Cottonwood (Big Bend, TX)

Cottonwood Campground is a quiet desert oasis in the southwestern corner of Big Bend National Park. Conveniently located between the Castolon Historic District, the scenic Santa Elena Canyon and the tail end of the Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive, this small campground is one of the least-known and quietest campgrounds in the park, with one group campsite and 30 individual sites. Cottonwood gets its name from the cottonwood trees that surround and provide shade for the facility nearby the Rio Grande. A general store and visitor center — a converted former military outpost — are also nearby. This is a remote campground in a remote park. It is dry camping: no hook-ups, no generators permitted, and no fill or dump station, so please come prepared. The campground is at an elevation of 1,900 ft. (580 m) and is relatively cool in the peak seasons of fall and winter due to cold air sinking into the lower elevations. In the spring and summer, this campground is very hot, with temperatures normally exceeding 100° F (38° C) from mid-March through August. Particularly popular with bird watchers, Cottonwood Campground is a haven for those wishing to study the abundant bird life in Big Bend while also escaping the more crowded areas in the park. Because of its diverse ecosystems and plant life, the park provides habitats for many rare and unique birds, including the Mexican mallard, Lucifer hummingbird, Mexican jay, black-capped and gray vireos, and Varied Bunting. Hiking trails are located around the campground. The campground has pit (vault) toilets, potable water, picnic tables, bear boxes and grills. The group campsite is a walk-in, tent-only site; no RVs or trailers are allowed, and vehicle parking is restricted to an adjacent parking area, a short walk from the campsite itself. The individual sites are all similar: each has a bear box, picnic table and raised grill, all have dirt/gravel parking spaces, and most are well-shaded with some afternoon and evening sun. The national park is named for a curve in the Rio Grande called the "big bend." For 1,250 miles (2011 km), the river is an International Boundary between the United States and Mexico. Due to its proximity to water, many species of birds are in the Cottonwood area, including nesting migratory birds. Santa Elena Canyon is a beautiful river canyon that can be seen from the campground area, and it, the Castolon Historic District and the Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive are all near the campground.