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
Rene W
VerifiedJanuary 27, 2024 • Stayed at: 003, Loop: Cottonwood (TX)
Very quiet, lot of room (at least in January)
Steve P
VerifiedJanuary 27, 2024 • Stayed at: 015, Loop: Cottonwood (TX)
Lovely place. Quiet, calm, no generators.
john robert f
VerifiedJanuary 25, 2024 • Stayed at: 025, Loop: Cottonwood (TX)
This was a Perfect spot for 2 days. Which we would have know you had sites which accepted generators. Thanks
Lisa N
VerifiedJanuary 20, 2024 • Stayed at: 004, Loop: Cottonwood (TX)
Beautiful park! Great for bird watching. We were fortunate to see two large owls hanging out in the large cottonwood trees. Clean and very nice park attendant. Will definitely plan to stay here again!
Lisa G
VerifiedJanuary 19, 2024 • Stayed at: 026, Loop: Cottonwood (TX)
Wonderful location. There was a mix up with our site reservation and someone else occupying it, but campground host was very helpful and assigned us another site for the night. Vault toilets were clean and drinking water was available. Would definitely stay there again!
Michelle P
VerifiedJanuary 5, 2024 • Stayed at: 003, Loop: Cottonwood (TX)
Great for birding, easy to pitch the tent, smaller number of sites, so we met many of the other campers! A bit remote from some of the other spots in the park, prepare for some driving
Jorge M
VerifiedJanuary 4, 2024 • Stayed at: 019, Loop: Cottonwood (TX)
Staff kept the bathrooms very clean and did regular walkthroughs of Camp Cottonwood. All staff was very helpful and courteous, always answering our questions. There is a store with many items in case you forget something less than 5 minutes from Cottonwood. My top favorite places I visited on my 1st trip to Big Bend (12/22/23 - 12/26/23) were: Las Boquillas that leads to the border crossing (spent 1.5 hrs in Mexico, eating tacos, riding on donkeys - bring cash to spend, they take dollars) ; Rio Grande Village (especially the showers); Ernst Tinaja (worth the bumpy ride if you have high clearance vehicle); Santa Elena walking trail was absolutely gorgeous! Breathtaking!; I enjoyed the hot springs (105 degrees, I don’t recommend staying in the water too long, I felt like I was overheating- 5 to 10 minutes is plenty for me next time) near Rio Grande Village - ask which is the quickest walking route at Rio Grande Village or any ranger. And finally visit the Window Trail in Los Chisos, you will love it.
Ryan S
VerifiedJanuary 1, 2024 • Stayed at: 026, Loop: Cottonwood (TX)
Truck Tent Camping Review: Great site in Big Bend, recommend brining a bicycle as any hiking trails are 4-9 miles away.
Also bathrooms have no running water...so bring soap & water or sanitizer wipes.
Lotta cool birds in the area, including a very social Roadrunner.
Hans-Peter W
VerifiedDecember 27, 2023 • Stayed at: 012, Loop: Cottonwood (TX)
nicely crested gravel spot perfectly leveled.
Xiangyang W
VerifiedDecember 27, 2023 • Stayed at: 026, Loop: Cottonwood (TX)
Great!!
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 5, 2026
