Sam Houston National Forest in Texas offers Forest Service recreation at Cagle Recreation Area, Double Lake Recreation Area. For a walking or hiking visit, start with Cagle Recreation Area: 877-444-6777, Double Lake Recreation Area: (936) 344-6205. Each recreation site has its own facilities and access rules; use the official maps and current site instructions to plan your visit.

Camping & reservations

The booking button opens the official reservation destination for Cagle Recreation Area: 877-444-6777. Other campgrounds in this forest may have separate reservations, first-come sites or district permits. Read the current instructions for your chosen site.

Truck-camping & permitted overnight use

Cagle Recreation Area, located on the shores of Lake Conroe, offers great fishing and water sports just 45 minutes north of Houston. Cagle has a boat ramp, hiking trails and two camping loops with 47 full-service RV sites nestled among the pines of the Sam Houston National Forest. Sites offer drinking water, electricity and sewer hookups plus a tent pad, lantern post and fire ring. Reservations for all sites must be made at least 48 hours in advance online at www.recreation.gov or by calling 877-444-6777.

The official recreation inventory lists SAM HOUSTON (Houston/Conroe/Huntsville Area), Kelly's Pond Campground: (936) 344-6205 for dispersed camping. Read each site’s current rules; this does not authorize camping on every forest road.

SAM HOUSTON (Houston/Conroe/Huntsville Area) ↗ — Sam Houston National Forest, one of four National Forests in Texas, is located 50 miles north of Houston. The forest contains 163, 037 acres between Huntsville, Conroe, Cleveland and Richards, Texas. With land in Montgomery, Walker, and San Jacinto counties, the Sam Houston National Forest is intermingled with privately owned timber lands and small farms.

Kelly's Pond Campground: (936) 344-6205 ↗ — This campground area located at the end of Forest Service Road 271. It has eight campsites with picnic tables, fire rings and lantern posts. Tent camping is available here. Individuals must utilize the adjacent parking area and walk into the camping units. The area is very primitive with no potable water or electricity. Kelly's Pond is a trailhead for the Sam Houston Multi-Use motorized trail.

Activities, hiking & trails

Cagle Recreation Area: 877-444-6777 ↗
Cagle Recreation Area, located on the shores of Lake Conroe, offers great fishing and water sports just 45 minutes north of Houston. Cagle has a boat ramp, hiking trails and two camping loops with 47 full-service RV sites nestled among the pines of the Sam Houston National Forest. Sites offer drinking water, electricity and sewer hookups plus a tent pad, lantern post and fire ring. Reservations for all sites must be made at least 48 hours in advance online at www.recreation.gov or by calling 877-444-6777.

Double Lake Recreation Area: (936) 344-6205 ↗
Double Lake Recreation Area was built in 1937 by the Civilian Conservation Corps and offers camping, fishing, swimming, picnicking, hiking or just getting back in touch with nature. Campsites, a shelter for groups up to 75, and a lodge for group events are available by reservation through https://www.recreation.gov/ Double Lake Mountain Bike Trail map A 21-mile mountain bike trail meanders around the lake which is stocked with bass, bream and catfish. For hikers, a 5-mile hike (one way) on the Lone Star Hiking Trail provides an opportunity to experience the Big Creek Scenic Area.

Stubblefield Lake Recreation Area: (936) 344-6205 ↗
Stubblefield Lake Recreation Area was built in 1937 by the Civilian Conservation Corps as part of one of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal programs. Just an hour north of Houston, in the Sam Houston National Forest, Stubblefield offers great outdoor experiences, including camping, canoeing, fishing, hiking and picnicking.

Maps & road access

• Official visitor maps, trail maps and Motor Vehicle Use Maps (MVUM) ↗
• Sam Houston National Forest — official MVUM (2025 edition listed) ↗
• Sam Houston National Forest — official forest map ↗

Consult the current Motor Vehicle Use Map for permitted motor routes, vehicle classes and seasonal designations. A route on an MVUM is not a guarantee that it is maintained or passable. Check current road closures and conditions with the district; carry an offline map.

Use the official directions for the exact named campground or trailhead; forest boundaries and administrative offices are not campsite entrances. Official directions / site access ↗

Before you travel

Check the forest’s current alerts, seasonal services, fire orders and campground rules. Download the relevant official maps before entering areas with limited reception.

Source review: 2026-11-01. Conditions, fees, permits and availability can change. USDA Forest Service official information ↗

Photograph sources & licensing

Banner: Lake Conroe, Sam Houston National Forest
Sam Houston National Forest
Credit: Alexander Hatley. Original source ↗ · CC BY 2.0 ↗. Resized and cropped to match the profile display framing; original image source linked.

Second large photograph: Wooded Lake Conroe shoreline
Sam Houston National Forest
Credit: Alexander Hatley. Original source ↗ · CC BY 2.0 ↗. Resized and cropped to match the profile display framing; original image source linked.

Photographs are real images of the named unit; no AI-generated photographs are used. Federal photo credit register.