2021 – Lake Conroe Thousand Trails – Willis, TX (Fall review)

We’ve had another good stay at Lake Conroe Thousand Trails, Willis, TX. As I posted a few months ago, we’ve stayed at this campground often and written plenty of reviews, so I’ll just share a few random thoughts about this property in this post.

We think the best thing about Lake Conroe TT is the gorgeous sunsets over the lake. A lot of people head down to the boat launch to enjoy to view. However, if you want the best view walk down to the lake front in “The Reserve” – that’s the permanent community just to the left at the entrance gate. You get a terrific sunset view there.

When all the new sites were added to the right of the gate we felt that it freed up a lot of nice sites over in the older part of the campground. However, it seems that things have changed as more seasonal sites have been sold and the campground feels as full now as ever. That said, we’ve never had a problem finding a good spot to land. Upon our arrival this time we were told that there were only two or three sites open. However, when we started looking around we found two additional great spots to choose from.

Jackie really likes the big Kroger that is just a few minutes from the campground. It is built like Fred Meyers stores out on the west coast (same company). We think most people will find it worth visiting.

We’ve been frustrated with the way many Thousand Trails handle packages – often charging as much as $5 a UPS/Fedex package. It seems odd that a campground that is actively selling long term sites would treat their residents like that. Anyway, you might want to know that there’s an Amazon Hub Locker just outside the gate at the RV Ranch.

Covid seems to have been the end of the on-site restaurant. However, the alternative is pretty good: food trucks set up on the property during busy times. Hopefully, they will sell enough food to make it worth their while to come out.

The Conroe area, in general is exploding in growth. Every time we come in to Lake Conroe after being out of the area it seems traffic is worse. I doubt it is going to get any better as housing development is going on everywhere. This area is being swallowed up by the city.

Another thing we have noticed is that there are more full time families in the campground. During the summers we don’t think much about how many children we see. However, now that school is in session we’ve been surprised at the large number of children in the campground during weekdays. I’ve seen the school bus making a stop at the gate, but it’s my impression that many of these children are being home schooled. I’m sure Covid has caused a major explosion in the number of children being home schooled. That, of course, fits right into the RV lifestyle. No judgement here, just something we have noticed.

We have always liked Lake Conroe Thousand Trails and rank it as one of the best in the system. I’m thinking that all the upgrades plus its location close to the big city plus the explosion of RVers is going to keep Lake Conroe running at near capacity most all the time. I suggest reserving as early as possible when planning on visiting this campground.

2021 – Lake Conroe Thousand Trails, Willis, TX


We’ve just finished another nice stay at Lake Conroe Thousand Trails, Willis, TX. One of the really nice features of this stay was the opportunity to be with good friends. Jerry and Carol were our Battleship Texas neighbors for several years. They were neighbors again, parked just behind us. Also Bob and Erma are local to Conroe and we invited them out for burgers and fellowship. It was a very nice night. Then long time friends Steve and Jeanette brought their new-to-them camper up for a few days. We were glad to have some time with them.

Generally speaking mid-July temps in Texas keep people inside but our wet July produced some cooling thunderstorms several afternoons. Once the storm passed, it was nice sitting out.

As you can tell, I’m not giving much of a Lake Conroe review. However, I’ve done a bunch of them. You can find them here.

2021 – Lake Conroe Thousand Trails, Willis, TX


You might say that our February 2021 stay at Lake Conroe Thousand Trails was a study in contrasts. We arrived just prior to the record breaking Texas winter storm. We had lows in the single digits plus snow and ice. Then, a week later we had the air conditioning running as temps reached a humid 80 degrees. In addition to the cold weather the campground joined a good part of the state in being without electricity for a day and a half. We were so thankful for our Onan generator that ran flawlessly. That and a full tank of propane kept our furnaces running. We had a heated water hose, but the campground water froze up so that left us relying on on-board water. However, in spite of our running heat in our wet bay our on-board water pump froze up for a day. We were prepared with plenty of water containers filled. Really, any inconvenience we experienced was minor compared to what others experienced.

Then, almost overnight, we were back in Springtime weather. The sun came out, power came back on, the water started working and all was well with the world. We enjoyed sitting outside and taking several walks. The Lake Conroe sunsets are always a treat.

We aren’t always fans of the “new” section (called Area B) of the campground. As I’ve mentioned before the sites along the wall almost all slant down, away from the wall. That means that when you level a motorhome the front tires are left dangling and the entry steps are high in the air. People in 5th wheels end up putting blocks under their landing gear. Also, some of these sites have rather steep entry ramps. In other words, we don’t recommend those sites. Other sites in that section, though, are very good. We ended up in a huge, level pull through. With bad weather coming in we couldn’t have asked for a better spot.

One complaint we have is the lack of respect several have for this nicer section of the campground. I can’t believe how many people drive up onto the grass, leaving deep ruts. Frankly, since I was here when some of the landscaping was going on I can’t believe Thousand Trails allows it. This section of Lake Conroe Thousand Trails has some of the nicest campsites in the entire system. It is a shame to see people showing such a lack of appreciation for it.

Honestly, if you are coming to this property I suggest you not have tunnel vision about staying in Area B. There are many nice sites in other areas. They are closer to the pool, etc. and in the summer some of them offer a bit of shade. Over in “B” you will have a white concrete site that reflects the sun right back onto your camper. Anyway, it is a “to each his own” situation. Generally speaking, we have been happy with the choices of campsites in this campground and it remains one of our favorite Thousand Trails.

We have written several other reviews of this campground – you can find them here.

2020 – Lake Conroe Thousand Trails, Willis, TX


We’ve spent a lot of time at Lake Conroe Thousand Trails at Willis, TX and I’ve written many reviews of this nice campground. However, our stays haven’t been in the heat of August. The afternoon heat has been brutal at times. Still, we’ve enjoyed some pretty sunsets over the lake and also some nice evenings. There were plenty of available campsites when we arrived although the campground filled up over the weekend. The Activity Center is closed and the pool is operating on a limited basis because of the pandemic. Because of the weather and the health related limitations I wouldn’t rate this stay as one of our better ones. Still we like Lake Conroe. It is one of our favorite Thousand Trails. Here are a few photos from this stay.

More Lake Conroe reviews are here.

2019 – Lake Conroe, TX Thousand Trails


We’ve stayed at Lake Conroe Thousand Trails near Conroe, TX several times and I’ve written several reviews of the place. Rather than rehash previous reviews I’m going to focus on just the new section (Section B) which is near the entry gate. It seems strange to us to be set up in a nice campground loop that we remember as a big, unused field. Even now new construction continues as vacation cottages are being built adjacent to the new Loop. There’s a lot to like about this section. The roads are very good and the campsites are all concrete, including a large concrete patio on each site. There are several pull through sites in addition to nice, easy access back in sites. As you can guess this new area of the campground is quite popular and sites in it don’t stay vacant for long.

Still, there are some things you might want to know about “B Loop.” As nice as the sites look, several are rather sloped. Pay attention to the back in sites closest to the big retaining wall. The sites aren’t all sloped, but some motorhomes had tires a considerable distance off the ground as people tried to get level. People in 5th wheels can get by better than those in longer motorhomes, but some have considerable piles of blocks under their jacks. On the other hand we were backed into a beautiful site on the north side of the section and got level front to back without much effort. I wouldn’t even try some of the other sites.

The only other thing to think about is that the new section is a ways from the Activity Center, the pool, and especially the lake. If you have children who want to spend time at the basketball, tennis, and mini-golf facilities you might be happier in a campsite closer to the center of the campground. In that case, the real plus of the new section for you is that there are more sites available in sections of the campground closer to the recreation facilities.

2019 – Spring Stay at Lake Conroe Thousand Trails, Willis, TX

2019 – Lake Conroe Thousand Trails, Willis, TX

2019 – Lake Conroe Thousand Trails, Willis, TX
As I’ve said in other reviews, many of our Adventures start and end at Lake Conroe Thousand Trails in Willis, TX. There’s really no need to write yet another review of this nice campground. Our stay this time was much the same as previous stays and, really, there is nothing new to report. We still like it here and hope to return for other enjoyable visits.

You can find all our Lake Conroe reviews here.

2018 – Fall Stay at Lake Conroe Thousand Trails, Willis, TX

No need to do yet another review of Lake Conroe Thousand Trails in Willis, TX as we’ve done several reviews through the years. We like it at this park and, most years, our Adventures either begin or end at Conroe (often both, as it was this year). I’ve added a few photos to the slide show – they mainly show the new “B” section campsites. No doubt, we’ll be back at Lake Conroe.

You can find all our reviews of this campground here.

2018 – Lake Conroe Thousand Trails at Willis, TX

We’ve enjoyed another nice stay at Lake Conroe Thousand Trails at Willis, TX. Several of our Adventures have started and/or ended at this nice campground. During this stay I think the place has been the most full we have ever seen it. The new section is scheduled to be opened in a couple of weeks; perhaps that will alleviate some of the congestion. I’ve done several reviews of Lake Conroe through the years. You can find them here.

One highlight of this stay has been the opportunity to visit with several friends, both folks who happened to be at the campground and friends who live in the community.



</center.

2017 – Lake Conroe Thousand Trails, Willis, TX

We have enjoyed many stays at Lake Conroe Thousand Trails in Willis, TX.  Since I have written several reviews of this, our sort of “home” campground, I think I’ll forgo writing yet another.  I will, though, mention that this campground continues to receive impressive upgrades.  As I understand it, the plan is to make one property in each state into a showplace.  Thousand Trails promises that other campgrounds are going to see improvements as time goes by, but for now, the focus is on just a few properties.

Another project that has been going on during our stay was leveling and resurfacing the pull through sites.  Those sites have been the worst in the place for a long time now.  The work that is being done will result in considerably better sites.  However, they are still back to back parking and, even though they are no longer rutted and rough sites, several are still downhill, either side to side or front to back (or both).  I think many people will be disappointed that leveling boards, etc. will still be needed in these pull through sites.

All in all, though, the improvements to the campground are really nice and will do nothing but make this already popular Thousand Trails even more popular.  Since we often begin and end our annual adventures here I’m glad for the work that has been, and continues to be, done.


See individual photos with captions here.

2016 – Sightseeing Without the Houston Traffic – west of Lake Conroe

We’ve enjoyed several visits to Lake Conroe Thousand Trails near Conroe, TX and our big travel adventures have all started and ended with stays at this nice campground. Many people who visit here make sightseeing trips into Houston and even go as far as Galveston. However, since we lived in the area so many years and actually volunteer at one of the primary Houston attractions, San Jacinto Monument and Battleship Texas, we aren’t interested in fighting the Houston traffic to go sightseeing there during our Conroe stays.

The fun fact is that there are some really great places to visit within an hour or so of Lake Conroe. During our stay this time we revisited a couple of interesting areas just to the west of Lake Conroe.

Last but not least, the park is the home of the Barrington Living History Farm. The home of Anson Jones, the last President of the Republic of Texas, is here. It’s a working farm with costumed staff and period livestock. We saw Texas Longhorn cattle, Ossabaw Island hogs, and chickens. Scott was happy to spot a small “historical” snake making itself at home in one of the restored slave quarters. Our hostess was a friendly lady dressed in period clothing. She gave us a lot of interesting information on the farmhouse and its history.

We had a great time visiting these “no-Houston-traffic” attractions and recommend them to young and old alike.