Elephant mountain WMA

It was a little odd. I only saw one other car when I arrived at night. It seems like an abandoned campground but what do I know. The bathrooms are nasty. There are signs saying you need a permit but I got away with it. Good spot to stay for a night. I wouldn’t push it if you don’t have a permit.

We stayed for 2 weeks, with a night out of it. We really enjoyed our time here. The views are great .. although we didn't see any wildlife, you could tell there was a lot. The sites are very well maintained.

You do need a permit, but we found it worth it.

The area around Elephant Mountain is beautiful and the mountain itself is a huge bluff sticking up out of the otherwise flat landscape.  The campsites are basic with a vault toilet in a little shack.  It was adequate for what I needed... just an overnight. But it's very hard to tell if a permit is needed.  Dyrt says Yes, and the info at the entrance says yes, but there's no indication how to get one.  I did not have a permit and nothing happened, but I was a bit paranoid. I'd say the landscape is the best part of this campsite.

We were at the Marfa lights viewing center and started looking for places to camp when we came across this place on Dyrt. I happened to have a hunting license and decided to take a chance. We got there and it looked like someone’s ranch, but found a registry office noting who you are and your hunting id on a card. We drove a mile or so into nowhere until we saw camp structures. No one was around so we drove around to find the perfect spot. Texas red ants are abundant so be weary of tent camping, besides that this place is peaceful! Their were rabbits hopping around and beautiful mountains including the “elephant” in the room. A rainbow appeared next to it and it felt unreal. I don’t know if we were just lucky that we were alone or this place might just be majestic. We’ll go back someday to confirm.

You’re taking a risk if you don’t have them permit required by the sign but ran into no authorities during our brief one night stay.

Car camped at this amazing spot. GPS directions are a little off but you’ll be fine if you follow the sign for primitive camping (i.e. turn about a quarter mile earlier than the pinned location address). Great roof structure and tables.

My only caveat is there is a small sign that might have said that you’re supposed to have a permit (possibly for hunting) to use the spots or else you might face a fine. That being said, I had no problems and saw some other RV setups so it might not be enforced.

Overall, it’s a good spot on the way to Big Bend National Park but still about an hour from the park entrance, so perhaps not the best bet for visiting the park. Personally, I’d rather just pay the $10 national park fee for primitive camping.

In the shadow of elephant mountain and under the west Texas desert sky is this beautiful wildlife management area. Hunting, hiking, camping and self guided driving tour are all available. Sites are primitive but have picnic table, sunshade, and fire rings.