Good If It's Not Hot

My weather app said that it was going to be 87 on the day I arrived. It was actually 105. 108 the 2nd day and 103 the 3rd. Nice views, flush toilets, no hookups, no showers, no cell service, level campsites. The village store area nearby had some private vendor campsites with full hookups, but they were expensive and just lined up on an asphalt parking lot. Pretty good wifi at the store. I heard that they had some pay showers there, but I didn't check them out. I would have liked it a lot more if it had been 20 degrees cooler. There's a nice campground up in the mountains about 25 miles away, but it's not very large and most of the campsites are not level. I would have preferred to have stayed up there, but there wasn't any availability.

Parking Lot Campground

We stayed 1 night in the parking lot camp area. We had full hook up for $42. The camping spot had room for our Jeep beside our motor home. The campground with no services had trees and much more character. We didn’t spend very much time at our motor home so we didn’t mind the parking lot. People were friendly and helpful.

What The What????

Sign says campground full. Drove in. 3/4 empty. Signs at nearly every turn "this site closed due to covid." So our government says we need to separate by 6' and outside is safer. So, they close most of a campground where you're outside and 30' from your neighbor. One star for stupidity.

Adequate

It was great for a base camp. I will admit that with ALL that land it seems they could have spread the campsites out just a little further. They boast of being the darkest NP in the country, which was fantastic, but then you have all the noise pollution from generators running due to no electricity. That was a bit bothersome, so I should have tried for the NO generator since for a maximum experience. Great base camp though.

I LIKED IT

Easy enough to maneuver around, site was large enough. Gas if needed. Bathrooms and a dump station. I love Big Bend and this is a convenient spot for most of it. No complaints. If I was asked by the Park, I'd suggest opening many more sites to reservations (only 43 out of 100 are reservable 6 months of the year). I was there at peak xmas time and 1/3 of the campground was empty. This park is too far to chance not getting a site, that's likely why so many spots were empty.

It Works

Previous reviews are right about the full hookup RV parking lot. But it is the only such facility in the park. So if you can boondock go for a site nearer the river. The store is well stocked with essentials. The gas and diesel prices are not that much more than stations outside the park. I recommend you fill up well outside the park; like Ft Stockton or Del Rio. The park experience is well worth putting up with the "parking lot". Wish the National Park Service would upgrade the more pleasant sites with at least electricity.

Better Than The RV Spot

If you can stay without hookups I would totally recommend staying here than the RV spot down the road which is basically just a parking lot. This has trees and space between spots. The best spots are the pull through ones in the back. Some areas are generator free and others allow for them 8am-8pm. Dump station nearby and bathrooms are clean. There are pay showers and laundry up at the camp store/gas station area next to the RV parking lot. Great trails right nearby and you can cross the river into Mexico just down the road at the boquillas crossing for a fun adventure and great tamales for lunch!

Boondocking

Love boondocking? Nice shaded lots to do the solar dance. We saw our first Roadrunner!!

Parking Lot

We did not stay here, so this is just an observation. Campground is two parts. The reserveable RV part is a parking lot: back into a space perpendicular to the curb; space only for your trailer and truck beside it; full sun. Strictly a base for going somewhere else. The second non-reservation portion is shaded, small spaces, no power, and a part is a no generator zone. The heat here from late spring to early fall is brutal. Early March was already in mid 90's.