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Texas Free Camping Rank and Rules

Texas ranks #34 of 50 for free camping

Texas ranks #34 of 50 for free camping, with 3.5 known dispersed sites per 1,000 sq mi.

Data as of

Texas free camping in numbers

Texas ranks #34 of 50 for free camping, with 3.5 known dispersed sites per 1,000 sq mi.

Rank
#34
Known dispersed sites per 1,000 sq mi
3.5
Known dispersed sites
915
Land area
261,232 sq mi
Developed campgrounds
969
State-land rule
Permit required
Forest restrictions tracked
0

Dispersed camping in Texas

Can you camp on Texas state land?

Permit required. Parks and Wildlife Department areas allow primitive camping if you hold the Annual Public Hunting permit. The camping comes with the permit, not with the land. We looked at wildlife management areas only. We reached no conclusion on state forests or any other state-managed land here. Every state, with the rule behind each answer: dispersed camping on state land, state by state.

Where is dispersed camping restricted in Texas?

We have not yet checked the National Forest restrictions in Texas. On federal land, check the managing agency's alerts page before you camp.

Each restriction, cited and dated: where dispersed camping is restricted.

How the rank works

We divide the known dispersed campsites in a state by its land area, in square miles, and multiply by 1,000. The rules above sit beside the rank but never change it. The count includes only sites that public sources map, so mapping effort affects the result. Roadside camping corridors and the points we place inside state wildlife and forest areas are not counted.