Camping

Cottonwood Campground is a shady oasis near the Rio Grande.

 

Developed Campgrounds
There are four campgrounds in Big Bend National Park. The National Park Service (NPS) operates three developed frontcountry campgrounds that provide drinking water and restroom facilities. In addition, a full hookup RV camping area is operated by the park concessioner, Forever Resorts.

NPS Campgrounds

• Chisos Basin Campground (NPS run, 60 sites, 40 reservable)
• Cottonwood Campground (NPS run, 24 sites, no reservations)
• Rio Grande Village Campground (NPS run, 100 sites, 60 reservable)

Concession Campground

• Rio Grande Village RV Campground (run by Forever Resorts. 25 sites with full hook-ups).
  located adjacent to the Rio Grande Village Store. For reservations call 1-877-386-4383 or 432-477-2293.

NPS Campground Reservations

Approximately 2/3 of the campsites in the Rio Grande Village campground are reservable from November 1-April 15, and in the Chisos Basin campground year-round. Reservations must be made 2 days ahead of arrival and can be made up to 6 months in advance by visiting recreation.gov or by calling 1-877-444-6777. Big Bend National Park cannot make reservations. For more information visit the campground reservations page.

Camping Limits

• Visitors are welcome to stay in the park up to 14 consecutive nights in either a front or backcountry site, with a limit of 28 total nights in the park in a calendar year.
• Campers can occupy a specific site up to 14 total nights in a year.
• EXCEPTION: During the busy season from January 1–April 15, visitors are limited to a total of 14 nights in the park.

Camping Options Outside of Big Bend National Park

There are a variety of options for camping outside the park when Big Bend is full.

 

Backcountry Camping

For visitors with rugged vehicles, or the willingness to leave the road behind and backpack into the wild, Big Bend provides options for backcountry camping.

A backcountry permit is required for all backcountry camping. Permits are available in person up to 24 hrs in advance at Panther Junction and Chisos Basin Visitor Centers. As of February 2020, a selection of the most popular backcountry campsites are available for online permitting up to 180 days in advance via www.recreation.gov

Backpacking Group Size Limit

An organized group or individual party may not exceed a 15 person limit.

• In the Chisos Mountains: There are currently only two Chisos campsites that can accommodate a group this size: it may be necessary to split the group to other campsites. Groups may split into separate campsites however the 15 person size limit cannot be exceeded.
  In the desert: Groups over 15 people will also need to split up and backpack into separate, non-adjacent zones.