reserve a permit.