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
No available sites
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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
brittany m
VerifiedApril 23, 2021 • Stayed at: 004, Loop: Cottonwood (TX)
So peaceful! Quiet and the sites were nice and grassy with tons of shade. This may be my favorite of the 3 developed campgrounds at Big Bend
Tom E
VerifiedApril 23, 2021 • Stayed at: 007, Loop: Cottonwood (TX)
Mindy N
VerifiedApril 20, 2021 • Stayed at: 010, Loop: Cottonwood (TX)
Beautiful campsite! Great stars at night!
David J
VerifiedApril 19, 2021 • Stayed at: 005, Loop: Cottonwood (TX)
The park ranger, Margaret, was very helpful identifying animals, etc. Very quiet and bathrooms clean. A nice place to camp.
Leah Katie T
VerifiedApril 19, 2021 • Stayed at: 012, Loop: Cottonwood (TX)
This was such a great campground. It’s the perfect place to camp if you plan on staying on the west side of the park or spending a lot of time at the Santa Elena canyon. It’s definitely quite a long (but beautiful) drive to and from the campground if you’re spending time in other areas of the park, so be prepared for that. We drove the Old Maverick Road half the time, and while it’s a dirt road and takes as long to drive as Ross Maxwell, it’s a beautiful drive and it’s fun to see other parts of the park you wouldn’t otherwise see. The bathrooms were clean, the park rangers were super friendly, and the stars were incredible.
Larry L
VerifiedApril 12, 2021 • Stayed at: 004, Loop: Cottonwood (TX)
Good job on closing areas for Covid and still keeping the park open and active.
George A
VerifiedApril 9, 2021 • Stayed at: 013, Loop: Cottonwood (TX)
The campground is beautiful, the hosts were welcoming and knowledgeable, and the pit toilets had an alluring bouquet! Highly recommend looking at the photos to find a sight with good shade! (13 is a good one)
Ron F
VerifiedApril 8, 2021 • Stayed at: 016, Loop: Cottonwood (TX)
Wonderful place, very quiet. Best part - the camp host Margaret - she was a delight and loves her job, which she does exceedingly well. Met the wonderful maintenance man, Ronaldo, who keeps the bathrooms cleaner than any pit toilet I have ever seen. And he took the time to chat with us and gave us a great tip for a more scenic drive as we left for our next adventure. The vermilion flycatchers and the resident owl were the icing on the cake!
Patricia T
VerifiedApril 8, 2021 • Stayed at: 007, Loop: Cottonwood (TX)
Very nice campground away from the hustle and bustle of the of the park. Nesting owls near the campsite made for an extra exciting adventure.
Diana P
VerifiedApril 4, 2021 • Stayed at: 010, Loop: Cottonwood (TX)
There is no use of generators allowed at the campground and electric plug-ins are not provided. I think based on the climate where the campground is located one or the other or both of these should be available. There's no
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
