BONUS: A Thoughtful Guide to Camping in Texas
Because I am told fall will arrive eventually
“Beauty and grace are performed whether or not we will or sense them.
The least we can do is try to be there.”
Annie Dillard
Shaffer Bend
(If you need no convincing that camping is a worthwhile use of your time, feel free to skip ahead past all the musings and cutie photos to ‘Here goes: Camping in Texas, my friends’)
Sleeping outside, lacking cell service, having nothing better to do but amble around the woods– it all has a purifying effect. There exists while camping a spaciousness that is hard to come by indoors or even on a day hike. To-do lists lose their urgency, there are no advertisements bombarding your consciousness–your needs and wants become very limited, and therefore simple. The most memorable, precious moments in my life, and in the life of my family, have all been on camping trips.
For instance, we took advantage of Clayton’s paternity leave when our second child was three weeks old to take a trip to Big Bend. (No way in hell we would have done this with our first child, nervous as we were.) But the second time we were confident and prepared, and we were well aware that having a newborn was as good a time as any to go on family adventures (I wore him literally the entire time!) On our first evening there, meandering around the Cottonwood Campground, we spotted what we initially thought was a loose dog sitting at the edge of a field, motionless. Quickly we realized no dog could ever possess that much patience, and this was actually a big cat– a bobcat. An older woman drinking wine out of a tin mug sauntered over to us as we stood there wide-eyed and said casually, “oh yeah, he comes every night and waits there for the javelinas to cross.”
Big Bend National Park
Camping has empowered our kids to develop their own relationship with nature– experiencing the wonder of tromping around the woods on their own, feeling that universal smallness that humans get on the darkest nights with the brightest stars, becoming enraptured with every antlion den and rogue cicada.
Camping also is, in my humble opinion, the best way to make friends (or take it to the next level). Through camping several times a year with a lovely family we know, they have become our dearest friends. There’s just something about drinking too much whiskey around a campfire and divulging your secrets, or listening to each other's kids wailing in the wee hours of the morning, or waking up to an absolute downpour that lasts all day together, that makes friends feel like family.
This magic can only happen for us because of lots of lessons learned from all the trips that have capsized due to a forgotten headlamp, empty propane cans or no rain jackets. (I sound like I really have my shit together here, but just last year we showed up for a camping trip several hours away without any shoes for one of our kids, so..)
Enchanted Rock State Park
All this being said, I’ve waffled back and forth about whether to post this or not, because I don’t want you to feel like I’m selling you something and I’m certainly not interested in contributing to the infinite supply of gross “Top 200” listicles and manicured blog posts swarming the internet world. But, here I am!
I’ve chosen to share these tips for two reasons: the first being that I want you to feel your own belonging to this world (specifically this particular environment), and actually spending time in nature is far superior to reading all my musings on the topic. Nature speaks for herself, but that subtle language is dampened by our busy schedules and concrete surroundings. It’s a tragedy that so many barriers exist between most people and the ‘natural’ world that birthed us, but that’s another book for another day. When we get back from a camping trip and I talk to my friends about it, a common refrain is “Oh, I really want to go camping, I just don’t know where to start.” Today, I simply want to help families get into those natural spaces where that connection can occur.
Secondly, I don’t have time for bullshit and I’m not one for reinventing wheels, and I expect you feel the same. I hate research and despise the internet and am more than happy to help you avoid wheel-reinventing yourself!
I’ll leave it at that and keep the rest short and sweet.
Shaffer Bend
HERE GOES: CAMPING IN TEXAS, MY FRIENDS
THE BIGGIE: WHAT DO WE BRING?
This is the real reason you came (whether you know it or not). Every single camping trip I have ever taken, I take notes on what I would do differently next time or if there’s any other little item I would bring. My pain is your gain: meet my pride and joy– our comprehensive camping list.
DAMN, THAT’S A LOT OF MONEY TO SPEND ON GEAR.
Why, yes it is, if you were to buy it all new at once. Check Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, REI Outlet, REI Used Gear. Alternatively, ask to borrow gear from an outdoorsy friend or your local Buy Nothing Group on Facebook.
WHERE ARE THE BEST PLACES TO GO?
Our favorite state parks to camp within driving distance of Austin are: Pedernales, Inks Lake, Enchanted Rock (can be intense with kids), McKinney, and Lost Maples (although the campsites themselves aren’t that great– too exposed and mixed with RV sites). Our favorite LCRA parks are Shaffer Bend and Grelle.
RESERVATIONS
Making reservations for state parks is a real bummer because it’s over crowded here in Central Texas and typically by the time that cool fall breeze rolls in all the spots until next summer are booked up, but luckily my friend Ky at Lonestar Parks has your back! Unsubscribing from emails is my favorite pastime, but one of the only useful emails I get is from Lonestar Parks. They’ll remind you when reservation windows for camping in state or national parks open up.
Insiders Guide to Reservations in Texas
They’ve even made a handy dandy map of our state parks, complete with all the fun stuff you can do there:
A HOT TIP: LCRA PARKS
Clayton and I know all this, and every year we still show up late to the State Parks reservation game. Luckily, there’s always space at LCRA sites. Sidenote: one of our top 3 best camping trips ever was at Shaffer Bend over halloween, and we’ve since come to love LCRA parks because there’s not the FOMO or pressure (read: option) of doing all the big, sexy 5 mile hikes (with two toddlers in tow) that you’re likely to experience at state parks. Plus, they’re quiet.
Camping This Weekend at LCRA Parks
OH SHIT, WHAT ARE WE GONNA EAT THOUGH?
You’re gonna have to wait for Part 2, my friend.
I sincerely hope that’s helpful. If there’s something I missed, something you have a question about or better yet, if this helped get you one step closer to actually camping please reach out and let me know!