Have you ever been camping? If not, how would you like to get started? Do you know your camping comfort level? Cooper Lake State Park is a perfect place to explore camping since the park has such a wide variety of overnight opportunities! The park contains two unique units perched on the banks of Cooper Lake. The South Sulphur Unit, the largest of the two, is located on the south side of the lake, and the Doctors Creek Unit is on the north side. Both parks have a wide variety of camping site types available. Just like Goldilocks, you can find something that’s “just right!” From people who wish to stay in their motorhomes or travel trailers to those wishing to camp in a tent by the lake and even those who don’t own any camping gear, Cooper Lake State Park has something “just right” for the night enjoying the great outdoors!

The cabins at the South Sulphur Unit come furnished with beds, a kitchen, and a bathroom. Most of them include beautiful lakeside views. The only thing for you to bring is linens and cookware.

We have mini cabins for a cozier experience on either side of the park. These smaller cabins are one-room structures with two bunk beds, a mini fridge, a microwave, and AC/Heat. Again, no camping equipment is required. Bring your pillows, sheets, and blankets from your house, and you’re ready to go!

The screened shelters are next level in amenities. These shelters help protect you from the rain while still letting you enjoy the view. So, bring your air mattress, hammock, or whatever you want to sleep on, and skip the tent for the weekend. So, you have too many people to fit in the shelter? Go ahead and bring the tent and pitch it next to your cover.

For those wanting to spend the weekend in their motorcoach, RV, or camper van, both park units have water and electric sites, with some having lake views. South Sulphur has a camping loop available for equestrian campers right next to over fifteen miles of hiking/equestrian trails. All of our sites except for our cabin area are also available for tent campers who want electricity to help beat the Texas heat or cold. You can park at your site, unload, and set up for a weekend at the lake.

For a more primitive experience, the South Sulphur Unit has 15 water-only sites along the lake’s edge. These sites share a parking lot, and you are only a short walk away from your tent home for the weekend. Finally, for a group experience, Doctors Creek has a group site for multiple tents that will accommodate up to forty-eight people. This site has fantastic lake views!

Once you have decided on your camping comfort level, make your reservation by visiting TexasStateParks.org or calling (512)389-8900. Both park units fill up three to four weeks in advance on weekends most of the year, so reserve your site early. Once you arrive, enjoy your weekend fishing, hiking, swimming, boating, dark sky stargazing, join a ranger-led educational program, roasting marshmallows over the campfire, or enjoy nature resting under a giant post oak. Texas State Parks are great places to relax, recreate, and recharge your soul!

Park entrance fees are $5 for adults, with kids twelve and under always free. Senior Texans 65 and older will only pay $3 to enter the park daily with a Bluebonnet Pass. You can accomplish unlimited park entrances for you and everyone in a vehicle by purchasing a Texas State Park Annual Pass for $70. This pass is good for over 12 months from the date of purchase. All programs are free with a valid entrance permit. For more information on this or other events and programs at Cooper Lake State Park, please visit and like our Facebook pages (Cooper Lake State Park – South Sulphur (903)945-5256 and Copper Lake State Park – Doctors Creek (903)395-3100).