Camping and rvs
- Details
- Published on Saturday, 04 July 2009 17:00
- Written by Mike Davidson
The Big Bend area can accommodate every camping style, from full hook up RV units, to remote backroad campsites and everything in between. The weather is usually great, there are few insects and there is plenty of peace and quiet. Some campers simply sleep out on the ground and enjoy the magnificent Big Bend night sky.
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Big Bend National Park, Has 3 developed campgrounds with paved access, all suitable for tent camping, trailers, and RVs: Rio Grande Village, Chisos Basin, and Cottonwood Campground. A campsite reservation system is available at www.ReserveUSA.com or 1-877-444-6777. Not all of the campground sites are on the system. Campsites are $10 per night, and a small fee is charged for using the reservations system.
Each of the 3 improved campgrounds has a dedicated group campsite that is available for reservation 360 days in advance, at a cost of $3 per camper.
Rio Grande Village, On the east side of the park, has the only available hook ups for RV's. No reservations taken for RV's, register at Rio Grande Village Store. The adjacent campground has 100 sites, flush toilets, running water and a dump station. Up to 43 sites may be reserved up to 240 days in advance for dates falling between Nov 15 and April 15.
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The Basin Campground, Is rugged and hilly, most sites are unsuitable for RV?s. The main road to the basin has lots of curves, and a 15% grade. Trailers over 20 feet and RV?s over 24 feet are discouraged. Of 60 sites, 23 are on the reservation system.
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Cottonwood Campground, On the west side of the park, is along the banks of the Rio Grande, near Castolon and convenient to Santa Elena Canyon. There is potable water pit toilets, but no dumping station. All 31 sites first come first serve, year round.
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Primitive Backroad Sites exist at 30 locations scattered along back roads through out the park. Some sites are close to pavement, and accessible to most vehicles, but many sites require at least high clearance if not 4-wheel drive to get there. Sites have no amenities beyond a great view and a flat place to park and camp. Camping at back road sites is free, but a backcountry permit from Park Headquarters is required.
Lajitas
Maverick Ranch RV Park at Lajitas Resort pull hook ups, WiFi, bathrooms with private showers, new exercise room, pool, laundromat, indoor gathering space. Guests may enjoy all of the resort amenities and activities. TX 170, Lajitas, Tx, approx 17 miles W of junction of Tx 170 and Tx 118. 1-877-LAJITAS; local 432-424-5000
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Marathon
Marathon Motel & RV, Built in the early 1940s, it sits on 10 acres with unobstructed views of the mountain sunsets and starry skies. Recently renovated, the motel consists of a total of 10 rooms divided into four duplex cabins, along with an RV Park and camping sites. 432-386-4241
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Stillwell Store and RV Park, Full Hook ups and tent camping. TX 2627 5 miles from junction TX 2627 and US 385, near Persimmon Gap entrance to Big Bend National Park 432-376-2244
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Terlingua and Study Butte
Big Bend Resort and Adventures, located at the junction of State Highway 118 and F.M. 170. Trailer Court with full hook up R V sites. Tent Camping. 432-371-2218
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Study Butte RV Park, Electricity, flush toilets and showers. TX Highway 118, Study Butte south of junction TX 118 and FM 170. 432-371-2468
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BJ's RV Park, Full hook-ups, showers laundry. Highway 170, 5miles east of junction TX 118 and TX 170, just east of Terlingua Ghostown. 432-371-2259.
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Las Ruinas Camping Hostal. Terlingua Ghostown Tents only, bring your own or use one of theirs. Showers, kitchen area and lounge. Walking distance to restaurants, bars. Reservation 432-371-2219
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Longhorn Ranch Motel and RV Park is located on TX 118 approximately 15 miles north of the junction of TX 118 and TX 170. The Longhorn is next to the highway, but is out of sight distance from any other sign of civilization. It has a nice swimming pool , and Tivo's Restaurant has been serving some of the best Mexican border cuisine in the region for over 20 years. 432 371-2541
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Worth a Thousand Words
There are some views you just can't take in all at once. Like a dazzling sunset or breathtaking field of wildflowers—you just can't appreciate such beauty in the moment, a moment that is often over before you realize it, the forms and colors of that marvelous vista already fading in your memory. Perhaps it was with the goal of preserving such scenes that the first camera was invented, a goal that you may still share when you visit a place as beautiful as Big Bend and the surrounding area. Why not take a look through our new and improved photo galleries to see what amazing sights have been preserved by astounded visitors and appreciative locals? When you see the mountains, plains, flora, and fauna displayed in those images, you'll be glad the gallery contributors took their camera along.
Birding in Big Bend
Among the many activities available in Big Bend National Park that highlight the region's diversity of wildlife, birding can be enjoyable and promising. Big Bend engulfs a vast area, bounded by the the rushing Rio Grande valley to the south, containing high peaks in the Chisos Mountains, and boasting both desert and forest climates between the two. It embodies the very diversity that makes America great, providing countless opportunities to spot more than 450 birds in one area.
Your Big Year is Here
What are your new year's resolutions for 2012? Did you keep your resolutions for 2011? While the top resolutions each year include losing weight, learning something new, traveling, or getting out of debt, here's a new challenge you can take on this year: spot all the bird species in Big Bend National Park.
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Big Bend has some of the most spectacular scenery in Texas, if not the entire US. Our big sky country rivals any other state and our night skies are as dark as anywhere for excellent star gazing. The beautiful light and great scenery make for a photographer’s paradise.
Trails and Wildlife
There are many things you may love to do in Big Bend National Park in the heat of summer, but running or jogging is probably not one of them. With 90+ degree temperatures, there simply is no such thing as a nice July run in West Texas. With the dry weather we've had this year, you have truly hostile workout conditions. That all changes this time of year, though, as temperatures drop and the sun gives us a break for a few months. What a great time to get out on some trails in Big Bend!
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