@JannaT721DAE98· Camped on Feb 24, 2026 at Campsite #24
We love boondocking at Cottonwood! Its our 4th visit!!! Quiet. Remote. A great way to enjoy Big Bend NP. Close to great hikes. Amazing scenery. Santa Elena. Mule Ears. The Chimneys. Campground host Mark was helpful. Informative. Made us feel right at home! We will definitely keep coming back!
@MarkJ8680764· Camped on Feb 18, 2026 at Campsite #24
Very nice clean and quiet campground. The vault toilet was very clean. RO water for drinking.
@PeterP6271166· Camped on Feb 12, 2026 at Campsite #24
Fantastic place with a billion stars at night. Cant wait to go back.
Some Coverage
@Elizabeth65B4F· Camped on Dec 30, 2025 at Campsite #24
During our visit, we saw a very well run campground. Our camp host was diligent and we saw her making her rounds multiple times a day, making sure everything was in order. The pit toilets were cleaned regularly. It is unfortunate that the campground isnt on a first-come basis anymore.
@ShaunH21459BDA· Camped on Dec 23, 2025 at Campsite #24
I loved our campsite, not a ton of other campers, super close to the Rio Grande, great for exploring that side of the park and in decent proximity to Terlingua if one wants to go into town.
Some Coverage
@JoseaA2CEC4BA5· Camped on Dec 21, 2025 at Campsite #24
I greatly enjoyed the silence and the wind at this beautiful campground near Santa Elena Canyon. It is a wonderful place. The caretakers are very kind. One of them asked a truck with loud music to turn it offthat was excellent. These remote places are meant to be listened to, not invaded. Great campground. Very adequate restrooms.
Major Issues
@charlies4249AF· Camped on Dec 14, 2025 at Campsite #24
Lots of javelinas
@KameronIE8C432· Camped on Apr 21, 2025 at Campsite #24
Ranger Jean watching over the campground deserves accolades for being informative, kind, and thoughtful!
No Service
@SarahK3888645· Camped on Jan 4, 2025 at Campsite #24
Site 30 is my new favorite site. Lots of javelina visits.
No Service
@AndreLDBAC2475· Camped on Jan 31, 2024 at Campsite #24
Absolutely wonderfull area, a must see
Major Issues
@denism742224B5· Camped on Nov 3, 2023 at Campsite #24
Cottonwood is a very comfortable campground. Setting up a tent in the wide, soft, grassy areas is easy. The vault restrooms are clean and - shockingly - smell good! Groups stay at the end of the campground and can be noisy at night.
No Service
@RebeccaR559280· Camped on Apr 19, 2023 at Campsite #24
Well-spaced sites at this campground. Number 30 has shade over the bear box and picnic table from mid-afternoon on, which was appreciated in the heat of late April. The only knock I have on Cottonwood is that if anyone arrives late at night or leaves very early, the entire campground hears the vehicle
No Service
@stuartw4120796· Camped on Feb 24, 2023 at Campsite #24
Nice and generally quiet though it seemed like the same cars kept circling and raising dust. It would have been nice to have hiking trails adjacent. For example a trail to the visitors center so we didnt have to walk in the shoulder-less road. Easy drive to Santa Elena a definite must-see. We brought our bikes but the narrow roads (again, no shoulders) made biking not possible/safe for us.
Some Coverage
@RebeccaB760095· Camped on Jan 20, 2023 at Campsite #24
Toilets were very clean campground was quiet and well maintained
@HaileyL8973240· Camped on Dec 20, 2022 at Campsite #24
Get winter camping spot!
No Service
No Service
@HaileyL8973240· Camped on Dec 20, 2022 at Campsite #24
Get winter camping spot!
No Service
No Service
@BarryC5751574· Camped on Nov 2, 2022 at Campsite #24
construction going on at the time I was there was made quite a bit of noise early in the morning and throughout the day of course my campsite was right across from this construction
No Service
@BarryC5751574· Camped on Oct 4, 2022 at Campsite #24
Nice View and very quiet campsite
No Service
@nancyg6172839· Camped on Apr 20, 2022 at Campsite #24
This campground is a gem, which has a shaded, broad grassy lawn (!) for tents. We spotted a great-horned owl may reside in the overhead cottonwoods. There were many other birds, and its a short drive to Santa Elena canyon.
@GregoryC315681· Camped on Apr 10, 2022 at Campsite #24
Nice green oasisCools off nicely at nightGood bird watching
@Katharine36FB0· Camped on Feb 12, 2022 at Campsite #24
Stayed two nights at site #24, would love to stay again! Vault toilets were clean, water was potable, site was level. My tent and car were small enough that I set up everything in the driveway; otherwise, you can set up a tent in the grass. My site was close to the river, it was nice to hear the water as I fell asleep. I also enjoyed opening my tent and seeing Mexico off in the distance. Never saw javelinas in the campground but definitely saw them near roads in the general area. I have Google Fi and never had service in the campground, but sometimes had service near the Castolon visitor center.
@MichaelB424· Camped on Dec 16, 2021 at Campsite #24
The facilities are as described, clean pit toilets a threaded faucet for non potable water and a limited faucet of potable water suitable to fill a hiking bottle. Our camp host was a rather humorless creepy guy who drove round the campground late into the night giving us the feeling we were judged guilty of I know not what. Not the off grid wilderness one hopes for.
No Service
@MatthewL609· Camped on Dec 3, 2021 at Campsite #24
@RobertE369· Camped on Nov 23, 2021 at Campsite #24
This is a beautiful and quiet campground. Much smaller and less crowded than the other two. The view is great, and it has a good location at the southwest corner of the park. Just beware of the trees overhead - many of them are in poor condition.
No Service
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