Types

• Cabins at times may appear rustic on the outside, but inside they are often very nice and modern. Camping cabins offer a chance to get close to nature, without giving up many of the comforts of home.
  
  It is still camping in a sense, but it is also renting a home away from home. Cabins usually have heat or air conditioning, full kitchens, full bathrooms and bedrooms. Depending on how fancy you want to get, some have hot tubs on the back deck, and some have private boat docks on lakes.
  
  

History

• In the early days of settlement, cabins were a step up from lean-to and mud-adobe type houses. They were hand-built, rough, but gave effective shelter from the elements and allowed people to live a normal life.
  
  Today cabins are a bit fancier, but they still offer that inner frontier spirit that lives in most people, a chance to come out. There is still that feeling of being one with nature, of being a part of the natural world, in being out in the country with the elements. Cabins are a means of camping, but they also give you a chance to go back in time and experience an earlier way of life.
  
  

Lake Cabins

• There are many lakes in central Texas, most of which are man-made reservoirs. They generally offer great fishing, trails and hunting areas. Cabins are built along these areas for rentals and residences.
  Lake cabins usually have fishing of some sort, or other water sports, as their focal point. Many camping areas that have cabins also have boats for rent, as well as fishing supplies.
  
  Lake Whitney, 50 miles south of Dallas, is a prime example of great cabin camping. There are miles of coast along the lake, and a nice marina that is fully stocked. The marina offers indoor fishing for licensed anglers. It has about 100 cabins, many of which have private boat slips.
  
  Other areas include Buchanan Lake, Canyon Lake, and rivers such as the Blanco, Guadalupe and San Marcos in the Austin area, and south toward San Antonio.
  
  

Mountain

• The Texas Hill County is not exactly in the mountains, but the cabins get close enough. Cabin camping areas abound in the rural areas, regardless of the area. There are many nice state parks that offer cabins for rent.
  
  There are also often cabins available at dude ranches, where you can experience working on an actual ranch. These cabins are usually in parks, but can be on private property. The best bet is to go to a local chamber of commerce and look for listings of cabins available.
  
  One place that offers all this is the Ranch Corez in Bandera Texas, near San Antonio. This ranch has cabins, and has a working dude ranch for the whole family. Guests can work on the ranch, take a trail ride, go swimming or fishing.
  
  

Other Activities

• Water sports are very popular in central Texas, with all the rivers and lakes. Many campgrounds have kayak and canoe rentals, and you can canoe from one campground to another, or even one town to another. There are guided tours, group trips, or you can take that river trip by yourself. Many campgrounds are also full outfitters for river trips. Fishing and hunting trips are also available at many campgrounds, and there are many outfitters for both in the area.
  
  Areas like Wimberley, or Canyon Lake, have close proximity to rivers. Outfitters in Wimberley can rent a tube, a raft, canoe or kayak, for traveling the Blanco River or the Guadalupe River.