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If you have been looking for an economical way to camp across America, Thousand Trails Campground Passes should be on your radar. Especially if you want to travel through Texas, the Thousand Trails Texas campgrounds are great!
Thousand Trails (abbreviated TT) is an RVing membership that offers discounted camping opportunities in a variety of forms. But Campground Passes are their specialty. Here’s how it works:
Thousand Trails has campgrounds spread across 5 regions or “zones” in the US. They include the Northwest, Southwest, Midwest, Southeast, and Northeast zones. You can purchase an initial yearly Campground Pass for one of the zones. The usual cost is around $600, but sometimes you may hit a sale! Within that zone are 15 to 27 campgrounds scattered throughout the states included in the zone.
You can stay at any one of those campgrounds for up to 14 days FREE! Most campgrounds have full hookups, although some only have water and electrical hookups. You can take advantage of all the amenities offered at the campground while you are there.
There are many different membership levels offered by Thousand Trails, so if this is your first time hearing about this program, we highly recommend reading our article on the Thousand Trails Membership Options.
Is a Membership Required to Stay at a Thousand Trails Park?
For the most part, you must own a current Camping Pass or have purchased an upgraded Elite membership package to stay at a TT campground. However, many campgrounds have begun taking reservations for non-members on a nightly basis.
Additionally, Camping Pass members can make reservations 60 days out at their respective zone campgrounds. Elite members pay a premium for 21 days stays with no time out of the Thousand Trails system. These Elite memberships are usually thousands of dollars and are sold and resold on external market places.
Texas Thousand Trails
Texas Thousand Trails campgrounds fall within the Southeast Camping Pass Zone. There are seven basic campgrounds and nine that are housed within The Trails Collection. In other words, you’ll have plenty to choose from!
Bay Landing RV Campground, Bridgeport, Texas
This basic TT park is located about 30 miles southwest of Fort Worth, with easy access to the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. With 238 campsites, they offer activities like fishing, swimming, bike trails, a restaurant on-site, and laundry facilities, along with hot shower houses and a large community center.
Fun-N-Sun RV Resort, San Benito, Texas
This Trails Collection park lies just minutes from South Padre Island and has 1,435 campsites. Its expanded amenities include a fitness center, swimming pool with hot tub, pickleball courts, a library, and an on-site restaurant. Additionally, they have clean shower houses and restrooms.
Lake Tawakoni RV Campground, Point, Texas
This basic Thousand Trails Texas park is 45 minutes east of Dallas, near Greenville, Texas. Sitting on the side of Lake Tawakoni, the campground has 293 campsites, as well as several cabin rentals. A large swimming pool, clubhouse, and the option to fish, boat, or sail right out your front door are available to campers.
Tropic Winds RV Resort, Harlingen, Texas
This Trails Collection park is located 30 minutes north of Brownsville and 30 minutes east of South Padre Island. With 531 campsites, every type and size of RV can be accommodated here, and guests will have no problems finding activities to keep themselves busy. For instance, from dance lessons to garden clubs, swimming to billiards, campers will enjoy their visit to this Thousand Trails Texas campground.
Sunshine RV Resort, Harlingen, Texas
This Trails Collection park is also located in the Rio Grande Valley close to the coast and South Padre Island. Its 1,027 campsites lie along the water and residents here can revel in activities like wood carving and creative arts, ballroom dancing, and weekly potlucks.
Southern Comfort RV Resort, Weslaco, Texas
This Trails Collection park is one hour west of Port Isabel and South Padre Island, providing camping to those who enjoy the mild winters of South Texas. With 403 campsites, they also have cabins available for rent. Above all, amenities and activities include a swimming pool with a hot tub, billiards, a library, a woodshop, a computer club, and a business center.
Paradise South RV Resort, Mercedes, Texas
This Trails Collection park also lies within the Rio Grande Valley of South Texas and is located halfway between McAllen and Harlingen. An hour’s drive will get visitors to the Gulf of Mexico and South Padre Island. There are 493 campsites available, with amenities and activities ranging from sightseeing tours to card game nights, weekly dances, and karaoke. Sparkling clean shower facilities, a library, fitness center, and laundry room are all on-site, as well. In other words, you won’t run out of things to do here.
Paradise Park RV Resort, Harlingen, Texas
This Trails Collection park is another Harlingen campground catering to the warm weather crowds, especially in winter! They have 563 campsites, a large pool and hot tub, fitness center, dog park, and community center with a stage, where dancing and jam sessions are held.
Medina Lake RV Campground, Lakehills, Texas
This basic Thousand Trails Texas park is located about an hour north of San Antonio, near the Texas hill country town of Boerne. Its 387 campsites are scattered along the shore of Medina Lake, where fishing and boating are the most popular activities around. In addition, the campground has a boat dock and marina, bike trails, volleyball and basketball courts, laundry facilities, and a community center available for its guests.
Lakewood RV Resort, Harlingen, Texas
This Trails Collection park is located less than an hour away from the Gulf Coast, and with 301 campsites, it is able to accommodate all rigs, including some Park models. Amenities and activities include a business center and game room, swimming pool with a hot tub, swing dance lessons, guided tours, water aerobics, and exercise classes.
Lake Whitney RV Campground, Whitney, Texas
This basic Thousand Trails Texas park sits 20 minutes west of Hillsborough, Texas, and the I-35 corridor. The campground’s 268 campsites overlook Lake Whitney, where boating and kayaking are constant activities. In addition, guests can make good use of two different community centers here (one is adult-only). After that, enjoy the seasonal pool, pickleball courts, exercise center, and store, or a hike along the waterfront.
Lake Texoma RV Campground, Gordonville, Texas
This basic Thousand Trails Texas park is 20 minutes west of Sherman and on the border between Texas and Oklahoma. The lake dominates the landscape here, but the 285 campsites are secluded among a forest of hardwoods. Campers will love the large pool here. As “the striped bass capital of the world,” Lake Texoma offers great fishing, as well as the perfect backdrop for sailing or kayaking. There are plenty of hiking trails, a dog park, boat ramps, and docks available. They also offer conveniently located shower houses throughout the property.
Alamo Palms RV Resort, Alamo, Texas
This Trails Collection park sits in the Rio Grande Valley approximately one-and-a-half hours from Port Isabel and the Gulf Coast. With 643 campsites, it provides numerous amenities to its large community of campers. Enjoy radio-controlled races, table tennis, dancing, water aerobics, yoga, and indoor or outdoor pickleball, among other activities. Laundry facilities and a dog park are on site. In addition, the campground has a private mail center and high-speed internet available as well.
Victoria Palms RV Resort, Donna, Texas
This Thousand Trails Texas – Trails Collection park is located an hour west of South Padre Island. It is a lush retirement resort with 1,122 campsites, 20 hotel rooms, and over 100 suites. Therefore, the amenities are endless here! For instance, they offer a full restaurant, a huge tropical pool with two hot tubs, a two-story craft center, tennis courts, and a bike trail. Lastly, don’t miss out on dances, concerts, and karaoke nights either. With craft classes and sales, sewing clubs, stained glass classes, and bocce ball you’ll never get bored!
Colorado River RV Campground, Columbus, Texas
This basic TT park lies halfway between San Antonio and Houston. Its 138 campsites make it a smaller park than most Thousand Trails campgrounds in Texas. But its location gives guests easy access to sites like The Alamo and Sea World. Amenities include bike trails, a playground, boat docks along the Colorado River, billiards, shuffleboard, a swimming pool, and a fitness center. Campers can participate in activities like bingo, fishing, and miniature golf when they aren’t out exploring south-central Texas.
Lake Conroe RV & Camping Resort, Willis, Texas
This basic Thousand Trails Texas park is 30 minutes north of Houston, making it a popular stop on any Texas RVer’s itinerary. This 360 campsite campground line the shores of Lake Conroe. Sailing, fishing, swimming, and boating are high on everyone’s list of activities. The campground has various amenities, including a boat launch and rentals, docks, a swimming pool, and hot tub, a fitness center, and a satellite TV. Personally, we love the indoor hot tub for those chilly nights! After that, participate in line dancing, miniature golf, cards, and art projects or sit back and enjoy live entertainment on the property.
Final Thoughts
Now that you know that Thousand Trails is well represented in Texas, maybe it’s time to get a membership and mosey on down to the Lone Star State. There is certainly no shortage of TT campgrounds from which to stage an adventurous RV tour!
Lastly, an additional option offered by TT is called The Trails Collection. Camping Pass members can add more than 100 RV resort properties to their membership for a fee of $299. These upgraded destinations are scattered across the country and not limited to one camping zone. In addition, many are top-rated resorts with exclusive amenities and activities to make your RV trip top-notch!
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Thanks for writing these articles Jason and Rae! We need the low down on which TT to stay at next. We recently stayed at Lake Texoma in Texas and really enjoyed it! We would stay there again. Safe travels guys!
Stayed and moving in between them now at Lake Whitney, Lake Conroe, Colorado River, and Medina Lake. Love them all! Each one could use some improvements. I have our reservations made all the way thru May. We have the Elite membership, we are fulltime, and it is totally worth it in our opinion!
Lake Conroe was great for Thanksgiving week. WiFi in new section was strong enough to support my vpn for work.
We have stayed at Lake Conroe many times, because we use to live and work in Houston. It was a nice getaway close to the city. The accomodations are great especially up front on the concrete pads. The people are also great. We have also stayed at Columbus on the Colorado River. This one is more rustic. Lots of trees,trails and open space. The deer come by twice a day and it’s very relaxing. The only thing is there isn’t much around Columbus to do for entertainment. There is a small HEB and Walmart.
Interesting article. Many people don’t realize that Texas has so many rv properties. I recently retired as the general manager of Victoria Palms. It was a great experience where we met lots of people and made many life long friends. We are now traveling the country full time and use Thousand Trails and Encore as much as we can. Great article!
Haven’t stayed in one, but, if you are around Lannius Tx, can pull in here and stay I have water and 110 electric. No sewer. Enjoy your channel. And Welcome fellow Texans !!!!