Cottonwood Campground

There are three campgrounds in Big Bend: Rio Grande Village, Chisos Basin, and Cottonwood.

Rio Grande is like a commercial campground, with full hookups, showers and a store. It and Cottonwood are closer to the river, so they are much warmer.

Chisos is at a much higher elevation and is significantly colder. We went to BBNP a couple of years ago in late February with reservations at Chisos and quickly moved to Cottonwood for warmth. Cottonwood is a great spot if you like dry camping. Only facilities are pit toilets and good water. There are no reservations at Cottonwood, but we’ve never had a problem getting in. Typically, we’ll take a spot for a night, then get one of the better, shadier spots for a week. Generators are not allowed.

The campground borders the river, but very rarely floods. In the springtime, river water is allowed into the campground, area by area, to irrigate the trees. When approaching the campground from the north, you’ll appreciate the contrast — a beautiful, lush set of trees suddenly pops out from the dry desert just north.

There is no wifi at all. There is a store about a mile away that picks up one bar on Verizon. Drive north about a mile or two and you can get email or texts.

Birds are plentiful, highlighted by a pair of great horned owls. We’ve seen fox, road runners and a bobcat. Javelinas are plentiful at times.

Santa Elena Canyon is not far and the hiking is great. After Santa Elena, Upper Burro Mesa Canyon trail is recommended.

We chose Cottonwood to be a bit off the beaten path. It worked out great - the other campers were friendly, the bathrooms spotless, and we enjoyed exploring this end of the park. Sites were a little small so we had trouble cramming our truck in our spot without blocking views from the trailer. However the camp hosts came by and invited us to park the truck near the bathrooms (we were at the far end...). Camp hosts came out each day to make sure all was ok and offer any help/advice for the area.

Sites are gravel and very short. Had to park in at a diagonal.

No dump and limited fresh water access. Also, be aware that they flood the lower areas at night. There are signs but it was odd waking up next to water.

Pit toilet bathrooms but very clean. No cell or wifi service.

Probably would stay Croton Springs CS1 or CS2 if we ever come back. Chisos Basin looks great but I would not take a trailer longer than 20'.

Old-school NPS campground with everything you need (water, bathrooms, space) for a weekend or week-long trip to this side of the Park. The cottonwood trees that you camp under are amazing as well as the daily visits from the local Javelina family.

As others have mentioned, the place can and does flood, so if you are tent camping, plan accordingly. The RV spaces are elevated. Our 27' trailer would only really fit in a few spots, so anything longer may be at risk of not having a large enough spot on holiday weekends.

We did get a fairly good Verizon signal down there with a booster.

No generator campground! Absolutely love that. Under the cottonwoods and very widely spaced spots. The spaces are not very deep, though, so long rigs might have trouble. The bathrooms are clean. The reverse osmosis drinking water is at the spigot on the building at the entrance. Other water is potable, but has a lot of minerals. We didn't find the reverse osmosis stuff very good either. Sites are gravel but roads are paved. The Vermillion Flycatcher that claimed our site as his home was so great. He hung around the whole time we were there.

We stayed here for one night in mid-February. This is beautiful campground just minutes away from Santa Elena Canyon(one of the most beautiful spots in the park). Be advised the rows in the campground are very narrow and most sites are meant for smaller rigs. We were able to shoehorn our 30' Airstream into one of the larger spots, but any larger rigs may have some trouble. This campground is a NO GENERATOR ZONE, so you must be self-sufficient to stay here. There is water available at the entrance and vault toilets if needed. Very quiet and peaceful. A great place to stay to check out the western side of the park. Many great hiking trails and if the clouds will cooperate get up early and try to catch the sunrise at Santa Elena Canyon. Although we weren't able to fit it in, there were also rafting trips on the Rio Grande that looked like an interesting way to explore.

After spending 5 nights in Rio Grande Village Campground, we moved to the west side so we could enjoy the hikes and drives on the other side. This is a smaller campground - all dry camping. There are maybe 2 dozen spots. It was relatively empty when we arrived 10/31 and spent 4 nights. We were able to find one suitable for our 27 ft TT. We preferred the more open space of this campground. No flush toilets or dish washing station like RGV but they did have vault/pit toilets and a place to refill water bottles.
Perfect location to explore Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive, Chisos (we couldn't fit there), and Santa Elena Canyon.
No cell, no internet, no TV, not even a radio station - perfect place to unplug!

Great campground at the south end of big bend. No hookups but that works for us in our camper van. Hiking in the area was fantastic. WanderingWakes.Net

We loved. Way off grid, not a hint of cell service. Small rigs, tents and van life fit best.

Well spaced sites. Well patrolled. Clean vault toilets. Near great hikes. Water available.