Rocky Creek COE

Corps of Engineers Texas

Visited March 2014

Rocky Creek Park is located on the south shore of Somerville Lake in Somerville, TX, about 65 miles east of Austin and 80 miles northwest of Houston. Open all year, Rocky Creek is a large park with 192 campsites. Fishing and boating are the primary activities.

Spring Break week in Texas - not an easy time to be a wandering RV'er who doesn't like to be pinned down by making... — Spring Break week in Texas - not an easy time to be a wandering RV'er who doesn't like to be pinned down by making reservations. We headed for Rocky Creek because the COE is one of the few public campground operators that save out a good portion of their sites for first-come/first-served folks like us. We arrived on the Thursday before Spring Break and had no problem getting a site. In fact we were very happy with site 52, for it had a great view of the lake and was somewhat private without another site right beside it.

Greetings from

Rocky Creek COE

Spring Break week in Texas - not an easy time to be a wandering RV'er who doesn't like to be pinned down by making reservations. We headed for Rocky Creek because the COE is one of the few public campground operators that save out a good portion of their sites for first-come/first-served folks like us. We arrived on the Thursday before Spring Break and had no problem getting a site. In fact we were very happy with site 52, for it had a great view of the lake and was somewhat private without another site right beside it.

Ribbit! The WxToad

Around the campground

Sites 53-57 are among the water-front sites for which there is an extra $2 fee. Of course, with the Golden Age Pass, that's only a dollar extra.

Sites 68-70 are on the "inside" of the road. Perhaps half or a little more of the sites have a shade cabana over the picnic table. Each site also has a fire grill and a raised barbeque.

There are two tent-only camping loops, both with electric and water hookups at each site. This loop of sites 171 to 192 is located near a boat ramp and faces west. The cold winds from the northwest can really be felt here.

Tent sites 186 and 185 are located right at the water's edge.

That's site 122 in the foreground, site 124 beyond it and site 103 in the distance near the water.

Out near the end of the peninsula are some much more open sites - no trees near many of them. Sites 130-136 are on the right, while beyond the tree on the left are sites 150-154.

At the very end are sites 142-140. 140 (distant right) is a great site, but all the sites out in this area are subject to strong, cold north and northwest winds.

Sites 44-51 are in a small camping loop by themselves.

There are seven modern bathhouses scattered throughout the park. They're clean and offer free hot showers. There are no laundry facilities, however.

Beyond the playground area is a small amphitheater where rangers can make presentations.

One sees lots of deer roaming through the park.

We noticed lots of tree stumps, the result of cutting some large trees. I asked a ranger about it, thinking it must be the result of storm damage. No, he said, it was the result of severe drought in 2011-2012 when over 300 trees did not survive and have had to be cut down. Two small camping loops are still closed because the trees have yet to be cut and cleaned out.

This is one of the largets burls we've seen. I've been reading lately that these are highly desireable for decorative purposes and have become the target of poachers who will in the dead of night cut the burl out of the tree.

A grand sunrise right outside our window!

Nearby campgrounds

Yegua Creek COETX · 2 miles away

Stephen F. Austin State ParkTX · 43 miles away

Lake Bastrop North Shore ParkTX · 43 miles away

Pedernales Falls State ParkTX · 100 miles away

Back on the roadSee all 402 campgrounds