Backcountry Camp at Big Thicket National Preserve

Choose Your Own Adventure Big Thicket doesn’t have any campgrounds. Instead, you’re welcome to camp in much of the preserve’s backcountry with a free permit. Many miles of trails on land and water offer backcountry camping opportunities for hikers and paddlers. Get Your Permit Stop by the visitor center to get a free camping permit. You’ll need to know where and when you’ll be camping. If you’re unsure, ask a ranger for their recommendations. Choose Where to Camp Camping areas vary by season. In spring and summer, you can camp in most of the preserve. In fall and winter, during hunting season (Oct 1–Feb 28), camping is limited to areas that do not allow hunting. Turkey Creek Unit – all year Village Creek Corridor – all year Neches River Corridor – all year Canyonlands Unit – all year Loblolly Unit – all year Big Sandy Creek Unit – all year with restrictions: camping during hunting season limited to Woodlands Trail area Neches Bottom & Jack Gore Baygall Unit – all year with restrictions: camping during hunting season limited to Neches River sandbars Beech Creek Unit – spring–summer only Lance Rosier Unit – spring–summer only Beaumont Unit – spring–summer only More Information Our backcountry camping page has all the information you need to plan your trip, including camping rules and regulations, FAQs, and more.