RV Camping Near San Antonio: Where to Park, Plug In, and Plan Your Stay

Quick Answer

The easiest RV camping near San Antonio is at full hookup resorts within about 20 minutes of downtown, such as Travelers World near the River Walk, Braunig Lake to the south, and Admiralty RV Resort near SeaWorld. For a more natural setting, Guadalupe River State Park and Hill Country State Natural Area sit roughly an hour out with water and electric sites (no sewer). True free dispersed camping is very limited in this region because Texas has little nearby public land, so plan to reserve a developed site for most trips.

Key Terms, Defined

Before you compare sites, it helps to speak the language.

• Full hookups: A site with water, sewer, and electric connections at your pad. This lets you stay parked for days without filling tanks or finding a dump station.
• Dry camping: Camping with no hookups at all. You run on your own fresh water, batteries, and holding tanks.
• Boondocking: Dry camping on free, undeveloped land, usually public land with no amenities. Often used interchangeably with dispersed camping.
• Dispersed camping: Camping outside a developed campground, typically on national forest or grassland land, with no marked sites, water, or hookups.
• FCFS vs reservation: First come first served (FCFS) sites are claimed in person on arrival and cannot be booked ahead. Reservation sites are locked in online or by phone before you roll, which matters a lot during busy Texas weekends.

Tier 1: Closest Full Hookup RV Parks and Resorts

These are the move in ready options closest to the city, all with full hookups and paved or level pads. Rates below are starting points only and shift by season, so confirm at booking.

Travelers World RV Resort (near downtown and the River Walk)

Travelers World sits at 2617 Roosevelt Ave in San Antonio, about three miles from the River Walk and the Alamo, with a nearby bus stop into downtown. It offers more than 160 full hookup sites with 20, 30, and 50 amp service, plus a pool, hot tub, and laundry. (Source: Sun Outdoors) Reach the resort at 210 532 8310. This is the pick if walkable city access matters most.

Braunig Lake RV Resort (south side, lake setting)

Braunig Lake RV Resort runs along Interstate 37 South at Exit 130, roughly 20 minutes south of downtown. It has 266 full service sites with 30 and 50 amp power, and rates include water, sewer, electric, WiFi, and cable. Amenities include a year round pool and hot tub, fishing, and a general store. (Source: brauniglakervresort.com.) Call 210 633 3170 to book.

Admiralty RV Resort (west side, near SeaWorld)

Admiralty RV Resort is at 1485 North Ellison Drive on the west side, about two miles from SeaWorld, with a free shuttle to the park. It offers full hookups with 30 and 50 amp service across back in, pull through, and covered pull through sites, plus a Junior Olympic pool and pickleball. (Source: qualityrvresorts.com/destinations/san-antonio/admiralty-rv-resort.) The office line is 210 647 7878. Confirm any RV length limits when you reserve, since covered sites can be tighter.

Alsatian RV Resort (Castroville, about 30 minutes west)

If you want a quieter, golf adjacent stay, Alsatian RV Resort sits in Castroville, roughly 30 minutes west of San Antonio. It has about 60 level, paved sites with full hookups and 50 amp electric, an infinity pool, and an 18 hole golf course next door. (Source: alsatianresort.com.) Reach them at 830 931 9190.

Tier 2: State and Natural Area Parks Within One to Two Hours

These give you Hill Country and river scenery. Important reality check: most Texas state parks offer water and electric sites, not full hookups, so you will dry camp on sewer and plan a dump station stop. Always verify amp service and length limits with the park, since these vary by loop.

Guadalupe River State Park

About 30 miles north of San Antonio, this park has 85 water and electric campsites along the Guadalupe River, ideal for swimming and paddling. There are no full hookup (sewer) sites. Day use is $7 per adult, and the park reaches capacity often, so reservations are strongly recommended. (Source: Texas Parks and Wildlife, tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/guadalupe-river.) Book through ReserveAmerica or call 512 389 8900.

Hill Country State Natural Area (Bandera)

This rugged, equestrian friendly area near Bandera offers mostly primitive walk in sites, plus a limited number of water and electric hookup sites in the Chapas equestrian camp complex (with horse stalls). It is not a big rig friendly full hookup destination, so it suits smaller, self sufficient setups. Primitive sites run about $10 per night for up to four people, and Chapas individual sites about $25 per night. (Source: Texas Parks and Wildlife, tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/hill-country.) Reserve ahead, as it fills.

Government Canyon State Natural Area (north San Antonio)

A note to save you a wasted trip: Government Canyon, on the north side of San Antonio, is walk in tent camping only with no RV sites or hookups. (Source: Texas Parks and Wildlife, tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/government-canyon.) Use it as a day hike instead, then sleep at a Tier 1 resort.

New Braunfels and the Guadalupe River corridor

About 45 minutes northeast, the New Braunfels and Guadalupe River corridor is packed with private RV parks geared to tubing and river days. Hookup levels range widely from full hookups to water and electric only, and riverfront sites can flood during heavy rain, so confirm both the hookup type and the site location relative to the river before booking.

Tier 3: Free Dispersed Camping and Boondocking (Be Realistic)

Here is the honest part. Texas has strong private property laws and very little public land near San Antonio, so there is essentially no quality free dispersed camping right around the city. (Source: community reports via Boondocker's Bible, boondockersbible.com/texas.)

The nearest well known free dispersed option, LBJ National Grassland, is far to the north near Decatur (a multi hour drive), not a San Antonio day trip. (Source: forestcamping.com and US Forest Service, fs.usda.gov.) Closer to the Hill Country, some river towns allow limited free parking, such as riverfront parking near Junction off Interstate 10, well west of the city. Verify current rules locally before relying on any free spot, since these change.

This is exactly the gap where a self powered trailer changes the math. The Evotrex-PG5, a power generating travel trailer with a large lithium battery bank, solar, and an onboard gasoline generator, is built for dry Hill Country sites and hot Texas summers where shore power is scarce. It is now available to preorder, so it is worth considering if you want to camp comfortably off grid in this region. 

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