Best Tent Camping near Terlingua, TX

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).

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

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.

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.

Seep Spring is a dispersed primitive campsite on the Rancherias Loop Trail. 

The main attraction of this site is that it is relatively close to the trailhead entrance. Also, camping in the river wash on soft sand with high bluffs surrounding us was a fun experience. On route to this site you will pass through desert brush, see a variety of high mountain flora and weave your way through ocotillo forest. 

There are no facilities nor amenities at this campsite. Leave No Trace principles should apply. Purchase gas and supplies in Fort Stockton, Alpine or Terlingua before entering the park because there are no supplies within the park. Prior to visiting this site it is required that you check in to the Barton Warnock Visitor Center from 8am to 4pm and secure a backcountry permit. Backcountry sites are$10 per night with a limit of 6 people. Sites must be at least 1/4 mile from any other existing campsite; at least 300 feet from water sources and prehistoric or historic cultural sites; at least 3/4 mile from trailheads or roads. 

At the trailhead and once you enter the trail, there is no cell phone signal. This is a remote area of the park which has few visitors, so take appropriate safety precautions for self-rescue if needed. This site is about 4 miles from the East trailhead entrance for the Rancherias Loop Trail. Along the trail you will cross over mountains, valleys and river washes. During our trip there had not been rain and there was a forecast of zero rain. We elected to set up camp and sleep in the river wash on the sand. This is not advisable if there is rain or a forecast of rain because this area could flash flood. 

The main attraction of this site is that it is relatively close to the trailhead entrance. Also, camping in the river wash on soft sand with high bluffs surrounding us was a fun experience. On route to this site you will pass through desert brush, see a variety of high mountain flora and weave your way through ocotillo forest.

Big Bend NP is a huge park. Fill up with gas in the town of Marathon before you enter the park because it is likely that you will be covering some ground once you enter the park. The Chisos Basin Campground is in the center of the park and about 1 mile from the lodge, restaurant, store and ranger station. At the ranger station there is information, water, restrooms and wifi. There is no cell coverage throughout the park. The park is great, the campgrounds are just ok. The Chisos Basin Campground is often crowded because it is located in the central part of the park and near many of the the best hiking trails. The Window Trail, Emory Peak Trail, and South Rim Trail all start from the Chisos Basin area. I think that one of the most scenic hikes is the Lost Mine Trail that start maybe 2 miles from the Chisos Basin. The campground has pad sites with a sun shade and bear box. There are a few water faucets located throughout the campground. There are bathrooms, but no showers. The only showers in the park are located at the lodge and at the east side of the park. The pad sites are located somewhat close to each other, so do not expect much privacy.

We tent camped here in late January. The campsite had lots of room to spread out, and there was a giant bolder behind this site that we could climb up on to sit and watch the sunset in the "Window". We will definitely seek out this site again. There was a charcoal grill, picnic table, bear box, and hangar for our lantern (Campfires are not allowed in the campground, but the charcoal grill is.) It would get pretty chilly at night, so I wish we could have had a campfire. I wondered if we chose poorly to camp in the mountain during the winter because the daytime temps were warmer near the river. However, it seemed like the night time temps were even lower near the river than up here in the mountain.

The restrooms have a sink area to wash dishes and electricity, and there are water spigots near the site, but you can't shower in the Campground. To shower, you have to drive down to the Rio Grande Village campground and pay $2 (in quarters) for a lukewarm shower of ~5 minutes. That was the only drawback of our stay.

The park's scenery was well worth the inconvenience, though. From the Basin campsites you can hike out to the Window or go for a short walk up to the visitor center and restaurant. This would be a great place to camp in warmer weather, because it was significantly cooler than the river during the daytime.

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!!