Introduction:
This nicely maintained commercial RV park is convenient to downtown and staffed by very friendly employees.
Click here to read about our criteria for campground reviews.
The Basics:
Overall Rating: 3.8/5
Price per night / Discounts: $49 / None
Campground website: Austin Lone Star RV Park
Our Site #: 29
Privacy Rating (how spacious and private do the sites feel):
3/5: The spots here are right next to each other with minimal spacing, however, there are trees and bushes between many of the spaces which really helps them feel a bit more private. As close as we were to our neighbors, we didn't feel like we were on top of them, which was a nice change for this type of commercial park.
Location Rating (accessibility to points of interest or to major highways):
4/5: The campground is located 20 to 25 minutes from the State Capitol downtown which is about the same as McKinney Falls State Park. Its location on the frontage road right next to I-35 makes it convenient to the highway, but also subject to significant traffic most of the day (a large highway construction project is likely increasing the problem). Overall, we considered this a very good location, but it could be stressful getting in and out of the park, especially when we were driving the RV.
Site Quality and Big Rig Accessibility Rating (utilities and accessibility of campground hook ups):
4/5: We could access everything ok, but the park's roads definitely felt tight, and some of the spaces would be a challenge to get a very large rig into if the park was full. I wouldn't want to be an inexperienced driver with a very large set-up coming into this park, but for those who are experienced, and for those who have smaller RVs, it's fine. The utilities worked as expected.
Technology and Customer Service Rating (online resources, reservations, and staff):
5/5: We were really happy with both the technology and the customer service at this park. I was able to make our reservations online, their website is up to date and had all the information we needed, and the customer service was very friendly. They actually had a power outage at their office building the day we arrived, so someone met us outside to get us checked in and then another employee led us to our site. That staff member showed us how everything worked, gave us local suggestions, and offered us any kind of help we needed. We appreciated the warm welcome. I'd also note that their common areas were well maintained and outfitted - particularly the laundry room. While we typically wash our laundry in our RV, on occasion, I will use the laundry facilities, and these were among the nicest I've seen.
Internet Availability Rating (Verizon coverage or campground wifi):
3/5: Our hotspot worked fine. As for wifi, they use a system where you have to open an account by giving them your email address which we were not willing to do for two nights of wifi. It would be better if they just used a simple password system like everyone else.
Summary:
This was a really solid commercial RV park right outside the city of Austin. While we typically would opt for the more spacious sites at McKinney Falls, this was a good option for full hook-ups and other conveniences associated with a private park. The traffic along the frontage road was pretty bad, but hopefully it will improve once they finish all the construction they're working on. In the meantime, we were impressed with their online reservation system, the vegetation between the sites that created a bit of privacy, and the very friendly customer service we encountered. Overall, this was a good campground for visiting Austin.
