This campground has generator use areas, but if you're trying to get in there with anything over 30' forget it. The road is fine, but the sites are small and even 30' would be pushing it. On the plus side, it is up in the basin and close to hiking. They have wi-fi up in the lodge, and restaurant and bar service are available up there. Paved roads and gravel sites. Make reservations to insure you get a site that's big enough for your rig, and you can run a generator if you need it. Also remember that it's 10-15 degrees cooler up there than the Rio Grand campground. Note the price was with the 50% senior discount. We camped here in a Motorhome.
As with many National Park campgrounds, really great scenery but no hookups or showers.
Does have flush toilets, dump station, water points, and a pay phone (you are way out of cell phone range). Most sites have a covered picnic table, grill, and large steel food safe. There is a 24 foot maximum limit on length for good reason. The only access road has several hairpin cutbacks and the campsites are quite small and close together. Near ranger station, ampitheater with frequent ranger programs, lodge, well-stocked store, restaurant, and several trailheads with many hikes for all abilities. In the mountains, so somewhat cooler than down at the river campgrounds. We camped here in a Tent Trailer.
Review Rating
[ 8 / 10 ]
November 2004
$14
This is a beautiful location with awesome views. The sites are close together, but the place is fairly quiet anyway. You would not be able to get into this park with a big rig. We have a small Class B and that was easy to drive in and out, but I would not drive in anything larger than 30 ft or so. They have flush toilets, but no showers and no hook ups. There is a dump station and fresh water is available. There had been a mountain lion spotted in the park just before we arrived and there are javalinas running around, so be sure to keep your dogs inside and keep a close watch on small children. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Nice Park Service campground, but there this is a no generator restriction for the whole campground. Not all the sites are big enough for a big rig, and it's a first come first served campground. It's a long way in to find that you won't fit anywhere. There's no phone and no wi-fi available, but there is good access to the west side of the park. You might consider camping just outside the park in some commercial parks if you need hook ups and big rig access. We camped here in a Motorhome.
This is the place to come if you want to get away from it all. Cottonwood is in the southwestern corner of Big Bend. There are no hookups and no generators are allowed. The toilets are pit-style. There is drinking water. It's well shaded with tall cottonwoods and has picnic tables. It's very, very quiet. We saw a pack of javelinas grazing near an unoccupied campsite. There's a store with camping supplies and food a half-mile away. It's a great place to see the stars. We camped here in a Motorhome.
This is an oasis in the desert. Lots of nice shade trees and grassy areas. Generators are allowed from 8am - 8pm, except in generator free zone at the far end of the campground. The alternative RV park with hookups is literally a paved parking lot with tightly packed spaces and 90 degree back in spots. Dump station is nice but was a challenge for a 43' RV. . We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
If you don't mind not having utilities. phones, and wireless, this is a great campground..very pretty, lots of trees and very clean. There is a dump station and water available, just not at the individual sites. Wish we could have stayed longer. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
There are over 100 sites some with shade and others like ours # 6 without. It was so hot the first day (high 90’s) that we were thinking of moving but it was a Saturday night and there were not too many options since the campground was almost full. Around 2 am winds came over 57 miles per hour and finally stopped in early morning and the temperature drop down to 73 so we didn’t move. The bath house was clean and the hosts work so hard meeting everyone that comes in and helping them get settled. You can see the Boquillas Canyon in the distance and walking the nature trail the Rio Grande and Mexico. There is a store and visitor center just down the road where there is also a campground with hookups but that is a private park. Big Bend National Park has so much to do and a huge area to cover. There are other campgrounds in the park so if you are planning to come here make sure you visit the NPS website to get all the information that you need. We used our America the Beautiful Pass so it costs us $7.00 per night. We camped here in a Motorhome.
This is a nice NPS campground with shade spots available. Paved roads and gravel sites. No phone, no wi-fi available in camp, but you can go over to the store and use the one there. Some of the roads are encroached on by trees, so you have to watch out when you drive around. This is the only spot in the park that a rig 36' and longer will fit that has generator hours. There's a dump station, and water is available around the park. Make reservations if you're going down in March/April. Also note that there are sites in this campground that do not allow generator use, so be sure and check before you book the site. I'd stay here again. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Nothing bad to say. Nice park, large spaces, lots of activities, nature, hiking, helpful staff everywhere. Even the limited services could not deter us. Nature, hikes, views are more than enough to overcome the lack of in park services that we have come to expect. Will return. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
The $7/night rate reflects our Senior Pass, regular rate is $14 still a good deal. This is a very nice National Park camp, plain and simple with a killer location so we stayed an extra day. There is a sewer dump station and water fill if needed. The camp host was very helpful and friendly. By restricting generator use and where you can use them kept the noise down. The dark skies made for great star gazing. Sites are large and not close together. Would return. We camped here in a Motorhome.
It's a long haul to get to this campground right along the Rio Grande. About half the sites are first come, first served and the rest are reservable. The rate shown reflects a 50% discount for the senior pass. Bath houses were clean and there is a place in each one to wash dishes. All sites are dry camping with no hookups. The trees were starting to leaf out so we had some shade during the day. Liberal allowable generator hours were 8 am to 8 pm; a small portion of the campground is clearly marked No Generators. During our week-long stay in the high season, there were always sites available. Some sites on corners were pull through and the rest back-ins. Some people had cell service, but our Verizon data card got nothing, nor did the Tracfone work. Nor TV, nor radio. Visiting other parts of the park entails 20-50 miles of driving one way, but gas and other groceries (along with wi-fi) is available at the store in the village. We found this campground very quiet and relaxing and we'd definitely stay here again. We camped here in a Motorhome.
We thought this was one of our nation’s best National Park camping experiences. At first we were a little confused as to what sites were available and the reservation website was not very helpful. The season for Big Bend is the winter, so reservations can be made through April. However, in driving through the campground, we observed about only about 1/3 to 1/2 of the sites were available for reservation. We were here in mid February, which is close to high season. The campground was only half full. The bottom line, do not bother with reservations. The campground has low branches from lovely old trees and it is best to physically be able to see a site rather than trying to pick your site out from a map on the internet. There are actually 4 campgrounds at Big Bend. Two are not suitable for RVs larger than 20 to 25 feet. At the Rio Grande Village is another private vendor campground which has full hook ups. The RVs are side by side with little room for slide outs. However, if we were going to Big Bend in the summer, I would prefer to have these private sites and run AC. These sites were $33 per night when we visited. Since we were at Big Bend in February, we preferred camping in the spacious National Park sites at Rio Grande Village. The winter nights were pleasant and we ran our propane heat for just one cycle in the morning. There is a large generator free zone in the NP campground. Every spot has a storage locker and picnic table. The National Park campground has no water, sewer or electric hook up. The showers are located nearby as are laundry facilities and a small store. Big Bend has the darkest sky in the lower 48 & hundreds of stars are visible from the campground. The coyotes howl in the evening and one evening we scared several javelina as we walked back from sunset pictures. Every morning several road runners made their rounds. At this time Big Bend has not had any rain in 18 months so wood fires were prohibited. Big Bend is a huge, isolated park so you must be prepared to drive long distances. We gassed up in Alpine Texas before entering from the North. There is a gas available in the park for about 50 cent/gallon higher than in Alpine. We camped here in a Motorhome.
This was a very nice "boondock" park. We spent two nights in pull through site 75, which was adjacent to the camp host's site. Before we arrived, we were concerned about border security, since the Rio Grande flows adjacent to the park. However, our concerns were put aside after discussion with the camp host. Overall, the park is well maintained. The daytime high reached about 85-90F, but cooled off to less than 50F at night. Our Honda 2000 generator served us just fine. Several roadrunners visited our site. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
This is one of our favorite campgrounds. We have stayed here over 20 times over the years. Sites are large and spaced far apart. There are no hook-ups, which is normal in a national park. They were flooding the areas for irrigation and several water birds found the place. Very unusual for the middle of the desert. We have solar panels on our trailer and they allowed us to run some of our electrical equipment without being in the full hook-up area. Rate reflects the Senior Discount. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
This is a wonderful RV park in Big Bend National Park. The sites are well-spaced apart, with a quiet hour of no generators from 8:00 pm to 8:00 am insuring a quiet evening (although a hot one if air conditioning is needed). A short drive of less than a quarter of a mile takes you to the showers, laundry and Wi-Fi access. It is best to be prepared with a bucket to carry dishwater to the appropriate site at the restrooms,which are reasonably close to all RV sites. A couple of cautions: Be sure you do not set up in the "No Generator" area if you wish to use your generator. Also if you have a large RV (our's is 40 foot.) Carefully scout the roads, before you choose your site, as some of the turns are too sharp for a long wheelbase. You can get where you wish, but it may take a little planning. We camped here in a Motorhome.
This is a nice National Park campground with no frills. If you are a willing to dry camp than this is very nice. There are clean restrooms but no showers. Potable water faucets are situated every few sites and so are pretty convenient to where ever you are. There are some sites with great shade, some with OK shade, and some with little, if any shade. I saw Class A's as big as 35 foot in the sites and there is an outer loop where you can situate bigger rigs. There is also a No Generator area if you don't want to listen to the hum. Saw campers from tents to pop-ups to pull-behinds to 5th wheels to coaches. The biggest issue with camping here is the climate. By early May, when we were here, daytime temps got up as high as 106! Best time to visit is in November. Early April would probably be good also. There is a store about .5 mile away with usual merchandise, including beer and ice cream, gas, and propane. Also, pay phones and free WiFi, which is good because there is no cellular coverage at this campground. IMO, this is a much better place to be than the Rio Grande RV Park, which is an asphalt parking lot with hookups. I guess it depends on what you like. We camped here in a Motorhome.
It is a very nice area and pretty well maintained. Gotta check out the hot springs! It is worth the 20 mile trip from the headquarters. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
First of all let me say that it's our opinion that the time and extra miles it took to get to Big Bend was not worth it. That said, the campground was nice, clean and very beautiful. A picnic table at each site. No frills but grassy and quiet. The sites with hookups are not nearly as nice as the section without hookups. Generators allowed only until 8 pm. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
This campground is quite lovely. There's a no generator area, but the generator-allowed area wasn't all that noisy. The rest rooms have 2 toilets and two cold-water sinks, and there's another sink for dish washing. There's a potable water hose for tank fill ups and a dump station. A store with camping supplies and food is a short walk or drive away. There are picnic tables and grills at each site and it's well-shaded. Some of the area can be swampy when they irrigate the grass. Watch for vermilion flycatchers! We camped here in a Motorhome.
This park is on Rio Grande river, not at the store 1/4 mile to the west. You park under cotton wood trees. Park has two zones, one zone you can run generators about 60 sites and the other you can not run generators about 40 sites. Sites have a table, steel box to lock up food, and a fire ring. Number of sites are open and sat. TV would work, others under trees would be hard use sat TV. You can walk down to river in couple mins. Sites were level and wide with lots of space around each site. You can find water taps around park to full your tank. Park store 1/4 mile west has a lot of items and showers as well. Best to pack in your supplies before you come here. We camped here in a Motorhome.
We camped here for five nights in March. Campgrounds in national parks provide different experiences than private RV parks and state parks, so keep that in mind when visiting BBNP. Most people go to Big Bend for the hiking/birding/scenery not for the campsites. There are five RV camping areas. Rio Grande Village has no hook-ups and no generators among the trees. RGV has no hook-ups with generators among the trees. RGV has full hook-ups in a parking lot. Cottonwood has no hook-ups. And Chisos Basin no hook-ups. Follow the park’s strong suggestions about rig size before you choose a camping area. We camped in the no genny zone of RGV for two nights until technical difficulties forced us over to the full hook-up section. Both were good. The “parking lot” is not pretty, but all sites have a grassy area suitable for social hours. Washrooms were in good condition. The main attraction of BBNP is the scenery, so the beauty of a campsite was not important to us. The park has fabulous scenery, and the long drives to hiking spots are well worth it. During our short stay we enjoyed a full-day canoe trip on the Rio Grande and several hikes. The bird walks are super and suitable for all levels of birders. Try Chisos Mountain Lodge for dinner followed by a sunset view through a natural rock formation called “The Window.” We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
Review is for the 100 site park run by the National Park Service. The 10 rating is for a park with no hookups of any type. It just doesn't get much better than this, incredible views everywhere you look. Hiking trails all over. We had been able to reserve 3 nights in the reserve generators allowed area. First morning there we jumped into the no reservation area when someone pulled out. Spent 9 nights total. Big Bend is big and you need at least 3 days to even get a taste of it. A week is better. The sites are well spaced in the no hookup park, plenty of room all around our rig. People either love it or don't. For some, no phone, TV, hook ups, etc. is not for them. For us this was an incredible experience not to be missed. We camped here in a Motorhome.
There are two campgrounds next to each other. The one with hookups is called Rio Grande Village RV Park and is run by a concessionier. It seems that people are submitting their reviews under the incorrect name. This review is for the Rio Grande Village Campground. We have a 40' motorhome with solar panels and prefer "rustic" camping. We spent 10 days here. This is a wonderful place. It's very scenic and the sites are well spaced. We used our Golden Age Passport for the reduced rate. The RV Park is a parking lot and not for us. We have stayed here four times and plan to do so again. We camped here in a Motorhome.
This rating is on the 100 sites at the Rio Grande Village Campground, not the 25 sites at the Rio Grande Village RV Park. This park is not a bad place to spent some time. Roads are blacktop with gravel sites. Lots of cottonwood trees to park under. About 60% of park is for non-generator use. You pick any open site you like and go to post and pay. The $7 rate was on Golden Age. Pay showers at store. Water in park plus dump station. No cell phone, radio, or TV stations here. XM and Sat. TV worked well. Mexico and Rio Grande river 285 feet away per GPS. On the 25 full hookup sites, very small parking lot, this would hard to move a large unit in place. Store had gas plus good stock of items to pick from. We camped here in a Motorhome.
There are two different campgrounds at this location in the park. One, with over 100 sites, if for tents, trailers, and motor homes, and is run for the Park Service by volunteers. The other campground, with 24 sites, and the one we eventually stayed in, is privately run by a concessionaire. They do not take reservations for the full-hookup, privately run sites. We arrived at the park around 5 pm, went inside the small store located just east of the full-hookup campsite, and were told all the spaces were taken for the night. The attendant took our name and we were number 8 on the list for possible openings the next day. He told us to come back to the store at 11 am the next morning to see if a site was available. We asked him why he did not know already, and he replied that people can choose to stay longer, even if they have only signed up for a certain range of dates, as long as they do not stay for more than 2 weeks. For that first night, he told us to proceed to the park service campsite and we could stay there. That turned out to be quite an adventure, since the park service originally built their campground for tents. The roads are narrow, gravel, with sharp turns, and lots of trees with low branches. I ended up knocking my right rear-view mirror out of alignment on a branch. There were two volunteers managing the park service site. One of them told us that the campground is divided into reservable sites and "open" sites (first come, first served). The sites are also divided into generator allowed and no generator sections. A bit confusing. The manager told us where some open campsites might be (someone else could have already staked a claim on them), but they would just be available for one night because they were in the "reservable" section. We should have unhooked our toad first, but we went ahead in search of an available site with our Jeep in tow. We found one, but had to pull in instead of backing in because of lack of maneuvering room. The site was not very level, and I had to use supports under the jacks. The next morning, it was quite a site watching all of the 40 ft. plus motorhomes and trailers trying to get out of the campground, followed by people roaming around looking for a better site than the one they stayed in the previous night. At the designated hour, we returned to the store and were told a full-hookup site was available, and we moved the coach. The full-hookup campsite is basically a converted asphalt parking lot, with tight maneuvering and tight spaces, but we were able to back in without too much difficulty. Our rear wheels were butted up flush with the curb of the parking lot, and our jacks went down onto the dirt just behind the curb. For those of you who have satellite dishes, the view of the sky from sites on the south side of the "parking lot" may be blocked by tall cottonwood trees. If you have a choice, pick the north side. I think I will try staying in the Study Butte / Terlingua area next time. We camped here in a Motorhome.
If you are confused reading the earlier reviews about this campground it is because there are two campgrounds with almost identical names at Big Bend. Rio Grande Village Campground is run by the park service and has no hook-ups. It is a traditional National Park campground. Rio Grande Village RV is run by a concessionaire and has full hook-ups and costs more ($21). I am reviewing the park service campground, which in my opinion is much nicer than the concessionaire campground. We had a site with nice big cottonwood trees around it to give us a bit of shade although in February this wasn't as critical as it would be later in the year. If you are camping in a tent heed the warnings about the javelinas and keep all food locked in the park-provided lockers that are at every campsite. Good advice for everyone actually. There are two areas in the campground and you are only allowed to use generators in one of them so take that into consideratin when picking out a site. There is a very pretty nature trail that starts just opposite campsite 18 and goes through a wetlands area and then up to a bluff for outstanding views of the Rio Grande River and the Mexican village of Boquillas on the opposite shore. We spent three days at Big Bend and wished we could have stayed longer. It is a beautiful park with varied scenery and plenty of birds and animals to see. We camped here in a Motorhome.
This is the no showers, no hook-ups campground run by the park service. They have a no-generator area if you prefer. The campground was very busy when we visited in March-05, the park service now takes reservations for some of the sites while others are still first-come first-serve. We loved Big Bend, stayed four nights and wish we had stayed a full week. We did not miss the hook-ups but did opt for a generator site. We have a 30 ft class A, and our site was roomy, level and had some shade. The views were also very nice but some other sites were not as level and not as large. There is a small store nearby (near the paved RV park with hook-ups) with heavily used pay showers, ice, gas, souvenirs and other basics. The dump was well situated and easy to use. We plan to stay here again some time. We camped here in a Motorhome.
This is a tight fit for some of the big rigs. We are 40 feet and got lucky that we had an easy spot to get into, but saw a poor man with a 35 foot motorhome struggle to get into a spot. This is basically a parking lot that has been retro fitted into a campground. Unless you really need power, I would go into the other campground and just run your generator. The wi-fi does not reach into the campsites. The sewer is also oddly configured. We camped here in a Motorhome.
This campground is run by the concessionaire and no rate discounts are available. It is basically a black top parking lot with hook ups and no shade. In moderate to cool weather when you don't need to run AC I'd go over to the Park Service campground and stay there. When it's hot, I'd consider the hook ups. We did not stay there, but we did check it out. The wi-fi is in the store as are the showers and rest rooms. Showers cost $1.50 for 5 mins. If you absolutely need a hook up then this is the only place in Big Bend National Park. We camped here in a Motorhome.
For a National Park campground this was severely disappointing. At $33 it is way overpriced, but when you are the only place offering AC, I guess they charge whatever they want. It is car park camping at its worst. Walmart is better. Hate to see the place when it is busy. No room between bays (we were one of only two in park). No table. No fire ring. Poorly located utility hookups (have to wonder if the designer has ever seen an RV). Operated, like so many other National Parks, by a concessionaire. We won't be back, at least at a time of year when one needs the AC. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
Having no other choice for full hook-ups inside of Big Bend, this park was adequate. The man in the office was quite pleasant. The laundry facility was functional. The small grocery store was a bonus (but at a price!) I had a strong Wi-Fi signal from my site (which was closer to the office/store than most of the other sites.) Keep in mind, there is no cellular service here. There is plenty of open space for a stroll, hike, or picnic. The cons: There were very few picnic tables; I counted only 3 between all 25 sites, and they were quickly commandeered. The RV park is in the eastern-most spot of Big Bend, so it does not make an ideal home base unless you have several days to explore. Otherwise, you might want to re-position after a couple of days to Study-Butte (if you require hook-ups). Finally, there were no posted check-in procedures for late arrivals... at least, none that I or other RVers could find. Despite a few nitpicks, I'd stay here again. If I had a quiet generator, I'd probably consider Chisos for a couple of days instead. We camped here in a Motorhome.
The best thing I can say about this campground is it has electric hookups. The view of the surrounding park is great, but otherwise this is just a parking lot with hookups. Daytime temperatures were in the 100's so we wanted the electricity. We were there in the beginning of the off season, and the lot wasn't too full, but it was still a challenge to back in and get parked. I don't know how a big rig could do it in the busy time of year (winter). The NPS campground behind the store is beautiful, and we would stay there next time if possible. It was worth the trip to see Big Bend, but we would not stay here again. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
My rating is for the RV parking lot, not Big Bend Park. Rio Grande Village is a blacktop parking lot that gets extremely hot! The heat radiates up off the parking lot. There is no shade in the parking lot. The sewer hookup was a bit strange, just a tube in a concrete bowl. The power was good, the water was fine. Big Bend is beautiful so we were happy to put up with the poor RV parking lot. The rangers at the park were very unfriendly. I did not see ranger programs listed anywhere and was disappointed. You cannot get cell phone service so plan on using a pay phone. You can get Wi-Fi if you can stand the heat to sit at a picnic table at the office. There are no picnic tables for campers. Javelinas and coyotes walk right through the camp parking lot so watch your dogs! The views are spectacular. Wish the rangers had been nicer and had some programs like they have in other National Parks. We camped here in a Motorhome.
We liked this park, but we are city slickers. We were on a black topped area so it was easier to keep the motorhome clean. Staff was friendly. No cell service. Wi-Fi at store worked on and off at our site. We saw coyotes and road runners near our campsite. Heard the coyotes howling during the night. No TV reception. We would camp here again if in the area. Big Bend is a nice remote National Park. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Loved this park! Being in the national park it is quiet and in a lovely setting. Our site was in the row that backed into a lot of trees; behind us was a paved road leading to a picnic area with more grass and trees. The campground rentals are staffed by the Rio Grande Village Store clerks; ours was very friendly and accommodating. He did his best to space us all out so that no one was squeezed by a neighbor. We camped here in a Motorhome.
When we arrived after a long day of driving, we were met at the counter by a man that stated the price was $32.00/night and no discounts. There was one Class C rig in the campground, if you want to call it that. It's a blacktop parking lot with hookups. Very unattractive, unfriendly place. They would rather be empty and make no money than reduce their price. We left and did not stay here. We ended up in Lajitas. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
Parking Lot atmosphere. The smell of sewage permeated the RV area. The sewer hook-up we could not use because it was fully concreted in around the drain, the drain was opened but we could not drain our tank due to the closed sides. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
This is a paved parking lot which is privately owned and operated. There is a NPS campground nearby. The WiFi works only if you're parked near the store. The Showers are of the Pay Variety, $1.50 for five minutes. No Verizon coverage is available. The trail to the Overlook is a great hike, about 3 miles in and out. There are many hikes within 25 miles, of them the hikes in the Grapevine Hills and the Chisos Mountain Basin are outstanding. The Nature Walk near space 18 in the NPS campground is well worth the time and takes you to the bank of the Rio Grande River. Over, I'd return, since the park scenery is amazing. Our little 31' MH seemed like a midget compared to the larger units. The park is fine and has coyotes and many varieties of birds all around the area, if you keep your eyes open. We camped here in a Motorhome.
This campground in Rio Grande Village has the only hookups within Big Bend National Park, and they charge a premium for the privilege. If you have a rig over 24 feet in length, the only options I am aware of are this campground and the adjacent campground, which has no hookups. Rio Grande Village contains a visitors center and a small store with gas pumps (no diesel), a few washers and dryers, and pay showers that were dirty during our stay. RV camping consists of a converted parking lot near the store (check in there), with back in sites on either side. As others have noted, depending on your rig and who is already situated, you may have a difficult, or even impossible time getting into your site, and they do not offer refunds. We had no problem with our 34-foot motorhome, but the driver of a 30-foot trailer tried 4 different sites before getting into one, and they were lucky that so many sites were open. Sites are wide enough for your rig and tow vehicle next to it. The sewer is to the left against the curb, and the electric and water are about ten feet past the curb in the grass area. There are no picnic tables or fire rings, however, there is a very pleasant area with grass and some trees surrounding the RV parking lot where you can set up your own table, with beautiful mountains visible in the distance. Trailers with a rear window will have a pleasant view, but motorhomes sit facing each other. We opted to face the opposite way in our motorhome to enjoy the view, requiring an extension for our electric, and no sewer connection for our two-night stay. Our Dish satellite came in (they recommended the north row for that), but not Verizon cell phone. There are pay phones at the store and visitors center. There is no wifi. The closest wifi seems to be at Chisos Lodge. Next to the campground is a dead-end paved road that leads in about 0.7 mile to a picnic area and trailhead for a viewpoint and another 2.8-mile trail to the hot springs. The little-used paved road is nice to stroll or bike on. Pet owners watch for coyotes here. In the other direction the road leads to the main Rio Grande Village campground. It is half the cost, and gets the most usage. When I cycled through there I heard the loud whirring of generators from most of the sites (allowed until 8pm), which turned me off to the place. Sites are more park like there with picnic tables and fire rings, but I did not find the campground especially scenic, and the main asset of the park, a boardwalk nature trail to the river, had been destroyed in the big September 2008 flood. Since I don’t care about having a campfire, I actually preferred the ambiance and views at our quiet parking lot. The only attractions at this far southeastern corner of the park are the hot springs and the road out to Boquillas Canyon. The short trail at the end of that road is very worthwhile, leading to the Rio Grande and an entrance to a canyon. When we checked out of the RV park we drove out to the Chisos Basin road, leaving our rigs at a spacious historical marker turnout, then took the tow car up to explore the Chisos Basin and have lunch. We then moved out to Terlingua (Big Bend Motor Inn/RV) as a base to explore the rest of the park including Santa Elena Canyon. If you have a rig under 24 feet and don’t care about hookups, the most central place to stay in the park is the scenic campground at Chisos Basin, but signs warn that this is also the area where cougars and bears are more prevalent. Chisos Basin has the most hiking trails, the only restaurant (casual, but good food with great views), but is not next to the river. I was disappointed at the location of the main park campgrounds at Rio Grande Village. Perhaps it was a more worthwhile location when the border between the quaint town of Boquillas was open, but now it is too far removed from most park features. Despite the location, while I was there it was an enjoyable place to stay. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Spaces are on tarmac. Lots of wildlife around the camp area. When it is filled up it is not easy to back in with a 40' motor home because spaces are facing each other. Would have given it a 6 if we wouldn't have had 6 brownouts in one day. It might have been caused by the heat that day (105F), but there were only 5 RV's so can't imagine how it would be with the camp being filled ! We camped here in a Motorhome.
This is the RV park or if you wish the one with the hook ups. We were there in the off season so not full. Back in sites on black top. First come first served and those already there are first in line. Sites are wide but the space between the front of the rigs would make it very tight backing in when busy. You park your car/truck next to your rig. Store nice and check in easy. But showers are pay and not cheap so we used the coach. We camped here in a Motorhome.
I camped in the concession area and was fortunate to have an end spot. Basically this is just a parking lot with hookups. It wasn't much of a "campground", but the views and the hiking trails were worth it! I stayed 3 nights, and should have stayed longer. I was fortunate enough to get there on a Thursday morning and got one of the last spots for the next few days. I saw several people check in at the store only to be told there was no room and they would have to dry camp. The folks at the camp store were very friendly and they have a decent supply of items one might need that far from town. The laundry facility was clean, but some guy took my clothes out and threw them on a table. I missed timed the washer by 2 minutes. I look forward to staying here again. We camped here in a Motorhome.
There are two campgrounds at Rio Grande Village. One is no hook-up and run by the National Parks, the other is a small full hook-up campground run by a concessionaire. Firstly the signage at the Panther Junction was confusing as stated the full hook-up campground was full when in fact there was two spots left. We found out later that they put the full sign up at the Panther Junction when 75% full, so if prefer full-hook-up stop at the Rio Grande Village store first and ask before going into the no hook-up campground. The full hook-ups have been developed on an old car park and are all back-ins. All but four have plenty of space to park tow car and all have access to grass behind to sit out and enjoy the superb scenery of Big Bend. If you want more space and can manage with no hook up then the National Parks campground is for you. However many of the sites are not level, are small for big rigs and have many trees with low branches. There is a no generator section which is usually the last to fill up. The Rio Grande Village store has only basic provisions so go prepared if you want to spend some time in Big Bend, which is well worth the visit. We camped here in a Motorhome.
This park was just fine for being in a national park. The folks running the park were friendly and helpful. It's basically a parking lot with spaces and hookups for RV's and trailers. There weren't any extra amenities, but that's not a problem for us when there are so many other activities. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
I would stay in this park again very nice but ,very close to each other. All are back in and this was the hardest part to back in that I have stayed at. Very friendly personal at the store and check in very helpful. If you like to Dry Camp the Dry camp next to it is even is nicer but no hook up at all in the Dry Camp area. If I were to stayed only a few days I would consider the dry camp. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
This campground is nice, especially for the money, but kind of small and tight. We needed to disconnect our trailer but were able to leave it in the adjacent parking lot free of charge. Came outside at night and there was a coyote running through the parking lot. This is the only campground in Big Bend National Park w/ full hook-ups, but is located 20 miles from the Chisos Mountains and 40 miles from Santa Elena Canyon. It is close to the hot springs which is about 2 miles away. Next time I visit the area, I'd probably stay in Terlingua which is closer to the western (and in my opinion more beautiful) side of the park. Terlingua is also centrally located to Big Bend Ranch State Park which is a must-visit if you come to the area. We camped here in a Motorhome.
This park, though in Big Bend, is run by a private company. Although it is big rig accessible, the larger rigs will have a tough time backing in if the CG is full due to the lack of a turn radius. There is a laundromat on site. The bathrooms close at 8:00 PM for some inexplicable reason. We would return as it has a view of the sunset that cannot be beat. Gas is available on-site and at two other areas in the park. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
Parking lot with hookups. Alternative campground (run by park service) is much nicer but with no hookups. Campground may not be wonderful but Big Bend is! We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.