Best Tent Camping near Big Bend National Park

Cottonwood Campground is a quiet oasis in the western corner of Big Bend National Park. Reservations are required. Conveniently located between the Castolon Historic District, the scenic Santa Elena Canyon and the tail end of the Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive, this small, 22-site campground is one of the least-known and quiet campgrounds in the park. There is one group campsite and 21 individual sites. 

This is a remote campground in a remote park. It is dry camping, no hook-ups, and no generators are permitted. 

• Cell Phone Reception, No 

• Internet Connectivity, No 

• Trash/Recycling Collection. Yes, Year-Round 

• Food Storage Lockers, Yes, Year-Round 

• Laundry, No Dump Station, No 

• Potable Water, Yes on site

The campground is one of the lower places in elevation, 2200 feet in the national park, it is hot in sprint and summer, over 100F at summer afternoons. Not recommended from May to September, use instead Chisos Basin Campground(5,400 feet) where the temperature is lower 15 to 20 degrees than any campground near the Rio Grande

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.

Tin Valley is a beautiful and serene desert retreat situated in a valley, surrounded by small mountain ranges such as the Western Corrazones and Sombrero Peak. The night skies are bright and breathtaking when the weather is clear; we were lucky enough to see the Milky Way and the Leonid meteor shower during our stay. There are several sites at Tin Valley - some A frame platforms, some stationary trailers, some cars and buses that have been converted to camping trailers. There are also some stationary RVs available to rent that have running water, electricity, and a bath house. These latter RV rentals are more expensive than the more primitive sites. We booked our stay through Airbnb.

Our camper was an old trailer that had been gutted/renovated and was outfitted with sleeping bags, extra blankets, two cots, and a propane heater (no gas provided). It was a good windbreak on the colder, chillier nights. There were some solar-powered outlets in the trailer (for charging a phone), but we didn't use them since our phones would charge in the car. I don't think they would power anything like a hair dryer, etc. The rest of the site included a trash can, a padded bench, two chairs, a picnic table, a charcoal grill, and a fire ring (wood available for purchase - I think it was $5 per bundle). There is no water at the site, but there is a sink and outdoor shower a short walk away. There is no hot water available, but it is potable. The rental included the free use of the (hot) showers at nearby (5 minute drive) Terlingua Ranch Lodge, where there is also a restaurant. There is also a portapotty a short walk away from the trailer, which was kept very clean and well-stocked with toilet paper. There is no cell service or wifi at the campsite, but free wifi is available if you walk down toward the stationary RVs.

Getting to the site in the dark can be a little intimidating - it's West Texas, so everything is pretty spread out. The owner of the site was excellent when communicating how to find it. Google Maps will not take you to the correct place - you must print out directions before you go (cell service is very spotty out there) and watch your car's odometer. Drive slowly and carefully - lots of wild animals and winding, unpaved roads. You can safely make it to the camp site with any kind of car, though a vehicle with high clearance and/or 4-wheel drive wouldn't hurt.

The site is about a 20-25 minute drive from Terlingua/Study Butte, and about a 30-35 minute drive to the entrance of Big Bend National Park. If you plan to stay here while visiting Big Bend, remember to factor drive time to the park and then within the park - it's a big place. The drives are beautiful, though, so it's not a chore.

Please be aware:

1. If you bring your own car, please check all systems before you take it out there. Our car's battery died halfway through the trip and the owner of the only auto parts store in Terlingua was out of town, so the store was closed. We had to get a jump in the park and then drive two hours north to Alpine to get a new battery.

2. West Texas is a desert - Big Bend NP only allows 5 gallons of water per person per day at potable spigots. Please be sparing and conserve where you can. That said, it is Texas, which means it can get very hot. Bring water with you everywhere.

3. West Texas is home to Mexican black bears, mountain lions, bobcats, coyotes, javelinas (wild hogs), every variety of venomous snake that lives in the United States, and more. It may not look like a typical "predator country," but it can be. Store food in hard-shell enclosed spaces, like your trailer or car. Bear boxes are not available at sites, but they are available in the national park. Watch carefully for snakes on dry ground at the site (rattlesnakes, copperheads, coral snakes) and in water (cottonmouths, water moccasins).

Colima 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.

Nice campsite with two pad locations each suitable for a 4 man tent complete with the obligatory 2ftx2ftx2ft bear box at around 5900 ft elevation. Trees provide shade.

Boulder Meadow Number #4 is the last in a cluster of 4 camps sites. I wouldn't hesitate to select it again. There is a BM #5 campsite little further up the Pinnacles Trail and before the Pinnacles Campsites.

As all Backcountry campsites at Big Bend it's a leave no trace and pack out your important papers location. Get your permit and reservation in person at the Backcountry office behind the Panther Junction Visitor Center.

The BM-4 campsite is a well marked two tenths of a mile off the Pinnacles Trail and 2.2 miles from the Chisos Basin Amphitheatre parking lot near the camp grounds there. The parking sits at an elevation around 5150 ft for an elevation change of 700 ft.

My crew went at it's typical 30min mile pace, but we stopped frequently for pictures and my 5th grade sons pack adjustments.

You could cut .5 miles at 150 ft of elevation change for some of your party if you drop them off at the parking loop for the visitors center.

Big 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.

My wife and I, along with 3 other couples, reserved one of the group campsites over labor day weekend. It was our first visit out to Big Bend, so we were more than pleasantly surprised when we arrived at the site. Directions to get there were a little confusing, or lacking all together, but once we got there (site P), I think we had one of the best sites in the park. It was located directly across from the bathroom (no showers) and in a perfect position to watch the sunset through the window (where the two sets of peaks come together). The site itself had a water spigot, no electricity, a raised pole grill, three metal picnic tables, a shaded awning over a huge concrete pad, and three steel bear boxes. Our site was directly beside the window trail access point. Also, I'm not sure if this is frowned upon, but at night, if you can position yourself on top of the awning, it is by far the best stargazing you'll ever see. Overall, 10 out of 10. Can't wait to go back.

The Rio Grande Village Campground is located in the far eastern part of Big Bend National Park. Prior to entering the park fill up with gas in the town of Marathon, because you will be driving far distances within the park and there is limited gas available.

In the Rio Grande Village there is a visitor center and convenience store. There are 25 campsites that fit small to mid-size RVs with hookups and 100 campsites for car campers. There are tables, fire pits and bear boxes at each campsite.There are communal restrooms and potable water nearby. The only available showers are located at the Rio Grande Village Store which is a short drive from the campground. The showers do cost a few dollars and are available 24/7. Some of the sites have covers, but most do not. There are some shade trees spread out sporadically amongst the campsites, but do not count on having much shade.

The main attraction of this campground is that you have the ability to walk right up to the Rio Grande River and the border between the US and Mexico. It is physically possible to cross the river into Mexico, but technically one must have a passport to travel between the two borders. Another feature of the area is the Hot Spring pool. You have to drive a little distance from the campgrounds and walk about 1 mile to reach the Hot Spring pool. Around the Hot Spring pool there are a few old structures that once housed stores and a school. There are some petroglyphs on the cliff walls along the trail to the hot springs. Unfortunately, you are not allowed to camp at the hot springs area due to safety concerns.