Cottonwood (Big Bend, TX)

Great launching off point for Santa Elena trail. Amazing views from Chisos Basin. Potable water for water bottles.

Our site was excellent, with very nice shady trees. Some of the sites have no shade at all and most are not very big. But overall, this campground is excellent. Bathrooms very clean and well stocked. Great hosts who kept a close eye on the campground. We saw LOTS of beautiful birds, including some very enjoyable Roadrunners and a resident owl in Site #5. Santa Elana canyon was wonderful, a highlight of our trip for sure. Low water at this time of year allowed us to hike upstream. Very fun. Bring your water shoes, but we just took off our socks and shoes. Be sure to watch amazing sunsets at Sotol Vista, another highlight of the trip!

Very nice campground with huge trees for shade. There is water available to fill your bottle but not to fill your RV tank...

Basic campground with lots of space, almost no cell service, but perfect spot to go crash and do some stargazing after exploring Big Bend all day.

Post speed limit sign with an explanation about courtesy and dust...most violators do not stay in the campground. Also, should allow some use of generators to prepare meals. Bathrooms were clean and host was helpful.

Our trip to Big Bend was long anticipated. Although the Cottonwood campground was literally on the Mexican border, we felt safe. It was also very quiet. Our fellow campers were considerate and the bathrooms were clean. We are not used to such a limited camping experience; however, not having showers, not being able to do wood fires or setup our hammock slightly dinged our experience but overall we enjoyed the park but may consider a different campground in the future.

This campground is an oasis in the desert. There is a lot of shade, clean drinking water, clean restrooms, and water spigots nearby. There is a fence surrounding the campground for safety from animals. And it is just down the road from Santa Elena Canyon. The park host came by a few times each day to make sure everything was good and had helpful information about the park.

A very quiet campground. The restroom is very clean, staffs are very nice. Close to santa elena canyon which is the most beautiful trail in the park.

Hike to Santa Elena Canyon and if you walk down the river a few miles you will be treated to solitude and beautiful views of the canyon.

We stayed in Cottonwood Campground for six nights in mid-April 2021. We got very lucky with cool weather--the evenings were in the 50s! It can be hot in April--so keep that in mind. We stayed one night in #14 and the rest in #16. Our trailer is 25' and it was a little tight (maybe a 27-28' trailer could fit...). We had to be a creative with tow vehicle parking, but we managed. We absolutely loved site #16--it was shady, and because it was the end site, there was a lot of grassy area for hanging out. The campground itself was lovely and quiet, a lot of birds singing (and no generators). Filtered water available at one faucet near the entrance of the campground; there were other faucets with non-potable water. We loved it! Definitely worth staying here if you can manage without electric and water.