Best Tent Camping near Dell City, TX

What an incredible spot. 6 yurts. 4 cabins with power and all amenities. A hot shower. Less than 30 minutes to the park. Soooo peaceful and beautiful. 15 minutes from Dell City for supplies. I'm so glad the park was full and I stumbled onto this place. This place could be a destination on its own.

Great small family owned and lived at campground. A nice couple that has sites at their place literally setting right in front of the Guadalupe Mountains. 20 some minutes away from Guadalupe national Park. Minutes from Dell City. You can see the Sand Dunes from this place. This is a quiet, secluded place. NOT A BIG CAMPGROUND. The owners are friendly and helpful. This is a great option to the overcrowded Pine Springs Campground.

The tent camping sites are all private making it a very peaceful experience! The views are beautiful with access to several hiking trails. There are vault toilets at the tent sites with flush toilets at the rv lot. There are no other facilities but if you are looking for remote primitive camping this is a great option!

Visiting Guadalupe national park was very surprising, after finding out that no reservations are required to camp I was a little worried that the location was going to packed but going in the middle of February it was just right. The tent camping side has a total of 19 tent sites which have benches as well as a prepared area for your tent which was nice the site had a bathroom nearby and trash cans very close to every site. The rv side had multiple spots for rvs (didn't count the spaces) but outside of the parking lot were flush toilets and a dish washing station, the trail heads were right by the parking lot so very convenient.

The trail the main trail guadalupe peak was breath taking (literally) the climb up takes about a 2 and half hours but the view up top is amazing! My only complaint of this place is that the amount of trails is lacking (only about 5) and after a day or two your pretty much done but if your in the are the hike up top is unbeatable.

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As other reviewers have noted, the RV sites are basically a parking lot. I was able to get one on the outskirts so I had stunning views. The tent sites appear to be spaced nicely. All sites require reservations. The visitor center and trailhead rangers were very friendly and helpful. This is very wild Texas.

Clean basic amenities. We used a RV site with our Campervan. The RV site could be more charming (it is basically a parking lot). Prefer the tent site.

The tent sites are clustered together near the vault toilet (smelly) and they are all walk in sites. Only tents are allowed in this area. The RV parking lot is by flush toilets and sink area. No tents are allowed. The flies were terrible! It is really hot right now and shade is limited.

Stayed here nights 1 and 2 of a road trip and had zero problems with the site. Tent camped both nights and made it pretty far back in 2WD Ford Fusion with low clearance so if you're just looking for a great spot to post up for Guadalupe Mountains National Park or Carlsbad Caverns National Park, this is it.

This is a great campground if you have an RV, or are car camping. There isn't much privacy, and very little cell signal (Verizon). Other carriers reported better on Recreation.gov. Great for one night, but if I was to stay here longer, I'd prefer the tent sites.

Campers should know that despite being small and “unknown” this campground fills up without warning. The pit toilets are NOT smelly and there is a water source. You will need to hike a short distance in to your tent site but it is totally worth it!

The place is amazing. Awesome views.

The sign says only camping in designated spots, so no side camps.

There's 6 RV spots and 6 tent sites.

The road getting in is really rough. I did fine with my 32ft fifth wheel. I came in at 8mph. It's rough with embedded rocks.

General: small campground (four “RV” sites and nine tent sites (plus one group tent site). Access is remote (only one 60-mile paved option and one 30-mile dirt road alternative) so you need to make sure you have filled up with gas in Carlsbad as there are no services within many miles of the campground. No cell reception at all (not unexpected). Be aware that the park is on mountain time but close enough to the central time zone border that your smartphone/watch may not display the correct time!

Site Quality: The “RV” sites are just a gravel parking lot. Each site has a picnic table and while the sites are spaced a decent amount of distance apart, there is no physical separation between the sites. No hookups. The tent sites are walk-in. 

Bathhouse: We were expecting a pit toilet in such a remote location but there is one men’s and one women’s bathroom with a flush toilet and sink. They were very clean. Soap dispensers but no paper towels. Although there was no hot water, the restrooms were heated, which was a nice bonus. 

Activities: There is a .6-mile nature trail and several more challenging hiking trails. There was a horse corral behind the RV sites, but we did not see any horses while there. About 25 miles away is Sitting Bull Falls, a spring-fed waterfall that is a nice side trip. 

We camped here because we were not able to get reservations in the other more popular campground in Guadalupe Mountains NP. Access between the two sides of the park is long (about 60 miles) so while this was a nice, comfortable campground, it is not easy to get to.

We got here as the bins were being emptied. Very well maintained. Each spot has a shaded picnic table and grill. Limited spots though, 6 RV sites and 6 tent sites. We got the last spot when we got here, so it can be full even on a weekday. RV sites are all pull-through.

We first pulled up to the main campground and ranger station. The bathrooms were very dirty and not well kept. The campground for rv’s was just a parking lot. I held out hope for this campground and after a 2hr drive it was another parking lot for rv’s. Right next to each other. Luckily after the first night everyone else left and we were there all by ourselves until that night. Tent camping looked nicer.

Decent level sites for the tents off one loop with the RV off to another loop (i like that you're not surrounded by an RV when in your tent). The tent sites are much nicer than the parking lot for the RVs. Sites are decently spaced out with your normal table and fire ring, you then also have nice clean restrooms and potable water. You're right up against the Guadalupe Mountains which are a wonderful sight.

I know about this campground because I'm an American Alpine Club member, but non-members can also access the lodging and campsites. It's a 3 mile drive to the park, but a nice option, given that the park only has about 20 campsites. Tent sites are $5 for AAC members, $10 for non-members. Facilities are communal including bathroom, shower, and fire pit

Late December

Stayed 1 night in camper van. Tent sites were full so stayed in RV parking lot. Sites were painted lines on the concrete but big enough to have some space to yourself if you park correctly. Had a couple more secluded sites tucked in the corner. Free water pump, no electric. Bathrooms and dish station conveniently located. Trailheads in parking lot. Great location and $15. Would stay again

I stayed at the Pine Spring campground before hiking to Guadalupe Peak over Thanksgiving weekend. I got one of the last campsites so be sure to arrive early as they are first come, first serve. The campground is great and there is sufficient spacing between tent sites to allow you to have some privacy. There are minimal facilities but there are water spigots near the road and composting toilets. There is a bathroom with flush toilets near the RV parking including an area where you can wash your dishes. I highly recommend visiting the park and the hike to Guadalupe Peak is a must!

This National Park is a gem for its rugged beauty and isolation. The “campground” is a paved parking lot conveniently located at the head of several trails in the park. The parking lot can accommodate cars up to larger RV’s in the pull through spots. There are envelopes located in 2 different locations. The kiosk by the restrooms are for the campground and the kiosk by the trail head are for the trail. You have to pay for access to the trails, but if you pay for camping, then you’re good. When I camped here there was a park ranger on site. There are also tent camp sights adjacent to the parking lot campground. Quiet camping under beautiful starry skies with awesome hiking!

Only 20 minutes from Carlsbad Caverns NP and about 30 minutes from Carlsbad NM! Slaughter canyon trail is 20 minutes down the same road the campsite is on. This is a great spot off the highway. You can hear some noise throughout the night. Also, it can be noisy if neighbors are loud.

The area is a fenced-in level gravel lot with pit toilets, trash, picnic table sites, and tent sites. Each site has a grill and campfire area with a covered picnic table. Sites fill up quickly, but there are plenty of spots to park next to the fence. Easy to get here with any kind of camper (RV, trailer, ect). Views are great, and the area is maintained well.

The campground allows five consecutive nights of camping. Verizon service was good!

Just like others have said, the RV camping is a parking lot. But when we were there in mid September, there only maybe 6 or 7 "RVs" camping. Most of the traffic was people parking for the trail head. Speaking of trails, the hiking from this campground is spectacular! Guadalupe peak was the trail everyone came to do, but there are multiple others that are just as beautiful. On those trails we were the only people our hiking. There is a nice restroom facility and potable water. You cannot hook your RV up to the water pump so bring a large jug to help fill up your water tank if needed. There is also a water bottle filler in the restroom building. The tent camping area is nice, with defined sites, not a parking lot 😉 You can run your generator until 8pm, although not many did. It cools down in the evening in mid September which was good for sleeping. There is no dump station. The views from the campground are great and the sunrise and sunset light is phenomenal.

This is a great campground for tents & hammocks. If you are in an RV is it parking lot camping only. There is a working restroom (no showers) as well as a washing station for dishes. It is in the perfect spot for many of the main trails in the park. We visited in July. The nights were nice, however, from 11am-6pm it is best to find shade or something to do (we drove around and explored the area).

Closest gas station is in Dell City (about a 30 minute drive) that is also the closest place to get food or ice, so just be prepared! I have more pictures and information here on my blog.

Guadalupe Mountains National Park is seriously underrated. And their developed campground, Pine Springs, is a gem in the NPS.

Pine Springs is located near the visitor center and main hub of the park, making it a great base camp for epic day hikes in the park.

When we first arrived at the park, we felt adventurous and got a backcountry permit (free) for several overnights we planned to do throughout the park. However, since there is no road running up and over the huge ridge, and most of the trails don’t easily connect, we quickly realized that our plans would require a lot of hauling our packs up and down 3,000-foot elevations changes and camping in sub-freezing temperatures each day. Our first night was spent up along the ridge in the “Bowl,” but our other three nights were spent in Pine Springs.

Pine Springs checked off most of our requirements for an awesome campsite: cheap (only $8/night for a tent site), close to the highlights (the classic Guadalupe Peak trail leaves from the parking lot) and scenic, spacious sites (check, check). Amenities were the basic flush toilets and picnic tables, but for the cost, that was more than understandable.

There is a lot the Guadalupe Mountains offers, including the hikes we mentioned: The Bowl loop, Guadalupe Peak (highest point in Texas!), McKittrick Canyon hiking, and some of the greatest sunsets of our entire trip.

You can read much more about our four days in the park on our blog: Switchback Kids (Guadalupe Mountains)