Big Bend National Park42
Campsite #42 at Chisos Basin Campground, Big Bend National Park, TX
$16
Campsite #42
| Drive-In | 8 people |
| 20 ft | Parallel |
| 1 | good |
2/12
3/23
Campsite #42 Features: Drive-In access, Parallel parking, 20-foot driveway, Fire ring w/ Grill, Food Storage Locker, Picnic Table, RV Site, Tent Site, Trailer Site, Pets Allowed
Campsite Reviews (25)
5.0 out of 5
| 5 star | | 68% |
| 4 star | | 16% |
| 3 star | | 8% |
| 2 star | | 8% |
| 1 star | | 0% |
@WilliamL145693 · Camped on Feb 20, 2026 at Campsite #42
Very nice campground, clean toilet spaces, great proximity to visitor center area and all major trails in Chisos Basin.
@JulieL6668775 · Camped on Feb 18, 2026 at Campsite #42
Loved it up in the basin. The views were spectacular. Nice little campground. Not very level so make sure youre prepared for that!
@ZacharyWFA2558 · Camped on Dec 8, 2025 at Campsite #42
Camping at Chisos Basin feels less like visiting nature and more like accidentally pitching a tent in the private courtyard of an elite, horned HOA. The scenery is unrealtowering peaks, dramatic cliffs, sunsets that look aggressively Photoshoppedand absolute, suspicious calm. No wind. None. Nature just stood there watching.And watching back were the audad. Everywhere. On the rocks. On the trails. Casually blocking the road like they pay taxes here. These desert mountain goats stare directly into your soul, fully aware that this is their basin and youre just a soft, snack-carrying tourist. They dont charge. They dont flinch. They judge. The campground itself is surprisingly civilized. Clean bathrooms, defined sites, and just enough infrastructure to lull you into thinking youre in controlright up until an audad wanders through like its inspecting your life choices. Leave food out? Rookie mistake. Blink too long? Thats on you. At night, the silence is so deep you can hear your own thoughts, which is frankly rude. The stars explode overhead in a way that makes you reconsider every email youve ever sent. Sleep comes easily until you remember youre lying in a bowl of mountains with horned park managers roaming freely.Final verdict: Chisos Basin Campground is peaceful, stunning, and lightly supervised by goat-shaped bouncers. Five stars. Would camp again. Would not challenge an audad to a staring contest.
@MartinG7975461 · Camped on Nov 2, 2025 at Campsite #42
The Chisos Basin is very beautiful and has convenient access to restrooms and water for tent campers.
No Service
@JohnP7677320 · Camped on May 23, 2025 at Campsite #42
Wonderful experience with the family!
Some Coverage
@MelissaG424340 · Camped on Mar 16, 2025 at Campsite #42
Site #43 was perfectly located with an amazing view. We repositioned the metal table to allow us to stake our tent in the center of the site facing the mountain range. We had a good size Kelty Discovery Basecamp 4p tent and had plenty of space remaining for our chairs without feeling cramped. There's a very large bolder that my daughter really enjoyed climbing on -- it made for a great spot to view the stars. The site is close enough to the bathroom but far enough to not feel/hear the noise from bathroom traffic. The bear box was super spacious. We had no issues during our two night stay. The camp host was super friendly and helpful. She drove by and introduced herself and gave information about the area. I would absolutely stay at this site again.
Major Issues
@ScottM5484435 · Camped on Feb 26, 2025 at Campsite #42
This was a great park to stay in overnight while at Big Bend National Park. Our campsite had beautiful views of the mountains, restrooms were cleaned and our camp host/volunteer was very friendly. A great experience!
Some Coverage
@ConnieE9BE6F86 · Camped on Nov 10, 2024 at Campsite #42
The view from the campground was phenomenal, right in the basin of the Chisos Mountains. The campground had a table with two benches and a small built in grill for a wood or charcoal and a designated parking space directly out front of the individual camp site. The weather was perfect!
@DavidC2858387 · Camped on Oct 16, 2024 at Campsite #42
I was unexpectedly pleased about the beauty of the campsite. The bathrooms are a little outdated, but very convenient to the campsites.
Some Coverage
@CraigR8509397 · Camped on May 29, 2024 at Campsite #42
Campground was great. Very pretty area. Bathrooms were good. Close to the lodge restaurant and the camp store. The only complaint would be the camp sites are really inconsistent on what they provide. Some are shaded, some arent. Some have shelters, some dont. Some are off the roadway, some make you park on the road. There is no real good way to tell what you are getting until you get there.
Good
@LesleyLD15408A · Camped on Apr 9, 2024 at Campsite #42
This site was small but relatively secluded and the view was amazing. The site was large enough for a large 6 person tent.
Good
@RebeccaC264620 · Camped on Feb 19, 2024 at Campsite #42
This is a small, beautiful campground. Amazing location for hiking in the Chisos.
Good
@RobertW1226972 · Camped on Feb 10, 2024 at Campsite #42
Amazing national park. Hiked both canyon trails ,the Window trail and Lost Mine trail. All of them were really great. Well definitely be back and plan to stay at least a week.
Some Coverage
@WilliamH158481 · Camped on Jan 28, 2024 at Campsite #42
Campground was clean, host was very friendly & helpful, outstanding location.
Excellent
@Katherine75754 · Camped on Mar 9, 2023 at Campsite #42
it was a beautiful site, if a bit small. Being walking distance to the window trailhead was amazing. Wind was bad one day, but taking off the rain cover helped with that
Some Coverage
@MarkB1441206 · Camped on Nov 7, 2022 at Campsite #42
The camping was 5 star. 2 stars off for reservation.gov -- annoying site, and they spam you for reviews with no option to unsubscribe. Very unprofessional.
No Service
@DeniseL2073409 · Camped on May 30, 2022 at Campsite #42
Site #42 does NOT have shade. Not shelter/canopy and no trees. It is very small (barely fit two 2-person tents, with picnic table along road at an angle). During a flash flood, the site flooded and our tent bottoms were soaked. If available, definitely choose another site! Other than the actual site though, we loved the campground and all of Chisos Basin - great NPS trip!
@stephanie38834 · Camped on Mar 19, 2022 at Campsite #42
This was the perfect camping spot for our trip! Out in the mountains with gorgeous sunset views, and a central location for the park. We were able to walk to most trails in the basin. There were lots of water taps and a bathroom nearby. Be prepared for desert weather and heavy winds at night in the spring.
@GinnieA447B844 · Camped on Mar 16, 2022 at Campsite #42
Great camp ground that is the trail head for the Window trail and within a mile drive to the Chisos Lodge/restaurant/trail heads (for Pinnacle, Emory Peak etc) as well as Lost Mine. Pro tipLost Mine parking is almost full by 0730. This campground is very well maintained with flush toilets and a sink between the bathrooms for washing. Has trash on site. The spots are variable in size and in slope. This spot did not have a shelter over the picnic table, and we are glad it did not as some of the shelters in loop 2 had sloping ground to pitch your tent. The picnic table is moveable so it was easy to fit a Kelty Discovery 6 man tent (about 10x12 feet) on this site which appeared to be one of the smaller ones. Still had room for picnic table and four big camp chairs.The wind can be super high (gusts into the 50s). Make sure you bring a mallet to anchor your tent and fly and use big rocks on top - rock tip from camp host. Several tents were destroyed when people were out hiking. Ours was okay blowing and bending in the wind. But we forgot to put down our camp chairs before we left for hiking. Bottom line if you like camping and access to the trails this is it! We had a spot at Cottonwood but has such limited access to the trailheads, and we so glad this spot opened up last minute. Its a pain to constantly check the app within the 14 day window but several spots did open up in the Spring Break window. Went fast obviously.For back country with more shade and protection the Boot Canyon sites are nice. Enjoy Big Bendso glad we went.
@EllieC5382222 · Camped on Mar 4, 2022 at Campsite #42
The campground was spectacular! It was easy to locate, clean, easily accessible to trailheads, and peaceful. Being able to watch the sunset from The Window Trailhead every day was a great plus. It was nice that each site had a picnic table and bear box as well. Would certainly stay there again!
@AnthonyM220348 · Camped on Feb 11, 2022 at Campsite #42
Great experience!!!
@RichardM509620 · Camped on Jan 31, 2022 at Campsite #42
Beautiful setting, but poor campground. The campsites are very close together so you pretty much share everything you say and do with your neighbors. The parking areas for most sites are quite in level making camping in a van, small RV or trailer uncomfortable. Toilet and washing facilities are limited considering the number of campers.
@SepidehJ236 · Camped on Nov 15, 2021 at Campsite #42
Such a beautiful place. Loved the energy and the amazing hikes and views. Will definitely be back.
@jeffm966 · Camped on Nov 10, 2021 at Campsite #42
Place is getting crowded. Not like the old days. Tour busses and vans everywhere. Crowded trails full parking lots.
Good
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