About Ratcliff Lake Recreation Area
Number of accommodations: 33
Campground Amenities
-
Dump Station
Seasonal information
2026 Season availability
Open year round
This campground is open year round, providing flexibility for your stay.
Sites & Availability
33 Sites Available
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No available sites
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Site Details
Select a site to view details
33 Sites Available
No available sites
All sites are booked for your selected dates. Try showing all sites to see booked options, create an alert to be notified when something opens up, or adjust your dates.
Reviews (444)
What Guests Are Saying
Ratcliff Lake Recreation Area is praised for its beautiful scenery, spacious and quiet campgrounds, and well-maintained facilities, making it an ideal spot for relaxation and outdoor activities. Many visitors enjoyed the hiking trails, clean restrooms, and peaceful atmosphere, with some returning frequently. However, there were a few concerns regarding noise from neighbors, occasional maintenance issues, and a lack of sewer hookups, but overall, guests had a positive experience and expressed a desire to return.
What Guests Are Saying
Ratcliff Lake Recreation Area is praised for its beautiful scenery, spacious and quiet campgrounds, and well-maintained facilities, making it an ideal spot for relaxation and outdoor activities. Many visitors enjoyed the hiking trails, clean restrooms, and peaceful atmosphere, with some returning frequently. However, there were a few concerns regarding noise from neighbors, occasional maintenance issues, and a lack of sewer hookups, but overall, guests had a positive experience and expressed a desire to return.
Review Summary
Dhruv G
VerifiedJune 8, 2021 • Stayed at: 044, Loop: LOBLOLLY LOOP
The campsites and bathrooms were in excellent condition
Gary A
VerifiedMay 26, 2021 • Stayed at: 015, Loop: DOGWOOD LOOP
Nice park. Kept very clean thanks to the volunteers.
Clint T
VerifiedMay 4, 2021 • Stayed at: 015, Loop: DOGWOOD LOOP
Quiet. Great hiking trails. Hookups worked great. Rangers were nice!
Andrew M
VerifiedMay 3, 2021 • Stayed at: 046, Loop: LOBLOLLY LOOP
The campsite was nice but half of the restrooms were out of order, this caused long queues for them.
Jan O
VerifiedMay 3, 2021 • Stayed at: 006, Loop: LAKESIDE LOOP
Extreme road noise at night and during early
morning hours.
David J
VerifiedApril 30, 2021 • Stayed at: 002, Loop: LAKESIDE LOOP
We spent two nights tent camping. Well laid out camp with good spacing between sites. No burn ban at the time and arrived to find two piles of firewood to use in the fire pit (which has a grill plate) - bonus! Bath house was clean with hot water. Trash bins and potable water readily available. It was close to freezing when we stayed and when wind dropped the road noise from passing trucks was surprisingly loud but that’s possibly a bit unusual. Well stocked Walmart and H‑E‑B about 20min drive away. We really enjoyed our stay.
Kit D
VerifiedApril 30, 2021 • Stayed at: 018, Loop: DOGWOOD LOOP
I have camped for 40 years in private, state, and national campgrounds. Ratcliff was a wonderful surprise. It was small, out of the way, quiet, peaceful, affordable. Lots are spacious, and the staff were friendly, informative, and engaged. It was well supervised, generally clean (bathrooms, only moderately so), and beautiful.
John H
VerifiedApril 28, 2021 • Stayed at: 036, Loop: DOGWOOD LOOP
Most enjoyable scenic and serene facility that should appeal to the forest lover with several trails for short hikes around a lake.
Steve D
VerifiedApril 27, 2021 • Stayed at: 021, Loop: DOGWOOD LOOP
Beautiful park. Well maintained. Looking forward to going back again.
Edwin T
VerifiedApril 26, 2021 • Stayed at: 008, Loop: LAKESIDE LOOP
The lake and its amenities were great! We can’t wait to plan another trip this summer.
Location Ratcliff Lake Recreation Area
Address:
18551 State Highway 7 East
Kennard, TX, 75487
United States
From Crockett, take State Highway 7 east for 15 miles. The recreation area is on the left between the towns of Ratcliff and Kennard.
Latitude & Longitude: 31.3883 / -95.155
Elevation: 100 feet
Policies & Rules
| Category | About |
|---|---|
| General |
This facility has first-come, first-served sites |
| General |
The Day-use fee at Ratcliff is $5.00 per vehicle and is required for all day-use activities including the Group Shelters and Amphitheater. |
| General |
Limit one RV unit (fifth-wheel, motorhome, trailer or pop-up) or two tents per site; each extra vehicle is charged $5 and may need to parked in an additional parking area away from the camping loop. |
| General |
No gas motors allowed on the lake |
| General |
ATVs or ORVs are not allowed on the ground in the recreation area or any other location on the Davy Crocket National Forest. |
| General |
Picnic shelter is for day use only; no overnight camping allowed |
| General |
Amphitheater site has no tables or grills |
| General |
Click here for information about National Forests and Grasslands in Texas |
| General |
Don't Move Firewood: Help protect our forests! Prevent the spread of tree-killing pests by obtaining firewood at or near your destination and burning it on-site. Moving firewood is illegal in some states. Visit dontmovefirewood.org to learn more. |
