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Thousand Trails Medina Lake is a campground in Texas you may want to skip. With a receding lake, wooded lots, and overly-friendly deer wandering around, it may not be for everyone.
This article will give you a closer look at Medina Lake RV Campground, and we’ll review the campsites, amenities, and more. But don’t just take our word for it. We’ll share reviews from fellow campers as well. So let’s dive in!
Where Is Thousand Trails Medina Lake Campground?
Thousand Trails Medina Lake Campground is in Lakehills, Texas. It’s about 45 miles northwest of San Antonio. It sits on Medina Lake, which has a surface area of approximately 5,426 acres.
Address: 215 Spettle Rd, Lakehills, TX 78063
About Thousand Trails Medina Lake
Thousand Trails Medina Lake is open year-round. While it’s a park for Thousand Trails members, anyone can book a site at the campground.
Campsites
There are 387 campsites at Thousand Trails Medina Lake. Some sites have full hookups with water, electricity, and sewer. In contrast, other places have water and electricity only. About half of the campsites are in a heavily wooded area, while the other half is in tree cover by the lake.
The campsites are mostly dirt, so mud is inevitable when it rains. Some sites are more spacious than others, and most require leveling. In addition, deer wander the campground, so don’t be surprised if they end up on your campsite. The deer aren’t dangerous but can be a bit of a nuisance.
Amenities
Thousand Trails Medina Lake has a pool that is open seasonally. It has bathrooms, showers, laundry facilities, a dump station, bike trails, and a boat ramp. There’s also an activity center, a playground, and outdoor recreation. They have RV storage on-site. The campground is pet-friendly.
Rates
Thousand Trails members can stay at Medina Lake under the stipulation of their contract. You can make public reservations at RVontheGo.com. Rates start at $53 per night for campsites. Seasonal and annual sites rates are also an option depending on availability. There are also rental cabins on the property.
Keep in Mind: Not everyone loves their Thousand Trails membership. Read the Top 5 Regrets Of Buying A Thousand Trails Membership if you’re considering one!
Location and Surrounding Area
The campground is not close to any major attractions. Even the nearest major grocery store is at least a 20-minute drive. The remoteness of Thousand Trails Medina Lake is one of the reasons you may want to skip staying here.
However, San Antonio is less than an hour away if you’re going for a day trip. Medina Lake is within the Texas hill country, making for some beautiful drives and hiking opportunities.
What Are People Saying About Thousand Trails Medina Lake
We took a look at what others are saying about Thousand Trails Medina Lake. The campground gets 3.2 out of 5 stars on Google reviews and 3 out of 5 stars on Campendium. Here’s what people have said:
“Roads need so much attention. Pool closed. This place needs so much TLC. Big sites, but trees need to be trimmed, trails need to be marked so you can follow them. The deer were amazing to see walking around.” – Gaylene C. (Review from Google)
“Good TT park but they need to trim limbs! Had several scratches on side of motor home by low-lying mesquite trees. Very muddy when we were there but it had just rained.” – Cynthia H. (Review from Google)
“None of the facilities were working or open as advertised on the website. Camp hosts were very defensive of any criticism that the site did not match what was advertised. The entire campground was in disrepair. Trees were overgrown, deer feces was everywhere. The RV pads at the sites were falling apart. Several of the sites were marked off with red paint as non-functioning. The sewer connection at my site was backed up. It flooded with my gray water and black water more than once.” – Review from Campendium
“The park is a bit further away from things than we expected (about 1 hour to Alamo, 35-45 minutes to outskirts of San Antonio / shopping) so plan accordingly for shopping trips, etc. At the end of the drive out there is 11 miles down a smaller highway that curved a lot, so just provide time to make that part of the trip.” – Review from Campendium
Why You Should Skip Thousand Trails Medina Lake Campground
There are a few main reasons to skip Thousand Trails Medina Lake. The campground needs repairs, particularly the roads and campsites. When it rains, and it does, the ground becomes quite muddy, making for an unpleasant stay.
Most Thousand Trails campgrounds don’t assign sites, so you choose your own upon arrival. That is the case with Medina Lake. The challenge with this system is that you’re not guaranteed a full hookup campsite.
Another reason to skip the campground is its remote location. It can be frustrating to drive 20 or more minutes for groceries or other amenities. Getting to Medina Lake can also present challenges, particularly for big rigs. To get to the entrance, you have to navigate through narrow roads around a couple of blocks of residential houses with some tight turns.
Other areas of concern include the pool being quite far from most campsites. The lake recedes significantly when there’s a lack of rainfall. So activities aren’t always a guarantee at this campground as others.
Pro Tip: If you’re considering a membership but are a bit overwhelmed with their options, read our detailed explanation of the Thousand Trails Membership Options.
Is Thousand Trails Medina Lake Worth a Short Visit?
We recommend skipping Thousand Trails Medina Lake. However, if you’re passing through or looking for someplace to stay when visiting San Antonio, Medina Lake is fine for a short visit. Just remember to lower your expectations and consider it a stop-over.
Have you stayed at Medina Lake RV Campground? If so, leave us a comment below about your experience.
What a great site… thank you
Your welcome!
Your reasons for skipping this campground apply to almost any TT campground in Texas. I spent 3 weeks there this winter, and enjoyed to area. Easy trip into San Antonio to see the Alamo and the River Walk. Most TT campgrounds on the west coast don’t have 100% full hookup sites, all are first come, first serve.
We are here now, the pool is closed and lake is gone. Strange seeing a 40 or 50′ deep hole where the lake use to be.
We are in section R and when it was 98 degrees 2 days ago we got at least 4 low voltage cutoffs from our EMS.
I am shocked at this negative review of Thousand Trails Medina Lake. We are here at TT Medina Lake right now and the campground is beautiful! The majority of sites have level gravel pads, with grass and huge beautiful trees. Is it isolated? Yes, but what are you camping for? Being in the big city? Not us! Is the lake almost dry? Yes, but we stay a lot at parks that don’t have a lake (and we knew it was dry before we came) and you sure can’t blame Mother Nature for the drought. We drove into “the city” yesterday and it was a beautiful drive! We will be going to Fredericksburg next week to visit the wine country. Again, this article is so biased I am SHOCKED!!!!!!
Mostly agree with your review. We just left there. We were in the section near the pool. I wish the pool had been up and running when it was in the 90’s. 😊
We would have to agree about skipping Medina Lake TT. While it could be a great park, it is in sad, sad shape. The electrical in the park is hit and miss and seems rather dangerous. They need a ton of money pumped into this park to bring it up to acceptable standards. Perhaps it’s time to close down certain areas of the park so they can focus on repairing a core area rather than having to support such a wide swath of problems. It’s also really heartbreaking to see the historical home on the property left to disintegrate. Perhaps it should be moved or donated to an entity that can support restoring it.