GRASSY BEND, Big Bend Ranch SP, TX

Grassy Bend, Big Bend Ranch State Park

RUN BY:    State of Texas

LOCATION:   29.281512   -103.886344

UTILITIES:  None

COST:  $14/night plus Park Admission

DISCOUNTS:  none

Last Visited:  12/19/2018

OUR RATING (1-5):

NOTES:  There is nothing here except a great view.  We are less than 40 yards from the Rio Grande, and therefore Mexico. We can’t actually see the river because of vegetation, but we still enjoyed the spot. Rather pricy for nothing but a composting toilet. Nearest gas is Lajitas. 

Environment:  Desert.  Creosote, Palo Verde, Mesquite and a wide variety of desert vegetation.

Amenities:  None

Dump:  No

Public Water:  No

Toilets:  composting

Showers:  No

Laundry:  No

Phone Service:  None 

Nearest Propane: Study, TX (east)

Location:  On Texas FM170 near the east entrance to Big Bend Ranch State Park. Just off the road.

Proximity to shopping: Presidio is about 40 miles west.

Camping Population:  We were the only ones when we visited. Since you have to register at one of the park visitor centers, I would suspect your typical state park clientele.

Sites:  Some have a sun shade. Not particular well defined. 

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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.