The best camping near Cedar Hill State Park

Just 30 minutes from downtown Dallas and Fort Worth, Cedar Hill State Park provides a pocket of greenery for urban campers looking to get out of town. Lush prairies, wildflower-speckled hills, and ancient cedar forests fringe the shores of the 7,500-acre Joe Pool Lake, where you can swim, boat, kayak, or fish for largemouth black bass, crappie, and catfish. Miles of hiking and mountain biking trails may tempt you away from the water, as will tours of the Penn Farm Agricultural History Center. Campers have five campgrounds to choose from, or you can opt to get back to nature at a walk-in primitive campsite.

• Best for lake views: Hog Wallow Campground has 50 sites—some of which are right by the lake—with picnic tables, fire rings, and full hookups.
• Best for peace and quiet: Shady Ridge Campground has spacious sites for tents and RVs away from the crowds.
• Best for backcountry hikers: Cedar Hill’s primitive campsites are reachable only on foot and lie along the Duck Pond and Talala trails.

1. You can reserve one of the park’s 350 developed campsites in advance via the Texas State Parks website. 
2. Campsite reservations open five months in advance, and popular sites can book up fast, especially for summer and holiday weekends. Book at least three months in advance—even earlier if you have a specific spot in mind.
3. Primitive sites are first-come, first-served, and there are 30 spots up for grabs—the main gates open at 6am, so get there early to avoid disappointment.

Cedar Hill State Park is open year-round, and there are highlights for campers in each season. Wildflowers bloom across the prairies in spring, while summer is the ideal time for swimming and water sports, and autumn and winter offer the best bird-watching opportunities. The park can get busy in summer, so make an early start to get a jump on the crowds.

• Cedar Hill State Park is located 20 miles southwest of downtown Dallas, or about a 25-minute drive away.
• Park entrance fees and overnight activity fees are required in addition to camping fees. General entrance reservations can be made up to one month in advance and are recommended, especially for summer weekends.
• Facilities in the park include restrooms, picnic benches, and a playground. You can purchase groceries, firewood, and camping supplies in Cedar Hill, a 5-minute drive away.
• Campsites all have electricity, hot showers, water, and fire rings. Some sites also have sewer hookups, and others are ADA-accessible.