Warning
GeneralA maximum of two motor vehicles, one vehicle with a trailer, one motorhome with tow vehicle or four motorcycles allowed per campsite. A maximum of four tents OR one wheeled camping unit and one tent allowed per campsite. Only 1 conversion van or other type of recreational vehicle allowed per site. Two (2) conversion vans or RVs require 2 campsites.
About Cottonwood (Big Bend, TX)
Number of accommodations: 29
Seasonal information
2026 Season availability
Campground Amenities
Most popular amenities
General Store
Pet friendly
Picnic Table
Fire Pit
Cooking and Fire
- Picnic Table
- Grill
- BBQ
- Fire Pit
On Site Services
- General Store
Pets and Policies
- Pet friendly
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Rates, Sites & Availability
29 Sites Available
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Site Details
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29 Sites Available
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Reviews (566)
What Guests Are Saying
Cottonwood Campground offers a serene and quiet experience, close to Santa Elena Canyon and various hiking trails. Visitors appreciated the clean facilities, friendly staff, and beautiful surroundings, with many noting the enjoyment of wildlife sightings. However, the loss of cottonwood trees has diminished shade, and some areas require management improvements, but overall, guests had a pleasant stay and expressed a desire to return.
What Guests Are Saying
Cottonwood Campground offers a serene and quiet experience, close to Santa Elena Canyon and various hiking trails. Visitors appreciated the clean facilities, friendly staff, and beautiful surroundings, with many noting the enjoyment of wildlife sightings. However, the loss of cottonwood trees has diminished shade, and some areas require management improvements, but overall, guests had a pleasant stay and expressed a desire to return.
Review Summary
William G
VerifiedApril 16, 2026 • Stayed at: 022, Loop: Cottonwood (TX)
Great location. Small cg. Bring water. Was able to book reservation for last available cs. Site okay, but there were plenty of spots. This is a systemic problem with Recreation.gov
Dan H
VerifiedApril 15, 2026 • Stayed at: 006, Loop: Cottonwood (TX)
Terrific campground. Clean. Quiet. Well-managed.
Carter L
VerifiedApril 12, 2026 • Stayed at: A, Loop: Group Site A
The campsite was amazing. Super large and with 3 boxes for storage. 10 minutes away from Santa Elena Canyon! Such a pretty place and nice watcher of the sight. Very friendly. Bathrooms were nice and such a stunning national park. 40 minutes to the basin and 1.25 hours from the hot springs
Charles W
VerifiedApril 2, 2026 • Stayed at: 015, Loop: Cottonwood (TX)
Very quiet and peaceful location. Short walk to view the river! Close to great trails! Well maintained.
Patrick W
VerifiedMarch 31, 2026 • Stayed at: 012, Loop: Cottonwood (TX)
Hot week but it was shady here. Open and quiet.
Gene Z
VerifiedMarch 29, 2026 • Stayed at: 022, Loop: Cottonwood (TX)
Excellent
Diane F
VerifiedMarch 27, 2026 • Stayed at: 019, Loop: Cottonwood (TX)
Nice quiet campground. Nice pit tiolets.
kate k
VerifiedMarch 27, 2026 • Stayed at: 023, Loop: Cottonwood (TX)
We camped one night mid March and there wasn't much shade at the campground. There was a vermillion flycatcher at the campsite and lots of open sky for star gazing. It's easy to get to Santa Elena canyon 7 miles down the road and a great hike in the morning before it gets too busy.
Vibrance P
VerifiedMarch 26, 2026 • Stayed at: 030, Loop: Cottonwood (TX)
This campground wasn’t very interesting, but it was decent and worked as a place to camp for the night and get to Santa Elena canyon early. Unfortunately, our stay was disrupted by noisy campers getting up at 5am to leave and yelling loudly next to us.
Hannah E
VerifiedMarch 24, 2026 • Stayed at: 008, Loop: Cottonwood (TX)
I loved it here! Though it’s a far drive to just about anywhere, it had what we needed. Beautiful sunsets. The wind did get really bad for us here, and there’s not much of anything to block the wind so we did have to put our tent down. But it was okay and we made the most of it! I will definitely check out one of the other campsites next time I visit, but this one was perfect for the 3 nights we stayed here.
Location Cottonwood (Big Bend, TX)
Address:
Po Box 129
Big Bend Nat. Park, TX, 79834
United States
From Interstate 10, take State Highway 385 south to Fort Stockton and into Marathon. From Marathon, drive 40 miles (64 km) south on State Highway 385 to the north entrance of Big Bend National Park. Drive straight for 26 miles (42 km) to Park Headquarters at Panther Junction. Turn right at the intersection and go 13 miles (21 km) west. Take a left at the Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive and drive 23 miles (37 km) to Cottonwood Campground.
GPS Warning: GPS units may send you down Old Maverick Road, an unpaved, very rough road. Do not take Old Maverick Road unless you have a four wheel drive and high clearance vehicle.
Cottonwood Campground is accessible via State Highway 385, which connects to Interstate 10 to the north. Travelers can take State Highway 385 south from Interstate 10 through Fort Stockton and Marathon to reach the campground.
Latitude & Longitude: 29.1369 / -103.522
Elevation: 649 feet
Nearby National Park
In Big Bend National Park
Approximate driving time: 48 min
Policies & Rules
Arrival & departure
Check in time
1PM
General
- Do not reserve campsites that you are not planning to stay in. A camper arriving the day AFTER the reservation begins is considered a No Show. A No Show may result in a cancellation of your ENTIRE reservation. Contact the park at 432-477-2251 if you are late or will not be arriving until the day after your reservation starts.
- Generators are not allowed in Cottonwood campground. Idling a vehicle to provide power is also prohibited.
- No Hookups or Dump Station. There are no electricity, water or sewer hookups. There is no fill/dump station available at this campground.
- Group Campsite is Tent Only. The group site is for tents only. RVs and trailers are NOT allowed.
- Campfires. No wood or ground fires are permitted in Big Bend. Charcoal may be used in the raised grills provided at each site.
- Pets. Pets are allowed in each campsite, although they must be leashed and restrained at all times. Pets are not allowed on trails or in buildings.
- Food Lockers/Wildlife. Javelinas, bobcats and bears frequent the area. All food must be kept in the food storage lockers or approved containers or in a hard-sided vehicle. Dispose of trash n the animal-proof dumpsters provided. Do not leave coolers or food boxes unattended at any time.
- Are you still camping? If you leave your site during the day, please leave something at the site so we know you are not checking out early. A tent, camp chair, stove, book, etc. Something of little value but that indicates you plan to return.
- Hammocks. No hammocks or other devices may be attached/tied to trees or any other natural features or objects.
- Border Crossing. There is only one authorized border crossing within Big Bend National Park, located at Rio Grande Village. Crossing the border in an unauthorized location is illegal.
Warnings & Advisories
Warning
GeneralA maximum of two motor vehicles, one vehicle with a trailer, one motorhome with tow vehicle or four motorcycles allowed per campsite. A maximum of four tents OR one wheeled camping unit and one tent allowed per campsite. Only 1 conversion van or other type of recreational vehicle allowed per site. Two (2) conversion vans or RVs require 2 campsites.
Nearby Campgrounds
Nearby destinations
Last updated: June 4, 2026
