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The Rio Grande Village Group Campground sits on the banks of the Rio Grande, the International Boundary between the United States and Mexico. The four group campsites are great options for groups of nine people or more and is one of the most popular campgrounds in Big Bend National Park. It is located close to Boquillas Canyon and Hot Springs, and acts as a launch point for visitors accessing the river or the endless miles of backcountry roads. Rio Grande Village has an outstanding view of the Sierra del Carmen Mountains, located in Mexico to the east, which light up with hues of red and orange during sunset.
The river offers ample opportunities to explore its shores and water. The river put-in allows easy access to canoeing and kayaking on the river. Birders flock to the river banks to spot such rare and unique species often found only in Big Bend.
Hiking trails are also found nearby the campground and many backcountry roads are located near the campground.
The group campsites are tent-only; RVs and trailers are not allowed. There are no hook-ups available in the group sites and generators are prohibited. Each site is provided with a picnic table, charcoal grill and bear-proof food storage locker. All four group sites are within easy walking distance to water spigots and restrooms. Showers and laundry facilities can also be found close by at the Rio Grande Village Store.
The mountain views, proximity to the river and shade from the surrounding cottonwood trees make Rio Grande Village Campground irresistible to visitors. This facility is at an elevation of 1,850 ft. Because cold air tends to sink into lower valleys during the peak seasons of fall and winter, temperatures are cooler here than in other parts of the park during these times. However, temperatures from March to September can easily exceed 100 degrees Fahrenheit.
From Interstate 10, take State Highway 385 south to Fort Stockton and into Marathon. From Marathon, drive 40 miles south on State Highway 385 to the north entrance of Big Bend National Park. Drive straight for 26 miles to Park Headquarters at Panther Junction. Turn left and proceed for 20 miles to the Rio Grande Village area. At the stop sign, turn right, then veer right for the group campground.
This was the full hookup RV sites. They converted a paved parking lot into 30 sites. Hookups all worked great. Nice laundry and restrooms. Nice camp store. Gasoline was reasonable price compared to nearby towns. Big Bend is a dark sky site for star gazing. Unfortunately too many RVs left a lot of lights on.
We stayed at Rio Grande Campgroud for 3 n8ght. Absolutely loved it. We were on the back loop near the nature trail. The trees secluded our camp from the general camping spaces. We saw lots of birds, roadrunners, javelin, and while hiking the nature trail I saw other critters including some burrows near the river.
The camps tore was well stocked with WiFi, laundry facilities, and gas. I highly recommend staying at Rio Grande.
The campground came with many useful facilities. The bathroom was great with running water. there were also drinkable water. However, there was no electricity. We stayed at the campground 34, and following are some important points:
1. we saw coyotes when we reached the campground. It was interesting but also made us more cautious. in the campground, each camping reservation sites have a space for storing food or smelly items, to prevent coyotes and bears from attacking you. Please use that wisely.
2. do not use the trees to hang anything, no ropes, not even lanterns.
3. do not make noise after 9 PM.
4. follow every other rules in the brochure or in the website.
5. there is a Nature a Trail very close to the campsite. it is at the same time, so underrated and so beautiful.
When reading the reviews, be aware that some reviewers have posted reviews relating to the other nearby campground that is a full-service RV only campground beside the village store. We dry-camped with our 33' Class A at the Rio Grande Campground on Loop 1, Space 2 and loved the site, and the view! The Nature Walk is wonderful; be sure to hike up to the Overlook to watch the sunset. Beware of bears and javelina in the campground and surrounding area. Bathrooms have flush toilets and were clean. They have a RV dump site and water. Drinking water fountains available. They have bins to recycle plastic, glass, and aluminum cans. Sites have a lot of room, a picnic table, grill; and grassy area between loops. I highly recommend this campground. Choose the campground if you don't mind dry-camping, want spacious sites, and plenty of grassy areas and shade trees. If you want full-service book the RV campground and expect essentially a parking lot with less space.
Very unique place to camp. Lots of trails close by. Internet about a half a mile away at the camp store. Water spigots throughout the campground and a dump station on your way in / out. The camp hosts were extremely friendly. Generators allowed between 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
