One of the worst apps I’ve ever tried to use. And, sadly, it’s the mobile face of a great state park system. I’m sure someone received grant funding to create this mess so they had to follow through and create an app. I have a hard time believing anyone was ever supposed to benefit from this attempt. With just a little more than half of the state parks listed here, it’s likely that you won’t find what you’re looking for. Web-based searches and reservations are the way to go. I absolutely love the state park system and have had annual passes for most of the past 35 years. I wish this app was as welcoming as the parks and staff.
It fulfills the majority of its intention. It shows a nice listing of parks alphabetically, shows a map, images and videos of each and a wide array of other details such as phone, social media, amenities, etc. Haven't tried the reservation option because that is primarily something I would do over a desktop. If falls short of five stars due to what I believe to be a few uncut exceptions at the time in which data is being fetched or perhaps just long query times. In reality, this app should be an SPA capable of bulk loading all park details with the video/images being an exception. it would allow for the immediate rendering of the listing and no load time when drilling down into an individual park. All in all I’m enjoying using the app and it fulfills the purpose intended.
Whenever you use the search function it will provide results such as a cabin but when you click on the result it gives you the park doesn’t actually have the cabin (or the feature you are searching for). Similarly, it will give you results that says the park has availability but when you click on it and go into booking it will say there is no availability. I like the idea of this app and having all the information in one place! But they need to work on the actual functioning of the app, the search function, and helping to narrow down to correct information and results. Also, allowing to eliminate results that don’t allow dogs, or only allow dogs in certain areas, etc would be helpful!
I absolutely love TPWD, but this app is a complete bust. Somehow it worked better a few years ago than it does now. For starters, it takes forever to load, even on my super great WiFi. Once it does load, it’s practically useless! If I click on the Map function, the app straight up shuts down and I’m kicked back to my home screen. Not all of the Texas State Parks are on the app, so there’s a lot of information lacking. I can’t say anything else about it because of how frequently it shuts down (even after deleting it and downloading it again…and the software on my phone is completely updated). I’m not sure what’s going on, but I wish they would fix it! It’s conceptually amazing, but unfortunately disastrous in practice.
I love how this app works. The information i’m looking for is right there and i have no problems. Here recently however, the maps of the parks has not been working right. When i click the PDF an error screen shows up and says an internal error has occurred, an internet connection is required. When I check for connection, i’m fully connected to the internet yet the error screen continues to show. Don’t know what is wrong. Trail maps can be downloaded, but park maps cannot.
The headline says it all. On launch, the app displays a 3x3 grid of Texas State Parks with a couple of buttons and a banner ad at the bottom. NOTHING works. I cannot activate the menu, map, or filters, and tapping the ad does nothing, neither dismissing it nor opening the ad URL. This is a prime example of how government screws up EVERYTHING it touches. This may be the single worst iOS app I’ve ever encountered. To add insult to injury, the website isn’t much better, making a camping reservation online an extremely laborious process. Is there an app template that will allow reservation-making entities like this the ability to easily create reliable, working apps that are customized to their organizations? If there is, they’d be well advised to migrate their app to it. Cuz, brudda, dis don’t work!
You can see the intent, but the delivery of this app is horrible. I frequent the local state park every week, and do alot of camping through out the parks throughout the year. I research and make my reservations from my laptop because this app and the way TWPD has the reservation system set up are two different sites. They do not intertwine, and I don’t know which park I am looking at in the app because the map function is horrible in that it doesn’t load. Pins are present, no map....just blank. I am deleting it because it is just not useful. If I were on the go adventuring and had to rely on this app, I would be camping in a wal-mart parking lot. It is free though, so there is a plus in that.
We camp frequently, and I despise using this app and the state park website, neither one are user friendly. I’m constantly switching between one and my phone map to see how far away a park is and if it can be reached for a weekend camping trip. It’s impossible to find which parks have availability and on which days and now thanks to stupid Covid and the pointless measures taken to keep perfectly competent human beings from putting themselves in any danger of contracting this pathetic illness, you can’t even get a campsite at most parks anyways. What a waste of time.
Currently I get an error message whenever I try to download a park map. It says I need an Internet connection even when I’m on an internet connection. The trail maps download without a problem. This should be fixed as it saves paper and helps with park planning. Otherwise you have to go to the website to download a map. I like having the map available for use on the app because sometimes you don’t have cell signal in the park or on a hike. Otherwise this is a good app, just fix this bug and it will be great!
I have no idea why it has such a low star rating. This app has helped me plan and travel to over 40 State Parks. It is hands down one of the best designed and functional apps I have used. I am sad that this company hasn’t done apps for other states. - It shows you were the parks are on the map. - It gives you plenty of info on cost and park restrictions (access and availability) - You can view and download maps (helps to already plan out what hikes you may go on) - IT’S FREE!
The biggest problem with this app is at the beginning you have several choices of sites like camping or shelters but when I set it to camping and I select 5 parks the results come up and show there are sites available at these parks but here is where the problem starts. I select a park and an RV site but there’s no RV sites available at this park so I go back but it takes me back to login now I have to start all over and it’s very frustrating. At the beginning I should be able to select RV instead of just camping because the selected parks may have camping sites but not RV camping sites. I shouldn’t have to login and start over every time I try to go back a page.
As usual, Texas doesn’t care if it is up with the technology. This app is so slow. Trying to book in real time, isn’t even possible. Driving to the state with our RV, this app is a joke. We tried to look at available spots and available amenities and nothing shows up like it is supposed to in real time. You can’t download maps. As usual, it is terrible. Not a big surprise coming from this slow conservative state.
I love how much information and help this app has available. But it takes an active brain and an attention span greater than a gnat to use it. Take your time. Read what is available. Think it through. You can find parks to fit your search criteria. You can book day passes or camping passes. You can find out what is available in specific parks and so much more.
I found this app to be helpful. One of the best features is the ability to apply filters to find parks that have specific features you want, like biking, fishing, etc. The filters are quite specific, so fishing has filters for “cleaning stations”, loaner tackle”, “boat ramps”, etc. So why did I give this 4 stars? It still needs to be polished a bit. And the advertisements are a bummer, but I am sure it helps pay for app development.
Beautiful and intuitive app for exploring Texas State parks. Includes filters for finding just the right park for whatever your needs. Maps, fees and pretty much anything you might want to know about a park is there. Not sure what those other reviewers are complaining about as it looks like all the parks are listed and you can make reservations as well.
This is easiest app for finding a park. Map gives view of all the parks in state of texas. Reserve on line, allows you to see all sites available or specific site. There is an event page that shows all the park events. I use this on my iPad, easy to zoom and shrink maps.
When you have to spend a lot of time looking at a screen on your phone or your iPad then you can’t get it to work. Then someone else tells you yeah I don’t use the app I just use the website. Long story short don’t waste your time with the app. I thought I could use it does have my pass on my phone so I can show them in case I don’t have my pass with me.
I actually really like this app! Information on it is so good and works very well on my phone. One suggestion - I wish there was a place to check off which state parks you’ve been to! We have a “passport” book for the national parks that we get a cancellation stamp in every time we go. It would be awesome to do something similar for TX State Parks - but could be virtual on this app!!
This app, the sites, and the phone numbers listed to try and contact people about basic questions is never easy or accessible. It’s clear they have cheaped out on providing people with a site that would make it much easier to actually enjoy these parks. Why would anyone want to jump through these loops just to camp when they could easily just book an Airbnb with far less effort. I’m someone who wants to camp but I can’t even get through to anyone.
I love the app and use it weekly to organize day trips to local parks. Its brilliant for finding parks out of your own local area. The trail maps can be slightly confusing but that might be our fault. Would love if if they had a interactive map so you could follow the trail and know where you are. 😉
While there are pretty pictures, and a way to search things like swimming or cabins, etc, you can no longer search by region. The new map just shows stars where the parks are but you have to drill all the way into the map to see the park name. The old internet site provided a way to actually see the map you get at the park gate, which I found very useful. It's still there if you hang in there to find it. Who searches for parks alphabetically? The map is useless.
OK app for researching parks and making a reservation. It could be a lot more user friendly though. Searching for open dates at RV sites is cumbersome. Although you can make a reservation you can’t see your current reservation. A real failure. Park Maps feature hasn’t worked for some time. During the corona virus timeframe, app failed to keep up to date with latest info.
Would be nice if I could click on the little icons to find out what the amenities are, and view photos of campsites and cabins. I'm deleting; much easier just to google the park and get info. Needs lots of work. Reinstalled, but it still needs much work. Cannot access swimming at parks where I know it is allowed. Will delete again. Hopefully sometime it will improve. For now, I'll just check out online.
I want to reserve a camp site for my travel trailer, but can’t find anything but a list of parks. It’s not user friendly. I’ll keep trying, but I’m getting more irritated by the second. Even when I do finally make a reservation, I can’t find it later if I want to check the dates. It’s not very well designed.
I travel a lot. This app sometimes loads but most of the time it will not. Come on let’s get this fixed. I love to camp all over Texas. I rely on this to help me reserve sites and get information I can not give anything above 1 Star. I have to use a computer to place reservations due to this app. That for me is not convenient to me when traveling. I use it on my iPad, and iPhone but always have to use pc to get the reservations done. Ugh. Come on and get this crap fixed.
The most difficult feature of the Texas State Park website is it’s reservation interface. I hoped that the app would be an alternate option to search and book available campsites by date or park, but this is not a feature. When a user clicks reservation, the web interface (both difficult to navigate and inaccurate information when compared to each park site’s availability) opens in a new tab.
Yes it does need to add more Parks, but this is a really great start it simplifies a lot of digging for that great camping experience. I do hope in the near future that they can include the reservation option, this would make it extremely helpful in planning. The areas they already have include great trails to look over for those day hikes.
I had high hopes for this app. When you open the app it looks like there’s going to be tons of information for each park. General map, hiking maps, info on events, camping info. But then when you try to download a map or info (pdf) it just goes no where. Or says there’s no internet connection. So how am i submitting this review if there’s no internet connection? Hope they get their act together. Would be nice to have an app to visit the parks.
Downloaded the app and have never been able to use it. It just buffers with the message “ retrieving changed park data “. It is always stuck there and can’t be used. I have removed and reinstalled the app three times, made sure my phone was up to date, and checked that nothing on my phone is blocking the app. It just won’t work.
The app is awesome. The only improvements I would like to see is a less glitchy map zoom in and out, and maybe a tab for paddle trails. Tpwd guys do really good work, they keep their parks in top top shape, and they’re always improving something.
Probably among the worst state-developed apps out there. I hike a lot and was hoping this would help me better understand state park hikes when compared to AllTrails. The map functionality is awful, zooming in when I try to move it. I just downloaded it and think I’m going to delete it immediately.
I like the app so far. I just wish there was a box or something in each of the park details that could be checked off when you’ve been to that particular park. Maybe a check-in type box or that park page gets a symbol of some sort that you’ve been there. Right now I’m just using the 🤍 as a way to check them off for now. If there is already a way to do this please let me know because I did not see it other than being able to “favorite 🤍” the park.
Opportunity for Improvement: It would be helpful to sign in from the home page to access existing reservations. Also, it would be nice to sign to your account with finger print or facial recognition.
It is very difficult to get on the app, find your reservations and a park to camp at. On the home page it needs to have a log in screen that takes you to your reservations and to search parks. You should not have to scroll through every park trying to find the one you want. It should have a search engine.
Very nice app. I use it all the time for looking up info on Texas State Parks. Suggestion: Have it so that the app can act as your Texas State Park pass if you buy the yearly pass. That way, I only need to keep up with my phone and not my pass card.
I used to use this app all the time. But, for the last year, it hasn’t allowed downloading maps. It says “Internet connection is required.” We’re connected to the internet, so what’s the deal? Otherwise, we like the app. But, this makes it basically useless.
Great info about all our wonderful parks in our state! The only thing that would make the app better would be the ability to make reservations through the app. That’s the only reason I dropped a star rating.
The app itself has a lot of good info. As a Texas State Parks Pass holder, is like the ability to have the card info stored in the app, as well as my TPWD account. Also, a reservation management feature would be nice. One less card to carry when headed out camping.
What has happened to this app. It was fine for a while. Now it is "frozen" most of the time. Unusable! Not sure if updates have gone wrong, or what ...... but please fix this app! We used to use it a lot, but times like that are few and far between now. :-(
Love the app. I love the videos associated with each park. Only problem I have is with the park map pdf’s. Every time I try to open one I get an error message stating I need an internet connection. Would love to have this fixed.
This is nice! Could do with more features and a way to tailor it to individuals (aside from the many great filters). But if you're outdoorsy, this is a user-friendly way to find Texas parks filtered to your preferences.
When expanding menus, you are unable to swipe-right to return to the previous menu level. I am receiving an error when attempting to access Park Maps or Park Guides: Error: An internet connection is required to view this document.
I have tried repeatedly to download local guides and maps through this app, in the “maps & guides” section. They claim to download until you navigate away. You can’t open them, and it’s like the app isn’t even trying to download them. This highly-useful feature really needs to be fixed, since having access to offline digital maps, guides, and rules would greatly improve user experience. Is this a permissions issue in iOS that hasn’t been addressed? My devices never even prompt for local storage, so I must assume this is the case.
I wish this app had more capability. Having the ability to login to view and setup reservations would be great. It would also help if the campsite photos were on the app like they are online. Overall, just not enough on here to fully plan out a trip without having to hop on my computer.
When you first open the app, it seems to get stuck on an update. After many minutes, the app does eventually load. However, click on a specific park and again you’ll be waiting for downloads. It’s just not a well executed or responsive app which is too bad.
The improvements are nice. Map is very helpful. Filter works well. Suggestions include letting me decide what “Nearby”, letting me have two saved lists: Favs and Wish-List, and adding lots more pics!
The app seems to be created by novices... there are tons of filters, but ZERO ability to search based on location.... Say I want to find parks near Houston... I can’t... Please look into this and build ability to search parks based on location.. in today’s world should not be hard to do..
Find your perfect state park getaway with the Official Guide to Texas State Parks created by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. This guide contains information you need to plan your next trip to one of 89 Texas State Parks around the state. Search for your perfect park. Filter by: − Activities such as swimming, fishing, or canoe/kayak rentals − Overnight accommodations like cabins, lodges, group facilities, screened shelters, RV hookups, primitive/backpacking sites, or tent camping sites − Amenities including boat ramps, playgrounds, trailer dump stations , equestrian facilities or showers − Trail types – hiking, biking, equestrian or nature/interpretive − Or, use the in-app map to locate parks near you* Discover more about the parks that interest you: − Create a list of your favorite parks − Find in-depth information on each park, including: things to do, contact information, fees, operating hours, etc. − Look at photos and videos Then, make your getaway to a Texas State Park! It’s easy with: − In-app dialing to the state park reservation call center and to each individual park − Driving directions from your current location* − Detailed facility maps for each park − Trails maps available to download and save to use later* − Information on park programs and events happening during your visit − Up-to-date alerts such as burn bans and other park advisories* *These features require Internet connection
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