Off-The-Grid Camping Spots

Hey all,

I relocated here for work in early January and haven't done much in the ways of heading outdoors and I know it's going to be hot for a bit longer...but I'm seeking some advice on off-the-grid camping spots/places to go.

I see a bunch of state parks/established campgrounds and I see a lot of that shared on here...what I'm looking for is places that are in the middle of nowhere, cool, usually require 4x4 to access, etc. Anyone have some good ideas? I live in the Dallas area!

Thanks!

 

subscribed.

really, really low expectations, though.

 

Also subscribed. This is easily the biggest thing I miss about living in Georgia, the proximity to all kinds of amazing public camping spots that no one knew about. I would love to find something here as well.

 

Haha I'm probably going to "bump" this post once every few days for a week or so...and if we don't hear anything then I guess we've got our answer?

 

Big Bend Ranch State Park

It's only about 10 hrs from DFW.

 

I've heard of it...unfortunately it's another over-populated State Park that doesn't allow dogs. Looks super cool...but I'm still trying to find at least 1 or 2 "go-to" places that are off the beaten path and not well known (and thus not regulated like state parks regarding dogs/leash laws/etc.). There were plenty of those in Arizona I frequented...I guess I just may be out of luck here.

 

Really not a lot of public land in Texas like other states unfortunately. Even less public land you can drive on. PINS is good but camping on the beach can suck.

 

My ideal camping weekend consists of a hike or two, maybe some kayaking, lots of relaxation, beers, fire, music, hammock hanging, chilling with friends. I find state parks kind of reduce that effect since you're sharing your spot with a family 20 feet away and you have to be quiet after 10 PM lol.

 

12hrs to Colorado from DFW

 

Yeah I know...I guess I'll just have to use my vacation hours wisely in order to swing some longer-distance trips. I just came back from a long road-trip so now my hours are limited. I was hoping there would be something 3-4 hours away that would be appropriate for a weekend getaway that wouldn't involve using vacation hours.

 

I don't think you quite understand.

It's an hour and a half to get to the visitor center. From there, it's another hour or so to whatever campsite you want.

We went with a group a while ago. From the time we got into the park, we saw one car at the visitor center. That's it. It's remote, desolate, and empty.

They might not want dogs, so don't bring it in to the visitor center when you check in. You're out in the middle of nowhere. Big boy rules very much apply.

 

What he said, most don't keep going up or out!! And "what dog" we just found him wandering, does he look coyote ... Out here in WA, lots of places, come visit!!!

 

I went to big bend last November. We seen a coulee waking with a dog on a leash. Think you can't just let them roam around as they become pray. Our camp site area was also fairly full. But even then they are in trees and you can't see or hear the people next to you. You can also pick between a area that allows generators and not. You also have no phone services and have to to ranger stations to us wifi. It is certainly off the beaten path. We plain to make another trip bike at some point, I would recommend it at least once in your life.

 

If you're on facebook look up a group called Texas Overland, they have pointed me to a few spots I never would of thought of. As well some pretty cool back country/dirt roads route/adventurers to get there.

 

their IG is pretty damn cool.

 

PINS is fun. Desolate and wild for sure. I found a thread with park listings, federal and state for the US. Search the forums, shouldn't be hard to find.

Cheers

 

Look to the north in Oklahoma and Arkansas. National forests are not frequently visited from my experience.
Write up from our trip a few months back.

 

@tex - yeah I was looking in the Ozarks and also the Ouachita National Forest as probably my likely places to go when I have a little more time since I live in the DFW area and that's a little bit of a haul - thanks for that write-up, looks amazing!

@picturethis and @Naveronski - I think I had Big Bend National Park and Big Bend Ranch State Park confused - thanks for the advice. I'll definitely check it out sometime, but I'll probably leave the pup at home since they really aren't allowed outside of the campgrounds.

 

Where in Georgia did you live? My wife lived in Augusta for a number of years. We like to go back as often as we can, and still have bunch of friends who live there

 

Buford, north of Atlanta. Tons of great camping on the GA/NC/SC/TN state lines. We used to go to this spot on the Chattooga 2-3 times a year.