Big Bend National Park13
Campsite #13 at Cottonwood Campground, Big Bend National Park, TX
$16
Campsite #13
| Drive-In | 8 people |
| 30 ft | Back-In |
| 2 | fair |
4/2
4/22
Campsite #13 Features: Drive-In access, Back-In parking, 30-foot driveway, Food Storage Locker, Picnic Table, RV Site, Tent Site, Trailer Site, Pets Allowed
Campsite Reviews (20)
5.0 out of 5
| 5 star | | 75% |
| 4 star | | 20% |
| 3 star | | 5% |
| 2 star | | 0% |
| 1 star | | 0% |
@DebraA2580566 · Camped on Feb 9, 2025 at Campsite #13
Enjoyed my visit at Cottonwood Campground. Clean bathrooms. Great campground host. Quiet. Close to Santa Elena canyons, a must visit. Close to Terlingua / Study Butte.
No Service
@StacyW6715467 · Camped on Dec 16, 2024 at Campsite #13
Don't let the remoteness of this campground scare you off in the winter. Tent camping in mid-December with temperatures in the 70's was a dream come true. Quiet campground, which is visited by Javelina's in the afternoon. Such a treat.
Good
@AshleyS5221344 · Camped on Nov 9, 2024 at Campsite #13
Spacious campsites and beautiful location. Definitely recommend talking to the people at the very close Visitor Centre for things to do.
@SylvieL14C01B8 · Camped on Feb 19, 2024 at Campsite #13
Ce camping est vraiment bien trs tranquille et les gens y sont trs respectueux
@DavidK6336379 · Camped on Jan 19, 2024 at Campsite #13
we stayed for 5 days in late january. it was a wonderful, quiet campground. flat sites. not too close together. Only 1 potable water spigot at the entrance to the campground. big trees, great birding right there! much quieter than Chisos Basin campground!!
Some Coverage
@ArneS1D3F336B0 · Camped on Dec 11, 2023 at Campsite #13
The Cottonwood REC.GOV experience was challenging. We wanted to book two consecutive nights in early Dec. There was no guidance on the website how to do this. When the first night was released at 9 am 2 weeks out, I booked it, then had to do the same thing the next morning. Surely there is a way to do a multi night reservation without doing this every morning 2 weeks out from the stay?
@FaithS9057693 · Camped on Apr 14, 2023 at Campsite #13
This spot had two nice trees which provided some much needed shade! Bathrooms were clean and the camp host was very friendly and helpful.
No Service
@LisaJ6167235 · Camped on Apr 5, 2023 at Campsite #13
The park was spectacular and the camping area was pleasant. I really appreciated the amount of space given to campers, no generators allowed and the peace and quiet at the Cottonwood camp ground.
No Service
@KathleenM78273 · Camped on Dec 30, 2022 at Campsite #13
This is a beautiful, quiet campground!
No Service
@ChrisP7014555 · Camped on Oct 29, 2022 at Campsite #13
Campsite: Nice spot in the middle, 2-minute walk away from bathroom. Partially covered by trees. Space for 2 cars and 2 tents. Campground: (On Oct 30) seemed half-full. Very quiet, other than some faint music (Saturday night) coming from Mexico. No campfires meant stargazing after dark. Stars were nice, but not as bright as they are from Chisos campground (previous night). octtonwood was less windy and easily 10 degrees warmer than Chisos (Oct 29). Bathrooms (pit toilets) were clean and warm (not sure how), Bathrooms had sanitizer but no water. In the morning you are 15(?) mins from Santa Elena Canyon, which is very photographic at sunrise.
No Service
@LauraS4657948 · Camped on Feb 25, 2022 at Campsite #13
Great campground. Very clean and quiet. Even had two great horn owls cooing us at nite. Lots of hikes near by
No Service
No Service
@jonathano961 · Camped on Nov 22, 2021 at Campsite #13
We love Big Bend and we love Cottonwood! Best campground in the park! Quite and peaceful, and usually warmer at night. Great for families!
No Service
@ChristineY408 · Camped on Apr 9, 2021 at Campsite #13
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.
No Service
@GeorgeA966 · Camped on Mar 27, 2021 at Campsite #13
The campground is beautiful, the hosts were welcoming and knowledgeable, and the pit toilets had an alluring bouquet! Highly recommend looking at the photos to find a sight with good shade! (13 is a good one)
No Service
@LucyC302 · Camped on Feb 27, 2021 at Campsite #13
We loved camping at Cottonwood Campground in Big Bend! The location was great--super close to great hikes and beauty. The campground is smaller than the Rio Grande campground or the Chisos Mountain campground, and perhaps because of the absence of hookups and limited access to water, was blissfully quiet and calm. The spacing of the campsites allowed for privacy and the campground host was wonderful. We had visits from resident roadrunners, saw and heard a resident Great Horned Owl, and also spotted numerous birds in the campsite area including Vermillion Flycatchers. We will definitely return to this campground!
No Service
@KelleyS751 · Camped on Feb 25, 2021 at Campsite #13
Quiet, beautiful campground; convenient location for Santa Elena Canton and Chimneys Trails.
Some Coverage
@JoeB439 · Camped on Feb 22, 2021 at Campsite #13
Quiet, about 10-15 spaces at 2/3 capacity. Dry camping though drinking water provided by reverse osmosis pump. Right on the Rio Grande River. Great host/hostess. One half mile from welcome center with interesting displays of barracks, NCO and officer houses, family home, school and jail. 8 miles to scenic Santa Elena canyon. Easy access to unsaved Old Maverick and River Road West. Access to camp along a paved highly scenic drive named after an early superintendent. 36 miles to gas station. High temperature at end of February was 94 degrees on road. Lots of scenery and historic stops nearby.
@LindaH396 · Camped on Feb 11, 2021 at Campsite #13
It was rainy with lots of puddles. It took me days to get the mud off my shoes and it was difficult to get the mud out of my car too. The campground is nice when not wet.
No Service
@EvanM8892211 · Camped on Nov 16, 2020 at Campsite #13
Great site. Plan to camp in a small gravel pad Or call ahead for the schedule as they sometimes flood the grassy areas early in the morning for irrigation purposes. Very weak cell service near the entrance. None at my campsite. The pulloff at the Chimney Trail head - a few miles prior to Cottonwood has 4 bars signal and is a good place to stop on the way in (on Ross Maxwell drive) if cell service is needed. Good clean toilet areas. Water designated as non potable (I was told by park representative) is in fact chlorinated so can be used for rinsing.
Major Issues
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