Shady Pines RV Park

The Great Outdoors

A popular place among locals is Bringle Lake Park in Garland Township, less than half an hour's drive from the campsites at Shady Pines Campground. It’s just far enough away from busy city life to make a tranquil getaway. This small park centers around a lake and offers easy walking trails with nature viewing boardwalks. Here you can enjoy a picnic in the great outdoors while the little ones can make friends on the playground. Get involved in some competition on the sand volleyball court or launch your own vessel on the lake.For a wider variety of recreational activities, take your RV rental to Atlanta State Park. On the southern banks of Wright Patman Lake, the park is a great location for boating and swimming. You can launch your own boat or rent a canoe at the park. Lining the lakeside is a pine and hardwood forest that hosts numerous bird species as well as a five-mile network of hiking trails. While walking, you can identify various tree types, including loblolly pines and white oaks. How about a challenge? Visitors of all ages can participate in the park’s geocaching treasure hunt.One of the best birdwatching places in the region is Millwood State Park, a designated Important Bird Area. Over 400 bird species have been sighted around Millwood Lake and its surrounding woodlands, including the rarely-seen osprey, painted bunting, and red-headed woodpecker. Other residents include hummingbirds, ducks, and the northern wheatear. To learn more about the flora and fauna, join one of the park’s interpretive programs while you’re camping at Shady Pines RV Park. Alternatively, you can canoe or kayak on the lake, hike along the Waterfowl Way Trail, or bring a mountain bike to the Wildlife Lane Nature Trail.

Explore the Area

Schedule a day or two of your campervan rental vacation for visiting Texarkana and its attractions. As a city that straddles two states and takes its name from three, Texarkana has a variety of historical sights, museums, and entertainment. Plus, if you’re dropping into town for a bite to eat, you’ll have plenty of eateries to choose from. Options range from Mexican restaurants to BBQ joints and pizzerias.For shopping, you can head to Texarkana’s large mall, but for a more local experience, head to the farmers' market on Jefferson Street. Here you can pick up fresh fruits and vegetables, homemade jams, baked snacks, and produce grown within a 75-mile radius. You might also find some handmade crafts and soaps to take home with you.One historical place you can visit while RV camping at Shady Pines RV Park is the Ace of Clubs House. Formerly a private residence, the house was built in the late 1800s in Italianate Victorian style. It’s uniquely shaped to resemble a club from the outside and is listed on the National Register. According to stories, mayor James Draughon won $10,000 in a poker game and chose to build his house in the shape of his winning card, the ace of clubs. Inside, the house is still lavishly decorated, and visitors can observe the rooms and belongings of former residents.If you’re traveling with kids, you might prefer to visit the Discovery Place Interactive Museum. Inside, there’s a huge range of interactive science exhibitions, including electrical experiments, sound, astronomy, and, best of all, dinosaurs. Here, kids can shop in a life-sized 1900’s convenience store, wander through rooms with pre-historic animals, and tip-toe past dinosaurs.Before your vacation ends, take one last stroll at Spring Lake Park. You can bring your pet and follow walking and cycling trails around the spring-fed lake. It’s also a pleasant urban spot for a picnic and a game of baseball, and a splash park lets you cool off in the heat of summer. Throughout the spring and fall, you can bring a blanket and a bucket of popcorn for an outside movie. There’s something to do all year round when you camp in an RV near Texarkana.