The views here will change your life. Personally stayed at the Chiso Mountains campground think it’s the most scenic of the two campgrounds they have. The other campground has the store and I believe showers.

Best time to go is when the season just starts in my opinion which is fall early winter. Especially if you stay in the mountains campground. It’s cool/cold at night and hit during the day.

The hot spring is a must. The road to the trail is quite scary if you have anything bigger than a standard car. Your up against a wall on one side and a drop off of 20 feet on the other.

If you really want to test your endurance, the lost mine trail goes up a mountain. Well worth the treck. Take your time and you will get to the top.

If your over camping in tents and RVs, they also have a lodge in the Chiso Mountains, about a two minute drive from the campground. It has a restaurant as well as a gift shop.

There is only one gas station there so expect high prices.

Terlingua is the closest town and my group had dinner, and checked out the ghost town.

Please not, skunks are not afraid of you and they will check out your campsite whether you like it or not.

This review is specific to the Chisos Basin Group Campsites. I actually prefer the Chisos Basin Group Campsites over the regular Chisos Basin Campsites. The group sites require a minimum of 9 people and a maximum of 20 people. The group campsites are located on a separate loop with only 7 campsites. The regular campsites are located in a cluster with about 60 campsites side by side - there is little privacy. I've found the group campsites have a similar view of the Chisos Mountains and the valley. There is one restroom for the group sites which has sinks and toilets, but no showers. There are no showers in the Chisos Basin except at the Lodge. 

Three of the group campsites have sun shades (sites P, Q and R) and the remainder are exposed. If you can reserve a campsite with a sun shade it will be worth it. The sun and the wind can be very intense throughout the year. It is highly recommended that you secure your tent with extra guy lines and tent spikes. 

The Window Trail trailhead starts from one corner of the group campsites. It's a short and moderate difficulty trail with a scenic view of the valley and sunset. If you hike the Window Trail to see the sunset, be sure to bring a flashlight because it can be difficult to find your way back once the sun goes down. Other highly recommended trails include the Emory Peak Trail, Lost Mine Trail and the Santa Elena Trail.

Best place in Texas for the beginner to the seasoned camper/hiker/nature lover!!

We have been camping at Chisos Basin for many years. The views from the campground are incredible. The lodge is a good place to eat after a long hike. Like so many other National Parks, Big Bend is getting very crowded during the peak season and holidays. The campground is good for tent campers and vans with good restrooms and helpful camp hosts. We try to go during the off season. The view of the window at sunset is something to see and the hikes range from easy to moderate. The risk of Mountain Lions is well known and something to think about when hiking alone or with young children. This place is a must see and a hidden gem. I gave it a four out of 5 due to the overcrowding and lack of privacy in the the campground. Many of the sites are great for tents but very uneven for vans or small RVs. The window and lost mine trails are great 1/2 hikes. You have to plan around the weather and time of year. We have camped here in 20 degrees in November and 90s in May.

Great campground. One of my favorites that I have been to! Beautiful view surrounded by the Chisos Mountains. Definitely recommend trying to get a campsite with a canopy top for shade, ours did not have one and we were very jealous of everyone else that did. It does get windy from time to time but it’s all part of the experience when camping! Bathrooms have plumbing, running water, and outlets. Drinking water is also available at a few spots around the campsite. If you are looking to hike you are very close to a few trailheads. The mountain lodge, the store, and visitor center is all about 3 minute drive or 20 or so minute walk up.

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.

This 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.

Beautiful views, great facilities, and awesome weather. Big Bend National Park is one of the best stops in Texas, hands down, and the Chisos Basin Campground is the best spot in the park. To the east, the campground is shadowed by Casa Grande, the largest peak in the Chisos. To the west you have the Window, an awesome cut in the basin that lets the sun peek through a little longer in the evenings.

You can't get better views than the onces in this campground. The only problem is how crowded it gets. Lots of kids and boy scouts unfortunately.

Chisos Basin is surrounded by rocky cliffs and is located near some pretty awesome hiking trails. The campground is all first come, first-served. Arrive early so that you can claim a good site.

The campsite sits at an altitude of 5,500ish feet. Since Chisos Basin sits at a higher altitude I recommend bringing a heavier bag. They do not allow wood or ground fires in the park.

Pets are allowed but must be leashed. Pets are not allowed on trails in the park.