Big Bend National Park

Overview

Big Bend's vast undeveloped areas provide excellent opportunities for backcountry experiences if you seek solitude, wilderness, and adventure! The backcountry sites listed here are primitive backcountry road campsites and primitive backpacking sites in the Chisos Mountains. All are designated sites located in remote locations. Campers must be self-sufficient. Visit the park's Backcountry Use web page to learn about proper planning and trip preparation for this remote area.

Backcountry Regulations are strictly enforced.   

• These are primitive sites and do not offer water, electricity, toilet access, or any amenities. 
• Primitive Chisos campsites are BACKPACK-ONLY campsites with NO vehicle access. Campsites are from 1-6 miles (1.6 to 10 km) from the trailhead. Maximum group size is 15 people. Overnight backpackers may park in the large amphitheater lot adjacent to the Chisos Basin Campground.
• Most primitive roadside campsites require a high clearance vehicle. The park highly recommends a four wheel drive vehicle. Road conditions can change quickly. High clearance vehicles are defined as an SUV or truck with at least 15 inch (38 cm) tire rims AND at least 8 inches (20 cm) of ground clearance from the lowest point of the frame, body, or suspension. 

Recreation

Splendid Isolation! Big Bend National Park is beloved as one of the few large public land areas in Texas. Major activities include camping, backpacking, hiking, birdwatching, river trips, enjoying the spring bloom, and adventuring along backcountry roads. The spring months of March and April are the busiest, as well as the Thanksgiving and New Year’s holidays, although the park is open and visited year round.

Facilities

These are primitive campsites, and require extra trip planning. Please take the time to plan and carefully prepare your itinerary. 

• Backpacking in Big Bend offers primitive designated backpacking campsites located along the extensive Chisos Mountains Trails system .
• Primitive Roadside Campsites: offer camping with your vehicle in designated campsites along rugged backcountry dirt roads .  
• Roadside campsites are intended for high clearance vehicles only. Trailers and passenger vehicles will not be able to access most of these campsites. High clearance vehicles are defined as an SUV or truck, with at least 15 inch (38 cm) tire rims AND at least 8 inches (20 cm) of ground clearance, as measured from the lowest point of the vehicle (frame, suspension, body, differential). 

Natural Features

From an elevation of less than 1,800 feet (550 m) along the Rio Grande to nearly 8,000 feet (2438 m) in the Chisos Mountains, Big Bend includes massive canyons, vast desert expanses, forested mountains, and an ever-changing river. Here you can explore one of the last remaining wild corners of the United States 

Nearby Attractions

Charges & Cancellations

Changes/Modifications

• Changes may be made prior to the day the reservation begins.
• If a customer wants to switch dates that are entirely outside of the original reservation dates, there is a $10 change fee.
• There is no change fee if a customer extends or shortens a reservation, as long as the change includes dates from the original reservation. 
• If a reservation is made that includes dates beyond the maximum booking window, that reservation cannot be changed until 18 days have passed from the original booking date.

Cancellations

• Customers may cancel their reservation prior to day of arrival both on-line and through the call center. A $10 cancellation fee will be withheld from any refund due back the customer. Depending on when you cancel in relation to your arrival day, it may be considered a late cancellation (see below).

Late Cancellations or Cancellations within the Cut-off Window

• A customer who cancels a reservation the day before or on the day of arrival will have a $10.00 cancellation fee withheld from their refund AND will forfeit the first night's use fee (not to exceed the total paid for the original reservation). Cancellations for a one-night reservation will forfeit the entire amount paid and will not be subject to an additional service fee.

Overview

Chisos Basin Campground, perched high in the rugged Chisos Mountains, is the most sought-after campground in Big Bend National Park. At an altitude of 5,400 ft. (1646 m), the campground is surrounded on all sides by tall, rocky cliffs and is conveniently located near some of the park's most spectacular and popular trails. This campground offers excellent views and mild temperatures.

Also found in the Chisos Basin area is the Chisos Basin Visitor Center, the General Store and the Chisos Mountains Lodge, which houses the only restaurant in Big Bend National Park.

Important: The road to the campground is steep and winding with sharp hairpin turns. Trailers over 19 feet and RVs over 24 feet are not recommended, and will not be accommodated. No RV parking is available at the group campground, nor is generator use allowed. All sites where you may have a generator are now reservable. If you need to use a generator and you do not have a reservation in a site that will allow generator use, you will need to camp elsewhere. 

Note: Campsites are small, rocky, and not level, so there are very few sites truly suitable for RVs. Many sites will allow an RV/Trailer/Van/Camper, but you will not be able to get level. The campground is almost always full, and if the site you booked doesn’t work, in all likelihood you will NOT be able to switch sites, and will either have to make your site work, or find accommodations at another campground. It is necessary that you carry some form of leveling blocks/devices with you. Please carefully review the site details before making a reservation.

Recreation

This campground is a hub for hikers. Some of the park's most spectacular and popular Day Hike trails are nearby, including the Lost Mine Trail, the Window Trail, the South Rim Trail and the Pinnacles Trail, with its access to the park's highest point, Emory Peak (elevation 7,825 ft./2385 m). Campers can find the trailheads for most of these trails in the main Chisos Basin area a mile or so further down the basin road from the campground.

Access to the river is approximately 30 miles (48 km) away, where visitors can canoe, kayak and fish.

Facilities

The Chisos Basin Campground has 60 individual campsites. The campground is reservable year-round, some sites six months in advance, some two weeks in advance (Sites 8 - 10, 12 - 15, 31, 37 (accessible), and 48 - 60. There is no first-come, first served camping. A few sites are set aside for administrative use.

Because of the size of each campsite, they are more suitable to tent camping than RVs or trailers, though both are allowed at some campsites. Each site comes with a picnic table, charcoal grill and bear-proof food storage container, and some sites come with picnic shelters for shade. Sites are generally rocky and not level. Most campsites are within easy walking distance to drinking water and toilets, and a dump station is provided for RVs and trailers.    

The dump station is oddly situated and requires EXTRA long hoses, as it's on the right side of the road, opposite from most RV sewer outlets. Another more easily utilized dump station is located at Rio Grande Village.

Natural Features

The national park is named for a curve in the Rio Grande called the "big bend." For 1,250 miles (2012 km), the river is an International Boundary between the United States and Mexico.

The campground lies at the base of several sloping cliffs amidst montane shrubland; desert plants such as Arizona cyprus and mesquite trees fill the landscape. Maple, aspen, pinyon and ponderosa pines grow at higher elevations just above the campground. Though it is lower than the surrounding cliffs, the Chisos Basin is at a higher elevation than other campgrounds within the park. Summer temperatures here are cool, yet warmer than other areas in fall and winter due to the cold air sinking into lower regions.

The Chisos Mountains are a popular nesting site for migratory birds. The mountains provide the only nesting ground in the United States for the Colima warbler, which arrives in mid-April and departs for its wintering grounds in southwestern Mexico by mid-September.

Nearby Attractions

Big Bend National Park encompasses 801,000 acres (324,153 ha) and the Chisos Basin area is centrally located. This allows visitors an excellent opportunity to explore all areas of the park in a relatively short drive. Big Bend offers excellent hiking trails, miles of rugged dirt roads, and endless possibilities for sightseeing.

Overview

Chisos Basin Group Campground, situated high in the rugged Chisos Mountains, is one of the most sought-after campgrounds in Big Bend National Park. It has seven group camping sites available for groups of nine to 20 people (size is site-dependent). At an altitude of 5,400 ft. (1646 m),, the campground is surrounded on all sides by tall, rocky cliffs and conveniently located near some of the park's most spectacular and popular trails. The Rio Grande is only a short drive away.

Also found in the area is the Chisos Basin Visitor Center, the General Store and the Chisos Mountains Lodge , which houses the only restaurant in Big Bend National Park.

Recreation

This campground is a hub for hikers. Some of the park's most spectacular and popular Day Hike trails are nearby, including the Lost Mine Trail, the Window Trail, the South Rim Trail and the Pinnacles Trail, with its access to the park's highest point, Emory Peak (elevation 7,825 ft./2385 m). Campers can find the trailheads for most of these trails in the main Chisos Basin area a mile or so further down the Basin road from the campground.

Access to the river is approximately 30 miles (48 km) away, where visitors can canoe, kayak and fish.

Facilities

• The group campground is located approximately 1/4 mile (.4 km) away from the main Chisos Basin Campground. Each site comes with a picnic table, charcoal grill and bear-proof food storage container and some sites come with picnic shelters for shade. All campsites are within easy walking distance to drinking water and toilets. No RVs, trailers, or generators are allowed.
• Group Site "O" allows for ONE smaller (up to 20 feet/6 m) recreational vehicle (camper van, pickup camper, or small RV) to camp adjacent to the tent area as part of the larger group. All other sites are exclusively walk-in, tents only.

Natural Features

The national park is named for a curve in the Rio Grande called the "big bend." For 1,250 miles (2012 km), the river is an International Boundary between the United States and Mexico.

The campground lies at the base of several sloping cliffs amidst montane shrubland; desert plants such as Arizona cyprus and mesquite trees fill the landscape. Maple, aspen, pinyon and ponderosa pines grow at higher elevations just above the campground. Though it is lower than the surrounding cliffs, the Chisos Basin is at a higher elevation than other campgrounds within the park. Summer temperatures here are cool, yet warmer than other areas in fall and winter due to the cold air sinking into lower regions.

The Chisos Mountains are a popular nesting site for migratory birds . The mountains provide the only nesting ground in the United States for the Colima Warbler, which arrives in mid-April and departs for its wintering grounds in southwestern Mexico by mid-September.

Nearby Attractions

Big Bend National Park encompasses 801,000 acres (324,153 ha) and the Chisos Basin area is centrally located. This allows visitors an excellent opportunity to explore all areas of the park in a relatively short drive. Big Bend offers excellent hiking trails, miles of rugged dirt roads, and endless possibilities for sightseeing.

Overview

Cottonwood Campground is a quiet desert oasis in the southwestern corner of Big Bend National Park. Conveniently located between the Castolon Historic District, the scenic Santa Elena Canyon and the tail end of the Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive, this small, 30-site campground is one of the least-known and quiet campgrounds in the park. There is one group campsite and 30 individual sites. This is a remote campground in a remote park. It is dry camping, no hook-ups, and no generators are permitted. There is not a fill or dump station, please come prepared.

Cottonwood gets its name from the cottonwood trees that surround and provide shade for the facility nearby the Rio Grande. A general store and visitor center -- a converted former military outpost -- are also nearby.

The campground is at an elevation of 1,900 ft. (580 m). It is relatively cool in the peak seasons of fall and winter due to cold air sinking into the lower elevations. In the spring and summer, this campground is very hot, with temperatures normally exceeding 100° F (38° C) from mid-March through August.

Recreation

Particularly popular with bird watchers, Cottonwood Campground is a haven for those wishing to study the abundant bird life in Big Bend while also escaping the more crowded areas in the park. Because of its diverse ecosystems and plant life, the park provides habitats for many rare and unique birds , including the Mexican mallard, Lucifer hummingbird, Mexican jay, black-capped and gray vireos, and Varied Bunting.

Hiking trails are located around the campground.

Facilities

The campground has pit (vault) toilets, potable water, picnic tables, bear boxes, and grills. There are no hook-ups or fill and dump stations, and the use of generators is not allowed.  

The group campsite is a walk-in, tent-only site; no RVs or trailers are allowed. Vehicle parking is restricted to an adjacent parking area, a short walk from the campsite itself.  

The individual sites are all similar. Each site has a bear box, picnic table, and raised grill. All have dirt/gravel parking spaces and most are well-shaded with some afternoon/evening sun. The individual sites are on a 2-week reservation window, which means you can make the reservation no more than 2 weeks in advance of your arrival.

Natural Features

The national park is named for a curve in the Rio Grande called the "big bend." For 1,250 miles (2011 km), the river is an International Boundary between the United States and Mexico.

Due to its proximity to water, many species of birds are in the Cottonwood area, including nesting migratory birds. Santa Elena Canyon is a beautiful river canyon that can be seen from the campground area.

Nearby Attractions

Santa Elena Canyon, Castolon Historic District, and Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive are near the campground.