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Camp Tonkawa Woods & Horse Camp

98%

·

25 reviews

· Collinsville, Cooke, Texas

35 acres hosted by April H.

2 lodging sites · 5 tent sites

Family-friendly

Recent Hipcampers say this Hipcamp is great for families and kids.

In the early 1900’s an iconic red barn was built near the hilltop along the road between the old Mt. Zion community and Collinsville. Later in the 1900’s, the land was mostly abandoned by its owners, but not by the local fishermen! They knew its woodland fishing pond never dried up, and so was able to support a better population of fish. They also dumped a cornucopia of old motorcycles, cars and farm equipment in the front field. What else were you supposed to do with scrap metal in North Texas horse country? In 2002 the Holtzman family purchased the 35 acre tract of land. They dug a front pond for swimming and paddling, buried the scrap metal (although occasional bits of history still work their way up!), restored and brought horses back to the barn, and began consulting with local biologists about supporting native wildlife. April Holtzman launched Camp Tonkawa Outdoor Learning Center on the property to provide a beautiful, safe place for families to explore and learn about nature. Camp Tonkawa continues to host overnight and day camps with educational programing organized around various themes including: Native American culture, nature awareness, basic camping skills, primitive survival, organic gardening, herbology, outdoor cooking, western days, and horsemanship. We also host field trips and frequently conduct Girl Scout journeys for all levels in the "It's Your Planet, Love it!" series. Due to Covid-19, which limited working with groups for our educational programing, we joined Hip Camp where families who could isolate in nature together on our property.

Activities

Biking

Boating

Fishing

Hiking

Natural features

Forest

River, stream, or creek

Swimming hole

Field

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Reviews

98% Recommend46 ratings · 25 reviews

T

Tiffany B.

2 months on Hipcamp

Recommends

· March 2025

With kids ·

Tipi Camping Large

Nice place. April was very accommodating. There was too much wind to say in the Teepee. We camped in tents. There was too much wind to use the water, we flew kites. We had a great time, but we were very flexible. Keep an open mind and you'll have fun, too!

E

Emily H.

2 reviews

Recommends

· March 2025

Real Horsemanship near Dallas

Tent · With kids ·

Tent Camping site 1

April has made such a neat space only an hour from Dallas. My kids got to ride horses and actually learn how to work with them (vs. just walking in a line) - they LOVED it. Thank you April.

James P.

12 reviews

Recommends

· November 2024

Great camping experience!

Tent ·

Tent Camping site 1

We brought our small RV and Tent and were in Tent Camping site 1 which had a picnic table, water and the restrooms were nearby. We went to the nearby Aubrey Oaks Alpaca Farm in the morning, (be sure to make reservations in advance), then went hiking on the Randy Bell Scenic Trail at Ray Roberts Isle du Bois State Park and then returned to camp for archery and enjoyed smores and campfire stories at the large campfire area. The campsite didn't have much in the way of shade, so consider bringing your own canopy or tarp. If you plan to go horseback riding or archery, be sure to coordinate with the host in advance and bring carrots to feed the horses. Great camping experience with the grandkids!

D

David H.

2 reviews

Recommends

· November 2024

Phenomenal Experience

Tent · With kids ·

Tent Camping site 2

My 2 boys (8 and 10) had a blast. One of their favorite hip camps yet. We fished both ponds, rode horses and walked the trails. April was a gracious host and very patient and informative while teaching the boys some basics of horseback riding. Will definitely be coming back. Thank you for hosting us, April!