Cottonwood Campground is located in the southwestern corner of Big Bend National Park, near the Rio Grande, Santa Elena Canyon and the Castolon Historic District. It is a quiet and remote campground with 25 individual sites and one group site, offering opportunities to spot certain rare birds, explore the park and enjoy stunning views. The campground has pit toilets, potable water, picnic tables, bear boxes and grills.
Cottonwood Campground is a quiet desert oasis in the southwestern corner of Big Bend National Park. Conveniently located between the Castolon Historic District, the scenic Santa Elena Canyon and the tail end of the Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive, this small, 25-site campground is one of the least-known and quiet campgrounds in the park. There is one group campsite and 24 individual sites. This is a remote campground in a remote park. It is dry camping, no hook-ups, and no generators are permitted.
Cottonwood gets its name from the cottonwood trees that surround and provide shade for the facility nearby the Rio Grande. A general store and visitor center -- a converted former military outpost -- are also nearby.
The campground is at an elevation of 1,900 ft. It is relatively cool in the peak seasons of fall and winter due to cold air sinking into the lower elevations. In the spring and summer, this campground is very hot, with temperatures normally exceeding 100 degrees F from mid-March through August.
The campground has pit (vault) toilets, potable water, picnic tables, bear boxes, and grills. There are no hook-ups or dump stations, and the use of generators is not allowed.
The group campsite is a walk-in, tent-only site; no RVs or trailers are allowed. Vehicle parking is restricted to an adjacent parking area, a short walk from the campsite itself.
The individual sites are all similar. Each site has a bear box, picnic table, and raised grill. All have dirt/gravel parking spaces and most are well-shaded with some afternoon/evening sun. The individual sites are on a 2-week reservation window, which means you can make the reservation no more than 2 weeks in advance of your arrival.
Santa Elena Canyon, Castolon Historic District, Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive.
Set alerts at more campgrounds to increase your odds of getting a place to stay! Below is a list of the closest campgrounds supported on Campflare. Or, view all campgrounds in Big Bend National Park.
Nearby Campgrounds | Distance | Notification Rate |
Chisos Basin Group
Big Bend National Park
|
16.3mi | 83% |
Chisos Basin (Big Bend)
Big Bend National Park
|
16.3mi | 95% |
Grassy Banks
Barton Warnock Visitor Center
|
16.8mi | — |
Lower Madera
Barton Warnock Visitor Center
|
16.8mi | — |
Upper Madera
Barton Warnock Visitor Center
|
16.8mi | — |
La Cuesta
Barton Warnock Visitor Center
|
16.8mi | — |