By:
Submission
From park headquarters (Panther Jct): Go 21 mi SE on park Rd.
It’s a hot one. Like seven inches from the midday sun. Great to have full hookup in a National Park, but you’re camping in a parking lot with no shade. In triple digit temps it’s near impossible to cool off. Each side has a band of trees where you put your chairs and hope for a breeze. On the plus side, there’s a well-equipped store with everything from bread to beer to Blue Bunny and Big Bend baubles. There’s laundry and WiFi plus flush toilets and $2 5 minute showers. There’s a market price gas station and water bottle refills at the nearby Visitor Center. Recommend if you need hook-up.
Very well maintained campground, it's 2 min walk to the river, very easy river access. And it's a 4 min walk to the camp store, laundry and shower. It was very silent as well. By the way we camped at a group camp site not the individual camp sites. We even saw coyotes close to the camp ground.
We stayed three nights in late January at the “primitive” no hookup (Loop 2) part of the Campground. No hookups were needed, drinking water, restrooms, and a dump station were readily accessible. The Javelinas were fun to watch as they roamed through the campground each day. The coyotes howled late at night in the distance, and the dark sky’s allowed for a beautiful show of stars each night. We used our reserved site as our base, and drove to sightsee most everything the Park had to offer. Days still nearly reached into the 80’s, so I think January was a great time to visit.
We stayed 4 nights. As mentioned in other reviews, this is a paved parking lot with full hookups but the attraction is not the campground, it is the National Park which is spectacular. There is a very nice boondocking campground next door but it has limited services. There is water available as well as toilets and showers. If you want FHU the Rio Grand Village is your only option. It was just fine for us. If you have small dogs be aware of the Coyotes and Bobcats that frequent the area. Big Bend is a beautiful and is a must see.
I’m very glad we found this spot and stayed here. Long haul with three kids but worth it!
It was nice to have full hook ups, and behind each spot, there was some space to spread out/picnic table. Like other reviews, it’s essentially a parking lot, but that’s okay — that’s a national park for ya! They’re not in the resort business :)
While there for a long weekend, we saw coyotes, cows?!, a roadrunner, and much more. Beautiful view of Boquillas Canyon!
Only reason for one star removed was the park store/facilities/staff. Nothing terrible but nothing to write home about either. Ex: My kids wanted ice cream one afternoon, and as soon as they selected their choices, the workers immediately and repeatedly said to go outside to eat it. I’m like … we were. I have to pay, right? No one has opened anything. So, like I get it, but there’s a nice way to say it and a mean way to say it and it was veering more toward rude, to me.
Also, be advised the facilities (laundry and restrooms) are open 24 hours a day EXCEPT 8-9am for cleaning. By 9am, there were handfuls of people waiting to use the restroom or wash up. So be advised when you have to pee at 8:15. You gotta go somewhere else! Plan accordingly.
Otherwise, come for the hikes, stay for the stars ✨ and enjoy your time in one of the most beautiful places!
