Located about 70 miles north of Houston in the Piney Woods region of Texas, Lake Livingston State Park offers a lakeside oasis that feels worlds away from the urban hustle and bustle. Sitting on beautiful Lake Livingston—one of the largest lakes in Texas—this East Texas state park allows visitors to enjoy fishing, swimming, boating, hiking, birding, and more, making it the perfect lakeside retreat for your next RV adventure.
Lake Livingston State Park makes it easy for visitors to fish, swim, and boat on its central feature, Lake Livingston. The park offers a fishing pier, three boat ramps, and rentals of canoes, kayaks, paddleboards, and cane fishing poles. Those looking for adventure on land can hike or mountain bike the park’s several miles of quiet trails, through tall loblolly pines and hardwoods.
Throughout the park, visitors can look out for the diverse plants and animals who call this park home, including redbud flowers, bald eagles, downy woodpeckers, armadillos, and even alligators. These abundant natural resources in the Lake Livingston area have been attracting humans for thousands of years, with signs of the first humans here dating back 12,000 years. Lake Livingston State Park has no shortage of RV sites to make your overnight stay an enjoyable one: the park boasts five campgrounds with 147 total RV sites, about half of which feature full hookups.
If you have time on your hands to explore other state parks in the area you won't have to drive far. Huntsville State Park, just 45 miles to the west, is a lake park in the Sam Houston National Forest. Martin Dies, Jr. State Park, 55 miles to the east, is another lake park offering opportunities to hike, bike, fish, paddle and camp. Your RV adventure to this area of Texas will be a memorable one!
Sitting just seven miles south of the town of Livingston off of US Highway 59 and a little over 70 miles north of Houston, Lake Livingston State Park can be easily accessed in an RV. There are no driving restrictions for RVs and trailers along any of the many routes in this area. The park has paved roads that are easy to navigate in your rig, so getting to the park and to your campsite should be fairly painless. Many of the campsites are back-in, so just be prepared for that when you arrive.
For small needs, visitors can stop by the park store, which offers souvenirs, drinks, snacks, ice, and camping and fishing supplies. The nearest gas station is about five miles from the park, in the direction of Livingston. For more extensive food and supply needs, visitors can check out the restaurants, grocery stores, and shops located seven miles away in the town of Livingston.
Parking within the park is simple, with parking available at each campsite and in designated areas throughout the park. There are parking areas near the boat ramp by the Piney Shores loop, near the recreation hall and playground, and in multiple spots near Briar Loop.
On the beautiful shores of Lake Livingston, about an hour away from Houston, you can find the tranquil Lake Livingston/Onalaska KOA. With a relaxing atmosphere perfect for enjoying a vacation getaway, Lake Livingston/Onalaska KOA provides easy access to the gorgeous natural areas that surround the lakefront and the Piney Woods region of Texas. Lake Livingston/Onalaska KOA provides plenty of amenities, including a private beach, a marina, lakefront campsites, cable TV, fishing, a swimming pool and hot tub, and a clubhouse with a full kitchen. Large pull-through sites can accommodate big-rigs up to 100 feet.
The park offers 26 sites with water and electricity on the southern end of the park in the pet-friendly Hercules Club Loop, with sites 72-97. These sites have water and electric hookups and offer quick access to restrooms with showers nearby, as well as a dump station just up the road from the loop entrance. Each site features a picnic table, fire ring, and lantern post, and rigs up to 62 feet long can be accommodated. Many of these sites are close to the water and the sunset views are breathtaking! This loop also offers easy access to the lake and to the Trinity Trace Trail.
Lake Livingston State Park has more RV sites available in the Pin Oak Loop, which offers seven full hookup sites and 43 water and electricity sites on the northern end of the park. The sites offering full hookups offer 50-amp electric, water, and sewer hookups. All sites in this loop have a picnic table, lantern post, fire ring with grill, and have restrooms with showers nearby. The water and electric sites offer easy access to a dump station located at the entrance of the loop, and all sites offer easy access to Trinity Trace Trail. RVs and trailers up to 61 feet long can be accommodated in the Pin Oak Loop, and pets are welcome.
This campground is well shaded and campsites are close together. Visitors occupying at least three campsites in this campground can also reserve the open-air pavilion during their stay. The pavilion can seat up to 50 people and has picnic tables, an outdoor grill, and electricity.
Visitors looking to learn or experience something new during their visit should check out the park’s many free ranger programs, which offer unique opportunities for visitors throughout the year. Programs include kayaking or fishing with a ranger, taking a guided walk to learn about the park’s wildlife, learning about the moon and stars, or attending a craft workshop. The park offers these ranger programs year-round, so visitors interested in adding a unique experience to their visit should check the park’s event listings.
For visitors itching to stretch their legs and explore the park on land, Lake Livingston State Park offers several miles of hiking trails. Hikers of all abilities will be able to find a trail that suits their level. Those looking for an easy stroll can hop on the half-mile Oak Flat Trail, which is one of the easiest hikes in the park. RV visitors looking for a longer hike can try out the nearly two-mile Trinity Trace Trail, which offers some of the park’s best wildlife viewing. You may want to stop at the observation tower, which offers the best view of Pine Island, the lake's largest island. For a real treat, make sure to stop at the frog pond on your night walk to enjoy a frog symphony!
Lake Livingston State Park is located along the Central North American Flyway and at the western edge of the Mississippi Flyway, which makes it a stellar bird watching location. The park’s diverse habitats allow it to host a unique combination of birds year-round, meaning you can expect to see interesting birds at the park no matter when you decide to visit. In the forest, you can look out for the downy woodpecker, tufted titmouse, and red-shouldered hawk. Closer to the shoreline, you might find a black-crowned night heron, great egret, or double-crested cormorant.
The Yaupon Loop, close to the Red Oak loop along the park road, offers 37 full hookup sites, sites 1-37. These pet-friendly sites offer easy access to restrooms with showers, and each site has a picnic table, lantern post, and fire ring with grill. You'll also find hookups for sewer, water, and 50-amp electric. The Yaupon Loop is a little further from the lake and sites are large and spread out, offering privacy. This loop also offers easy access to Trinity Trace Trail, so visitors wanting a quick hike can hop on this nearby trail and enjoy a two-mile hike. If you have a larger rig, this is the loop for you since vehicles up to 75 feet long can be accommodated.
The pet-friendly Red Oak loop offers 12 full hookup sites that can be reserved. Each site features water hookups, sewer hookups, and 50-amp hookups. They also have a lantern post and fire ring with a grill, with restrooms with showers nearby. These 12 sites—numbered 38-49—are located on the west side of the Piney Shores Loop, and they can fit rigs up to 61 feet long. Those wanting to stretch their legs can hop on the nearby Trinity Trace Trail, which takes hikers through the forest and offers excellent wildlife viewing. As with the Piney Shores sites, these sites also offer very easy access to one of the park’s boat ramps and a fish cleaning station.
The Piney Shores loop offers arguably the best RV sites in the park: these 22 sites have full hookups and offer a stunning view of Lake Livingston. In addition to their premium location, these lake-front sites also feature a picnic table, lantern post, and fire ring with a grill. These sites—which are numbered sites 50-71—offer water hookups, sewer hookups, and 20-, 30-, and 50-amp hookups. They are very spacious, with level concrete slabs, with restrooms and showers nearby. Plus, the Piney Shores Loop can hold rigs up to 61 feet long, and pets are welcome.
For those hoping to stretch their legs while staying here, these sites offer easy access to Trinity Trace Trail, a two-mile trail that connects all the campsites and offers some of the park’s best wildlife viewing. Best of all, these sites are also just steps away from one of the park’s boat ramps and a fish cleaning station. You can make reservations for specific sites in this loop, so make sure to reserve in advance if you want your pick of one of these premium sites.
Situated right on the water's edge next to Piney Shores Campground, the park has 10 screened shelters. A simple screened hut with wooden floors, these shelters are ideal for visitors with their own equipment who want to camp out, but not in a tent. Eight people can be accommodated at each site, and bookings must be made for a minimum of two nights. A ladder provides access to a loft area so there is more than enough space to accommodate all eight visitors. The screened shelters have electricity and restrooms and water are available nearby. Most of the shelters are on the waterfront offering wonderful sunrise and sunset views, while the shelters that are not directly on the lake offer a quiet space to relax under the trees. All but one of the shelters have wheelchair ramps and are ADA-accessible.
There are 16 campsites in the Briar Loop, which are centrally located in the park and not far from the lake. They are also very close to many of the park's trails, making this an ideal place to camp if you're wanting to do a lot of walking. Though not suitable for RVs, these campsites sleep up to eight tent campers and each has its own picnic table. There are communal water spigots and the restrooms are a short walk away from the campsites.
One of the best ways to escape the Texas summer heat is to cool off in the chief feature of Lake Livingston State Park: the 83,000 surface-acre Lake Livingston. The lake is an impoundment of the Trinity River and is one of the largest reservoirs in the state, providing water for Houston and other East Texas cities. With acres of refreshing water to play in and explore, Lake Livingston is a swimmer’s dream.
Anglers will have more than enough fishing opportunities to keep them busy during their visit to Lake Livingston State Park. The park offers three boat ramps, two fish cleaning stations, a fishing pier, and bank fishing, and even loans out cane fishing poles. Lake Livingston is best known for its white bass population, but anglers can also try their luck at catching catfish, crappie, bass, and perch. To top it all off, visitors don’t need a fishing license to fish from shore in a Texas state park, so even those without a license can enjoy fishing in the lake.
Lake Livingston State Park makes adventuring on the lake extremely accessible, offering rentals of canoes, single and double kayaks, and paddleboards, all from the park store. Whatever form of paddling you prefer, hop in your favorite boat and soak in the beauty of the Piney Woods region from the water—there is no better way to get a feel for what this park is all about. Those looking for even more of an adventure can paddle out to Pine Island, which sits about three miles away from the park’s shore.
