Rio Grande Village RV Campground — Big Bend National Park

This is not my style of “camping” but in a pinch or if electric hook ups are a must, then this place will work. This is a parking lot with services that you won’t get in the standard campgrounds. I would stay here however, just to be in the park and especially if it was during the hotter months. . The general store, gas station, laundry and shower facilities are in walking distance.

We travel full time and I have never had such a negative experience.  The bathrooms are disgusting.  There are only two washers for the entire area.  The staff is beyond rude.  We were exactly 13 minutes late checking out with nobody checking into our #5, because the water hookup was broken.  One of the works sarcastically told my husband she hoped the the coyotes didn’t eat our cat as he was sitting next yo the water with my husband.  Worst experience we have ever had!

Stayed here at the end of May 2022. I knew it would be hot, but I can’t describe the intensity of the heat. The campsite itself was very cramped, luckily there were only a half dozen other campers while I was there… I could see this place being very crowded during peak months. I came here to see the dark skies but had to drive a few miles from the campground to avoid the bright lights of other RV’s. There was gas available at the nearby store as well most things you’d need at the store. You have to pay for showers with quarters so be prepared for that… $2.00 for 5 minutes. I crossed into Mexico via the Boquillas Crossing, rode a Burro into the village and had lunch. Bring small bills to pay for things there… cost to ride Burro, horse or truck. Plus $3 per person once you get to Mexico. Then plan on having cash for lunch and to tip your “tour guide.” Overall the campsite needs more space and shade would help too.

This place was amazing! A little tight to get into with our 42’ toy hauler, but not too difficult by any means. We LOVED our pull through spot. The night hosts were so great and hospitable and we had trees for shade! This was our fav dry camping in an rv park so far.

We stayed here one night while we explored the east side of the park. It’s clean and has the necessities. It has water fill and dump station. Our site had a pavilion. The campground has toilets but not showers. No power. There’s a nature trail that goes from the campground to the Rio Grande. Very pretty. If you need internet, the village store nearby has great wifi. There is no cell signal at the campground (T-Mobile and Verizon). The village store also has paid showers that are open 23 hours a day. They close at 9am for cleaning.

We started the new year with 5 nights in the park. The sites are good sized and there are sites for larger rigs.

As typical of the national parks, you have to reserve and you need to know how the system works to get a good spot. There are no hookups but a generator is allowed in some areas of the campground.

Nice, clean and convenient Campground. Shower (prepare quarters..), little store and fuel. The two other campground in Big Bend NP are nicer.

This is a great site (but not as cool as Chisos). It near the River and the hot springs. It’s very hot here and a lot of mosquitos. There’s a small general store with food, ice, and fuel - but they close at 5pm.

Covered picnic table and grill. Ample room for tents.

The javelina can knock over your campsite if you're not careful.

We really enjoyed our visit to BBNP in Nov 2020 and loved our RV site at the Rio Grande Village. The facilities were clean and well maintained. The noise/light curfew was respected which made the stars at night incredibly bright. There were many hiking trails near this area as well.

Summary: Shade, water, clean bathrooms at the site, and wifi & laundry nearby. Bugs, thorns, and heat, as you would expect.

We stayed here two nights while exploring Big Bend. Being April, it was very hot in the afternoon. This site had decent shade from the (extremely thorny, as almost all the plants here are) bushes as well as a well built sun shelter. These shelters are essential as you should stay under them between 10am-5pm. We were able to hang our Hammocks and remain mostly in the shade. The bugs near the river are worse than other parts of the Park, but I still only got a few bites. The Village Store at the RV campground has WiFi, laundry, and showers (showers currently closed for Covid) and is only about half a mile from the campground. The bathrooms are the standard Park Service, and were clean. The wifi was important for us as we lost a tire on the Old Ore Road and used wifi to organize repairs. A nature trail leaves from the campground and leads to wonderful views of the Rio Grande and back to the Chisos. There were a number of the technically illegal souvenir shops from across the river set up along the trail. It goes through a swap and to the top of a bluff. All in all a very nice campsite.

We stayed in site 32 which added a lot to our stay, it was an outer campground with a secluded area and view of the mountains, rather than in the rows of RVs with generators. The nature trail is great, gas was right outside the campground, and easy in and out dump station with drinking water.

We spent 3 nights in Site #29 and loved it. It was in the no generator zone which meant neighbors were either in self contained rigs or tent campers. Our site was tucked in under some Mesquite trees that offered lots of privacy. The NPS had closed many of the open sites due to COVID-19, which makes no sense since the FHU sites near the store were jam packed side-by-side. Big Bend NP & this campground is definitely a destination trip since it’s 90 miles from Marathon, TX. But, once in and setup we were able to get to all the sights, hikes and things we wanted to accomplish. NO cell service and the WiFi at the store was off more than on.

No cell service, Wi-Fi at the store, campground host was very nice. Showers are closed for covid until further notice all first come first serve is closed for covid so go to recreation.gov for bookings and availabilities.

Spent two nights here part of recent road trip to National and State Parks in Texas. I was only able to get a site for two nights as it was the week of Thanksgiving. Being as tent camper, I was lucky to be able to a few days before arrival cancel my original campsite in the main area for more secluded campsite in the no generator zone. This is the area you want to camp in, especially if you have a tent or a smaller trailer as you generally have trees around your campsite giving you some privacy. The campsite was equipped with a picnic table, bear food locker and a charcoal grill. Some of the sites also feature a pavilion for the picnic table.

I would say that this is a remote part of the park, but then every part of the park is like that. There's easy access to a short nature trail that starts in the campground and goes along the bend in the Rio Grande River and also includes a short rocky hill one can go up for views of Boquillas, Mexico. Personally, I went up for sunrise one morning with s cup of coffee (took no more than 10 minutes to walk) and enjoyed the sun rise over Mexico.

There's a store at the RV park that has essential items, including beer both packs and singles. There's also free wifi to use there, but there is no cellular service with at least Verizon within the campground.

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.

There was a little creek with standing water at the back of the campground. This meant that there were so many mosquitoes at our campsite that we were unable to spend any amount of time outside of our vehicle while we were there. Our campsite was #2 on loop 4. A general store with laundry and shower facilities was available nearby, so that was nice.

We camped here for 3 nights and only 1 or 2 others were there. Probably due to the 105° heat of the day. Lol We knew it would be this way going in. Flush toilets were clean and water, although warm, was abundant in the bathrooms and outdoor facets. Lots of birds, including vultures were singing in the trees and Javelinas made daily visits. Most sites had sufficient shade, a level spot for tents, and tables. The nearby store has basic necessities and gasoline at reasonable prices. Laundry and showers available for $2.00 or less, each.

Rio Grande Village Campground is located within Big Bend National Park.  This park is HUGE and we were thankful to have a spot to camp for a few days. 

We saw unique wildlife while we were here - Javelina, donkey, otter, etc.  The otter lived in the pond, which was in walking distance.  We walked down to the Rio Grande and sat with a foot in the hot spring and a foot in the river, which was awesome! (Hot Springs Trail)

We also walked down to a canyon - Boquillas Canyon - we ran into people who cross the river to sell items they make daily.  

Nothing could prepare us for the stars here though!  Being so far from civilization, the stars were phenomenal - which left us wishing we had packed a telescope.  We did however pack a spot light to see animals at night - but we learned rather quickly from a ranger that they were not allowed!!  Apparently people use spot lights to capture wildlife - so after a brief car search - we were allowed to leave - and that was the end of the spot light!

Plenty of campsites here in the Rio Grande Village. Easiest way to pay is with cash, and you just reserve your campsite at the self-pay station. We payed with a card at the Rio Grande visitor's center (closed in the summers). If you don't mind other people being close to you, this is the campsite for you. My boyfriend and I camped here for one of the nights we stayed in Big Bend. We wanted a more secluded spot which you can find further back in areas of campsites available, but it's first come, first serve style here. Bear boxes are provided at each campsite. The campsites further back have better shade, but we were able to find some trees to set up under. The only thing we didn't like about the campsite was the proximity to people using generators. They have a separate area for RVs, but some people brought their campers. The generators were somewhat loud, but we were able to sleep through the noise. We definitely prefer more natural campsites, but this one was fine for what we needed that night. Not too far of a drive from the Hot Springs trail either.

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.

This is a large campground with multiple types of spots, with access for even some of the largest rvs and tow behinds. This is a popular place for families, so if you are looking for something quieter or more secluded with less human activity, this is not for you. There is a nice nature path that leads to a cliff overlooking the Rio Grande, but it would not be good for very small children our people with unsure footing. There were many different birds in the area tho, due to water access.

Basic national park camground. Located close the boquillas canyon, the legendary hot springs and so much more. The park itself is beautiful, and the campground is not exception. Located right on the bank of the river, the campground is an oasis from the desert you spend all day driving through to get there.

We did some back country camping at Big Bend National Park. You will need an SUV or 4x4 for some spots, I did see some cars but they were struggling. We have a Jeep and had to help several people out. Pro tip: show up to get your permit early as it’s in a first come first serve basis. Scout out some sites so you have back up spots if the one you want is taken. We camped at Solis as it was the only one available. It was nicely laid out and super peaceful! After doing some driving around there are some other camps I would have rather had and will try to get them next time. Ours had a beautiful view of the mountains but would have like to been higher up. No complaints.

Great bird watching opportunities. Beautiful night skies! old facilities are maintained but full of bugs especially spiders. Showers are available for a charge at the store as well as wifi at the store. The wifi only works on the store porch, so it is always crowded.

Big Bend is a magical place. It’s one of the darkest places in US to see the Milky Way at night. During the summer it can get insanely hot, but the nights cool off immensely and the sunsets are amazing.

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.

The Rio Grande Village is closest to Boquillas and Hot Springs but it’s a nice point for ALL your Big Bend adventures! Sites are big enough and have a little shade but it’s the view of the stars at night you’ll want to stay for! The Hot Springs are also great but sometimes crowded! Tru going early or staying late for the least crowded times. Don’t miss Boquillas canyon! You can also go across to the village here. While you’re in the park it’s only 45 minutes across to see Santa Elena and do plenty of hiking in between. PACK WATER. I repeat : PACK WATER. This is the desert and water isn’t on every corner.

This is probably the coolest place I've ever camped at. We stayed at the group camp site, which I highly reccomend because it's off to the site instead of piled on top of one another, like the individual sites. Just down the road, about 5 minutes, are the hot springs and the Rio Grande which are INCREDIBLE. Highly reccomend taking a dip at night before bed - super refreshing and the stars are spectacular. Santa Elena Canyon is across the park a ways but it's absolutely 150% worth going. This whole place is stunning.