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
Michelle C
VerifiedNovember 19, 2022 • Stayed at: 016, Loop: Cottonwood (TX)
Bathroom facilities very clean and well maintained, construction was a bit annoying but short lived. Nice shade. It was close to many enjoyable hikes. Hosts were very nice
Christian S
VerifiedNovember 19, 2022 • Stayed at: 007, Loop: Cottonwood (TX)
Nice campground. Small but a lovely area. Good for stargazing.
Brittanie C
VerifiedNovember 16, 2022 • Stayed at: 004, Loop: Cottonwood (TX)
Well maintained, plenty of space between campsites, vehicle parking at site. There were two great horned owls there while we were and it was very enjoyable watching and listening to them.
Walter T
VerifiedNovember 16, 2022 • Stayed at: 005, Loop: Cottonwood (TX)
Nice camp ground, quiet and clean (well maintained). Watch for Owls
Michael G
VerifiedNovember 15, 2022 • Stayed at: 006, Loop: Cottonwood (TX)
The camp was in the middle of some improvements, so it was a bit torn up. It would be nice to have some paved roads.
Barry C
VerifiedNovember 11, 2022 • Stayed at: 030, Loop: Cottonwood (TX)
construction going on at the time I was there was made quite a bit of noise early in the morning and throughout the day of course my campsite was right across from this construction
Jason B
VerifiedNovember 10, 2022 • Stayed at: 017, Loop: Cottonwood (TX)
Awesome location to explore the western side of park. Nice, quiet and extremely clean campground with easy to find spots and well maintained restroom facilities. Don’t miss Santa Elena Canyon and the other great hikes along Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive.
Chris S
VerifiedNovember 9, 2022 • Stayed at: 022, Loop: Cottonwood (TX)
Exellent camp ground. Well maintained and quiet. Occasional cell service (Verizon/Tmobile), perfect for relaxing.
chris p
VerifiedNovember 6, 2022 • Stayed at: 013, Loop: Cottonwood (TX)
Campsite: Nice spot in the middle, 2-minute walk away from bathroom. Partially covered by trees. Space for 2 cars and 2 tents. Campground: (On Oct 30) seemed half-full. Very quiet, other than some faint music (Saturday night) coming from Mexico. No campfires meant stargazing after dark. Stars were nice, but not as bright as they are from Chisos campground (previous night). octtonwood was less windy and easily 10 degrees warmer than Chisos (Oct 29). Bathrooms (pit toilets) were clean and warm (not sure how), Bathrooms had sanitizer but no water. In the morning you are 15(?) mins from Santa Elena Canyon, which is very photographic at sunrise.
Aksel Q
VerifiedOctober 29, 2022 • Stayed at: A, Loop: Group Site A
This is my favorite car-camp campground in BBNP. The sites are in a nice flat area with plenty of trees. We stayed at the group site, and appreciated the large grills which were in good shape, and the multiple bear-boxes to store smellables. Non-potable spigot was easily accessible. Filtered potable water was at the other end of the campground, so we made use of our 5-gal water cans to make the trip less often. Lastly, the bathrooms look new, and are kept clean.
Downsides are the proximity to occasional livestock, and the relatively poor drainage - irrigation or heavy rain will cause you to choose tent sites carefully.
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.
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Last updated: June 5, 2026
