An entire weekend of fresh air is exactly what the doctor ordered. Just an hour and a half northeast of Houston, Lake Livingston State Park is an amazing destination for an easy weekend of camping. The park has hiking trails, archery, and loads of lake activities to keep you entertained.
Camping
We reserved campsites online, here, for Briar Loop. The weather leading up to our weekend of camping was rainy, which made for a muddy, partially flooded campsite. We found dry spots to pitch the tents and explored the lake before cooking up some chili and enjoying a warm camp fire. Most State Parks have firewood available for donations.
Muddy ground meant the dogs wanted to be in a chair or lap 
60 lb lap dog anyone?
Friday night was a warm, comfortable night of camping. The cold front that came through Saturday morning meant lots of cuddling with Winter the second night of camping. This also meant very little sleep, fitting a 60 lb dog and a person in a sleeping bag was not easy!
Lake Livingston
The first afternoon at the park was quite eerie. There was a fog settled in over the lake, which made for some rather creepy, yet gorgeous photos.
Eerie views at Lake Livingston State Park
With all the recent rain, we chose to stay off the hiking trails and enjoy the other activities the park had to offer on Saturday. Lake Livingston is the staple of the park, and in the protected cove we did some paddle boarding. We also played frisbee, enjoyed naps in hammocks, and played card games next to the lake.
Enjoying the Lake Livingston views during the day.
In the evening we headed down the the lake again to check out the sunset. After the cold front and small spurt of rain storms that morning, it was shaping up to be a gorgeous southeast Texas sunset. Needless to say, it did not disappoint. It served as a reminder to all of us that sometimes you should unplug and enjoy what the world has to offer.
Before you go
Getting information about activities to do at state parks is rather easy, just head over the the TPWD site, here. They have a camp store, boat ramps, docks, kayak and paddle board rentals, archery, and more! Plus, be sure to check the park events page to see if there is anything special going on that weekend.
Camping fees at Lake Livingston State Park are $10 in Brair Loop, plus the $5 daily entrance fee. The Brair Loop campsites have water, fire pits, and nearby restrooms. Other campsites throughout the park offer RV hookups and showers, but also tend to be a bit more crowded.
Leave No Trace
This is so important when camping, not only for the environment, but also to prevent wildlife from coming into campsites for food. Luckily, at Lake Livingston State Park there are not bears to worry about, though there are plenty of raccoons, opossums, skunks, etc. It is really important to clean up effectively after every meal, and never leave food or trash out overnight.
Additionally, when camping with dogs, who are lucky enough to have nature as their restroom, it is important to make sure they are not relieving themselves in the campsite! This will attract other animals, and also can cause undesired smells. Always make sure to bring plenty of baggies to clean up after them. Check out my series on Camping with Dogs here!
Using a refillable and reusable water bottle or bladder instead of using a plastic bottle from the convenience store is a must.
Check out more hiking and camping posts on the outdoors page!
good pics too.
Thanks! I don’t claim to be a professional, but I can get by usually!
1philemon