The best desert camping in Texas

Camping in the desert of Texas? Look no further than Hipcamp! With over 1,200 options specifically tailored to your desert activity and terrain preference, you're sure to find the perfect campsite. Whether you're looking to stargaze at Goat Pens or experience the unique vibe of El Cosmico, our top-rated campsites have you covered. With hundreds of reviews, you can trust that you'll have an amazing experience. And with popular amenities like pet-friendly spaces, toilets, and campfire pits, you'll have everything you need for a memorable trip. So pack your bags, saddle up for some horseback riding, and hit the trails - camping in the Texas desert has never been easier or more affordable, with options starting as low as $5 per night!

95% (5.5K) • 2,231 campsites

Top-rated campgrounds in Texas

The Bus Stop Campground

1. The Bus Stop Campground

98%
(633)
Terlingua, TX · 10 sites · Tents, RVs
🌵 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. ⚡ EV Charging ⚡ Each site includes a standard 50-amp RV hookup, which may also be used for EV charging with your own adapters and equipment. EV charging is optional at $20 per night. Please note: power in Terlingua can be unreliable, and outages affecting the entire area are possible. Charging is not guaranteed and is offered at your own risk.
Pets
Electrical hookup
Toilets
Good Guad Land Co.

2. Good Guad Land Co.

98%
(457)
Dell City, TX · 7 sites · Tents, RVs, Lodging
Find extreme solitude and unforgettable views of Guadalupe Peak at this desert escape next to Guadalupe Mountains National Park! This is choose-your-own-adventure camping. The terrain is rugged, and the dust and wind blow some nights. Once you're here, there are few amenities (unless you book our cabin, Li’l Capitan). If this sounds fine — you don't mind roughing it — you'll be sleeping under the stars at the foot of West Texas' tallest mountain range. And who else can say they've done that? BURN BAN IN EFFECT: Unfortunately, we are under a countywide burn ban. Distance to nearby attractions: Guadalupe Mountains National Park Visitor Center, 11 miles; Black River Recreation Area, 42 miles; Carlsbad Caverns National Park Visitor Center, 52 miles Distance from nearby towns: Dell City, 34 miles; Van Horn, 56 miles; Carlsbad, 65 miles; El Paso, 104 miles
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Campfires
Willow Creek Camping Company

3. Willow Creek Camping Company

99%
(495)
Study Butte, TX · 13 sites · Tents, RVs
Tucked away in the rugged desert landscape of Terlingua, Willow Creek Campground offers a peaceful, off-grid camping experience just minutes from the entrance to Big Bend National Park. Set on 20 private acres, this small, rustic campground provides a quiet, scenic base for exploring the Chihuahuan Desert and surrounding mountains. Guests can choose from a mix of tent and small RV sites, some equipped with water and 30-amp power hookups. The campground features clean bathhouses with hot showers, flush toilets, and a community sink for dishwashing. Fire rings and shade structures are available at select sites, and the wide-open skies make it a perfect spot for stargazing in this official dark skies region. Willow Creek is known for its laid-back atmosphere, desert views, and proximity to hiking, river access, and the quirky charm of the Terlingua Ghost Town. It's an ideal retreat for those seeking solitude, natural beauty, and easy access to West Texas’ wildest places. On the east side of highway 118 1.3 miles from Study Butte (grocery store, gas station) 4.3 miles from big bend national park west entrance 6.0 miles from Terlingua ghost town 17 miles from Barton Warnock Visitors Center (tx state park) shade structure site 1-2 small campers up to 22' water and 30a power site 1-5 This is a dark skies community. Please be mindful of your surrounding and limit your use of headlights and noise.
Pets
Electrical hookup
Toilets
Big Bend Ranch State Park

4. Big Bend Ranch State Park

96%
(81)
State park in Texas · 48 sites
Remote and rugged terrain, grand vistas, and dark skies draw adventurers and solitude seekers.
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Toilets
Campfires
Palo Duro Canyon State Park

5. Palo Duro Canyon State Park

90%
(65)
State park in Texas · 117 sites
The second-largest canyon in the US serves up spectacular terrain for outdoor adventurers.
Pets
Electrical hookup
Toilets
Goat Pens, Cigar Springs Ranch

6. Goat Pens, Cigar Springs Ranch

97%
(1302)
Study Butte, TX · 50 sites · Tents, RVs
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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Toilets
Campfires
Terlingua Ranch Campground

7. Terlingua Ranch Campground

94%
(165)
Alpine, TX · 21 sites · Tents, RVs
DIRECTIONS: Traveling to Terlingua Ranch Lodge: **DO NOT USE GPS** 1. Fuel up in Alpine or Study Butte, depending on which direction you are traveling from. -From Alpine: take HWY 118 South out of Alpine approximately 62 miles until you come to the only left turn lane. Turn left on Terlingua Ranch Road. You will see the large white Terlingua Ranch Lodge sign. -From Study Butte: take Hwy 118 North 16 miles from the ALON gas station, turn right at the Terlingua Ranch Lodge sign. 2. Follow Terlingua Ranch Road approximately 16 miles. The first 13 miles are asphalt. There is not a center stripe, please stay on your side of the road. THE LAST THREE MILES ARE ON A MAINTAINED DIRT AND GRAVEL ROAD. It can be wash-boarded in areas. Please drive slowly and observe speed limits to help protect our roads We are proud to be a part of The Greater Big Bend International Dark Sky Reserve. All guests are requested to keep their site as dark as possible between 10pm and 6am. Fire Ban: Due to extreme drought, only gas grills and propane burners are allowed. NO charcoal or wood fires. PARK INFO: While we are adjacent to Big Bend National Park, it is approximately 36 miles to the Maverick Junction entrance of Big Bend National Park and an additional 22 miles to Panther Junction Headquarters and Visitors Center. We are about 32 miles to Study Butte and about 37 miles to Terlingua Ghost Town area. 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.
Pets
Toilets
Full hookups
Temple of the Bird

8. Temple of the Bird

100%
(134)
Terlingua, TX · 25 sites · Tents, RVs, Lodging
Terlingua's only Hostel. Walking distance to all things in the Historic Ghost Town. We offer private rooms, a bunk room, primitive campsites and small motorhome sites. Huge communal area with a large bar (BYOB), well appointed kitchen, very nice bathrooms/showers, as well as frequent live music. Focusing on creating a strong community, social gatherings, including pot luck and fundraisers, and celebrating music, Willie Nelson and all things middle fingered. As we tell everyone, no need to wave with all your offensive fingers when it only takes 1 finger to say "I Love You!" We have a lot of fun here and have become a real social spot in this incredible community. When staying here you can expect to meet other travelers and locals alike. If you play music, all the better, as music usually fills the air here. From the house piano to any number of friends who stop by just to jam for a while. We are 21 and up, due to having a bar (BYOB) and just want adults to feel comfortable being adults . So bring an instrument, a sense of humor and a middle finger and come experience the magic that is Terlingua, Texas.
Electrical hookup
Toilets
Showers
Coyote Crossing

9. Coyote Crossing

99%
(741)
Terlingua, TX · 9 sites
Located in Southern Most Section of Terlingua Ranch, within eyesight of the Mexican Border, National, and State Parks. Easy to find, just across from Willow Mountain, one of the most photograph natural features in Big Bend. Traveling highway 118 you will see the Entrance at address 53420, just north 1 mile of the outfitters and gas station. Every night the coyotes would cross the road and come for a visit..Thus the name Coyote Crossing.. With dreams of a tiny home and campground, we continue to improve on the land every day and love to share it with others. When arriving at night it will be very dark.. very few lights in use, dark sky's are protected in Big Bend.. so it may be hard to find. but we are directly on the highway on the west side of 118. Trash Dumpster up front for your use. No collecting rocks, cactus or wood to burn... NO TRACE, leave it as you find it..
Pets
Toilets
Guadalupe Mountains National Park

10. Guadalupe Mountains National Park

98%
(49)
National park in Texas · 54 sites
Camp within view of Texas’s tallest peaks in the Guadalupe Mountains.
Pets
Toilets
Potable water
Enchanted Rock State Natural Area

11. Enchanted Rock State Natural Area

95%
(60)
State park in Texas · 77 sites
Sweeping views, starry skies, and a pink granite dome dominate this Texas Hill Country gem.
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Toilets
Campfires
Davis Mountains State Park

12. Davis Mountains State Park

100%
(18)
State park in Texas · 101 sites
The mountains meet the desert in this high-altitude Texas wilderness.
Pets
Electrical hookup
Toilets
Seminole Canyon State Park & Historic Site

13. Seminole Canyon State Park & Historic Site

100%
(5)
State park in Texas · 46 sites
Travel back in time without a phone booth in Seminole Canyon.
Toilets
Campfires
Showers
Cieloscuro

14. Cieloscuro

98%
(133)
Terlingua, TX · 5 sites · Tents, RVs
We offer a uniquely secluded setting with stunning views of the Chisos Mountains. Located just 7 miles from the entrance to Big Bend National Park, and 10 miles from the visitors' center at Big Bend Ranch State Park, it is a perfect base from which to explore all the hiking, boating, and scenic beauty that West Texas is known for. The arts, history, and entertainment of Terlingua Ghost Town are less than 2 miles away. Like most ruins in the Ghost Town, my stone house was built in the early 1900s to house a miner’s family from the nearby Rainbow Mine. I bought the property in 1986 and began restoring and rebuilding. In 2019 I retired here from NYC and began exploring possibilities for sustainable tourism. West Texas is one of the best places in the United States to view the Milky Way (both Big Bend parks are certified as International Dark Sky parks). We use shielded LED lighting around buildings and pathways to cut down on light pollution and optimize stargazing opportunities for our astrotourists. And we are applying for dark sky certification from the Texan By Nature program. Bear in mind that this is the desert, in all its rugged glory. There are critters, rocks, plants with thorns, slippery slopes, sink holes, rusted artifacts and broken glass from decades long past. Bring sturdy shoes and a flashlight, and stay on the paths! Our intention is to provide remote, low-density accommodation for folks who are respectful of the land.
Toilets
Campfires
Showers
Perdido Overland Overnight Camp

15. Perdido Overland Overnight Camp

98%
(169)
Study Butte, TX · 2 sites · Tents, RVs
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.
Pets
Toilets
Picnic table
Campfire Adventure Ranch

16. Campfire Adventure Ranch

100%
(17)
Dell City, TX · 11 sites · Tents, RVs, Lodging
Escape to the wide-open beauty of West Texas at Campfire Adventure Ranch, located just outside Dell City and right next door to Guadalupe Mountains National Park. Nestled in the heart of the desert wilderness, the ranch offers guests a front-row seat to the towering Guadalupe Peak—the highest point in Texas—and panoramic views that stretch endlessly across the Chihuahuan Desert. Whether you’re looking for a peaceful retreat under star-filled skies or a basecamp for adventure, Campfire Adventure Ranch delivers the perfect balance of rustic charm and natural wonder. Spend your days hiking scenic trails, exploring nearby Salt Basin Dunes, or simply relaxing with a campfire as the sun sets over the mountains. With its remote setting, vast landscapes, and unmatched proximity to one of America’s most breathtaking national parks, Campfire Adventure Ranch isn’t just a place to stay, it’s a destination where Texas wilderness and true adventure meet.
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Toilets
Showers
Haby Ranch

17. Haby Ranch

99%
(62)
Lake Medina Shores, TX · 16 sites · Tents, RVs
Come enjoy over 1000 acres of a 3500 acre Texas ranch. Perfect for fossil hunting, biking, hiking, stargazing, and exploring the great outdoors. Depending on rain and current water levels, you can also enjoy creeks, swimming holes, and waterfalls. Unplug and make memories sure to last a lifetime. Located 10 miles South of Bandera, Cowboy Capital of the World.
Pets
Toilets
Campfires
Coyote Breaks Farm

18. Coyote Breaks Farm

99%
(326)
Wildorado, TX · 7 sites · Tents, RVs
The sites overlook the beautiful Canadian River breaks to the north with wide open skies to the west and east to enjoy the sunrises and sunsets. These are rustic sites with no improvements. We are just getting started with this so you’ll be able to help us from the ground up. If we are not in a burn ban you’re welcome to have a campfire. There will be opportunities to call up a wild coyote or watch some mule deer or an occasional antelope stroll by. You could even be awakened by the horses on their way to water in the morning and we can set up some horse riding if we have enough notice to schedule time off from the 9-5 haha. Can’t wait to see you on the prairie!
Pets
Sheffield Camping

19. Sheffield Camping

92%
(376)
Sheffield, TX · 3 sites
I have owed this property for over 20 years. In the past, before I listed this property for camping, travelers would stop and ask to camp on my land. There are not many options for camping on this stretch of Hwy so I decided to offer up my place. So far guest have either loved it or hated it.
Electrical hookup
Water hookup
Pets
Ocotillo Flats Camping

20. Ocotillo Flats Camping

97%
(17)
Study Butte, TX · 5 sites
Howdy Hipcampers! Welcome to Ocotillo Flats, a serene 20-acre haven just 30 minutes from Big Bend National Park and the historic Terlingua Ghost Town. Immerse yourself in the breathtaking beauty of the Chihuahuan Desert, perfect for stargazing and unwinding. With convenient cell service on the south side of the property, stay connected while you savor the tranquility of nature. You can bring your own bucket bathroom or utilize the facilities at Terlingua Ranch Lodge for free. Showers are also available there for just $2. We’ve recently added a horseshoe game area, located on the right-hand side of the road near campsites 4 and 5. Stakes and horseshoes are already set up and ready for friendly competition - just walk across from your campsite and enjoy! The road into the property is an all-weather dirt road. Embark on an unforgettable adventure, where the vast expanse of the desert meets the starlit Texas sky!
Pets
Campfires
Picnic table

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Happy farmer sitting in a truck in a grassy field
Happy farmer sitting in a truck in a grassy field