Looking for tent camping near Big Bend National Park? The Dyrt helps you find campsites near Big Bend National Park with tent camping. Each spot offers quick access to one or more of Big Bend National Park, Texas's most popular destinations.
Campsite Specifics Robbers Roost can accommodate 2 vehicles, 8 people, no horses.
Road Conditions The 5.3 mile (8.5km) Juniper Canyon road is very rocky and generally requires a 4-wheel drive vehicle.
Vegetation There is no shade at the campsite. Moderate ground cover surrounds the site.
Views Great views of the desert and rugged mountains. The South Rim is visible to the west. Elephant Tusk and Backbone Ridge are visible to the south.
Cautions A trailhead for the Juniper Canyon Trail and Dodson Trail is located at the end of the dirt road past Twisted Shoe primitive roadside campsite. Lock and secure your vehicle while away.
Remarks Nice views from this remote site, especially the night sky, and there is very little traffic. Robbers Roast has a bear proof storage box.
$10 / night
A Backcountry Permit is required for all overnight backpacking in Big Bend National Park.
Overnight backpackers in the Chisos Mountains can choose from forty-two designated campsites. A backcountry permit is required. Your permit will designate your specific sites for specific nights. You may obtain a permit up to 6 months in advance via www.recreation.gov.
Campers using this campsite are required to pack out human waste using a waste disposal kit such as Restop2 or similar commercial products. These personal waste systems are widely available through online retailers, and for purchase at the park.
Hammocks are prohibited.
Bears and other animals are frequently seen in this area. Always use the bear box at campsite, and NEVER leave any food or packs unattended.
53420 State Highway 118. The Rustic Camp built by Campers with re-purposed and recycled materials, makes it one of the favorite Primitive Base Camps for Big Bend, Texas. Located in Southern Most Section of Terlingua Ranch, within eyesight of the Mexican Border, National and State Parks. Easy to find, just across from Willow Mountain, one of the most photograph natural features in Big Bend. Traveling highway 118 you will see the Entrance at address 53420, just north 1 mile of the outfitters and gas station. . When you pull in, Host is to the right and Camping is to the left. Just follow the driveway lights on back and pick any spot ya wish. Fiber Wifi up front with a spot to charge your stuff. 53420 State Highway 118 in Terlingua. NO SITE NUMBERS. Choose any site when ya get here. First come first camp. Low cars up front. SUV's and trucks can easily make it to the back, its all up to you, but remember no tow trucks down here. lol. The Out Houses are built by Campers using re-purposed materials and recycled wood. When arriving at night it will be very dark.. very few lights in use, dark sky's are protected in Big Bend.. so it may be hard to find. but we are directly on the highway on the west side of 118. Coyote Crossing is on a small red sign at the entrance. Trash Dumpster up front for your use. No collecting rocks, cactus or wood to burn... NO TRACE, leave it as you find it..
$25 / night
Guide
The skies at night are big and bright....deep in the heart of Texas! This is a beautiful - completely off the beaten path - well lots of amenities campground. We were there over Memorial Weekend, expecting it to be crowded, it was not. They have 101 camping spots for RV's - plenty of room to spread out. Big spaces can accommodate any size rig. We were pleasantly surprised with the lounge and swimming area, well kept, clean, everything you could need.
If you need groceries, bring them with you, there is a small local store that caters high end good products, but not a lot of them. One local restaurant, one local bar, all part of the resort - if you want to golf, horseback ride, hike, all is available. The nearest anything though is Terlingua (which isn't much.)
What is great about the park is that it is the best available camping near Big Bend National Park. Big Bend is huge and beautiful, lots of water, hot springs, 4 wheel drive trails - it's a park that has a lot of history too. Go there, and go to the Big Bend State Park too - lots of local color.
Guide
3 large sites that share one parking area. vistas and views are incredible and almost located exactly in the "middle of nowhere". wonderful place to watch sun rise and set over mountains. One large bear box that is shared by all three tent sites. great base camp to explore the southern half of the park and you could spend your entire trip never seeing a paved road. Around 20-30 mnt travel time from Panther Junction to site. There is one considerable dip in road leading to site that may prevent all but the shortest tongued pull behinds from reaching the site. If you do get a trailer there, it will be staged in the parking area as the wooden borders that designate the tent camp areas are too narrow to get any vehicle thru. Be prepared to be isolated and tranquil and all the beauty that comes with it!!
Guide
Beautiful views, great facilities, and awesome weather. 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. To the east, the campground is shadowed by Casa Grande, the largest peak in the Chisos. To the west you have the Window, an awesome cut in the basin that lets the sun peek through a little longer in the evenings.
Guide
We stayed at Rancho Topanga for 4 nights during our unforgettable trip to Big Bend National Park in December 2019. The campground was thoughtfully designed and is lovingly maintained. The sites are very spaced out with gorgeous views. Each site has potable water and a fire pit. The individual showers have hot water and the dishwashing stations at the bathhouse were something I wish more campgrounds had! We saw wildlife and amazing sunsets during our visit. No electricity and primarily tents only. We can’t wait to visit again!
GuideColima 2 is a primitive campsite in the Chisos Basin in Big Bend National Park on the Colima Trail. My boyfriend and I backpacked to the campsite from the Chisos Basin trail head down Pinnacles trail to Boot Canyon. The Northeast Rim trail was closed at the time due to respecting space for the peregrine falcons and their nests. The night before, we camped in the Rio Grande campground which wasn't secluded enough for us, so we decided to reserve this campground at the Chisos Basin Visitor Center the next morning. Camp was super easy to set up here. There was a bear box included and plenty of flat ground for easily tent setup. There was PLENTY of tree coverage which was nice because it got hot out in the afternoons under the sun. We chose this campsite because we wanted to hike the South Rim on the same day. We offloaded some weight from our backpacking packs after setting up camp in the mid afternoon, got to hike the South Rim for the remaining hours of daylight, and enjoyed dinner back at Colima 2. The next day, we hiked back to the Chisos Basin trail head on the Laguna Meadows trail. Colima 2 offered the seclusion from other campgrounds we were wanting, and it's definitely on our radar when we return to Big Bend National Park.
Guide
Proximity to Big Bend National Park keeps this place in business. It does have electric and water hookups, but overall the place is dirty and dumpy. Poor wifi near the store only, not at the campsites. If they had any competition, they'd fold. The gal working the sad little store was friendly, at least.
Ranger
My friends and I camped here for 2 nights on site #1 to be able to visit Big Bend National Park (about a 45 minute drive away). It's a very rocky road to get there off the highway (follow the written directions from the owner, they're very helpful!), but there's plenty of space for multiple cards to pull up. The compost outhouse is perfect, and the views are amazing. Only mild downside is that it's def windy, so keep that in mind when thinking about campfires, cooking, and sleeping in a tent.
10/10 would go back.
RangerChisos Campground is the place to camp on Big Bend National Park. It is a high elevation location and many great hiking trails from the location. As a landscape photographer, this was a fantastic place to camp. Nice sized sites, however, no hookups & only 8 sites that allow generators. There were no wood fires when I was there last October.
RangerThe Chisos Basin in Big Bend National Park is cool whether you’re in a tent or a camper. It has a ton of pros: bathrooms close by, being the coolest place in the park (serious bonus in the summertime), close proximity to hiking trails (don’t miss the Window trail!!!) and it close enough to the Chisos Basin restaurant and store you could walk if you’re feeling ambitious (it IS uphill haha!). My only complaint for this campground is how cramped it feels! If you’re trying to get away from it all and feel open space around you Chisos may not be your best bet. Sites are small and very close together.
Ranger
Pretty close to the highway but mostly quiet . Many coyotes and javelina . Lajitas is just down the road with a good store . The state park is less traveled than Big Bend National Park . The view from this campsite was quite nice . Overlooks the Rio Grande and Lower Madera campsites . Pit toilets were new down low and the upper one was under construction , no water .
Traveler
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. The night sky is dark and breathtakingly beautiful. There is a short trail connected to the campground that provides amazing overviews of the Rio Grande. The location gives you relatively easy access to all of the other attractions in the park.
GuideThis campground offers some of the best views in the park. There is a massive individual campsite for tents and RVs, as well as a large group site area. The campgrounds or less than 1 mile from the park store and the lodging on site. There are literally thousands of miles of trails within Big Bend National Park. The trail head to Emory peak extends directly from the campground. Another good trail coming out of the campground his window trail. The sites are clean and equipped with their boxes and plenty of space for parking as well as overflow parking. I go here twice a year and I never want to leave.
ScoutCampground has all the basics. We are here in off season so not much activity. Our goal was to visit big bend national park and this is the nearest park we could find. It is about 9 miles to the park entrance.
All sites are dirt, but connections are good. Wifi is good. No cell service. We don't use park showers, so no idea what they are like.
Over all it fills the bill.
Traveler
We booked this campsite through Airbnb. See like below:
It was a great location. About 20 minutes from the entrance to Big Bend National Park. The road to the park also takes you through the town of Study Butte so you can get any essentials you need (groceries, firewood, camping supplies, etc).
The campsite itself was very clean. A spot to park next to your site, a picnic table to eat at and a desert Ramada to set a tent up underneath.
The owner of this land has other similar camping spots close by, so there will likely be other people near you. However, Our first night we were alone and the starts were beautiful!
GuideBig Bend National Park is a beautiful place to visit and stay at if you're ever in West Texas! During the day some of the best places to visit (there's to many to list) are the Hot Spring located right on the Rio Grande, Santa Elena Canyon, The Window Trail, Tuff Canyon, Dog Canyon, Cattail Falls and of course the Chisos Mountains. At night time you must stay awake to see all the beautiful stars! The milky way is easy to see and the stars are so bright! River trips are available and are super fun! If you're lucky, you might spot all the beautiful wildlife! The temperature is definitely hot in that area, but I've loved all the adventures Big Bend has had to offer!
RangerRV and tent camping. We are bikepackers and had no problem finding a great site to pitch our tent. The showers are currently closed due to covid, but there are restrooms and laundry. The camp store has snacks and basic needs and is open til 7.
Traveler
Our maiden voyage in our 41 foot fifth wheel. A little concerned about finding a campground that could accommodate us, and have plenty of room. Big Bend Resort got us set up fine. 30, and 50, amp service with water and sewer. Our trip was during the third week of September, so campground was basically empty. Very clean campground, and the resort personnel were very friendly, and helpful. Our destination, while camping, was Big Bend National Park. Big Bend Resort was great location, as it was only about 20 minutes to Chisos Basin. We will most definitely be going back
TravelerWe spent the weekend before Thanksgiving 2021 in Big Bend National Park and had a great time. We had never been to this NP before but we went with friends who are now veterans to Big Bend.
One thing to know is that all campsites are not created equal. Our initial site in the campground was very small - too small to put a tent on honestly. Fortunately the camp host was able to swap us with a site with more room.
The campground is in this beautiful basin in the mountains - pictures don’t truly do it justice. We were also fortunate to be near the bathroom, which was convenient.
One tip I’d give is to invest in heavy duty tent stakes. The ground is so rocky, it ate up the stakes that came with the tent. Which was not a big deal until our third night when the wind tried to blow us off the mountain. I ended up tying off to anything solid - the picnic table, near boxes, charcoal grill, etc.
Legend
We literally had the best time staying at site #3!! When you arrive, you can pick any spot that's open! It's primitive but the views of the desert and mountains are incredible!!! The location was great too (it's right outside the entrance to Big Bend National Park), the porta house was clean and had a view (and I mean it was awesome with woodchips and all) Rob is the camp host and he was fantastic!!!! I have nothing negative to say at all!!! Highly recommended and would stay here again if we came back to Big Bend!!! Plus the price is extremely fair for what you get!
Guide
We weren't sure what to think upon arrival. The park is very stark, sitting right off the road that runs through the Terlingua desert. The laundry and restrooms are in an old mobile home. It didn't look like there were many services at the park. Once we got settled in, however, we realized it was a great place. Great location close to the village of Terlingua and all the services, close to Big Bend State Park, and close to Big Bend National Park. In addition, the people were great. We even had a communal fire in the evenings and shared our day's adventures. We will definitely be returning!
GuideGreat place for tent camping. Make sure you check Recrwation.gov for description of sites some not ok for trailers or RV. If you want shade check the site as in summer only about half have shade. Great place to start your hike in the backcountry. No electricity, sewer or water hook ups.
TravelerTent camped for 3 nights without any issues. The host was very friendly and helpful. The site are well maintained with clean working bathrooms and water spigots. The coyotes were active but mostly walking around and storing up barks from all the dogs. The convenience store is close y for any forgotten items with showers and laundry. I recommend.
LegendBig Bend Ranch State Ranch is quite different than Big Bend National Park. While much of the national park has sky islands (mountains), much of the state park is classic desert. The park stretches from the desert to the Rio Grande River. There is a scenic road that runs along the river with a number of campsites. The campsite are drive up campsites, but somewhat primitive in nature in that there are not restrooms with toilets, sinks and showers. There are picnic tables and fire rings, but that is about it. There is not much shade cover at these campsites so it is helpful if you have a tent or canopy shade. The attraction of this park is the expansive views of the desert that one is able to view. The heat and lack of cover can be tough on the body, so bring lots of water and hydrate. Outside the park are some interesting towns like Terlingua and the old silver mining town of Safter.
RangerWe tent camped 3 nights here in early December and it was in the 20s one night! Windows trail and Santa Elena Canyon were the highlight of our trip. Bathrooms were clean and easily accessible. Sites were not at all private, but that was made up for by the awesome amenities - bear box, great table, waist-high grill, and shade coverage.
RangerThis was my second visit to the Chisos Campground in Big Bend National Park, TX. The past visit was in the fall and this year I wanted to experience spring in the park. As usual, the campground was great. The bathroom facilities were clean and close to the campsites. Water was readily available near all of the sites as well. My site this last trip was not as private as my previous trip last fall, but it was a later reservation and I was lucky to get a site for 4 days in the most popular time of the year to visit. Plan far in advance as this is a popular campground and about 10 to 15 degrees cooler than the others in the park
Legend
OK the campground is a parking lot and I mean a parking lot. Each spot is 2 parking spots. It is all asphalt. No Cell Phone, No Internet, no TV nothing. But was the best place we have been to. 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. Hike to Boquillas Canyon, the hot springs down the river or all over Rio Grande Village. Drive to all of Big Bend and spend days hiking Mountains, Deserts, River, Canyons. The most beautiful area in the World at least to me.
Scout
My experience was everything I expected; solitude, stargazing, sustainability, and gorgeous views. I believe November is the perfect time to camp here. Lots of space to enjoy some peace and solitude. Camp hosts' were terrific. They were always willing to share their knowledge of solar power and organic sustainability. This ranch is miles off the main road with the approach road a bit bumpy. There are lots of dips and loose soil. A four-wheeled vehicle would fit nicely. The cost is very reasonable and you must be prepared to dry camp. Bring a full supply of essentials though, the nearest store is miles away. Big Bend National Park is only 35 minutes to the south. Older children will love this camp site too.
Tent camping near Big Bend National Park offers a unique opportunity to immerse yourself in stunning landscapes and enjoy the tranquility of nature. With various options available, campers can find the perfect spot to set up their tents and experience the beauty of the Texas desert.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Big Bend National Park?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Big Bend National Park is Pine Canyon — Big Bend National Park with a 4.7-star rating from 7 reviews.
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