Looking for tent camping near Terlingua? Find the best information on tent campgrounds near Terlingua, including sites, reviews, and tips. Would you prefer a quiet dispersed site or an established camgpround with amenities? Either way, The Dyrt makes it easy to find the perfect place to pitch your tent.
Planning to tent camp in the Big Bend? Make us home for your adventure!
With many options to choose from, we have your camping style covered.
From Hike-in primitive camping for total seclusion, to pull-in sites for convenience and comfort.
All of our non primitive sites include a personal fire-pit, native flora, and access to communal areas such as tables and restrooms.
Have a large group? We can accommodate! Just contact us for details and scheduling.
$20 - $65 / night
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
$12 / night
This site is Rincon 1. Located in the Southeast Zone. Must have a 4-wheel drive vehicle to access this site. Our 4WD roads are not suitable for most All-Wheel drive vehicles; clearance needs to be above 8''.
There is a walk in of about 75 yards. It has a picnic table, 2 tent pads and a grill. The site is in an open area with a view of Solatario Peak. This site is good for families. There is no water on this side of the canyon, so campers must bring plenty of water. This site also gets very hot in the summer.
This site requires a toilet system to occupy. No composting toilet is available. No ''cat-holing'' is allowed. Toilet systems can be purchased at a visitor center. Capacity 8.
$12 - $35 / night
Sky Ranch is the result of a love for the desert and for 1980s post-apocalyptic movies. A place to step out of our busy lives and be still, gain a new perspective, and imagine a different way to live.
Once the floor of a large inland sea, Sky Ranch Terlingua is covered with fossilized mollusk shells. After the water receded, the area was visited by various animal and human migrations. Today, Sky Ranch is a refuge for two native Texans with deep roots that predate Texas itself.
"Be friendly, but firm. But most of all, be yourselves." - Lester, Cherry 2000
$19 - $32 / night
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.
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
Tin Valley Retro Rentals is a diamond in the rough! Owner Ronda has transformed Airstreams, buses, retro RV’s, and even a VW Beetle (the Cuddlebug) and Land Yacht into amazing places to stay. At Tin Valley you’ll share your stay with a donkey, some pigs, chickens, dogs and cats. It’s a pet friendly atmosphere. Along with the retro rentals and tent sites there’s amazing RV parking and new to Tin Valley, Van Lifer parking spaces. This is not your standard RV park, the RV parking spaces are spread out not packed in tightly. The sites are spread out so you’re not looking directly into your neighbor’s window but instead at the immaculate unobstructed view of the surrounding mountains. Two of the tent sites have their own artistic touch complete with A-Frame style lodging so you can leave the tent home if you’d like. The Land Yacht site is the only clothing optional site here as well, where you can feel free to feel free. Each site has it’s own fire pit and charcoal grill. There’s an outdoor shower here, or nearby showers, laundry, pool and cafe at the neighboring Terlingua Ranch. Artist Jules Muck has put her own touch on Tin Valley transforming what would normally be just a renovated RV into a work of art. Stars will shine brighter here than you’ve ever seen before without the city light pollution nearby and it’s an amazing sight. You can hike up the two mountains closest or take a walk around Tin Valley. Take time to head to Big Bend national or state parks in the Terlingua area. The center of Terlingua also has a ghost town complete with walking tour. In that area you’ll find bars and restaurants, Cottonwood, the nearest grocery store, or the closest place to fill up on gas. A visit to Terlingua and Tin Valley Retro Rentals won’t disappoint. You won’t’ find another place this original, or with this much space to rent to call your own as an RV’er, camper, or retro renter. Check out tinvalleyretrorentals.com or Tin Valley Retro Rentals on Facebook.
Ranger
As the saying goes, When in Rome ... staying at BJs RV park was like an immersion experience to living in Terlingua. You feel the history and past of days gone by, with the ghost town of Terlingua and the junk yard behind the RV camping area. Both the town and the junk yard take on a mysterious magical quality in the light at the end of the day. Lots to learn about the history of the place and one great way to learn is to talk with the locals, both in the town and those living in the RV park (temporarily or long term-in addition to those passing through like us). Besides the history of the place, you also learn about the hopes and dreams of the locals - such as the artist cooperative gallery, the RV park manager who hopes to open a cafe / outdoor music spot, and so forth.
The RV sites are all clean and level with electricity, water etc. There’s also a shower house. One note: the wifi doesn’t reach the tent sites (but works fine in RV sites) so we let a young woman traveling alone move her car from her tent site to park overnight on our site so she could use the wifi and check in with her loved ones. We enjoyed sharing some food and conversation with her, as well as meeting other campers and residents.
Terlingua ghost town itself is fun to explore. Many visitors flock to the Starlight Theater (which used to have no roof other than the stars in the sky above). The line to get in is hours long (apparently great menu), but we relished the Frito Pie at the cafe on the side (no wait for that). The art gallery is also worth the visit, and it’s fun to just walk around the ghost town. Of course it’s also a great location for visiting Big Bend NP. We especially loved hiking into Santa Elena Canyon - spectacular.
Terlingua and BJs RV park are hopeful places, with lots of history in a beautiful remote setting that feels like a crossroads in time and place. Really enjoyed it. Would be happy to return.
Ranger
RV 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.
Guide
Great 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.
Traveler
Tent 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.
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.
GuideThis campground is located near the center of the park and at a high elevation. It is located in the only mountain range that is entirely within a national park. There are many hiking trails and chances for encounters with nature in the area. The campground is not accessible for large rv's or large tow behinds, so tent camping, pop up callers, tear drop trailers, and class b vans are prevalent. There is a gift shop and restaurant in crisis basin as well.
Guide
Stayed here at a valley tent site (car camping), privately positioned on the other side of a ridge from the owners’ house with miles and miles of hilly desert land around. Bathhouse is hand-built by the owners next to sites, and they offer ice and laundry as well. It is cash only, although phone reservations are highly recommended during cooler months. I felt comfortable here as a solo woman camper, with stars as my roof most nights.
Ranger
Absolutely beautiful campground. The tent camping area is huge and spread out. We stayed at #10 and the only downside was that there was a trail up to the ridge right by our site so other guests were walking by our site at all hours of the night and early morning for stargazing and taking in the sites - this is also a positive part about the campground so it evens out! Each site has a flat tent pad, picnic table, water, AND trash and recycling! There are clean bathrooms and showers (multiple bathrooms to accommodate guests) and the water was HOT with a strong pressure. The views here are amazing.
Guide
We went out here for a four day primitive site stay in Javelin. If you love solitude this place is right up your alley. We chose Big Bend Ranch over the National park primarily for an adventure and the fact that they allow camp fires. It was a long drive out in the desert. The main road is well maintained. Once you hit the side roads to your campsite you need to pay attention to what vehicle they tell you, you need to get to the campsite. They aren’t fooling around😆we had two wheel drive high clearance and it is exactly that. One thing we didn’t realize was that the brush grows close into the road so if you go out to Javelin you will scratch your vehicle. But you are rewarded with the solitude and beauty of the area. In four days we saw no one. We heard wildlife (coyotes) but never saw anything. It had plenty of trails close by to explore if you want to stay put. They require your own waste disposal. The site includes tent sites (they are rocky), picnic table and a fire pit/grill. Just a beautiful awesome place that I hope to return to soon.
GuideWe 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.
TravelerTin 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:
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.
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.
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).
RangerWhen we first tried to book our Xmas week Big Bend trip, all campgrounds inside the park were full. We found this on The Dyrt and figured we would stay a night or two and get a spot at the Rio Grande Village inside Big Bend, which is the only full hook up place inside the national park (FYI RGV is phone reservations only and usually has spots open).
We were surprised at how much we enjoyed staying at the Stillwell Ranch RV Park and ended up staying a full week for only $150 with electric and water hookups.
There are 3 sections to this campground. The full hookup sites, which we had originally booked, are up by the store and are fairly cramped with limited views. However, the Electric & Water only hookups across the street offer much better views and even though the campground is set up as a gravel parking lot to pack people in, it was Xmas and we were one of 8 campers. Lots of space. We had the "end" spot so the views were pretty epic.
The 3rd area is a ranch road with some pull offs for boon docking or tent camping and are even more "dispersed."
There are two cons: First, the dust. Which I'm fairly certain you would find camping anywhere in the desert. Especially near the once volcanic Big Bend. Coming from the the Atlantic Coast, the insanely arid dusty air was a new experience. But we loved it. And it made for amazing sunrises, sunsets and star gazing.
The second con for us was the water pressure. Maybe 10-12 PSI at best. It is well water and even with a high-end filter, even the water tasted "dusty."
We set up an outdoor shower tent next to our camper and were able to camp for an entire week without needing to dump since we did all showers outside.
The store it self is small, and has a a few things that are pricey, but much cheaper than driving an hour north to Marathon to find a grocery. So come well prepped with food and bev. Big Bend is HUGE and you want to minimize store visits.
Stillwell does have gasoline available, but only 87 Octane. No propane (bring extra tanks if you have a propane fire pit like we do).
The laundry room was clean and only $1.25 per load. Their campground showers/ bath house is a bit outdated. While you can use the bathrooms, their showers are currently closed due to COVID.
Overall, only 8 miles to Big Bend's north entrance, and then another 3 miles to the first trail head "Dog Canyon," it's a great place to stay when compared to the other options which we checked them all out:
- RV Campgrounds near West Entrance: The little town of Study Butte/ Terlingua does offer small grocery store and several RV parks. But the campgrounds here are all asphalt parking lots and you are packed in. And even though you have bigger mountains in your view, you also have the dusty less than amazing views of all this small town. Powerlines everywhere and lots of noise.
- Inside Big Bend - First, we went to Rio Grande RV Village... it's a small asphalt parking lot. You are packed in and when we went through, the entire place smelt like sewage. So happy we avoided this one.
Chisos Basin is an epic spot, BUT, like many national parks you are stacked on top of your neighbors. While I feel confident we could have safely pulled our 23' travel trailer down the winding roads, there are only a handful of spots in the basin campground big enough for a camper. Would have loved the views and close proximity to trails, but we prefer a more secluded feeling and Stillwell gave us just that...even though we had to drive more.
Cottonwood Campground down by the St. Elena Gap is nice too, but again, you're packed in there.
Overall, very happy with our choice at Stillwell and would stay there again in the E/W only spots.
Scout
Perfect RV park in a remote part of Texas. WONDERFUL staff and amenities. Everything you need. It's a dark camp so if you have issues turning off your camper lights before 9 or 10 depends on the season this isnt your place. Best stars and moon viewing you'll experience! Close to Big bend and terlingua and all of that area. I will be back and cant say enough good things!!
Guide
Fabulous easy access camping in Terlingua. Hot shower, clean toilets, and open land for lots of hiking and exploring. Super close to Terlingua if you want dinner out and then Big Bend or Big Bend State exploring. Owner is super friendly and knows the area very well. This is desert and basically a large gravel based area so don’t expect lush foliage. Highly recommend when looking for a jumping off point to explore the area.
Scout
Excluded campground on Terlingua ranch with beautiful night skies and view of red bluff
GuideWe 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!
Scout
Very nice 50amp, full hook ups. Very nice bathhouse, fully stocked with sample sized accessories. Easy in, easy out. Great homebase for visiting Terlingua & Big Beand.
Legend
We wanted to spend time in Big Bend, but also wanted to be able to have cell service for the work week. This campground mostly rents out trailers, but they do have 2 RV spots. We were lucky to get one of them! The owners are really nice and the location is super convenient to check out the bars and restaurants of Terlingua. We used this as our jumping off point for Big Bend explorations. It was a bit of a drive into the park, but worth it to us to be able to have a solid work week with cell service. We also enjoyed checking out downtown Terlingua. There is a shower/bathroom here and it was kept really clean. If we are ever back in the area we would absolutely stay here again!
Legend
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.
LegendCamping here was decent. We absolutely love Big Bend. We were able to find free camping in the park but this place was worth the money.
Theres picnic tables, fire rings, bathrooms, running water, maybe 40 or 50 sites. We were able to find some hot springs in the Rio Grande river, in the park which was fantastic. We also walked in to mexico and spent the day over there. Its hot during the day and cold at night. Amazing hiking, biking, swimming, and site seeing. Big Bend NP is least visited NP and most re-visited. That says a lot about the place.
Also terlingua texas and the ghost town are a hoot. All kinds of cool off grid homes, artists, and musicians. These places are a drive from the campground and outside the NP.
Cheers!
RangerThe location is fine, right off of the highway going through Terlingua. The park itself is barely okay. The wi-fi is non-existent, the check-in is totally remote, with NO ONE in the office every time we went by. The sites are strewn with litter. We picked up a full trash bag of it just before leaving. We'll be back to Big Bend, just NOT at this rv park.
Legend
Ashley here with The Dyrt. I love that this property is situated between the national and state parks, and between Lajitas and Terlingua! Here you can walk in, car camp, pull up your RV for full hook-ups or just use electric and water. Check out the different sites and pick your favorite. Wake up early and catch the sunrise. Give them a try and leave your review here.
TravelerI love visiting Big Bend for the remoteness and the beauty of the desert. Stillwell is the only place I will stay while in the area. It's located on the Northern end of the park and is isolated from the touristy Terlingua. Full hookup sites are very close together (almost touching) however I prefer the electric only sites as they are spread out for the most part.
GuideThe 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.
Ranger
This is a great place for dispersed camping. The road in is dirt single track with a few wash out and little steep hills. Low profile vehicles, I would not recommend. Check campsite for proper directions for those pulling travel trailers. On site, there is a bathroom and shower…, but need to check with camp host because water is a premium “ it the desert”. We loved it. It is about 30mins out from Study Butte/Terlingua -got to love the name. We highly recommended Big Bend Boating and Hiking Company… Check these guys out.
Tent camping near Terlingua, Texas, offers a unique blend of stunning landscapes and outdoor adventures, making it a perfect getaway for nature enthusiasts.
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