South Padre and Big Bend

[MNKennedy]

Greetings! we are heading to South Padre in mid April to do some birdwatching, anyone have suggestions for nice campsites? Also any favorites at Big Bend? only 3 nights each spot.
thanks
Cathy

[HABBERDABBER]

I've only been to Big Bend once, way, way back in 2011. There are 2 campgrounds, one which has some facilities. The other, down by the Rio Grande, was boondocking. Even in February, with night time freezing temps, the campgrounds were pretty well occupied. And April still brings it near Spring Break, and the park is jammed then. Spring Break goes for several months, depending on school schedules, Easter, etc. And the birder folks will be there too, at that migration time...in droves.
You may be lucky now, to get anything, let alone a recommendation for a specific campsite.

There is plenty of good info on the web about either, and you can write away and get maps and the like from the feds at Big Bend. Do YOUR research.

It's a neat scenic place. Marfa, Alpine & Ft. Davis are interesting towns, nearby, (by Texas standards.) It's 40 miles from the Park entrance gate to the lower, river campground. Great road, but an hours drive, at 40 mph speed limit. I guess that's why they call it BIG Bend.

[alanmalk]

Originally Posted by MNKennedy

Greetings! we are heading to South Padre in mid April to do some birdwatching, anyone have suggestions for nice campsites? Also any favorites at Big Bend? only 3 nights each spot.
thanks
Cathy

There are currently 3 Park run campgrounds and 1 private campground inside the park, plus a number of assigned primitive sites. The private campground is near Rio Grande Village at the far east end. It is the only campground with any hookups and is more like a parking lot with 25 spaces. The other 3 run by the Park have water, although only the Chisos Basin CG water is considered drinkable by yours truly. At the far west end of the Park is the Cottonwood CG, the smallest at around 25 sites and is the most remote. In the center, up in the Chisos Mountains, is the Chisos Basin CG which does have dump facilities.Up there are a number of Park facilities plus lodge, food and cell service. The actual CG was designed originally as a tenting area and only small RVs are permitted (E21 is a good maximum). The drive up to the Chisos Basin can be challenging with an RV. At the far east end is Rio Grande Village with about 100 flat sites, most big enough for larger RVs. It is close to a gas station, showers, laundry, dump and camp store.

All the campgrounds have bird watching potential. A lesser known spot is the wastewater treatment plant below the Chisos Basin CG with its man-made swamp. Lots of wildlife down there.

Plenty of reference materials are available and will give you a feel for what you are getting into. The Park is a long way from civilization and you should be prepared for anything. This includes weather extremes, no medical facilities near by, minimal groceries, no overflow camping in the Park, broad areas without cell service, etc, etc. This does not detract from the experience, rather, it is the big attraction for many people. And a strong emphasis on the word "many" in the spring. Get your CG reservations last month!

[Viajante]

Before you take a site at Chisos Basin you need to confirm that the site will accommodate your trailer and vehicle. Quite a few of the sites are not accessible for backing a trailer or setting it up. Others are not large enough for a truck and trailer combo. Rio Grande Village campground (not the RV parking lot) is a good choice for trailers, local trails, hot springs and some of the back country roads. And driving from there to Chisos mtns and the other end of the park is something you’ll want to do anyway just to enjoy the vistas.Cottonwood is more primitive. Backcountry sites can be great, but the access roads are rough so you probably want to find one within a mile of the main road. For birding, in addition to the river’s edge you can check out some of the old ranchstead sites. They were located near water and have good vegetation.

Edit: There is a huge amount of confusion among park staff as to what constitutes a vehicle. The rules have been tightened to count a trailer as a separate vehicle. Interpretation of this by office staff and field enforcement is all over the board. Some backcountry sites are designated for 1 vehicle. Whether or not you will be allowed to park your trailer and truck there is a quandary.

[Tosh]

Chisos Basin in Big Bend


I've never camped at South Padre; either stayed with friends, or in a hotel.



Harlingen is nearby - you might be interested in the World Birding Center

[MNKennedy]

Thanks so much for your quick and thorough reply!

[pkgman51]

We've camped at the Cottonwood Campground at Big Ben NP. We had to get there really early in the morning to get a first-come first-served site. There was a park official there to manage site availability as there are only about 25 sites.
It's pretty much boondocking, remote, and quiet. I wouldn't recommend the Chisos Basin. As noted previously, the sites there are quite small and difficult to get into.
Overall, I found the park to be one of the most inhospitable landscapes I've experienced. Why anyone thought they could successfully ranch or farm that land is beyond me. Yet, it's a beautiful park. Don't even think about taking your trailer down any of the unpaved roads. Those roads hardly accommodate automobiles. I was glad I had a full-sized SUV.
Enjoy your stay!

[rbryan4]

Chisos Basin is our favorite, but if you have a 21 it might be tight.
Attachment 66337

[cpaharley2008]

Originally Posted by Tosh

Chisos Basin in Big Bend


I've never camped at South Padre; either stayed with friends, or in a hotel.



Harlingen is nearby - you might be interested in the World Birding Center

Interestingly, my spouse has relatives from Harlingen, small world indeed!

[Dcboyd]

We spent 6 days in late October in big bend. 3 nights in Rio Grande Village RV park and 3 nights in Chicos Basin Campground. Rio Grande Villsge has 92 spaces and are primitive but very nice. They do have a pump out station, restrooms and showers. They do have a full service parking lot in which we had reservations but canceled when we decided to take a nice quiet Rv space.
In Chios Basin campground we stayed in site number 7. It is about the only one there that will accommodate both truck and 21c attached together. Beautiful area. We have been several times.
They do have an overflow parking lot next to the campground that will accommodate day hikers, and I saw several trailers there overnight. They probably asked for permission.
We took a day trip to the Cottonwood area. Drove through the campground and it is a trash place. I do not even recommend considering that place.

[brain]

As mentioned Chisos is a great spot to camp in Big Bend. My favorite place. But as mentioned there are only a couple of sites that will work with a small trailer.
Site #7 is a pull in and generators are allowed.
Site 26 is a pull in as well as #25. Have stayed at both. Great view of Casa Grande.
Site 15 is in the upper loop and have actually seen an Escape 21 in that site. Not easy to do but can be done (ask Vicki and Marv)!


Also reservations are a must...

[alanmalk]

Originally Posted by Dcboyd

We spent 6 days in late October in big bend. 3 nights in Rio Grande Village RV park and 3 nights in Chicos Basin Campground. Rio Grande Villsge has 92 spaces and are primitive but very nice. They do have a pump out station, restrooms and showers. They do have a full service parking lot in which we had reservations but canceled when we decided to take a nice quiet Rv space.
In Chios Basin campground we stayed in site number 7. It is about the only one there that will accommodate both truck and 21c attached together. Beautiful area. We have been several times.
They do have an overflow parking lot next to the campground that will accommodate day hikers, and I saw several trailers there overnight. They probably asked for permission.
We took a day trip to the Cottonwood area. Drove through the campground and it is a trash place. I do not even recommend considering that place.

A point of clarification: National Park Rio Grande Village Campground is primitive camping, 90+ spots, fairly spacious, water* and restrooms on site; dump station, store, gas station, showers and laundry are near by. Rio Grande Village RV Park is a private concession with the descriptive note above - "full service parking lot" - next to the store/laundry/gas station. Not run by the National Park.

Surprised by the Cottonwood CG description "trash place". I can only guess that perhaps no campground hosts were on duty at the time. We usually are pretty harsh on trashy campers. Many folks like it for the remote location, fewer campsites, no generators, birding, and access to the west end of the Park. Water and restrooms are more limited than the other 2 campgrounds.

The parking lot near the Chisos Basin campground can be used by overnight backpackers and lodge residents to park trailers and oversized vehicles. Not available as an overflow camping area. Rangers will frown on you, or even worse if you actually look like you are camping.

*water!
Water in the Rio Grande Village area (RGV) is unpleasant. Bring bottled water to drink and other culinary uses. Water in Cottonwood is limited to a few gallons of reverse osmosis dispenser - if working. Water in the Chisos Basin is spring fed, usually abundant, and in my opinion the best in the Park. We would drive up to the Basin and fill the jugs for consumption back at RGV.

[salmo7000]

Wow, how things change. I camped at Cottonwood CG for a week back in 1984, in April, and there was no one there except the group I was with. Up until a decade ago, maybe earlier, Big Bend NP was reportedly the least visited National Park in the US. Now it sounds like you can’t even get a place to camp in March and April. Good grief, life on a crowded planet…

On a positive note, in 1984 the birding at Cottonwood was insane. I saw my first painted bunting there, as well as vermillion flycatchers and numerous warblers and others species that love riparian areas. I also did my longest hike up to that point in my life… 17 miles up from the desert floor to the alpine habitats and back down to the desert. Most days our group would swim across the Rio Grande over to Mexico and back, just to say we did. The time I spent at Big Bend really sticks out in my memory as one of those most awesome places. It was so worth it to go!!

[Dcboyd]

When we drove through the Cottonwood campground it looked like all the trees were burned. I found out later that the Castalon fire a couple of years ago decimated the area trees. All the trees looked dead with just spines trunks, and the lot was about 1/3 full. The campers there looked like squatters, including one old 21C, with his stuff strewn about. Not for us, maybe at one time.

We lucked out in the Rio Grande Rv site as they canceled all of the Rv spaces except for 12 which we had one of sites. Construction of new table canopies was ongoing at the time, with the exception of the few at the beginning of the park. We essentially had the whole area to ourselves. As I said previously it is primitive with facilities close by.
We had a neighboring RV who went to the basin the next day and when we got to our site his camper was there in the day site as they were hiking the rim for 2 nights camping. So some exception was made. His was not the only one.

We were told in the ranger station that major renovation in the basin facilities will begin this year in the basin to bring the restaurant and other buildings up to National Park standards.
Restaurant will be two stories with a better view and to allow the bears more access to walk underneath as at present use the viewing area as a walkway.

We had good cell service with Verizon in the basin and campground. Our ATT mobile hotspot in out truck gave us good coverage everywhere else.

[davidmurphy02]

We love the Chisos Basin campground, right in the heart of the mountains and very scenic. Most sites are small and unlevel, but a few will accommodate an Escape. My favorite is site 18, a nice back-in up high near the front of the campground with nice views, pictured below.

It will be challenging to get reservations in April at this point since they tend to book up six months ahead, but always worth checking. Another great option is a primitive backcountry site. Many are quite a ways down a rough road, but several are a mile or less off the main park road on a very passable dirt road. They are very remote and private, it feels like having the park to yourself. Best ones for accessibility with a trailer are K-Bar 2, Grapevine Hills 1, Croton Spring 1 and 2. https://www.nps.gov/bibe/planyourvis...dsidecamps.htm Grapevine Hills 1 is pictured below.

[Perry Butler]

Originally Posted by rbryan4

Chisos Basin is our favorite, but if you have a 21 it might be tight.
Attachment 66337

Big Bend is one of our favorite parks! We love the hiking and biking there!

A 5.0 is 17' behind the camper. It took us a few tries to back in site 13 at Chisos. To say it was tight is an understatement. A 19 may have been able to back into the site, but a 21, no way. There are larger sites, but not by much. With the sites so close together we felt Chisos Basin was too cramped for our style. YMMV.

Now that we'll have a 25' Bigfoot we won't even try to get into Chisos, since there are only a couple of sites that can take a 25' camper, but we did see a 25' Airstream in one of the pull through sites. I do believe there is a sign that states nothing over 20 feet.

Our friends with a 23' Airstream are too scared to try to camp in Chisos.

We've stayed at Cottonwood twice with our 5.0. The first time for 10 days and the second for 8 days. You'd better have solar and know how to conserve water if going for long stays.

We and our friends go there in March and as long as you get there before noon, not a problem getting a site.

Enjoy,

Perry

[alanmalk]

Originally Posted by Dcboyd

When we drove through the Cottonwood campground it looked like all the trees were burned. I found out later that the Castalon fire a couple of years ago decimated the area trees. All the trees looked dead with just spines trunks, and the lot was about 1/3 full.

...

We had good cell service with Verizon in the basin and campground. Our ATT mobile hotspot in out truck gave us good coverage everywhere else.

Sad to hear about the burnt trees. Many large birds used to live in them and entertain campers. But that also reminded me that Cottonwood CG is close to the Rio and occasionally is hit hard by flooding. Sounds like it will be a few years until it returns to a pleasant CG.


The Verizon tower is nestled in the housing area a few hundred feet from the restaurant. That's another dramatic change that happened a few years ago.

[Perry Butler]

Originally Posted by Dcboyd

We took a day trip to the Cottonwood area. Drove through the campground and it is a trash place. I do not even recommend considering that place.

Define "trash place."

Both times we were there it was wonderful and clean. Our friends have been in Cottonwood different years from us and have our similar opinion, great campgound. It is remote, no place to fill your fresh tank, no electricity, and no dumpsite, but that's really what we prefer. Keeps the riff raff out.

Originally Posted by Dcboyd

When we drove through the Cottonwood campground it looked like all the trees were burned. I found out later that the Castalon fire a couple of years ago decimated the area trees. All the trees looked dead with just spines trunks, and the lot was about 1/3 full.

When we were there two years ago after the fire no trees in the campground were burnt, but the trees along the road were dead. Don't remember seeing the burnt trees from the campground though.

The store at the ranger station a mile away was totaled, but they had already built a new store for basic supplies.

Enjoy,

Perry

[Keith3]

If Big Bend is full, we have enjoyed Davis Mountain State Park. Good access to similar areas. Not the same but a possible option depending on what you are looking for. The nearby observatory is a nice night out if the skies are clear.

[Viajante]

Originally Posted by pkgman51

Overall, I found the park to be one of the most inhospitable landscapes I've experienced. Why anyone thought they could successfully ranch or farm that land is beyond me. Yet, it's a beautiful park. Enjoy your stay!

Yes, it’s difficult to imagine making a living off that land with it’s gravel and thorns. 100 years ago the perception was different. When the first “settlers” arrived there were productive areas. The upper elevations had grass for grazing sheep. And, at the Costolon visitor center there are pictures of productive grain fields along the Rio Grande.

But those areas were years and years in the making, and slow to recover from any disruption. Within a couple of decades the grass was overgrazed and the river bottoms were plowed, eroded, and depleted. By the later 1920’s agriculture and husbandry were already in decline. Then came the drought years.

One of the best places to see “how it was” is about half way up the Pinnacles trail. There is a beautiful bench of high grass.