There’s a lot of free camping in Texas, and it’s not difficult to find. Like most free camping sites, they’re primitive without hookups. So, to take advantage of what the Lone Star State offers, you need a good set of lithium batteries. The stock batteries on most RVs are lead-acid, which will work, but they have their disadvantages. They run down quickly, need frequent recharging, and degrade rapidly.
Lithium batteries are what most of us need to maximize free camping in Texas, and we’ll show you how.
Lithium-ion batteries help make free camping possible by supplying power without a power pedestal. The best free camping sites in Texas don’t have hookups, so you need reliable batteries.
Lead-acid batteries can also supply power without a power pedestal, but lithium batteries have several major advantages over this old battery technology. For starters, they last longer. You might only get power for a few hours from lead-acid batteries, while lithium batteries often provide days of power before needing recharging. Plus, they charge faster and require less power to do so.
You can also deeply discharge a lithium battery, which means you get to use more of the power it supplies without damaging the battery. On the other hand, you can only discharge a lead-acid battery to about 50% before it suffers irreparable harm.
To sum up, free camping in Texas isn’t fun without good batteries. They keep your devices charged, your lights running, and your refrigerator and other appliances working. Lithium batteries handle all of this longer than lead-acid batteries, with less frequent recharging and slower degradation, so you won’t spend your camping vacation worrying about power.
→ Learn the full Truth About Lead-Acid vs. Lithium Batteries in RV Campers
There are a number of websites and apps for finding free camping in Texas. If you haven’t heard of Campendium, the Dyrt, Freecampsites.net or FreeRoam, these resources make it as easy as looking on a map for free campsites, as well as RV parks, public parks, and other public lands. They also include user reviews, photos, descriptions, and other pertinent information.
Everyone who loves camping should have these apps on hand!
→ Related: Your Guide To Finding Free Camping With Lithium Batteries
Texas is a massive state renowned for outdoor activities. In fact, the 15 smallest states in the country could fit within its borders.
It’s no surprise that there’s a lot of great free camping in Texas. However, you may be shocked to learn that many of the best free camping spots are along beaches!
We’re giving you our top five free camping spots in Texas, and three sites are on the beach. But a word of warning: Be careful when beach camping. Note the tides, particularly the high tide line, and how inclement weather can quickly cause hazardous conditions along the shoreline.
Junction City Park (also known as Schreiner City Park) is in Junction City off of Interstate 10 just west of Austin, Texas. It’s a free campsite along the Llano River, so you can enjoy fishing, kayaking, and swimming. There’s also a picnic area and a playground.
This big-rig-friendly city park is limited to a 3-night stay, and it has trash cans and public restrooms with flushing toilets.
Located just south of Houston, Brazoria Beach is a beautiful warm-water beach open to fishing and swimming, as well as free camping right in Texas on the water.
There are a few trash cans along the beach, but it’s otherwise considered dry camping, so you’ll need to be self-contained. The sands of Brazoria Beach are packed enough to accommodate large rigs, and you can stay up to 14 days.
Mustang Island is another beach spot for free camping along the Corpus Cristi shoreline, with Mustang Island State Park and Padre Island National Seashore nearby. There’s fishing and water access, as well as an easy drive in and out of Corpus Christi.
Mustang Island’s beach has no hook-ups but can accommodate larger rigs. It also has trash cans along the beach. Free overnight stays are limited to three nights, but you can purchase passes for the state park if you want to extend your stay.
Walling Bend Park Campground is an Army Core of Engineers (ACE) site just northwest of Waco on Lake Whitney. There’s a free public boat ramp and swimming access on this large beautiful lake.
The campground doesn’t have hookups, but there are pit toilets, covered picnic tables, and developed fire rings. The Walling Bend Park Campground can accommodate big rigs with stays limited to two weeks.
Located southeast of San Antonio and southwest of Houston along the Texas Gulf Coast, Magnolia Beach is another perfect example of the stunning free camping that Texas can offer. The shore here is hard-packed and shell-covered with access to fishing and swimming.
Magnolia Beach can handle even the biggest rigs because of its hard-packed beaches. It also has bathrooms with cold water showers and some picnic tables. This is dry camping only, so there are no hook-ups, but you can stay for up to 14 days.
Most of the free camping across Texas is sans hookups, so you’ll need to be self-reliant. Of course, you can use regular batteries, but lithium takes your ability to enjoy those experiences to another level.
You’ll get more life out of lithium batteries than their lead-acid counterparts. Lithium batteries can handle constant discharge and recharge cycles. You can recharge them upwards of 5,000 times, while lead-acid batteries typically last for only a few hundred cycles.
Lithium batteries also last longer before they need recharging because you can discharge them more. For example, a 100-amp-hour lead-acid battery only has about 50 usable amp-hours before permanent damage occurs. You can deplete a lithium battery rated at 100 amp-hours to nearly zero without damaging it, effectively maximizing its runtime.
Even after a lithium battery has been discharged, it recharges faster than a lead-acid battery because of its higher energy density. This higher energy density also means more usable power packed into less physical space than other batteries.
Faster recharging means more efficient use of solar panels and generators. You’ll spend less time worrying about having enough sunshine for recharging or having enough fuel to recharge when using a generator.
Texas has many fantastic free camping sites to offer. What makes much of this camping unique is it allows for even large rigs to park right on the beach.
Most of this amazing camping is available without hook-ups, so self-reliance is key. That means not only having your own power source but also having fresh water and wastewater tanks. Plan for dumping your gray and black water tanks while traveling and have a supply of fresh water. Always practice the leave-no-trace policy, leaving your campsite cleaner than you found it.
Having lithium batteries as your power source can be a game-changer! It’s a reliable, long-lasting way to go camping wherever and whenever you want. Texas is full of wide-open spaces, just waiting for you to explore. Lithium batteries can make that a reality for you.
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