Campsite #5 at Cottonwood Campground, Big Bend National Park, TX

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Campsite #5

16 reviews
Drive-In 8 people
40 ft Back-in
2 weak
5
4/30
Campsite #5 Features: Drive-In access, Back-in parking, 40ft driveway, Food Storage Locker, Picnic Table, RV Site, Tent Site, Trailer Site, Pets Allowed

Campsite Reviews (16)

5.0 out of 5

5 star
94%
4 star
6%
3 star
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2 star
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1 star
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@RussCD4808663F · Camped on Feb 22, 2025 at Campsite #5
We spent 3 days in the park and got great hikes in all 3 days. The campsite was sort of shaded and level. The sites were well spaced.
@LisaE8884168 · Camped on Feb 3, 2025 at Campsite #5
Nice small campground. Pit toilets only but they were clean. Very close to Santa Elena Canyon, which in my opinion is the best hike in the park.
@MargaretS19398 · Camped on Jan 29, 2025 at Campsite #5
Big Bend was awesome. The Cottonwood Campground was very comfortable. It was a fenced in area with nice open campsites spotted with trees for shady areas. The stars at night were awesome!
@JeramiM5281300 · Camped on Apr 5, 2024 at Campsite #5
Lovely campground although gets a bit windy. Wide variety of birds to see here. Bathrooms were quite clean and the water was probably the best tasting out of the main campgrounds.
@WayneM9023420 · Camped on Mar 1, 2024 at Campsite #5
Cottonwood campground is clean, the sites are level and the largest in the park. Camp hosts are both friendly and knowledgeable. We will be back
@annettejB56408 · Camped on Jan 29, 2024 at Campsite #5
Great place to camp on western side of the park. Hikes, sites and history of the area great! Campground is simple and quiet. Large sites. Definitely a quieter side of the park.
@KimberlyM76848 · Camped on Jan 27, 2024 at Campsite #5
Great relaxed and comfortable campground to settle into and then explore so many hikes!
@Benjamin69E095 · Camped on Apr 30, 2023 at Campsite #5
The stay was wonderful, with a very nice host.
@ThomasM8282631 · Camped on Feb 19, 2023 at Campsite #5
Campground hostess was wonderful. Nice to see the resident owl.
@KarenW860 · Camped on Jan 15, 2022 at Campsite #5
Cottonwood was a beautiful and silent place. The host was super helpful and checked in with us every day. We spent three nights there and hiked the Mule Ear's spring trail and Santa Elena Canyon trail. It was verdantly green compared to the rest of the area and there was even regular grass in the campsites. It was a fantastic stay.
@DOUGLASW666 · Camped on Jan 6, 2022 at Campsite #5
We really enjoyed our stay at this campground. It is for smaller trailer and RVs but well worth the stay. There are many places to see and hike in the area. The campground hosts do an excellent job of keeping the campground clean. And we had a great horned owl spend a day with us.
@JamesH790 · Camped on Dec 22, 2021 at Campsite #5
Loved the quiet, remoteness camping under the huge cottonwoods. Sites are spread out so you're not on top of each other. If you're lucky you will see the Great Horned Owl residing in the tree tops. Close proximity to the beautiful Santa Elena Canyon and the many hiking trails and sites along the Ross Maxwell scenic drive.
@JosueD782 · Camped on Nov 16, 2021 at Campsite #5
Had many conversations with Ed the site host. Very pleasant man and offered great information about Big Bend. The campground was very organized and clean. Saw some great wildlife as well. Would definitely recommend. Thank you Ed for being an amazing host. You made our stay a memorable one.
@EddieF417 · Camped on Apr 22, 2021 at Campsite #5
Very nice campground with huge trees for shade. There is water available to fill your bottle but not to fill your RV tank...
@DavidJ415 · Camped on Apr 9, 2021 at Campsite #5
The park ranger, Margaret, was very helpful identifying animals, etc. Very quiet and bathrooms clean. A nice place to camp.
@DANS739 · Camped on Feb 23, 2021 at Campsite #5
This was our favorite campground in Big Bend. The sites were spacious. There were large trees. We had a gray owl visit daily. This area was free of illegal crossings. The Rio Grande area of the park had a problem with illegal crossings and sale of illegal souvenirs. The cottonwood area was wild and peaceful as a national park should be.




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