5 campgrounds with availability this weekend
Rio Grande Village Campground pet policies balance visitor needs with wildlife protection protocols. Tent campers, RV users, and cabin guests can bring dogs to various locations within Big Bend National Park while following standard national park leash requirements. The campground's bear boxes provide secure food storage away from pets and wildlife, particularly important with active javelinas frequently moving through campsites at night. The outer rings of the campground offer more private, generator-free sites ideal for tent campers with pets, featuring covered picnic tables and some tree cover. Pet-friendly camping options near Big Bend National Park allow visitors to enjoy Texas' natural beauty without leaving furry family members behind. Visitors use The Dyrt to find real feedback on camping near Big Bend National Park, Texas.
Chisos Basin Campground's mountain setting presents special considerations for dog owners. Trails accessible directly from the campground include some pet-friendly options, though active wildlife in the area requires vigilant supervision of dogs. The nearby lodge and basin store provide convenience while camping with pets, especially important given the remote location approximately 90 miles from Marathon, Texas where services are limited. Sites with canopies provide essential shade protection for pets during hot days. The campground's elevation offers cooler temperatures than lower-elevation sites like Rio Grande Village, making it more comfortable for pets during warmer months. Javelinas observed throughout the park pose potential risks to unleashed dogs.
"Big Bend National Park is a beautiful place to visit and stay at if you're ever in West Texas!"
"Big Bend National Park is one of the best stops in Texas, hands down, and the Chisos Basin Campground is the best spot in the park."
from $16 / night
"Rio Grande Village is a nice quiet spot in the Big Bend National Park. The outer rings of the campground provide private spots that are generator free. The facilities are clean and well maintained."
"Rio Grande Village Campground is located within Big Bend National Park. This park is HUGE and we were thankful to have a spot to camp for a few days. "
"I took the Pinnacles Trail to get to the Boot Canyon camp site. The hike up is beautiful."
Available this weekend
from $10 / night
"If you want full hook ups for camping it is the only one in Big Bend National Park. they only have 25 sites all back in. Pay for showers if you don't have your own. But catch the sunrise and sunsets."
"We rode our e bikes to several areas, crossed the border for lunch, hiked many trails, and drove in the back country. It was an amazing trip."
Available this weekend
from $16 / night
"The walk to both canyons were worth the time.. the hike to the hot springs was rewarding and refreshing! We saw lots of animals in our campsite! Bob cat was a real treat!"
"Not to be confused with the nearby private campground, which has full hookups and is much less interesting IMO."
Campground full this weekend
Get a text when availablefrom $60 - $100 / night
"Cottonwood Campground is a quiet oasis in the western corner of Big Bend National Park. Reservations are required."
"Central to multiple trails. Staff was friendly and knowlegable. Shade trees at many sites, important even in November in Texas. Showers and restrooms available. Highly recommend!"
Available this weekend
from $16 - $60 / night
"Had a nice dog park that we took the dogs to every evening. Only 3 miles from big bend national park. On the expensive side at $55 but I think everything was expensive in this area."
"Nice location if visiting Big BEnd National Park and Big Bend Ranch State Park."
from $30 - $60 / night
"The site has awesome views of the night sky and of the surrounding mountains. The road is passable if you drive slowly. Plenty of room to park."
"You can see the mountains all around you but this site is flat with no shelter or windbreaks of any kind."
from $10 / night
"Good primitive site with cover to the north and close to the tinaja trailhead. Lots of choices for tent placement in the sandy floor."
"It took us about an hour to drive the 4 miles starting from the South driving North. There is no shade at this site."
from $10 / night
GuideNice Place. On the Way, In or, Out from Big Bend Park. Boongdocking is free yes, free. They, of course, have regular RV site with electricity and water definitely, if you are staying for free, please give business to the country store.
GuideThe campground is clean, quiet, the facilities are well maintained, and the showers are outstanding. It's not for big rigs, but truck, campers, tents, and small off-road trailers are what it's set up for. Big rigs would likely have a hard time with the road getting in. Highly recommend as a place to stage your trip to Big Bend.
TravelerAmazing camping. $16 per night. Can be windy so bring cold gear.
GuideGreat views. Great location since its in the park but if going to Chisos Basin go very early (especially during holidays or will be waiting for hours to get into basin area).
Flush toilets, picnic table, bear box, grill provided.
No campfires allowed sadly.
Can drive/walk/bike to the river but not as nice of a place to go in it than Cottonwood Campground near Santa Elena. But Boquillas Canyon is close by and if you hike then there's the river to go in. Boquillas Canyon hike was one of our favorites! We climbed up the rocks. There's also a nature trail (we didn't do) that many people who don't camp here come and do.
Javelinas and a roadrunner made an appearance in the campground!
There's actually a no generator area in the campground that we didn't know about but it was hard to get a site so we just took what we got.
GuideVery big sites in a mostly open field with some cottonwood trees around for some shade. Pit toilets. Potable water at entrance for water bottles only. It actually ran out of water by nighttime but was back in action in the morning. Also has non-potable water spouts for washing dishes water throughout campground.
Very close to Santa Elena Canyon! and you are already in the park. Still an hour drive to Chisos Basin (go very early in the morning at least during holidays or you will be waiting to get into the basin for hours).
No campfires sadly. But a grill, picnic table, and bear box provided.
GuideIt's a ways west of Big Bend compared to camping inside but lots of people travel from outside the park each day and this is a great spot.
Make a reservation thru Big Bend state park - Barton Warnock Visitor Center. Then it's FCFS to pick your site. We were in lower Madera. Site are nice and each has a awning for some shade.
Pit toilets in two spots. Shortish walk/drive to river where you can pop in for a swim or put in a kayak. So lower is nice location but as I understand it, it can get flooded whereas upper cannot.
Campfires are allowed! Has a fire pit, picnic table, and lantern pole.
GuideThe site is an hour on pavement plus two hours on rough trail roads from the park entrance.
my truck did fine, but there were definitely places I could have messed up.
Be ready to deal with deep sand and a few hairy inclines as well as a single 20" tall rock shelf that can mostly be avoided if you go all the way to the side, but I could see some tire tracks of people that may not have seen it.
I got here around 5. weather app said 91.
I started setting up camp and pounding back the water. turns out it was 99 according to my truck and I got sick. I spent the next 24 hours hiding under my tarp trying to stay hydrated while spraying myself with water to keep cool.
Then the WIND started.
I left a day early when the gusts were at 40mph.
It's a shame I had such a crap time at such a beautiful place I worked so hard to get to.
GuideI booked site 62 for three nights as soon as reservations opened, and a few days later I tried to add a fourth night, but no sites were available. Months later, I found site 74 open, so I added a fourth night in that site. The CG had an awesome host, Paula, who was super friendly, helpful, and the best we’ve ever had the opportunity to meet. She even made sure to call me over to see javelinas on our last night. We rode our e bikes to several areas, crossed the border for lunch, hiked many trails, and drove in the back country. It was an amazing trip. We had some fun international neighbors (two different sets) in the next site for two nights, and then we were sad to have some silly people who ran their generator from 8-8 (yes, I know those are the hours) and they put their generator on the side closest to our site with the exhaust blowing at our site. We had to ask them to move it- which seemed silly since they could have placed their generator at the back of their rig and pointed the exhaust away from both sites. (Don’t be like them-just be considerate.) Then we moved to site 74 and all was well- but the poor guy who was staying in 62 after us had to literally put his chair on the back side of his camper to get away from the noise and exhaust. There is NO cell signal at the CG- but the visitor center has good WiFi. I was able to use satellite texting on my iPhone with no issues.
GuideThe landscaping itself is pretty amazing. Water and a sink in each site is luxurious for me normal camping. They have stakes and hammer which is very helpful. Outdoor shower felt amazing. Okayish privacy. O% shade. The lack of shade is the only thing keeping this place from being a 5 star.
Big Bend National Park spans 801,163 acres across the Chihuahuan Desert and Chisos Mountains, with elevations ranging from 1,800 feet along the Rio Grande to 7,832 feet at Emory Peak. Summer temperatures regularly exceed 100°F in lower elevations while winter nights can drop below freezing. Campgrounds throughout the park offer varying levels of shade protection and amenities, with backcountry sites requiring permits obtained at visitor centers.
Hiking trails access: Multiple trails connect directly to camping areas, allowing easy day hikes without driving. "The Window View trail has a trail head in the campground. Just cuts off some milage. Easier hike to a SUPER cool view through a 'window'-like chasm where a waterfall flows when it's rainier," notes a Chisos Basin Campground visitor.
Hot springs visit: A natural thermal pool located near the eastern campgrounds provides a relaxing soak. "There's a nature trail that goes from the campground to the Rio Grande. Very pretty. The hot springs, which were closed due to COVID restrictions, are about half-way and would make a lovely stop," explains a camper at Gravel Pit.
Night sky observation: The park's designation as an International Dark Sky Park makes stargazing exceptional. "Late summer this is one of the penultimate places on the planet to photograph the Milky Way. Since you are near to Santa Elena canyon you can drive up and get the iconic picture of the Milky Way stretched across it," shares a Cottonwood Campground visitor.
Mountain views: The basin area provides panoramic vistas of surrounding peaks. "The site was PERFECT! It was on the edge of the camp ground and tucked around a corner. The lodge and campground are right in the basin of the mountains so you have 360° mountain views! The sunrise and sunset on the mountains was especially pretty!"
Wildlife sightings: Various animals visit campgrounds regularly, particularly in early morning and evening hours. "We loved our stay here! We saw lots of animals in our campsite! Bob cat was a real treat! We saw a bunch of Mexican Jays, bunnies and hares, a coyote and a fox was about it!" reports a Rio Grande Village Group Campground camper.
Temperature variations: Higher elevation campgrounds offer cooler conditions during hot months. "It was chilly in the mornings and at night without the sun to warm you up—long pants and a light jacket were perfect. It warmed up to shorts and T-shirt/tank top weather in the afternoons with the sun."
Water limitations: Pack extra drinking water, especially for backcountry and hike-in sites. "I was unable to actually locate the spring. When I arrived at the campsite I realized that I had consumed all but about 1.5 liters of my water that I packed in," cautions a Big Bend Backcountry Camping visitor at Boot Canyon.
Road conditions: Many primitive sites require high-clearance vehicles and careful driving. "According to a park ranger, Old Ore Rd is the 2nd roughest road in the park. It requires a high clearance 4x4. We aired down our tires and averaged about 9 miles per hour."
Wind exposure: Some sites lack natural wind breaks, requiring secure tent setup. "Even with rocks in tent wind is so strong it started to move. Pretty site but not worth it. Can NOT stake tents- ground is loose gravel for an inch then all rock."
Dog-friendly campground selection: While most Big Bend National Park campgrounds allow pets, site location affects comfort. "The outer rings of the campground provide private spots that are generator free. The facilities are clean and well maintained. The night sky is dark and breathtakingly beautiful," notes a visitor discussing dog-friendly campgrounds at Big Bend National Park.
Shade priority: For camping with children or pets, seek sites with natural or built shade structures. "Definitely recommend trying to get a campsite with a canopy top for shade, ours did not have one and we were very jealous of everyone else that did."
Wildlife precautions: Store food properly in provided bear boxes to avoid unwanted visitors. "If you leave food out you will be visited by skunks, javelinas, raccoons and bears," warns a camper, highlighting the importance of using the provided food storage options at dog-friendly campgrounds in Big Bend National Park.
Site selection strategy: RV campers should carefully review site descriptions before booking. "Make sure to read the descriptions and take a look at the parking to make sure you will fit. The location is beautiful and much cooler than the campgrounds down lower. Site 18 was pretty level and was bigger than most of the other spots," advises a visitor at Rio Grande Village RV Campground.
Hookup limitations: Most campgrounds offer limited or no hookups, requiring self-sufficiency. "Small sites in a large parking lot. The sewer hookup is built up with a high curb around it so unless your rig is very, very high or your waste flows uphill you won't get your tanks empty."
Size restrictions: Large RVs face significant challenges at several campgrounds. "The park service recommends that you not try to navigate the road to the campground with a travel trailer longer than 20 feet, but I didn't have any issues getting in and out with my camper."
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular dog-friendly campsite near Big Bend National Park?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dog-friendly campground near Big Bend National Park is Chisos Basin Campground (Big Bend, Tx) — Big Bend National Park with a 4.6-star rating from 74 reviews.
What is the best site to find dog-friendly camping near Big Bend National Park?
TheDyrt.com has all 52 dog-friendly camping locations near Big Bend National Park, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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