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Texas Panhandle camping spot makes list of most scenic U.S. campgrounds

North Prong Primitive Campground at Caprock Canyons State Park

Get ready to hike to reach the campground.

Photo courtesy of Texas Parks and Wildlife Department

A primitive camping spot in the Texas Panhandle has just been named one of the most scenic campgrounds in America, boasting some of the prettiest views nationwide.

North Prong Primitive Campground is the sole Texas destination to make the cut in North American travel publication Matador Network's list of "60 Campsites With the Best Views Across the United States."

The San Francisco-based publication collaborated with various parks organizations, tourism boards, and campground review platform The Dyrt to develop its list of the most scenic American camping spots.

The list contains a variety of locations – from primitive sites with no amenities to full-service campgrounds with electrical hookups and WiFi – that each "represent the variety of experiences and landscapes available in each region" of the United States. The 60 sites were sorted into regional categories along the East Coast, West Coast, "Mountain West," Midwest, South, and in Alaska, Hawai’i, and other U.S. territories.

"Camping in the United States is as much about the landscapes as it is about the experience of being outdoors," the report said. "The country’s diverse geography and sheer size give it some of the most striking natural views in the world, from towering mountain ranges to vast desert expanses, dense forests, remote coastlines, shimmering glaciers, and even tropical rainforests."

North Prong Primitive Campground stood out among Matador's top-10 list of "Prettiest Places to Camp in the South." The campground is located within Caprock Canyons State Park in Quitaque, Texas, which is over 300 miles northwest from Dallas.

There are eight different secluded campsites for visitors to pitch their tents at North Prong, offering breathtaking views of the park's red rock canyons and the wide-open Texas sky.

North Prong Primitive Campground Views for miles.Photo courtesy of The Dyrt camper Zach B.

"Most tent sites have expansive views of canyons with flat clearings on vivid red dirt and are dotted with cottonwood trees and scrub oaks," the report says. "The colors are vivid as can be at sunrise and sunset when light magnifies off steep red canyon walls in the distance."

According to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, it's a one-mile hike to reach the camping area, and visitors must bring their own drinking water and keep pets on a leash at all times. There are no trash cans on-site, so all trash must be carried out by campers, but the area does have composting toilets nearby. Ground fires are not allowed.

Matador recommends travelers book a reservation to gain access to the area, but clarifies that reservations do not provide access to one of the eight camping sites.

The report suggests traveling to the Panhandle campground during the spring when the weather isn't too hot yet, or in the fall months when there may be fewer dramatic temperature fluctuations.

"The South’s relatively mild winters make it a year-round camping destination, but summer heat and humidity can be intense, especially in the Deep South," the report said.

The top 10 best places to camp in the South are:

Devils Fork State Park, South Carolina
Garden Key, Florida
North Long Primitive Campground, Texas
Edgar Evins State Park, Tennessee
Jekyll Island State Park, Georgia
Stone Cliff Beach Campground, West Virginia
Gulf State Park, Alabama
Red River Gorge Geological Area, Kentucky
Seneca Shadows Campground, West Virginia
Chikee Wilderness Camping, Florida

travel camping west texas

Farm to fairground

The ultimate guide to Texas food festivals for summer and fall 2026

Photo courtesy of Caldwell Kolache Festival

Caldwell Kolache Festival takes place September 12 near College Station.

Only in Texas can an entire weekend revolve around watermelon seed-spitting, pickle juice drinking, or a championship goat cookoff. Across the state, summer and fall bring a packed calendar of food festivals celebrating everything from peaches and peanuts to black-eyed peas and barbacoa. These beloved events pair hometown traditions with live entertainment, quirky contests, and enough local flavor to fill a cooler.

Here's a calendar guide to Texas' best food festivals to visit in 2026:

Photo courtesy of Caldwell Kolache Festival

Caldwell Kolache Festival takes place September 12 near College Station.

Tomato Festival in Jacksonville – June 13
Can you peel a tomato with your teeth? Pack tomatoes at lightning speed? Gobble them down faster than anyone you know? There’s a competition for you at this East Texas shindig, which is famous for setting the Guinness World Record for the biggest bowl of salsa. Hit up the street dance and the classic car show while you indulge in all the fried green tomatoes and savory tomato tarts you can eat.

Texas Blueberry Festival in Nacogdoches – June 13
Blueberry pie, blueberry cupcakes, and thousands of blueberry pancakes take over this East Texas town with a sea of blue. People pile onto the sidewalk to cheer at the costumed pet parade and gleefully get messy at the no-hands blueberry pie eating contests. The music is bluegrass, naturally, and free shuttles carry people to nearby pick-your-own blueberry farms.

Luling Watermelon Thump – June 25-28
Can you hear that thumping sound now? Home of the World Championship Seed-Spitting Contest, this juicy jamboree takes place just east of New Braunfels. Bid on champion-sized melons at the auction, wave hello to the Watermelon Queen, and see adorable tots wheeling in watermelons in wagons for the Lil Growers competition. Texans love our watermelon: You’ll also find the McDade Watermelon Festival (July 11), Hempstead Watermelon Festival (July 17-18), and the Naples Watermelon Festival (July 23-25).

Wave hello to the Watermelon Queen in the big Luling Watermelon Thump.Photo courtesy of Luling Watermelon Thump

Parker County Peach Festival in Weatherford – July 11
Stroll around Weatherford’s historic courthouse square and shop for fresh peaches galore from local growers. Browse 200+ arts and crafts vendors and sample treats like fried peach pies, peach ice cream, and peach wine. Slam down your winning tiles at the 42 domino tournament (the national game of Texas) and shop for just-picked peaches. Many people leave with several bushels! Peachapaloozas also erupt at Stonewall’s Peach JAMboree & Rodeo (June 19-21) near Fredericksburg and Fairfield’s Fuzzy Peach Festival (July 17-18).

Cheeseburger Festival in Friona – July 18
Just 35 miles from the New Mexico border, Friona is surrounded by cattle ranches, wheat fields, and dairy farms — which provide three of the essential ingredients for cheeseburgers. Saturday, July 18 is the big cookoff, where teams must make 200 cheeseburgers each, and the week leading up to it includes daily diversions like kite flying, archery lessons, Loteria games, and movie nights at the city pool.

World Championship Goat Cookoff in Brady – September 4-5
Labor Day weekend brings more than 200 teams of goat chefs to this tiny town that’s smack in the middle of the state. But it’s not just about shining a light on an underappreciated meat; showmanship is also key. Cooking teams try to outdo each other with elaborate themed camps, giving the event a family-reunion-meets-tailgate-party atmosphere.

Texas Banana Pudding Festival in Slaton – September 5
The Banana Pudding Capital of Texas is way out west near Lubbock, and every autumn a local bakery hosts a ‘nanner puddin’ blowout in the historic town square. The street festival oozes small-town charm (think vintage tractor displays and pinewood derby races) with fantastic b-pudding flavors like Key lime pie and peanut butter.

Caldwell Kolache Festival – September 12
With tens of thousands of kolaches, nonstop polka music, and a parade with colorful folk costumes, this celebration honors Czech culture and heritage. Found close to College Station, Caldwell is called the Czech Capital of Texas, and its signature festival also features the Beseda (the national dance of the Czech Republic) and kolache baking and eating contests.

In a Pickle Festival in Helotes – September 19
Does the idea of dogs dressed like pickles tickle your fancy? The pickled pet parade is a highlight of this Hill Country brou-ha-ha, and so is the pickle juice drinking competition. Chug! Chug! Chug! Hungry now? Try pickle pizza, pickle ice cream, and freeze-dried pickles — and if you still haven’t had enough, there’s a second In a Pickle Festival in Mercedes each spring, and Garland hosts its Pickle Party on the Square with a Pickle University every June.

Bertram Oatmeal Festival – September 26
Head to this Hill Country hamlet to meet Oatie, the festival mascot (a container of 3-Minute Oats) and his masked arch-nemesis, the Grits Guzzler (a corny cornmeal-pushing villain). Watch their shenanigans unfold down the street before you sign up for silly games like the tortilla toss and cow chip kick. Children can get ooey-gooey searching for prizes in the popular oatmeal dig, a kiddie pool filled with oats.

Meet Oatie, the mascot of the Bertram Oatmeal Festival. Photo courtesy of Bertram Oatmeal Festival

Floresville Peanut Festival – October 6-10
The enticing aroma of roasting peanuts fills the air at this South Texas fest, which dates all the way back to 1938. It kicks off with Goober Games for children (like sack races and peanut tossing) and a Kiddie Parade with pint-sized floats. Then the serious fun begins: a grand parade, barbecue cookoff, and washer tournament — plus a panoply of peanutty treats, from old-school peanut brittle to newfangled inventions like fried peanut butter sandwiches.

Barbacoa and Big Red Festival in San Antonio – October 10-11
Inspired by a Mexican American weekend lunch ritual, this giant fair celebrates the uber-Texas combo of ice-cold Big Red soda and slow-cooked barbacoa. Thousands of fans flock to the Freeman Coliseum grounds and Expo Hall for this full-blown cultural festival with carnival rides and multiple stages of Tejano and country music.

Jamburgeree in Athens – October 16-17
Turtle races? Check. Mooing competition? Check. Hamburger-building contest? Of course! This Piney Woods party is two food festivals in one: the Black-Eyed Pea Jamboree and the Uncle Fletch Hamburger Festival — because Athens is the Black-Eyed Pea Capital of the World AND the Birthplace of the Hamburger. Vegetarians and carnivores can walk hand-in-hand through the food fest and enjoy the eats along with a black-eyed pea spitting contest, a farmer’s market, and a cornhole tournament.

Seguin Pecan Fest – October 24
Snap a selfie with the world’s largest pecan in this picturesque town along the Guadalupe River, the Pecan Capital of Texas and one of the state’s leading producers of our favorite nuts. Pecan-themed festivities include a Food Truck Throwdown with pecan-inspired dishes and a Get Crackin’ Contest for masochists who like to shell pecans. Last year’s bash also had llamas.

Of course there's a Pecan Fest in Texas.Photo courtesy of Pecan Fest

Crystal City Spinach Festival – October 29-November 1
Celebrate Popeye’s favorite food for four whole days in Crystal City, located about 100 miles southwest of San Antonio in Zavala County — Texas’ top spinach-producing county for more than a century. Naturally, there’s a spinach cookoff, as well as a parade, carnival rides, and the crowning of the Spinach Festival Queen. Don’t forget to pay your regards to the statue of Popeye, who popularized spinach during the Great Depression — transforming Crystal City’s economy and spurring the founding of the Spinach Festival in 1936.

Heritage Syrup Festival – November 14 in Henderson
Watch ribbon cane syrup as it’s made with antique, mule-powered equipment at this Easy Texas folk life festival. You’ll also see demonstrations of lace making, blacksmithing, rope making, quilting, spinning, and wood carving. Hayrides and square dancing complete the old-fashioned fun.

Poteet Strawberry Festival – Second weekend of April 2027 (date TBA)
Last but certainly not least, this massive event near San Antonio attracts over 100,000 fruit fanatics to the Strawberry Capital of Texas every spring. It has it all: fireworks, rodeo thrills, marching bands, carnival rides, and more than a dozen stages of entertainment from folklorico dancers to dueling pianos. But the star of the show is the sweet South Texas strawberry, a ruby-red gem that gets gobbled by the truckload.

texas festivals