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Chisos Basin Campground

In
Big Bend National Park
·
100%
·
27 reviews
60 sites · RV, Tent

Spend a night at the 5,400-foot high Chisos Basin with a significant other and you may just be eligible for the coveted Mile High Club.

If you don’t know what that means, we’ll tell you when you’re older. With running water, picnic tables, flush toilets, grills and a dump station this 60-site campground has just about everything you’d ever want (except maybe a bit more privacy). There are seven group sites available here by advanced reservation that can fit a whopping 118 people. Although this kind of makes us wonder why not 120? Did they actually bring in 118 people to arrive at such a precise estimation? Bring the whole crew, and come find out for yourselves!
What this place offers
Campfire allowed
No pets allowed
No showers
Toilets
Potable water
Picnic tables
Sewage hookups
No electric hookups
60 sites
RV, Tent
Explore 108 campgrounds near Big Bend National Park
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🌵 Welcome to The at The Bus Stop Campground! 🌄 Your peaceful desert getaway nestled in the heart of West Texas! Our 12-acre campground is surrounded by stunning mountains, offering the perfect base for your next Big Bend adventure. 🏜️✨ 🏕️ What We Offer: We have 10 campsites ready to welcome you! Whether you're rolling in with a Sprinter van, a small RV (14ft or shorter), or just pitching a tent, we’ve got everything you need for a comfy, relaxing stay. 🌙 ✅ Each Campsite Includes: 🔌 Electric hookups 🚰 Running water 🪣 Wash tub (perfect for dishes!) 🍴 Picnic table 🪑 Seating area 🔥 Fire pit (bring the marshmallows!) 📶 Amazing Wi-Fi — yes, even out here in the desert! 🚿 Bathhouse Amenities: Our on-site bathhouse will keep you feeling fresh after a day of adventuring! 🚻 4 private bathrooms 🚿 2 double showers 🚿 Outdoor shower — perfect for rinsing off under the stars 🌌 🌟 Why Stay Here? 🧭 Our location is a gateway to adventure! Here are just a few epic activities nearby: 🌵 Big Bend National Park – Explore stunning landscapes, epic hikes, and endless stargazing. 🐎 Horseback Riding – Ride through the wild, open desert. 🏍️ ATV Tours – Get your adrenaline fix with off-road fun. 🌊 River Rafting – Experience the Rio Grande up close! 🥾 Hiking & Mountain Biking – Endless trails to discover. 🚌 Want to Stay in Our Famous Bus Airbnb? Our converted military bus offers a unique stay with all the comforts of home! Check it out on Airbnb by searching: "The Terlingua Bus Stop" 📋 Other Things to Know: We welcome RVs up to 14ft, Sprinter vans, truck/car camping or tent campers. Pets are welcome! 🐾 Just be sure to keep them leashed. Campfires allowed (as long as there’s no burn ban in effect). 🔥 🏜️ Come for the Adventure, Stay for the Stars! 🌌 Our dark sky campground is perfect for stargazing — bring your camera or just sit back and soak in the magic of the Milky Way. ✨ We can’t wait to welcome you to The Bus Stop Campground!
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Terlingua Ranch is 192,000 acres of desert and mountains between Big Bend National Park and Big Bend Ranch State Park in far SW Texas. Our campsites are in the area of the Terlingua Ranch Lodge, which features a swimming pool, cafe, laundry, bathhouse, disc golf course, access to hiking trails, and other amenities. Terlingua Ranch is the perfect venue for your basecamp to Big Bend adventures, family reunions, and myriad other activities in the area.
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Primitive camping site only 1.5 miles from paved roads! Great views of Camel Hump, the Christmas Mountains, and Nine Point Mesa. 35 minutes to the West Entrance of Big Bend National Park. 28 minutes to the gas station in Study Butte and 33 minutes to Terlingua (Ghost Town). 20 acres with great views and a peaceful hangout area under a shaded pavilion. Design your own golf hole and play desert golf or cook up dinner with a view while enjoying the tranquil desert. Perfect spot to park your vehicle, hang a hammock on the pavilion, or pitch a tent for the night.
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3 sites · RVs, Tents40 acres · Study Butte, TX
We bought our property in 2003. Built our completely off-grid cabin in 2009, and moved out here full time in 2015. Since 2015 we've been continually improving our property and in 2019 had the idea to start a small campsite on the backside of our property in a private valley. A valley that while private and secluded has excellent 360 degree views.
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  • There are parts of the desert that are composed of ancient volcanic ash
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50 sites · RVs, Tents600 acres · Study Butte, TX
This central location provides an ideal basecamp close to the Terlingua Ghost Town and both Big Bend State and National Parks. The unique geology and topography of the Goat Pens made this a popular movie set and many westerns were filmed here in the 80's and 90's. Come out and enjoy seclusion, peace and quiet, awesome scenery with sunrises and sunsets to die for. All while still being able to easily take advantage of the area's other attractions. The Goat Pens includes an outdoor events venue that hosts concerts, stargazing parties, festivals and weddings. The Goat Pens also has the only drive-in movie theater in the Big Bend area. Send a text or check The Goat Pens Facebook page (@goatpens) for information and dates of events. The Goat Pens of Cigar Springs Ranch is a beautiful part of the ranch. It is well known for its scenery and unique topography. The Goat Pens served as a set location for many westerns filmed during the 1980's and 90's. Remarkable beauty, easy access, centrally located, seclusion, peace and quiet. All add up to an unforgettable vacation experience.
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from 
$40
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16 sites · RVs, Tents30 acres · Study Butte, TX
Paisano Azul Ranch is on 30 acres located by Terlingua Creek. The property is just minutes from the Terlingua Ghost Town and a short 3 mile drive to the Big Bend National park. Come pitch your tent or park your camper amid the peaceful desert hillside with views of plateaus that lead to the Chisos Mountains in Big Bend National Park. There is a fire pit on site for you to toast marshmallows or cozy up near, and you can enjoy a bite to eat at the picnic table provided at each site. The picnic tables are placed beneath shade sails. There are two nice and new desert tan flushing Porta-Potties on-site, as well as showers for guests to use. These come in handy after a long day hiking. We hope you'll enjoy the beautiful open sky sunsets, sunrises, and stargazing as much as we do. We are located just 3 miles from the entrance to Big Bend National Park. There are plenty of opportunities to get out and explore - you can hike, bike, canoe camp; kayak, off-road, swim, go horseback riding, visit hot springs, as well as visit restaurants, galleries, and listen to great music in Terlingua. There is something for everyone to feel free to bring the whole family. DIRECTIONS: Once you are on Road Runner Circle, go past the house on the left with the Christmas lights on. Please continue down the road and follow the road around the curve to the left. The campsites will be on the left and side behind the rock walls. The campsite number that is booked is the campsite you will stay in. Additional details to note: - We now have an above ground pool to keep cool in during the summer! Covered with a shade sail the water stays nice and chilly. ($10 fee/person) - You can stay connected if you'd like to, as cell reception and wifi are both available by the showers. Feel free to unplug during your stay though. - Seeing other campers on your trip at the campsite is very standard, as the sites are far enough apart to feel like they are yours, but they are not private. - Potable water is provided on-site. We have an artisan well on property that has been certified as drinkable. The showers and potable water is located approximately 1/4 mile from campsites 1-7. Please feel free to reach out with any questions and we look forward to your stay.
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Potable water
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Rancho de los Arboles Muertos

12 sites · Lodging, RVs, Tents160 acres · TX
With 160 acres located just off Highway 118, two miles north of Study Butte, 7 miles from Terlingua Ghost Town, 7 miles from Big Bend National Park and 16 miles from Big Bend Ranch State Park, Arboles Muertos is a perfect place for tent campers, small trailers and Class-B RV's and digital nomads to set up a home base for all the many activities in the area. Your privacy is our #1 priority, so our sites are spread out over the property and most are not in view of other sites, providing you with a backcountry camping experience, yet only a few minutes off the highway. For large groups, or those that are into a more social camping experience, we also have a cluster of three sites spaced about 150 feet apart. We have several spotlessly clean composting pit toilets on the property, all just a short walk from your site. All guests have access to our centrally located outdoor shower. Rancho de los Arboles Muertos gets its name from the 25 foot tall Eastern Red Cedar trees that are being salvaged from land clearing operations near Austin and "planted" around the property. We're located directly across the highway from Willow Mountain, with 800 foot sheer faces and rising over 1000 feet above the highway, making it one of the most prominent features in the area next to the Chisos of Big Bend. The property is covered in Ocotillo, hidden arroyos, tall bentonite dunes, volcanic ridges, dry creeks and the occasional fossil. Trail runners can easily create 5 mile loop over ridges and in arroyos without leaving the property. For the burners out there, the place will have an unmistakable deep playa vibe once all trees have made it home )'( Socialized dogs are allowed on leash, but we do have a high coyote population in the area, as well as other dangers to pets. Large groups are welcome and we also rent the entire 160 acre property for private events. Please contact us for more info. We are a completely off-grid property, so remember to bring water! In the event of heavy rain, the roads could become impassible for a few hours to a couple days. If we see a major storm in the forecast, we will contact you directly to discuss options. The rainy season is late summer, however, and we are not taking bookings during that time, so this should not be an issue. Check out our Instagram page for more about us @arboles_muertos
Pets
Potable water
Toilets
from 
$35
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3 sites · Tents100 acres · Study Butte, TX
Big Bend Camp — Remote Overland Sites in the Wild West Texas Backcountry of the Big Bend Region https://bigbend.camp If you’re looking for pavement, hookups, or cell service—you’re in the wrong place. Big Bend Camp is 100 acres of raw Chihuahuan Desert backcountry, deep in the West Texas wilds near Terlingua, Big Bend National Park, and Big Bend Ranch State Park. This is true overland camping—primitive, remote, and as real as it gets. We’ve got three isolated backcountry campsites. No facilities. No distractions. Just you, your rig, and some of the most rugged, wide-open terrain in the Lower 48. Designated an International Dark Sky Reserve—Big Bend camp has some of the darkest skies in the US—with epic stars and the Milky Way blazing overhead. ⸻ Only high-clearance 4x4s belong out here—leave the soft-roaders behind. Sure, a 4x2 might make it, but 13 miles of rough desert track will test your rig. If it’s not built for it, don’t risk it. And make no mistake: this is wild country. You might spot javelina, aoudad, bobcats, bats, mule deer, foxes, rabbits, roadrunners, falcon and hawks riding thermals overhead. Even the occasional mountain lion roams these parts—though rarely seen, you may hear one in the distance. And yes, rattlesnakes and bear live here too. Stay alert. Respect wildlife. This is their home. ⸻ What You Get: • 3 primitive, private campsites on 100 acres of desert • Total off-grid experience—no water, no power, no cell • Between Big Bend NP, Big Bend Ranch SP, and Black Gap WMA • Vast views, rugged terrain, unbeatable stargazing • Common wildlife sightings (no people, just nature) ⸻ Seasonal Notes: • Spring (Mar–May): Best season—mild temps, blooming cactus, epic sunsets • Summer (June–Aug): Brutally hot—temps easily hit 100°F+. Travel early, rest mid-day, and carry extra water • Fall (Sept–Nov): Cooler days, crisp nights, great for hiking and long stays • Winter (Dec–Feb): Can get cold, especially at night—pack for wind and sub-freezing temps • Storms: Monsoon season (late summer) can bring flash floods—stay alert near washes and low spots ⸻ Big Bend Camp isn’t Glamping. It's an Adventure! If you’re experienced, self-reliant, and looking to get way out there—Big Bend Camp is your kind of place.
Pets
Campfires
from 
$6
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24 sites · Lodging, RVs5 acres · Terlingua, TX
Your Gateway to Big Bend Country! Perfect place for dark sky camping. Welcome to The Terlingua Ghost Town RV Park at the entrance to The Terlingua Ghostown. Spacious RV Sites with Full Hookups Breathtaking Desert Views Easy Access to Big Bend National Park Starry Nights and Quiet Surroundings An Array of Inspirational Resources Dan and Jay are putting together a diverse habitat for life in the West Texas Desert. Attention to detail, you will find something in every nook and space on the property. Comfortable Private Spaces Collaborate or Isolation, it is up to you! Create music or read a book Experience the world of desert architecture.
Pets
Potable water
Toilets
from 
$58.50
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Jackass Flats Campground

23 sites · RVs, Tents20 acres · Terlingua Ranch / Alpine, TX
Located 25 miles north of Terlingua, TX on State Highway 118, close to the historic Comanche Trail, under the brilliant west Texas stars and below famous Nine Point Mesa. Within 25 miles of Big Bend National Park, Big Bend Ranch State Park, Terlingua Ghost Town, Rio Grande Outfitters and river access. The area is not only famous for its rich ranching history but also for its diverse geology and awesome night skies. Enjoy the Terrymar Pavilion for group gatherings, picnicking or taking in the panoramic views, phenomenal night skies, sunrises and sunsets. View our resident Texas Longhorn steers and horses in the restored nineteenth century stock pens. Please DO NOT GET CLOSE TO THE FENCE, THESE CATTLE ARE STOCK, not PETS. Be sure to FILL YOUR WATER tank before arriving. NON POTABLE water can be accessed. There is no city water services available in our area. Stay connected with free Wi-Fi at The Little Burro Country Store which is also on premises. Password is "jackassflats" all lowercase, 1 word, no special characters. We offer wood/snacks/groceries/ice and food items for sale on the property to meet your needs.
Pets
Potable water
Toilets
from 
$25
 / night

More to explore nearby

100%
80 ratings · 27 reviews
Recommends
· May 2025
Tent
Amazing spot in the basin. Great view of the night sky
M
Maggie Y.
7 reviews
Recommends
· April 2025
Tent
Coldest place in Texas during the summer. And you never saw stars as beautiful as the ones you’ll see out there. Great hiking, beautiful sunsets, gorgeous mountains, most definitely the best this state has to offer.
J
John A.
2 reviews
Recommends
· April 2025
Beautiful basin, crowded camp
Tent · With pets
While the campground itself was completely full and you were not but 30 feet (~10 meters) away from other sites, the basin is one of the most beautiful and varied landscapes I have ever seen. There are lots of privately-owned campgrounds outside of the park that offer much more space.
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Kyle H.
9 reviews
Recommends
· April 2025
Chisos/Hannold Draw
Tent · Group trip
What’s not to love about the Big Bend? Enjoy every trip!
G
Garret F.
1 year on Hipcamp
Recommends
· April 2025
Beautiful
Gorgeous place. Sadly it’s closed for two years for renovations.
M
Mandy R.
2 years on Hipcamp
January 2020
It this a dog friendly site??
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Rachael M.
5 years on Hipcamp
Recommends
· September 2019
Plenty of space and beautiful views from most spots. Camp hosts are always a pleasure and the Window Trailhead starts at the edge of the camp. Secluded and quiet. The drive-in an out is spectacular. It's almost impossible to have a bad time.
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Scott D.
8 years on Hipcamp
Recommends
· November 2018
The Chisos Basin campsite is at the highest elevation in Big Bend National Park so expect the coolest temperatures and great night skies.
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Sara + Mike (.
9 reviews
Recommends
· October 2018
It's MUCH cooler in the Basin than in the rest of the park. Prepare for hot desert, but don't forget your warm gear too!
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Christian S.
7 years on Hipcamp
April 2018
Incredible views of the Milky Way and the vastness of space. Stunning mountain views and close access to some of my favorite trails. Three landscapes exist at BBNP: river, mountain, desert; and they all magically intertwine. Chisos campground is very popular but spacious. Not crowded like Rio Grande Village with back-to/back sites. Chisos is a very natural campground setting. Nice and quiet. Reservable sites are cool, but so are the non-reservable ones. I ended up giving up my reserved site to a couple for a non-reserved site because it was more secluded and gave me better views. The sign read the campground was FULL but it WASN’T!!! So be sure to check in case they get too buysy and forget to change the sign! My favorite of the 3 in BBNP!
E
Erica E.
2 reviews
Recommends
· November 2017
Tucked away in the mountains, this campground is surrounded by 360 degree monolithic views. This place is truly surreal.
K
Kyle T.
7 years on Hipcamp
Recommends
· November 2017
Beautiful but book far in advance.
N
Nicolas A.
7 years on Hipcamp
Recommends
· August 2017
Big Bend is a special place for those of us in TX who mostly host 'hill country.' The drive down from Alpine is one of progressive excitement as the limestone canyons come into view and the vastness of the desert begins to make its impression. The park itself presents a beginner-friendly infrastructure with all the conveniences you need if you're not at the backcountry/primitive level quite yet (although those options, too, are available and highly recommended). My one comment would be to reconsider taking any pet(s) with you as both the park regulations and natural climate make it extremely difficult for you to enjoy these particular outdoors with your companion. A friend of mine brought his German Shepherd, and on quite an easy hike (Hot Springs Trail), ended up having him rescued due to overheating - kudos to Ranger Juan. Other than that, the park is beautiful, and the Window/Emory Peak trails are both gorgeous at sunrise. Enjoy!
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Javier R.
7 years on Hipcamp
Recommends
· May 2017
We absolutely loved the Outer Mountain Loop. The scenery was new and exciting each day! Can't wait to go back.
B
Brooke S.
8 years on Hipcamp
Recommends
· April 2017
Great for stars, campground is always full.
A
Atlee S.
8 years on Hipcamp
April 2017
Spent one night in this campground, arrived in the dark and awoke to the most beautiful mountains surrounding the campground. This location fills up fast, but when I was there in early August there were a few empty spots over the weekend. Each site has a shade cover and a bear box, clean facilities and it felt very well spaced out. Not a bad spot in the joint. Star gazing at it's finest, Big Bend is one of the few "dark parks" where there is no light noise, leaving a sky full of stars. I recommend going during the Perseid meteor shower!
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Michelle F.
8 years on Hipcamp
Recommends
· March 2017
Plan on going to bed at 745 because that's apparently when everyone else goes to sleep. Nice place but way too close together. I don't like hearing 30 sleeping pads crinkling all night.
J
Joel R.
8 years on Hipcamp
November 2016
One of the most beautiful campsites I've ever been to. The night sky alone is worth the trip down to Big Bend but there are also 2 of the best trails in the park within a short walk from the campground. You also have the lodge, ranger center, and general store just a hop skip and a jump away!
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Emily C.
9 years on Hipcamp
August 2016
Love this picture of my daughter in Chisos Basin !
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Jack S.
8 years on Hipcamp
January 2016
awesome camp site! not too difficult to reserve during colder months. I recommend trying to go when there is a new moon, I don't know if I have ever seen brighter stars. One of the best views I have experienced while camping.
Avatar
Kevin A.
4 reviews
LocationChisos Basin Campground, Big Bend National Park, Texas, United States
Is anything missing?Suggest edits to improve this listing for fellow campers.
What this place offers
Campfire allowed
No pets allowed
No showers
Toilets
Potable water
Picnic tables
Sewage hookups
No electric hookups

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