Chisos Basin Campground (Big Bend, TX)

Big Bend National Park

Chisos Basin Campground, perched high in the rugged Chisos Mountains, is the most sought-after campground in Big Bend National Park. At an altitude of 5,400 ft. (1646 m), the campground is surrounded on all sides by tall, rocky cliffs and is conveniently located near some of the park's most spectacular and popular trails. This campground offers excellent views and mild temperatures.

Also found in the Chisos Basin area is the Chisos Basin Visitor Center, the General Store and the Chisos Mountains Lodge, which houses the only restaurant in Big Bend National Park.

Important: The road to the campground is steep and winding with sharp hairpin turns. Trailers over 19 feet and RVs over 24 feet are not recommended, and will not be accommodated. No RV parking is available at the group campground, nor is generator use allowed. All sites where you may have a generator are now reservable. If you need to use a generator and you do not have a reservation in a site that will allow generator use, you will need to camp elsewhere. 

Note: Campsites are small, rocky, and not level, so there are very few sites truly suitable for RVs. Many sites will allow an RV/Trailer/Van/Camper, but you will not be able to get level. The campground is almost always full, and if the site you booked doesn’t work, in all likelihood you will NOT be able to switch sites, and will either have to make your site work, or find accommodations at another campground. It is necessary that you carry some form of leveling blocks/devices with you. Please carefully review the site details before making a reservation.

The Chisos Basin Campground has 60 individual campsites. The campground is reservable year-round, some sites six months in advance, some two weeks in advance (Sites 8 - 10, 12 - 15, 31, 37 (accessible), and 48 - 60. There is no first-come, first served camping. A few sites are set aside for administrative use.

Because of the size of each campsite, they are more suitable to tent camping than RVs or trailers, though both are allowed at some campsites. Each site comes with a picnic table, charcoal grill and bear-proof food storage container, and some sites come with picnic shelters for shade. Sites are generally rocky and not level. Most campsites are within easy walking distance to drinking water and toilets, and a dump station is provided for RVs and trailers.    

The dump station is oddly situated and requires EXTRA long hoses, as it's on the right side of the road, opposite from most RV sewer outlets. Another more easily utilized dump station is located at Rio Grande Village.

Need to Know

• Vehicle Restrictions. The road to the campground is steep and winding with sharp hairpin turns. The vehicle restriction for the road and campground is 24 feet (7 m) for motor homes and 20 feet (6 m) for travel trailers.

• Maximum campsite capacity. The maximum capacity of each campsite is two vehicles, eight people and four tents. Some sites may be smaller and will not accommodate the maximum limits. Each site allows only 1 conversion van or other type of recreational vehicle. Two conversion vans or RVs require 2 sites. Read the individual site descriptions carefully. 

• Check In: You may occupy your campsite anytime after 1:00 PM. Your site will be marked. There is no official check-in procedure. 

• A camper arriving the day AFTER the reservation begins is considered a No Show. A No Show may result in a cancellation of your reservation. Contact the park at 432-477-2251 if you are late or will not be arriving until the day after your reservation starts.

• Are you still camping? If you leave your site during the day, please leave something at the site so we know you are not checking out early. A tent, camp chair, stove, book, etc., something of little value but that indicates you plan to return. 

• Campfires. NO wood or ground fires allowed at any time. Charcoal may be used in the raised grills provided at each site. 

• No Hookups. There are no electric, water or sewer hookups at the individual sites. There is a dump/fill station located in the campground.

• Food Storage Lockers/Bears. Bears frequent the area. All food must be kept in the food storage locker or in a hard-sided vehicle; trash must be disposed of in the animal-proof dumpsters provided. Do not leave coolers or food boxes unattended at any time. Please collapse your tent during the day if you are not in the campsite. Bears have been known to investigate and damage tents.

• Generators. Many sites are in a NO generator zone. Read the site details carefully when selecting a site.

• Pets. Pets are allowed in each campsite, although they must be leashed and restrained at all times. Pets are not allowed on trails or in buildings.

• Hammocks. Hammocks are only allowed when not affixed to natural features. Do not hang hammocks on trees. No hammocks or other devices may be attached or tied to trees or any other natural features or objects.

• No Showers. There are no showers at this campground. The only showers in the park are coin-operated at the Rio Grande Village camp store (1 hour drive).

• Campsites are not level. Due to the terrain, most campsites are not level.

• Entrance Fee. Big Bend charges an entrance fee separate from the camping fee. You may pay the fee upon arrival or in advance. The park also honors Federal interagency passes (e.g., annual, senior, military, access, 4th grade, Golden Age pass etc.). For more information visit the park's Fees & Passes web page. 

Natural Features

The national park is named for a curve in the Rio Grande called the "big bend." For 1,250 miles (2012 km), the river is an International Boundary between the United States and Mexico.

The campground lies at the base of several sloping cliffs amidst montane shrubland; desert plants such as Arizona cyprus and mesquite trees fill the landscape. Maple, aspen, pinyon and ponderosa pines grow at higher elevations just above the campground. Though it is lower than the surrounding cliffs, the Chisos Basin is at a higher elevation than other campgrounds within the park. Summer temperatures here are cool, yet warmer than other areas in fall and winter due to the cold air sinking into lower regions.

The Chisos Mountains are a popular nesting site for migratory birds. The mountains provide the only nesting ground in the United States for the Colima warbler, which arrives in mid-April and departs for its wintering grounds in southwestern Mexico by mid-September.

Nearby Attractions

Big Bend National Park encompasses 801,000 acres (324,153 ha) and the Chisos Basin area is centrally located. This allows visitors an excellent opportunity to explore all areas of the park in a relatively short drive. Big Bend offers excellent hiking trails, miles of rugged dirt roads, and endless possibilities for sightseeing.

Recreation

This campground is a hub for hikers. Some of the park's most spectacular and popular Day Hike trails are nearby, including the Lost Mine Trail, the Window Trail, the South Rim Trail and the Pinnacles Trail, with its access to the park's highest point, Emory Peak (elevation 7,825 ft./2385 m). Campers can find the trailheads for most of these trails in the main Chisos Basin area a mile or so further down the basin road from the campground.

Access to the river is approximately 30 miles (48 km) away, where visitors can canoe, kayak and fish.

Contact Information

Default

PO BOX 129 BIG BEND NAT. PARK TX 79834

Physical

Park Headquarters 1 Panther Junction Big Bend National Park TX 79834

Phone Number

For campground inquiries, please call: 432-477-1121

Rental Options

Learn more about gear rental options for your trip

Driving Directions

From Interstate 10, take highway 385 south to Fort Stockton and then on to Marathon. From Marathon, go 40 miles (64 km) south on Highway 385 to the north entrance of Big Bend National Park. Drive straight 26 miles (42 km) to Park Headquarters at Panther Junction. Turn right and drive for three miles (1 km). Turn left at the Basin sign and go seven miles (2.1 km) before making a right into the campground road.

Available Campsites

• Site 027, Loop Loop 2, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 048, Loop Loop 3, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 057, Loop Loop 3, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 015, Loop Loop 1, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 018, Loop Loop 1, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 056, Loop Loop 3, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 050, Loop Loop 3, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 007, Loop Loop 1, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 051, Loop Loop 3, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 037 - ADA Only, Loop Loop 2, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 034, Loop Loop 2, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 014, Loop Loop 1, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 053, Loop Loop 3, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 008, Loop Loop 1, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 001, Loop Loop 1, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 002, Loop Loop 1, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 043, Loop Loop 3, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 033, Loop Loop 2, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 054, Loop Loop 3, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 031, Loop Loop 2, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 039, Loop Loop 2, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 041, Loop Loop 3, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 059, Loop Loop 3, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 040, Loop Loop 2, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 023, Loop Loop 2, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 036, Loop Loop 2, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 019, Loop Loop 1, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 021, Loop Loop 2, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 035, Loop Loop 2, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 060, Loop Loop 3, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 049, Loop Loop 3, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 029, Loop Loop 2, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 010, Loop Loop 1, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 013, Loop Loop 1, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 020, Loop Loop 1, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 009, Loop Loop 1, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 026, Loop Loop 2, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 028, Loop Loop 2, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 005, Loop Loop 1, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 038, Loop Loop 2, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 024, Loop Loop 2, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 006, Loop Loop 1, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 003, Loop Loop 1, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 055, Loop Loop 3, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 025, Loop Loop 2, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 042, Loop Loop 3, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 016, Loop Loop 1, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 044, Loop Loop 3, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 004, Loop Loop 1, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 052, Loop Loop 3, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 058, Loop Loop 3, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 017, Loop Loop 1, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 012, Loop Loop 1, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 030, Loop Loop 2, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 045, Loop Loop 3, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 032, Loop Loop 2, Type Standard Nonelectric

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