The 48-Hour Camping Guide: Dallas4 min read

48-Hours in Dallas

Visiting parks around the Dallas area is a little trickier to plan because the state and private parks are widespread throughout the region. Unless you’re breezing through the parks in record time, you may only make it to one or two parks in a 48-hour visit. However, have no fear! We have put together a list of parks to visit and nearby RV campgrounds so you can map out your ideal 48-hour trip with ease.

West Dallas

If you’re a history buff or a fan of dinosaurs, you should plan to travel around the Southwest and West areas of Dallas. Dinosaur Valley State Park is just Southwest of downtown Dallas and conveniently situated beside Cleburne State Park as well. Dinosaur Valley, the “Dinosaur Capital of Texas,” is home to ancient dinosaur tracks near the Paluxy River, while Cleburne State Park has the perfect terrain for a mountain biking excursion. You can spend the day exploring, hiking along the river, then switch parks for a few hours of mountain biking and scenic trails. You can spend the night primitive camping at either of these parks, however, we also recommend traveling back toward Dallas to stay at one of these RV parks located just West outside the city: Dallas / Arlington KOA, TreeTrops RV Resort, LakeView RV and Mobile Home Park.

The next morning head North (or West depending on where you stay) towards Lake Mineral Wells State Park (drive-in campsites available) for some lake swimming, camping, and leisurely hikes. Just outside the park is the Texas Star RV Resort. This resort is a popular spot for weddings and has an outdoor pavillion, a swimming pool, log cabins, free movie rentals, a laundry facility and more. It’s a great spot to rest up, clean up, and prepare for a nice drive back into Dallas through a handful of small towns. From Lake Minerals Wells State Park, it’s a 45-minute drive back to Dallas, so no need to rush in the morning.

East Dallas

East of Dallas is Lake Tawakoni State Park. It is home to the largest spiderweb ever documented, but don’t be scared away by it! The park offers a variety of fun outdoor activities to keep you occupied for an entire weekend. With over 5 miles of shoreline, you can spend your time at Lake Tawakoni fishing, boating, swimming, camping, hiking, and bird watching. We recommend driving straight to Lake Tawakoni on Saturday morning and spending the day on the lake before driving back towards the city and staying the night at Plantation Place RV Park. Plantation Place RV Park offers full hookups, wifi, and situated only a mile away from it’s own lake, Lake Ray Hubbard. The next morning you can drive south to Cedar Hill State Park for some last minute hiking and sightseeing before heading back to Dallas.

Dallas RV Campgrounds

• Dallas / Arlington KOA

• Lakeview RV and Mobile Home Park

• Lake Worth RV Ranch

• Plantation Place RV Park

• TreeTops RV Resort

Look at our 48-Hours in Dallas Map to see where the RV Resorts are located in relation to the parks.