COTTONWOOD CG, Big Bend NP, TX

Cottonwood CG,  Big Bend NP 

RUN BY:    Nat’l Park Service

LOCATION:   29.137144  -103.523068

Last Visited:  12/16/2018

UTILITIES:  None

COST:  $14

DISCOUNTS:  50% with Senior card 

OUR RATING (1-5):  Category I. Score 4. 

NOTES:  This lovely campground is right on the Rio Grande but you can’t see the river from any of the sites.  By the gate there is a place open to the river. One time we met a big black cow from Mexico. It took one look at us and waded back to Mexico.  There is a canyon on this side of the park that is worth seeing. When you go looking for water in the campground you will find a sign on all of the taps saying that the water is not potable. Don’t panic. The only potable water is at a building near the entrance. Even the hosts have to go there for their water.  (I apologize. I didn't take a picture of the campground.) 

Environment:  Desert.

Amenities: None

Dump:  None

Public Water: Yes  (see notes) 

Toilets: Yes

Showers:  No

Laundry:  No

Phone Service: None 

Nearest Propane: Study, TX  - a good 40 miles

Location:  Starting from Alpine, TX, take Texas-118 south to the park where the road becomes Panther Junction Rd. Turn south (right) on Ross Maxwell Scenic Dr. to Castolon.  The campground is just past the Castolon Visitor Center.   You can also enter from Marathon. From Marathon, TX turn south on US-385.  At Panther Junction (Park HQ) turn right and go to Ross Maxwell Scenic Dr to Castolon where you will turn south (left).

Proximity to shopping:  You are a good 80-100 miles from any serious shopping. There is a camp store at Castolon Visitor Center.  No gas here. You must go about 40 miles to Study. 

Camping Population:  Eclectic. Typical national park. We met some really nice people and exchanged contact info and information.

Sites:   Very nice. Good sized and level.

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RATING KEY:    category - score 

Categories:  I - established campgrounds where one might spend a vacation or several days

                    II -  boondocking, dry camping where there are no designated sites and no amenities but one might choose to stay for more than a night.

                    III - over-night areas 

You must remember that we are scoring 1 thru 5 according to things which are important to us: the environment, cost, amenities, location, safety, camping population, site, phone service 

* There are people who are not full-timers and van-dwellers by choice. We try hard not to be demeaning or assume that they are bad people but sadly, as you find in the poorer parts of a city, there seems to be more crime. Many call these people van-dwellers. That isn’t really accurate even though they do often live in vans. We know quite a few van-dwellers who have good incomes, are full-timers by choice and prefer a van to other types of vehicles. To try to show some respect for people who have a difficult lot in life, I’m calling them ‘residential campers’.  It is only when you get a high proportion of residential campers in an area that you find an increase in petty theft, etc.