RV Parks In Carthage, Texas

For most travelers the top pick is Carthage RV Campground on the Northeast Loop, a purpose-built big-rig park with paved full-hookup sites, long pull-thrus, and up to 100 amp power. Pop's Place RV Park is the smaller, family-run alternative in the pines just five minutes from downtown, with full hookups and military and first-responder discounts. If you want to camp on the water, Martin Creek Lake State Park sits about half an hour northwest near Tatum, and county-run Lake Murvaul lies southwest of town. Match the park to your trip: big rig and hookups in town, or a lakeside site with the boat.

Yes. Carthage RV Campground offers full hookups with water, sewer, cable, and 30, 50, or even 100 amp electric on paved sites, and Pop's Place RV Park has full hookups too. The public lakeside option, Martin Creek Lake State Park, is a little different: it provides water and electric sites for RVs up to 50 feet but not full sewer at every site, so you'll use the park dump station. Lake Murvaul has shoreline sites with hookups as well. If full hookups are a must, the two private parks in town are your surest bet; the state park trades sewer at the pad for a lakeside setting.

Absolutely. Carthage RV Campground is built for big rigs, with 64 paved sites, most of them extra-long pull-thrus around 65 feet, plus 50 and 100 amp service, so a 40-plus-foot coach or fifth-wheel fits with room to spare and you rarely have to back in. US 59 and US 79 are the main highways in and both handle large rigs easily, and the Northeast Loop keeps you clear of the tight downtown square. Martin Creek Lake State Park accepts RVs up to 50 feet at its water-and-electric sites. For the smaller, tree-shaded parks like Pop's Place, call ahead to confirm site length for a big rig.

For the private parks in town, a few days' notice is usually enough outside of festival weekends, since Carthage doesn't get overrun the way big tourist towns do. The exception is Martin Creek Lake State Park, which you can and should reserve up to five months out through the Texas State Parks system, because it fills fast on any warm-weather weekend and holiday. Fall festival dates and spring fishing weekends are the busiest times for the town parks, so book those ahead. Lake Murvaul is more casual; contact the county park or marina directly to check on walk-up availability.

Yes, two good ones within a short drive. Martin Creek Lake State Park, run by Texas Parks and Wildlife, is about 25 to 30 minutes northwest near Tatum, with water and electric RV sites, primitive island tent sites, screened shelters, cabins, and a dump station, all reservable online up to five months ahead. Closer to town, Lake Murvaul is a Panola County lake park with shoreline campsites and a marina, popular with anglers. Both give you a lakeside alternative to the in-town private parks. Carthage itself doesn't have a city RV campground, so the private parks cover the downtown-adjacent camping.

Fall is our favorite: comfortable temperatures, drier air, and strong fishing on the lakes, with fewer bugs than summer. Spring is a close second, green and mild with excellent bass fishing, though East Texas can throw severe thunderstorms your way, so watch the radar. Summer is hot and humid Piney Woods weather, still doable if you have 50 amp for the air conditioning, but expect mosquitoes near the water at dusk. Winter is short, cool, and quiet, the cheapest time to camp, and the private full-hookup parks stay open year-round. Aim for October or April for the sweet spot.

The private parks in town, Carthage RV Campground and Pop's Place, run on reservations, so call or book direct to lock in a site. Martin Creek Lake State Park reserves through the Texas State Parks system up to five months in advance, which is the way to go since it fills on warm weekends. Lake Murvaul, being a county park, is more relaxed and may offer walk-up sites, but you should contact the park or marina to confirm before you count on it. In general, reserve the state park early, book the private parks a few days out, and treat the county lake as your flexible fallback.

The signature stop is the Texas Country Music Hall of Fame and Tex Ritter Museum downtown, a 13,000-square-foot tribute to Tex Ritter, Jim Reeves, George Jones and other Texas legends, complete with a free jukebox. Anglers have two lakes: Lake Murvaul for trophy largemouth bass and crappie, and Martin Creek Lake for warm-water year-round fishing plus trails and swimming. In town, Carthage City Park has playgrounds and walking trails, and the Footprints in the Sand Monument sits nearby. Add boating, birdwatching, and easy Piney Woods drives, and you've got a relaxed few days without fighting crowds.

Generally yes. Carthage RV Campground even has its own dog park, which makes it an easy call if you're traveling with dogs, and Pop's Place is a small country park where pets are typically welcome. As always, confirm each park's specific rules on leash length, breed limits, and number of pets per site when you book. Martin Creek Lake State Park allows leashed pets on its trails and campsites, though not inside buildings, and you'll want to keep them leashed around wildlife. Bring proof of vaccination, pick up after your dog, and you'll have no trouble camping with pets anywhere around Carthage.

Yes. The private full-hookup parks, Carthage RV Campground and Pop's Place, are open all year, which makes the area a comfortable cool-season stop when many northern parks have closed. Martin Creek Lake State Park also operates year-round, though its gate locks overnight from about 10pm to 6am, so plan arrivals accordingly. Winters here are short and mild, so full-time and snowbird RVers can camp comfortably and pick up much lower rates than in summer. If you're planning an off-season trip, the private parks are your reliable bet, and it's worth asking them about weekly and monthly rates for a longer stay.

Camping here is affordable by Texas standards. The private full-hookup parks generally land in the value-to-mid range, with Pop's Place toward the budget end, especially with its military and first-responder discounts. Carthage RV Campground costs a little more for its paved big-rig sites and amenities but stays reasonable. The public lakeside options are the cheapest: primitive sites at Martin Creek Lake State Park start around $10, with water-and-electric sites a modest step up. Snowbirds should ask the private parks about weekly and monthly rates, which cut the per-night cost significantly. Camping midweek and day-tripping the lakes keeps a trip here easy on the wallet.

It depends on what you want. Martin Creek Lake State Park is the more developed choice, with reservable water-and-electric RV sites up to 50 feet, screened shelters, cabins, trails, swimming, and a dump station, all bookable online through Texas State Parks. It's the safer pick if you want guaranteed hookups and facilities. Lake Murvaul is a county park with a more rustic, local feel, shoreline sites, and a marina, and it shines for fishing, with largemouth bass topping eight pounds and strong crappie. If you're chasing trophy fish and a quieter vibe, Murvaul is worth it; for reliable hookups and amenities, choose Martin Creek Lake.

Carthage is served by US 59, the main north-south route through town toward Marshall and Nacogdoches, and US 79, which runs east and west toward Henderson and the Louisiana state line. Both are well-maintained highways that carry big rigs and towables without issue. The Northeast Loop routes you around the edge of town so you can reach Carthage RV Campground without navigating the tight downtown square. To reach the lakes, TX 149 and TX 315 plus paved county roads take you out to Lake Murvaul and toward Martin Creek Lake. This is not interstate country, so plan your fuel stops along US 59 and US 79 before leaving camp.

For most travelers the top pick is Carthage RV Campground on the Northeast Loop, a purpose-built big-rig park with paved full-hookup sites, long pull-thrus, and up to 100 amp power. Pop's Place RV Park is the smaller, family-run alternative in the pines just five minutes from downtown, with full hookups and military and first-responder discounts. If you want to camp on the water, Martin Creek Lake State Park sits about half an hour northwest near Tatum, and county-run Lake Murvaul lies southwest of town. Match the park to your trip: big rig and hookups in town, or a lakeside site with the boat.

Yes. Carthage RV Campground offers full hookups with water, sewer, cable, and 30, 50, or even 100 amp electric on paved sites, and Pop's Place RV Park has full hookups too. The public lakeside option, Martin Creek Lake State Park, is a little different: it provides water and electric sites for RVs up to 50 feet but not full sewer at every site, so you'll use the park dump station. Lake Murvaul has shoreline sites with hookups as well. If full hookups are a must, the two private parks in town are your surest bet; the state park trades sewer at the pad for a lakeside setting.

Absolutely. Carthage RV Campground is built for big rigs, with 64 paved sites, most of them extra-long pull-thrus around 65 feet, plus 50 and 100 amp service, so a 40-plus-foot coach or fifth-wheel fits with room to spare and you rarely have to back in. US 59 and US 79 are the main highways in and both handle large rigs easily, and the Northeast Loop keeps you clear of the tight downtown square. Martin Creek Lake State Park accepts RVs up to 50 feet at its water-and-electric sites. For the smaller, tree-shaded parks like Pop's Place, call ahead to confirm site length for a big rig.

For the private parks in town, a few days' notice is usually enough outside of festival weekends, since Carthage doesn't get overrun the way big tourist towns do. The exception is Martin Creek Lake State Park, which you can and should reserve up to five months out through the Texas State Parks system, because it fills fast on any warm-weather weekend and holiday. Fall festival dates and spring fishing weekends are the busiest times for the town parks, so book those ahead. Lake Murvaul is more casual; contact the county park or marina directly to check on walk-up availability.

Yes, two good ones within a short drive. Martin Creek Lake State Park, run by Texas Parks and Wildlife, is about 25 to 30 minutes northwest near Tatum, with water and electric RV sites, primitive island tent sites, screened shelters, cabins, and a dump station, all reservable online up to five months ahead. Closer to town, Lake Murvaul is a Panola County lake park with shoreline campsites and a marina, popular with anglers. Both give you a lakeside alternative to the in-town private parks. Carthage itself doesn't have a city RV campground, so the private parks cover the downtown-adjacent camping.

Fall is our favorite: comfortable temperatures, drier air, and strong fishing on the lakes, with fewer bugs than summer. Spring is a close second, green and mild with excellent bass fishing, though East Texas can throw severe thunderstorms your way, so watch the radar. Summer is hot and humid Piney Woods weather, still doable if you have 50 amp for the air conditioning, but expect mosquitoes near the water at dusk. Winter is short, cool, and quiet, the cheapest time to camp, and the private full-hookup parks stay open year-round. Aim for October or April for the sweet spot.

The private parks in town, Carthage RV Campground and Pop's Place, run on reservations, so call or book direct to lock in a site. Martin Creek Lake State Park reserves through the Texas State Parks system up to five months in advance, which is the way to go since it fills on warm weekends. Lake Murvaul, being a county park, is more relaxed and may offer walk-up sites, but you should contact the park or marina to confirm before you count on it. In general, reserve the state park early, book the private parks a few days out, and treat the county lake as your flexible fallback.

The signature stop is the Texas Country Music Hall of Fame and Tex Ritter Museum downtown, a 13,000-square-foot tribute to Tex Ritter, Jim Reeves, George Jones and other Texas legends, complete with a free jukebox. Anglers have two lakes: Lake Murvaul for trophy largemouth bass and crappie, and Martin Creek Lake for warm-water year-round fishing plus trails and swimming. In town, Carthage City Park has playgrounds and walking trails, and the Footprints in the Sand Monument sits nearby. Add boating, birdwatching, and easy Piney Woods drives, and you've got a relaxed few days without fighting crowds.

Generally yes. Carthage RV Campground even has its own dog park, which makes it an easy call if you're traveling with dogs, and Pop's Place is a small country park where pets are typically welcome. As always, confirm each park's specific rules on leash length, breed limits, and number of pets per site when you book. Martin Creek Lake State Park allows leashed pets on its trails and campsites, though not inside buildings, and you'll want to keep them leashed around wildlife. Bring proof of vaccination, pick up after your dog, and you'll have no trouble camping with pets anywhere around Carthage.

Yes. The private full-hookup parks, Carthage RV Campground and Pop's Place, are open all year, which makes the area a comfortable cool-season stop when many northern parks have closed. Martin Creek Lake State Park also operates year-round, though its gate locks overnight from about 10pm to 6am, so plan arrivals accordingly. Winters here are short and mild, so full-time and snowbird RVers can camp comfortably and pick up much lower rates than in summer. If you're planning an off-season trip, the private parks are your reliable bet, and it's worth asking them about weekly and monthly rates for a longer stay.

Camping here is affordable by Texas standards. The private full-hookup parks generally land in the value-to-mid range, with Pop's Place toward the budget end, especially with its military and first-responder discounts. Carthage RV Campground costs a little more for its paved big-rig sites and amenities but stays reasonable. The public lakeside options are the cheapest: primitive sites at Martin Creek Lake State Park start around $10, with water-and-electric sites a modest step up. Snowbirds should ask the private parks about weekly and monthly rates, which cut the per-night cost significantly. Camping midweek and day-tripping the lakes keeps a trip here easy on the wallet.

It depends on what you want. Martin Creek Lake State Park is the more developed choice, with reservable water-and-electric RV sites up to 50 feet, screened shelters, cabins, trails, swimming, and a dump station, all bookable online through Texas State Parks. It's the safer pick if you want guaranteed hookups and facilities. Lake Murvaul is a county park with a more rustic, local feel, shoreline sites, and a marina, and it shines for fishing, with largemouth bass topping eight pounds and strong crappie. If you're chasing trophy fish and a quieter vibe, Murvaul is worth it; for reliable hookups and amenities, choose Martin Creek Lake.

Carthage is served by US 59, the main north-south route through town toward Marshall and Nacogdoches, and US 79, which runs east and west toward Henderson and the Louisiana state line. Both are well-maintained highways that carry big rigs and towables without issue. The Northeast Loop routes you around the edge of town so you can reach Carthage RV Campground without navigating the tight downtown square. To reach the lakes, TX 149 and TX 315 plus paved county roads take you out to Lake Murvaul and toward Martin Creek Lake. This is not interstate country, so plan your fuel stops along US 59 and US 79 before leaving camp.

Yes — there are free RV waste disposal options available near Carthage.