What about boondocking in small Texas towns?

[Rbratcherjr]

Fredericksburg Texas for an example. Any good ideas? Or are small towns bad about cops bothering people living in whatever they have? My case it's a slide in camper on the back of a pickup truck. Can park just about anywhere....

 

[James AKA Lynx]

Unless you have lived there all of your life, I would not do it unless there is a free camping site. There is many different ways you will be asked to leave.

Ask before stay any time.

 

[owl]

Something most don't know about Texas is that there is very little public land there. Almost none, the whole state is privately owned. Down around Padre Island there are places you can stay but Rv parks might be an inexpensive option. Parking overnight in any town in the country is getting difficult but can be done if you are careful.

 

[Rbratcherjr]

Unless you have lived there all of your life, I would not do it unless there is a free camping site. There is many different ways you will be asked to leave.

Ask before stay any time.

There are no free camping sites in, around or near Fredericksburg so I'd just have to park somewhere (moving around) in that small low crime time in the Texas hill country. Hopefully the local cops won't bother me very much or at all if I park off the street.

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Anybody get bothered by cops at night in a small town? Last week my wife & I stayed 2 nights in the driveway of my parents home in the slide in camper for a Sunday & Monday night as even though we live in northwest Houston we wanted to be there early Monday morning for breakfast with my family after which I set up my dads new computer for him & installed the programs he wanted on it. After which my dad, wife & I went to Frey's in Webster to help my dad with a little shopping he wanted to do. Sometime after we all got home I took my wife to a local Deer Park family owned Italian restaurant then we (with my dads permission which we had both nights) stayed overnight in the camper instead of driving back that night to our Houston home 45 miles away which was perfectly doable except the wife & I decided to go ahead & spend the 2nd night in the camper, have breakfast with my family then I drove my wife & I home Monday morning after breakfast. The first night the local cops left us alone but the 2nd night we got woken up around 2 AM by a cop & I answered all his questions while letting him see my wife's & my ID's which have the same last name of my parents. The cop still knocked on my parents door to find out for himself that I had permission to park there overnight (which I did) instead of just believing that I had permission to park overnight in the driveway which while I didn't complain I still thought it was a bit too much on the cops part. Anybody had an experience like this or any other experience no matter where you were parking (not in someone's driveway without permission) overnight in a small town? I just wondered that's all....

 

[Stargazer]

My very elderly Mother left her home, in a small town (pop 800's) to live with one of my siblings "temporarily", for the winter. A full-timer vanning friend of mine was looking for a place to park for a while and after they met each other, Mom was thrilled to have my friend park in her driveway as a security measure. She agreed to have her hook up an extension cord to an outside outlet and my friend pays the electric bill.

The van rarely moves, as it is a small town and everything is within walking or bicycling distance (including a small, 24 hour gym with shower!). Nobody has bothered her, so far, since September. I made sure, though, that she met the immediate neighbors and they knew the situation. She also lives very quietly -- no generator, no loud music, etc., and keeps a low profile.

I think it depends on the town. Fredericksburg is a big tourist area and may not welcome boondockers. On the otherhand, they may welcome your dollars. Give it a try! Worst that can happen is you are asked to leave.

Best wishes.

 

[Kevin H]

Many of the small Texas towns have an HEB grocery store. Many are 24/7. Try their parking lot. I have never seen signs stating anything regarding overnighters.

I know Fredricksburg has one. Give it a try.

 

[WheelEstate USA]

24/7 stores are often good as long as there no local laws prohibiting overnights. Still a good idea to check with the manager on duty. Most don't mind since you're gonna "do some shopping".

 

[SoulRaven]

I camped with my truck camper in several small Texas towns, never more than a few days, but I checked with the local police where I could park. Surprisingly I found them to be actually helpful. I didn't stay in Fredricksburg so I can't give a definite answer but try, you may be surprised.

 

[Clan Graham]

Wow ... No. I was born and raised in Texas, and will never forgive myself for it !

I am once again living in Texas, but by no choice of my own, and I am trying to leave as FAST as possible. TX is a place of EXTREME religious fanatics. And if a bus or van is parked near them, they will most likely be calling the local police, to tell them about the "suspicious pot head troublemakers in it" .... They will most likely suspect the worst.

And another thing ... having been a traveler with my wife for the past 12 years, I have dealt with, or observed police in many of the 45 of the Continental states we have been in. I've seen the good and bad. But the cops in TX are a different breed. MOST of them have serious attitudes. And with the state being so goody, goody and religious ... They are FULLY supported by the majority of the residents there ... ie, they wield a lot of power, with the court system havily backing them up all the way. Fines here are atrocious ! Traffic cops are the worst ... and the state LOVES to give tickets !

Having said that ... of course not all of the police here are bad. I can tell you the Sealy, TX police and sherriffs are very professional and respectful. But would I ever want to boondock here in Hell ? No way.

 

[BamaDuke]

Hi Kethy,
Make sure you buy the Texas Public Hunting Permit or the Public Camping Permit. I think they are both about $30. Get one or the other. It allows you to boondock in certain areas. I live about 5 miles south of the Sam Houston NF, and hear about people being ticketed all the time around Lake Conroe. If you get the Permit, it's good for a year, and lets you into other venues. Groogle it on the interwebs, and you can get the info.

Bama

 

[RepublicOfTXPatriot]

Hey Yall, I have lived in Texas my whole 49 yrs. out in the rural parts. Right now I'm boondocking on a family members 150 acre ranch in Willis, TX. BamaDuke probably knows where I am. I'm just 25 min south of BamaDuke. Now I currently have a 37ft 5th wheel. And have been full time nomad for work the last eleven yrs. The cops in small towns are good people. But being a small town where everyone knows everyone and the LEO know darn near every vehicle in town. I have stayed in several small town in TX. Never had a problem. Of course unless its a Walmart parking lot I will do like BobJ does and stop by the local LEO station and ask. Then they all know (or should know) who and what your doing there. I grew up in "old" Katy, TX just east of Sealy where Clan is talking about. I have great friends in Sealy. Yes...There are plenty of religious and old fashioned people here in Texas. And the Sealy LEO checks out all "strangers" that hang around. Not to run anyone off. Just more security of the city. In Katy I knew most all the LEO's, They knew all my vehicles, where I lived. But they're are way more good down to earth people here in Texas than most places I have visited. As long as you are outside of the big cities. I really don't see why Clan sees it as bad thing to be religious. I look at the way Texans out on rural areas are as that we "pay attention" to our surroundings. I think others should. Isn't that related to what we all do here when we go somewhere new? I suggest to anyone that comes to Texas is too stay out of the big cities. Heck, if someone wanted to boondock for a night or two on my family's ranch it would be fine. Several times I have stayed in the parking lot of the county courthouse overnight. The LEO's told I could pick there or the parks. A few told me I could stay in a parking lot right across the street from the police station. One officer said...It will be safer for you and us and cause less problems from locals. I guess they figured if I stayed where they could "see" me, and I didn't run off from the offer that I don't have anything to hide. I'm sure they ran my plates. But anyways, worked out for me. Hope to help with my 2 cents. I may live all over but I still and will always call Texas home. #BeABlessing.

 

[deadwood]

I think boondocking on someones property with their permission is a little different then rolling into an unkown town and parking overnight. I camped in San Simeon a few months back while traveling up the coast. It is a very small town but I went back a street or two and found an apartment complex where parking overflowed into the street. Pulled up and parked with all the other cars on the street and had no problem.

My first rule of stealth camping is always park on a city street. Parking in a parking lot even if it has businesses open 24hrs is taking a big chance on getting a knock on the door. Parking lots are private property and quite a few will have security drive though on a regular basis. Parking on the street is legal as long as there are no signs posting against it.

I think even in small towns there will be places where people have to overflow to park on the street. The trick is to find those spots and blend in. If it's in front of apartments or condos it makes it a lot easier to blend in because you aren't parking in front of anyone's property which might cause them to call the police to have you checked out.

There could easily be some small rural towns where finding a spot to blend in is just not possible. In those cases you might have to get a little more creative or just move on a little further down the road. It's always best to have a spot picked out before it gets too dark.