Chisos Basin Campground — Big Bend National Park

Not all spots are created equal. Some don’t have space for even a medium tent. This is high desert camping. High winds, so staking a tent is difficult. But this IS the place to stay.

We loved our night at Chisos Basin. Was there in late August and the weather was perfect. Beautiful location. Bathrooms were clean. A lot of availability. There isn’t any first come first serve so you must reserve it through recreation.gov but there was good Verizon Service there at the Campground.

Spectacular views from the campground , excellent hiking . Decent store and restaurant up at the lodge . Water available , sites are a little uneven in places but worth it . Emory peak at daylight is amazing if you have it in you .

Small sites and many of the spots would be very hard to get level (either with a tent or a van/camper). Make sure to read the descriptions and take a look at the parking to make sure you will fit. The location is beautiful and much cooler than the campgrounds down lower.

Site 18 was pretty level and was bigger than most of the other spots. You could fit 2 cars and at least 2-3 tents.

My husband and I loved this place and would come back in a second BUT….it’s not for everyone. 16$ a night and needs to be booked on Recreation.gov The campground is tucked in a basin of the mountains. The road to get here is steep and windy but paved and beautiful! The sites are small, often unique and not level. So…if you are camping with a bigger rig. This is not for you. You will likely not fit in the sites and/or will be VERY unlevel. The sites are ideal for small vans/tents/campers. Some sites are honestly even unmanageable for any camper situation other than a tent. Most sites had a sun shade/gazebo with a table and a bear/javelina box. Some of the sites have a parking area on one side of the campground road and the actual site on the other side. Look closely on the website before booking to be sure the site will work for you! We had site 15, 17 and 41 for the days we were there and all worked for our Chevy van with the use of blocks for leveling. 43 and 47 also looked particularly nice to us. Site 16 is one where your actual site is across the street from your parking area. Also no generator use so beware of that. They don’t even like you to have your car idling for long so plan accordingly if you need power from a generator or your car. Otherwise this campground has all the things you’ll need other than electrical hookups and showers. Potable water, trash and flush toilets. Visitor center is close by and most trails are easily accessible from the campground. Don’t miss the sunsets from the window view trail! Amazing.

We stayed in Chisos Basin for two nights in our Airstream Basecamp 20x and had a great time (for anyone worried about the drive, you'll need to be careful but we found it doable). We knew before we booked that the spots would be tight and we'd be close to our neighbors, but that didn't stop us from having a great time. The bathrooms were clean and the campground hosts were friendly, and we loved that the trailhead for the Window Trail was right in the campground. Probably not our favorite Texas campground (that would probably be in Caprock Canyons State Park) but definitely plan on visiting again in the future.

This is a great low key camping spot without the “big rig” RVs. There is access to 2 trailheads without driving (one trailhead leads to many others). The drive into the campground reminds of that feeling and awe you get when you drive into Zion

Arrived late in the afternoon - hiked the Lost Mine Trail. Returned to our campsite and neighbors had set up their tent in our space right by our covered picnic table. As we have a rooftop tent it was not a problem but I echo that the campsites are very close to eachother and everyone should go into this campground knowing that their own campsite may not be level and your neighbors may be goofs :) - but it is so beautiful that it is totally worth it. Site 18 was fairly level and while near the entrance, has gorgeous views (and we barely noticed that we were close to the front). Camp hosts were so knowledgeable and friendly.

Beware if you are visiting this month - we could not hike the Santa Elena Canyon bc of rains - the river was waaay to high. Also the Old Maverick Road was great w a 4WD but tricky at times.

The Chisos Basin Campground is nestled in an open woodland within a scenic mountain basin. Campers enjoy the views of Casa Grande and Emory Peak. The sunset through the nearby"Window" is a Big Bend highlight. Some of the park's most popular trails begin nearby. Elevation: 5,400 feet. Open year-round. Trailers over 20 feet and RV's over 24 feet are not recommended due to the narrow, winding road to the Basin and small campsites at this campground. RESERVATIONS ARE REQUIRED 

• Cell Phone Reception, Yes 

• Internet Connectivity, No 

• Trash/Recycling Collection. Yes, Year-Round 

• Food Storage Lockers, Yes, Year-Round 

• Laundry, No Dump Station, Yes 

• Potable Water, Yes on site 

At Chisos Basin Campground 5,400 feet the temperature is lower 15 to 20 degrees than any campground near the Rio Grande, take this in consideration for summer

Small rocky sites, but the views are amazing!

The location is absolutely beautiful. However, it is not well suited for a truck camper.  The sites are not level, and I was not able to make adjustments on both axes to make it right.  The campground is much better suited to tent and Class B RVs - which were plentiful throughout the campground.  This is high density camping without a lot of privacy.  The campground is super crowded, busy, and noisy.  I constantly had people walking through my site to get to the bathroom and water.  Having to use Recreation.gov is less than joyful.  I also stayed at Cottonwood, which I loved. The hike to The Window was great.

The location at the center of the basin beats everything and make you forget the little details that could be downgrade this campground. Such a great experience to spend the night in Chisos Basin.

Great place for tent camping. Make sure you check Recrwation.gov for description of sites some not ok for trailers or RV. If you want shade check the site as in summer only about half have shade. Great place to start your hike in the backcountry. No electricity, sewer or water hook ups.

We spent the weekend before Thanksgiving 2021 in Big Bend National Park and had a great time. We had never been to this NP before but we went with friends who are now veterans to Big Bend.

One thing to know is that all campsites are not created equal. Our initial site in the campground was very small - too small to put a tent on honestly. Fortunately the camp host was able to swap us with a site with more room.

The campground is in this beautiful basin in the mountains - pictures don’t truly do it justice. We were also fortunate to be near the bathroom, which was convenient.

One tip I’d give is to invest in heavy duty tent stakes. The ground is so rocky, it ate up the stakes that came with the tent. Which was not a big deal until our third night when the wind tried to blow us off the mountain. I ended up tying off to anything solid - the picnic table, near boxes, charcoal grill, etc.

The hikes are fabulous and several are walking distance from your camp.

We had a reservation, but cancelled, after checking out the site. It would have been too unlevel for us to camp, we wouldn't have been able to put out the slide, and it would have been bad for our refrigerator.

We back country camped for 3 days waiting for this ONE NIGHT in the mountains at Big Bend. Site 32 has ZERO space for a tent. Was told by a park ranger to find the ‘camp hosts’ Dan and Mary. Yeah … she was so snotty and downright MEAN.. that we left. Just left. We were DONE. She said with AS MUCH attitude as possible ‘what do you mean??? Did you check the backside of the site?’ Stomped away to the site and looked at it and then followed up with ‘well HOW BIG IS YOUR TENT??’ Lady… 1. There IS no back side to the site and now to recover face you’re acting like WE are the problem and 2. BIGGER THAN THE 4x4 SPOT RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE GRILL!!! She RUINED our big bend trip. Note how we had to move the picnic table up on rocks in the photo. Also we couldn’t stake our tent due to the hard gravel… so we left. No refund. Awesome.

What an experience! Make sure you book in advance because it’s always busy. It up in the mountains so it got really cold in the morning. Also, final tip is to plan your camping for when there is little to no moon in the sky - the view of the stars is incredible!

Chisos Basin sites are always great. Restrooms and showers nearby with potable water.

This was my second visit to the Chisos Campground  in Big Bend National Park, TX. The past visit was in the fall and this year I wanted to experience spring in the park. As usual, the campground was great. The bathroom facilities were clean and close to the campsites. Water was readily available near all of the sites as well. My site this last trip was not as private as my previous trip last fall, but it was a later reservation and I was lucky to get a site for 4 days in the most popular time of the year to visit. Plan far in advance as this is a popular campground and about 10 to 15 degrees cooler than the others in the park

Chisos Campground is the place to camp on Big Bend National Park. It is a high elevation location and many great hiking trails from the location. As a landscape photographer, this was a fantastic place to camp. Nice sized sites, however, no hookups & only 8 sites that allow generators. There were no wood fires when I was there last October.

Getting to Big Bend National Park is part of the adventure, it is nowhere near anything other than itself, but for those who go, it’s so worth the effort. If you are going to camp in Big Bend National Park, make sure you spend a couple of nights in Chisos Basin. It is the quintessential National Park Campground – full stop. Neither the approach, climbing 2,000ft of winding switch back nor the campsites themselves are optimal(nor recommended) for any trailer longer than 20 feet. Our site (#22) just barely accommodated our tiny 15-foot trailer. So, take the size limitations on the website at their word. 

Fortunately, the camp host was completely on the ball, and moved us to a larger site that became available for 2 nights of our stay. When we first arrived in Big Bend back in 2013, we were able to get a campsite without a reservation, but those days are gone. Most of these campsites are reserved 6 months out, so plan ahead.  We snagged what had to have been a cancellation, just a few days ahead of time.  The campsites all have burly shade structures over the picnic tables, which are perfect for hammocking, as well as bear food containers. There’s not a lot of privacy between the sites, so you just have to go with the flow and get in to the communal vibe of the place. If you do, you’ll enjoy yourself all the more. 

Curmudgeons can go and rent one of the beautiful stone cottages available at the Chisos Mountain Lodge. The campground lies in the basin of the Chisos Mountains. Everywhere you look is worthy of a picture, and it’s difficult to know where to stop taking them, but they won’t do it justice. 

The hiking, right from the campground, is among the finest in the park. We highly recommend the strenuous, all-day, South Rim loop – an epic day well spent and views worth all the trouble it takes to get there. 

There is a visitor’s center a short walk away from the campground where you can get all the park information and necessary permits. In addition, there’s a small grocery store with ice, beer and wine as well as a few other necessary essentials. Gas can be found near Panther Junction, the main Visitor’s Center in the park. Otherwise, the town of Study Butte, some 25 miles away offers more opportunities for groceries, gas and supplies.

If you haven’t made any reservations yet because everything is full up, check out the nearby Texas State Park, of Big Bend Ranch. There are many campsites which lies along the Rio Grande river, just off of a well-maintained paved road that goes between Terlingua and Presidio, TX. The visitor’s center, where you get your camping permits, is located on the Terlingua side of the park, you can’t get permits in Presidio, so plan ahead!

The only established campground up within the mountains at Big Bend. Definitely worth spending a few nights here as well as the lower river camps. It was completely busy and booked when we first got to Big Bend but we were able to pick up a cancelation

Lots of hikes directly from the camp, South Rim was amazing and gave a full view of the entire park.

Colder up here at elevation, especially during the nights.

We tent camped 3 nights here in early December and it was in the 20s one night! Windows trail and Santa Elena Canyon were the highlight of our trip. Bathrooms were clean and easily accessible. Sites were not at all private, but that was made up for by the awesome amenities - bear box, great table, waist-high grill, and shade coverage.

Wonderful site right next to the bathroom. We stayed here on a miserably hot summer stretch, but it cooled off at night and being elevated was about 15° cooler. Plenty to do in the area, but very spaced out. Meaning you will need to drive everywhere. Oh, and those scorpions just sting vinegar so nothing to worry about...very cool when they glow as well (Blacklight)!

We did a road trip from CA to TX and decided to camp at Big Bend NP on the way to Austin. Since we were traveling during their less busy season (first week of October 2019) we were able to find a site on first come first serve basis. It was a little warmer than used to, but it was not that bad honestly. Especially once night fall hit, it was chilly and comfy. Something I wasn’t a big fan of was that no camp fires were allowed, which I understand with the climate and all. But it was just so dark and I’m used to having a fire for light and hanging around having beers. The camp host was so kind! He gave us a lot of information on the area and let us know that there is a bear (aged at almost teen) who likes to roam the campground. He’s just a curious little guy and leaves. I was kind of excited to see him but didn’t end up seeing the guy. We hiked the window trail since we only had one day/night to explore the area unfortunately. But that was such a worthy hike! I had never seen anything like it. Campground overall very clean and beautiful with restrooms right nearby, showers are a drive up hill to the visitors center, and a camp host ready to help on site!

We stayed at Chisos in early March and loved it! March is apparently the busiest month in Big Bend NP so we made sure to get to the campground first thing in the morning to get a site— all the reservable sites were LONG gone by the time we planned our trip! There were a couple to pick from when we got there and more opened up over the course of the morning, though all 3 campgrounds in Big Bend were full every night we were there. The site we got was PERFECT! It was on the edge of the camp ground and tucked around a corner. Some of the other sites did look a little close to each other which was why I gave 4 stars and not 5. Most (if not all??) of the sites had a little their own picnic table, bear/javelina-safe food storage and a little canopy-like shelter for some shade.

The host was very nice and helpful when we arrived and the campground was very quiet.

Bathroom facilities were pretty standard— not super nice/fancy but had the essentials!

It was chilly in the mornings and at night without the sun to warm you up— long pants and a light jacket were perfect. It warmed up to shorts and T-shirt/tank top weather in the afternoons with the sun.

The lodge and campground are right in the basin of the mountains so you have 360° mountain views! The sunrise and sunset on the mountains was especially pretty!

Chisos was a great spot as it was close to a lot of hikes and central so we could adventure in both the western and eastern parts of the park with Chisos as our home base— so perfect! Many of the trail heads were at the Chisos Lodge (right up the road from the campground) and one of the trails actually had an entrance at the campground —very convenient.

Wildlife: we didn’t see too much!! A bunch of Mexican Jays, bunnies and hares, a coyote and a fox was about it!

Hikes: South Rim trail —our “long hike” —about 12 miles (trail head at the lodge)— it was AMAZING!! Definitely would recommend if you’re looking for a longer hike with rewarding views... definitely worth it. Even though it was spring break season and very busy in the park we didn’t see too many people on this trail and only saw other people every now and then.

Window View trail — “our short mountain hike” —5 and some change miles round-trip out and back. Trail head in the Lodge parking lot but also has a trail head in the campground!! (Just cuts off some milage!) Easier hike to a SUPER cool view through a “window” -like chasm where a waterfall flows when it’s rainier. The last mile or so felt a little steeper on the way back once we were more tired. We brought lunch with us and stopped along the way. This was a perfect hike to pair with another mid distance one in the afternoon.

Chimneys Trail — our “desert hike” this was a 4.8-mile round-trip out and back. The trail head is on Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive and is flat flat flat desert hiking— this was a new type of hiking for us and it was so neat because you can see SO far in the distance as you walk. The end of the trail is the “chimneys” which you can see in the distance when you start the hike. The trail leads right up to them so you can walk part way up one and walk around it looking at the old markings left behind! Super cool. We did this trail in the later afternoon so we were walking back as the sun started to set— very pretty!

We also drove to both the Rio Grande Village Campground and did the short nature trail there around sunset (best time to go I’d say!) and the Cottonwood Campground just to check them out.

The views here will change your life. Personally stayed at the Chiso Mountains campground think it’s the most scenic of the two campgrounds they have. The other campground has the store and I believe showers.

Best time to go is when the season just starts in my opinion which is fall early winter. Especially if you stay in the mountains campground. It’s cool/cold at night and hit during the day.

The hot spring is a must. The road to the trail is quite scary if you have anything bigger than a standard car. Your up against a wall on one side and a drop off of 20 feet on the other.

If you really want to test your endurance, the lost mine trail goes up a mountain. Well worth the treck. Take your time and you will get to the top.

If your over camping in tents and RVs, they also have a lodge in the Chiso Mountains, about a two minute drive from the campground. It has a restaurant as well as a gift shop.

There is only one gas station there so expect high prices.

Terlingua is the closest town and my group had dinner, and checked out the ghost town.

Please not, skunks are not afraid of you and they will check out your campsite whether you like it or not.

This review is specific to the Chisos Basin Group Campsites. I actually prefer the Chisos Basin Group Campsites over the regular Chisos Basin Campsites. The group sites require a minimum of 9 people and a maximum of 20 people. The group campsites are located on a separate loop with only 7 campsites. The regular campsites are located in a cluster with about 60 campsites side by side - there is little privacy. I've found the group campsites have a similar view of the Chisos Mountains and the valley. There is one restroom for the group sites which has sinks and toilets, but no showers. There are no showers in the Chisos Basin except at the Lodge. 

Three of the group campsites have sun shades (sites P, Q and R) and the remainder are exposed. If you can reserve a campsite with a sun shade it will be worth it. The sun and the wind can be very intense throughout the year. It is highly recommended that you secure your tent with extra guy lines and tent spikes. 

The Window Trail trailhead starts from one corner of the group campsites. It's a short and moderate difficulty trail with a scenic view of the valley and sunset. If you hike the Window Trail to see the sunset, be sure to bring a flashlight because it can be difficult to find your way back once the sun goes down. Other highly recommended trails include the Emory Peak Trail, Lost Mine Trail and the Santa Elena Trail.

Best place in Texas for the beginner to the seasoned camper/hiker/nature lover!!