Because I am originally from Oklahoma, Texas has been a getaway destination for me for my entire life. This has carried over into RV life, and we have now visited pretty much every area of Texas in our RV—and while we do prefer wintering in Florida, we’ve also spent several winter weeks in the Lone Star State and have several favorite RV destinations in Texas.
This year, we plan to head to Texas for the entire month of January, so deciding on winter destinations in Texas has been on my mind. In this article I will share with you my family’s favorite places to winter in Texas, as well as the spots we plan to visit this time around.
Galveston Island
The beaches are easily my favorite part of Texas, and Galveston Island has been one of my favorite RV destination in Texas since I was a kid. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that we have visited Galveston in our RV more than once, and we absolutely adore it.
We love grabbing a cup of joe at the adorable MOD Coffeehouse, spending lazy days at the beach, and having delicious dinners at Shrimp N Stuff. Galveston Historic Seaport was amazing for a history nerd like myself, and Pleasure Pier is fun for the whole family.
Other things to do on the island include Moody Gardens, Bishop’s Palace, Schlitterbahn Waterpark, and the Galveston Railroad Museum.
Where to Stay
I will always, always recommend staying at Galveston Island State Park while on this adorable island. The park is extremely well kept, and if you can snag one, there are even sites situated right on the beach. These are amazing because they allow you to fall asleep to the sound of waves.
South Padre Island
I’ve got to be honest, I haven’t actually gotten to visit South Padre Island since I was a kid. That said, we plan to visit this January and I am incredibly excited. From what I remember, the beaches here feature gorgeous, soft sand and blue waters.
I’m excited about the South Padre Island Birding and Nature Trail and the other nature trails in the area, and I’m sure we’ll make time to see Port Isabel Lighthouse State Historic Site and Sea Turtle Inc. I also hope to take some sandcastle building lessons, which seem to be a thing down there.
Other things to do in South Padre Island include surfing lessons, South Padre Island Adventure Park, and Gravity Park.
Where to Stay
We plan to stay in Isla Blanca County Park. This park plays host to a huge number of snowbirds and full time RV families every winter, and we’ve heard a lot of good things about it. Monthly rates are totally affordable, the park is right on the beach, and it sounds like we’ll have tons of fellow full timers to hang out with.
Padre Island National Seashore
Another one of the better winter RV destinations in Texas, Padre Island National Seashore allows you to enjoy the Texas shoreline without the commercialism found in some other spots. The seashore is an NPS site, meaning it is protected, so visiting allows you to see beaches in their natural state. This is the perfect place for a relaxing retreat into nature, with plenty of seaside strolls, sandcastle building, swimming, and wildlife spotting.
While you’re in Padre Island National Seashore, be sure to visit the visitor center, attend some NPS ranger programs, and earn your Junior Ranger Badge!
Where to Stay
One of the coolest things about Padre Island National Seashore is that RVers are allowed to boondock on the beach for free! That said, you do so at your own risk and getting stuck in the sand is something that can happen.
For those who don’t want to take the risk, there are two established campgrounds: Bird Island Basin Campground and Malaquite Campground. Neither offers hookups, but both have restrooms with flush toilets, and Malaquite has a dump station and showers.
Big Bend National Park
Admittedly, this is one of the RV destinations in Texas I’ve never seen for myself (though I don’t know how that happened). Therefore, I’m making it a goal to check it out in 2025. The photos I’ve seen are incredible, and I’m betting that like other remote national parks, it is absolutely stunning.
Big Bend National Park is the perfect place to winter in Texas if you want to escape the hustle and bustle of city life and spend your time hiking, paddling, and taking in gorgeous sunsets. That said, it does get pretty cold, so if you’re looking to escape winter weather, this probably isn’t your spot.
Where to Stay
Big Bend National Park is surrounded by free and super inexpensive boondocking spots, but many of these are hard to reach in a bigger rig, so while we will probably choose one of these dry camping spots, we will do our research before diving in.
On top of that, it’s important to note that the Chisos Basin Campground in the park can only accommodate trailers up to 20 feet long and motorhomes up to 24 feet long, meaning we definitely won’t be staying there.
Guadalupe Mountains National Park
We visited Guadalupe Mountains National Park in December one year and I was actually surprised how much I enjoyed that leg of that trip. We boondocked between Guadalupe Mountains National Park and Carlsbad Caverns National Park so we could visit both, and we ended up getting snowed in one night, which was a surreal experience in the middle of a desert. We loved hiking the national park, and because we visited in the winter, we were almost the only people there, which was pretty neat.
Once again, I do have to note that this part of Texas gets pretty cold in winter. We were lucky that we only had a couple days of below-freezing temperatures, but this isn’t always the case.
Where to Stay
As I mentioned above, we chose a boondocking spot between the two national parks, and we really enjoyed the sunsets there. That said, the BLM-run Sunset Reef Campground also seemed like a good option for those who want free dry camping but don’t want to go too far off the beaten path.
Just be aware that the campground is technically in New Mexico, but still close enough to Guadalupe Mountains National Park to visit more than once.
Houston, Texas
Let me start by saying that I actually don’t love Houston as a city. That said, I do appreciate what the city has to offer in terms of attractions and experiences. In particular, I love Houston’s museum scene, which includes an awesome Health Museum that is part of the ASTC reciprocal program, and my favorite children’s museum in the country: Children’s Museum Houston, which is also part of the ASTC reciprocal program.
Other great museums in Houston include the Houston Museum of Natural Science, Holocaust Museum Houston (although I don’t recommend this one for young children), and of course, the amazing Houston Space Center.
Where to Stay
We like to make use of our Thousand Trails membership as much as possible. Therefore, we stay at Lake Conroe Thousand Trails any time we visit Houston. This campground is set on a lake and offers all kinds of amenities, including a beautiful pool, a playground for the kids, and planned activities. It’s also just 30–40 minutes outside of the city, making it an ideal home base.
Austin, Texas
Austin is my favorite Texas city. Really, it’s one of my favorite cities in the entire country. This place is full of art and coffee and delicious foods, and I’m here for it all.
We love Terry Black’s Barbecue and have had Amy’s Ice Creams for dessert more times than I care to admit. Our favorite Austin attraction is the Thinkery children’s museum, but we also love the Austin Zoo, Bullock Texas State History Museum, Zilker Park, and McKinney Falls State Park.
If you can, visit Austin during one of their many festivals or events. This place knows how to celebrate art, creativity, and life, and their events are the perfect way to experience this fact.
Where to Stay
We mentioned McKinney Falls State Park above. This park is located just outside of the city and is an excellent place for a daytrip to go on a hike or check out the falls. That said, it’s an even better place to park your RV as a home base for exploring Austin. Our site was lovely, well shaded, and included water and electric hookups. There were restrooms with decent showers available, and a dump station is located onsite.
San Antonio, Texas
Of course, I must mention San Antonio. This is another great Texas city, especially if you’re looking to learn more about the culture and history of the state. We’ve visited the Alamo more than once and always learn something new when we do. San Antonio Missions National Historical Park is a fabulous place for roadschooling, and the San Antonio Riverwalk is always fun.
While in San Antonio, be sure to eat as much Mexican food as possible! This is easily one of the best things about this vibrant city.
Where to Stay
We tend to stay at Thousand Trails Medina Lake when visiting San Antonio. That said, this campground is pretty far outside of the city and we only choose to stay there because it is included with our membership. If you aren’t a Thousand Trails member, I recommend checking out Traveler’s World Resort, which seems to be well liked by everyone who visits.
Dallas, Texas
Last on my list of RV destination in Texas is the city of Dallas. First, let me say that Dallas is actually my least favorite city in Texas—and honestly, it’s not a great winter escape either. That said, because it is the closest Texas city to Oklahoma City, and because we have friends who visit the area regularly, we tend to end up there fairly often. In fact, we plan to be there in just a couple of weeks. Therefore, I felt like I needed to include it on this list.
Our favorite things to do in the Dallas/Fort Worth area? I’d have to say that the Perot Museum of Nature and Science, the Dallas World Aquarium, and the Bureau of Engraving and Printing – Western Currency Facility Tour and Visitor Center were all pretty cool. We also enjoyed SeaQuest Fort Worth, even if it was a bit kitschy.
Where to Stay
We always stay in one of the four Thousand Trails parks surrounding the city while visiting the Dallas area. All of them are at least an hour outside of the city, but since we don’t love spending time in this particular city anyway, it works out.
The Thousand Trails parks in this area include:
- Thousand Trails Lake Texoma
- Thousand Trails Bay Landing
- Thousand Trails Lake Whitney
- Thousand Trails Lake Tawakoni
There you have it, some of the best winter RV destinations in Texas! Not sure which to choose? I recommend spending two or three months exploring the state so you can see several different spots and choose your own favorites.
