Rio Grande Village Campground

We made our reservation online for a 50 ft spot. When we arrived it was 30 ft. at best and extremely unlevel so had to stay in another spot which thankfully was long enough and level. Most of the spots were short, and only a few were pull-throughs so big rigs may have a tough time, there are also a fair number of trees overhanging the spaces. The campground was worn around the edges - unmown grass, worn pavement and a bath house that was funky at best but it was a good place to explore the park. This campground has no hookups but generators can be used in SOME spots 8 am - 8 pm, make sure you're in a section where generators are allowed. We had no internet or cell with Verizon but we knew it would be sketchy at best in a place so remote. The store near the campground was great with a laundry and free wi-fi and pleasantly inexpensive gas/diesel. Nice nature trail near the river and great birds. Beautifully quiet and dark.

A Mexican man sitting on the opposite side of the Rio Grande is singing familiar songs, but in Spanish so I can't quite make them out. He shouts "souvenirs!" as we pass little trinkets surrounding a can full of rocks. The way they make their living since 9/11 shut the border down (though it has recently been partially opened again). This is the Boquillas Canyon Trail, a short drive from the campground.

The sun begins to dip behind the Chisos Mountains and immediately turns the southern Sierra Maderas del Carmen range a vivid purple. It's a 360 degree view with only a short hike from the campground.

Those are but two of many trails in this corner of the park. It's over an hour and a half to get here from Marathon, TX and about an hour from Terlingua, the only two towns near Big Bend National Park.

So, if you want to park and have a larger RV, this is the way to go. There are more scenic campgrounds but they don't accommodate anything much bigger than a van.

Though there are no hookups, you're always close to a bathroom and water source. Generators are allowed from 8am to 8pm, except in one loop. The sites themselves are spacious, though not particularly grand by typical national park standards. We scraped on some trees, yeah, but I appreciated the shade the gnarly mesquites and towering cottonwoods provided. We only stayed one night due to reservations being needed and us lacking them, but are heading back this weekend because, well, it's all about location.

The last thing to note was that, though it was incredibly windy so everything was muffled, there was a lot of noise. I couldn't tell if it was an old witch cackling or a bunch of rowdy kids partying or coyotes howling, but it certainly wasn't quiet.

There was absolutely no AT&T, Verizon or WiFi if you're in need of such services.

Timing is everything and the desert was in bloom while we were visiting. My first choice in camping was Chisos but it was full :( - my second choice was primitive but that sounded a little too off the beaten path for first timers...so we went with Rio Grande Village and it ended up being a good choice. First off let me say that it was a little stressful because only a small portion of sites can be reserved and everything else is on a walk in basis. Stressful because BBNP is pretty far, hours, away from anything else...and we are on vacation and not up for a race against the clock...so we got there at about 2pm with only one choice...RGVillage. Next time I might boondock outside the park and get there early (or stay at the lovely Gage Hotel :) and waltz in all pampered). Again, timing! Other tips - avoid Spring Break when everything is over flowing with kids and colleges, but definitely go in Spring!

Things to know:

- electric and water sites are expensive, limited and UGLY - think Walmart parking lot without the space or the Walmart - avoid!
- grassy or shaded sites have no water at the campsite, nor shower house. They ask that you bring in water in your rv, we did, BUT there are spigots nearby for washing and for drinking if needed. There is a wash station for dishes which is handy.
- Showers available for $1.50 nearby at the store, but they were being refurbished and had limited hours when we were there.
- bear and javelina proof box is at each campsite, which we found handy to store the cooler, food box and other items while we explored
- it can get very windy, keep everything stowed inside the box, car, etc. West Texas windy is not just hold onto your hat windy....but WINDY as in hold onto your hat, shoes and coat, have-we-been-blown-to-Kansas windy.

Things we did:

- Window hike, amazing and well worth it! This hike starts in the "sky island" of the Chisos. It is a great place for a warmer day because it is 20 degrees cooler than the basin. Give yourself 4 hours before sunset to enjoy and get back with plenty of light.
- Boquillas Canyon, through a marshy riparian area with walkways, then overlooking the river, then if you want you can walk down to the Rio. Local Mexicans leave their crafts along the trail and watch from across the river. You are not supposed to purchase from them. We didn't because we did not have our cash on us. It is a little sketchy but fun enough. My favorite was "Mexican singing Jesus" (according to his sign).
- Ross Maxwell scenic drive - great views and lots of info stops along the way
- Santa Elena Canyon - short walk, great sunset views!! A must see!
- Tuff Canyon, nice badlands, great sunset

One thing we missed was the Hot Springs walk :(

We saw so much wildlife including Mexican jays, lots of raptors, road runners, a rattle snake, javelina, and the biggie was desert big horn sheep!

We ended up in Rio Grande Campground because all of the dispersed roadside camps were full. We were disappointed to be camping next to so many people, yet appreciative of a spot to call home for a couple nights.

We arrived on a Saturday around 5pm in February, and there weren’t many sites to choose from. We ended up on the edge of the no generator section, but didn’t get any of the benefit, as the generators were humming into the evening and first thing in the morning.

Rio Grande Campground is about 30 minutes from Panther Junction, so the location was less than ideal for us. The campground is really big and a bit rundown, but If you can get away without hookups, it’s a LOT nicer than the Rio Grande RV Park, which is basically a parking lot with really tight spots.

The sites are pretty nicely spaced, and and our site had enough sun to fill our batteries.

For organized campgrounds, I think Cottonwood is nicer than Rio Grande Village Campground, though it too, is out of the way. In my opinion, the best way to experience Big Bend National Park is camping at one of the primitive roadside campsites.

This part of the campground has no hookups but also has two areas, one for generator use (8am-8pm) and no generator use. We reserved a site in the generator area so we were able to charge our batteries during the day (December 2014). As this was our first visit to a campground without any hookups we kept our visit short, but in the future we'll return for a longer stay. It's a beautiful campground with lots of space between sites. Our site had a couple of trees but no leaves since it was December. Pets are not allowed on any of the trails in Big Bend, but they are allowed anywhere a car can go. Since the campground is pretty large, there is a lot of space to walk them without feeling restricted. There are dumpsters throughout the park, making it easy to throw away trash, and they recycle at the entrance to the campground. There is a water/dump site about 0.25 miles before the entrance to the campground. We called before arriving to confirm that we could fill our RV water tank at the campground, since some campgrounds at Big Bend were short on water (we were told Rio Grande Village had plenty of water). There are bathrooms at the campground, but no showers. The store which is a half mile away has pay showers available. The bathrooms also have a sink for washing dishes. Even without hookups, we really liked this campground. It's large, quiet, and the view is incredible. We saw lots of roadrunners and a bobcat in the campground. The park hosts were super-friendly. At night, the lack of light pollution makes this a fantastic place to view the stars. We would stay here again.

This is our second campground at Big Bend. We stay at Cottonwood first then Rio Grande.

Rio Grande is nicer but Cottonwood is closer to better hikes and view points.

Considered full hookups at Rio but it's a parking lot for $35 a night.

No cell but there is free wifi at the convenience store. There is also a very small laundry and gas.

There's a dump and fresh water. However, there is a sign at the ranger station stating the water does not meet Texas standards.

After our third unsuccessful attempt to secure a dispersed camping site in Big Bend National Park, we opted to try our luck at Rio Grande Village. There is a combination of first-come/first-served and reservable sites (Nov 15-April 15) . We arrived at 9:30am on a Thursday morning and were able to snag a recently vacated spot within a few minutes. In mid-February all the NP campgrounds were filling up by early afternoon, but there is usually some turnover if you get there early enough.

The sites at Rio Grande Village are ok. They vary in size, shade, and appeal. Most are adequately spaced, but without any privacy between sites. Sites have a picnic table and grill, a few have a covered picnic area. There is a no generator loop for those so inclined. There are flush toilets, a dump site, and potable water. We were warned the water had an off taste and we should fill up before arriving if possible, which we did.

There is a separate concession-operated area with 25 full hookup sites, confusingly called Rio Grande Village RV. Those sites are all reservable and the area is essentially a large parking lot with hookups.

Nearby is a visitor’s center and small store with gas, a laundry, and pay showers ($2 for 5 min). We enjoyed the nature trail and overlook. The best thing about Rio Grande Village is its proximity to the Hot Springs. Those are definitely worth a visit (several, in fact). You are also close to the border crossing to Bocquillas, Mexico. However, the campground is located at the far eastern side of the park and you can put in a lot of miles visiting Chisos Basin, Panther Junction Visitor’s Center, and other areas in the park.

We had no Verizon cell service. There was slow wifi at the store, Panther Junction had the best Wifi, but it’s about 20 miles away.

We love Big Bend and this was our third time to spend Thanksgiving here. We've always stayed in Rio Grande Village Campground (run by the park service versus Rio Grande Village RV Campground which is run by the concessionaire). The sties are nicely spaced and all have a picnic table, grill and bear box. The campground has always been full when we've been there but it is nice and quiet and the stars at night are amazing!! There are showers and flush toilets along with dish washing stations, water fill stations and recycling all located in the campground There is a dump station and potable water just outside the campground about 1/4 mile There is not cell signal in the park but the visitor centers and Rio Grand Village camp store offer wifi. We have hiked all over the eastern part of the park and made two trips across the border to Boquillas. There is plenty to do in the area. This park is huge so trying to get it all done in one visit would be difficult. We will visit again to explore more of the western side!

First time we stayed in the non-generator loop. You could still hear the generators, but they were less noisy. Make sure you take a photo of the map at the front so you can tell which sites are reservable and which are not. All the sites are under the Cottonwoods which is quite nice. The bathrooms were clean. The usual excellent national park experience!

Some sites are way better than others. Thankfully the camp host thought so too. They switched us up from the site we reserved (really crummy) to a better site.

Little isolated on one side of the park, which makes for long drives to explore other areas.