Big Bend National Park Hotels

• KimberlyAnn
• Reviews: 1076

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Cottonwood Campground: A Campground in the Southwest Section of the Park

Cottonwood Campground lies at a 1,900 foot elevation and has 31 campsites. There are no hookups, nor is there a dump station. No generators are allowed at the Cottonwood Campground. There are pit toilets, picnic tables, grills, and water available in the campground.

Unique Quality: This is the closest campground to the Santa Elena Canyon, as well as being near access to the Rio Grand River.

• Opinion of Price: least expensive
• Related to: Camping, National/State Park
• Written May 13, 2005

Cottonwood Campground. Photo taken by my husband.

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• KimberlyAnn
• Reviews: 1076

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Rio Grand Village Campground: Campground in the Southeast Section of Big Bend

At a 1,850 foot elevation, and located near the RV Park is the Rio Grand Village Campground. This campground has 100 sites, and was the one that we stayed in. Operated by the National Park Service, if you have a Golden Age Pass, you will only pay half the price per night. There are open sites, sites under trees with no buffer zones between the sites, or more private sites among trees and bushes. These last, more private sites also have a nice picnic table area with a cement pad and cement table under a sun roof. We chose one of these more private sites with a roofed table. There are also non-generator use camp sites available. This campground has no hookups, however water and flush toilets are available. There is also a dump station nearby. Generator hours are 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM. 43 of the sites in the Rio Grand Village may be reserved between November 15 and April 15, the remainder are available on a first come first serve basis. Call the number listed below for reservations, or reserve on line. When we visited the cost was $10 per night ($5 for people with golden Age or Golden Access Passports).

Unique Quality: The lovely Rio Grand Village nature Trail begins within this campground. This is also a good area for birding. Roadrunners and javalinas are common in the campground.

• Opinion of Price: least expensive
• Phone: 1-877-444-6777
• Website: www.reserveusa.com
• Related to: National/State Park, Road Trip, Camping
• Written May 13, 2005

Our Campsite

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• KimberlyAnn
• Reviews: 1076

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• XenoHumph
• Reviews: 502

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Adobe Rose Inn: Bed and Breakfast in Marathon

Set in a century-old house furnished with antiques, this nice bed and breakfast is a good confortable location to visit the Big Bend region. The breakfast is served in a very nice outdoor patio and consists of burritos.

The only downside, which is valid for all of Marathon accomodations, is that it is closed to the rail-road tracks. Fret trains pass all night long about once every 2 hours and honk loudly at each passage way. The locals say you get used to it. I suggest you take ear plugs with you!! It is just too bad, because Marathon is such a nice village to stay at!

• Opinion of Price: more expensive than average
• Address: 22 South First Street, Marathon, Texas 79842
• Phone: 1 - 866 - 386 - 4564 or (432) 3
• Website: http://www.theadoberoseinn.com/
• Related to: Road Trip
• Written October 8, 2003

Adobe Rose Inn B&B, Marathon, Texas

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• XenoHumph
• Reviews: 502

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Marathon Motel

This is a wonderful motel, confortable and extremely pretty. The rooms are adorable and very clean, and with a little terrace with table and chairs. There is a wonderful spanish-style garden, surrounded by the double bungalows which are the motel rooms. You can have breakfast nearby at Marcie's Kitchen run by the motel owner. She also runs an RV park behind the motel.

The claim to fame of this motel is that it was used for a scene of the Wim Wenders movie "Paris, Texas" in 1984.

The only downside, which is valid for all of Marathon accomodations, is that it is closed to the rail-road tracks. Fret trains pass all night long about once every 2 hours and honk loudly at each passage way. The locals say you get used to it. The motel gives you ear plugs!! It is just too bad, because Marathon is such a nice village to stay at! I personally slept great anyway, and without using the ear plugs.

• Opinion of Price: more expensive than average
• Address: P.O.Box 141, I-90, Marathon, Texas 79842
• Phone: (866) 386-4241 or (432) 386-4241
• Website: http://www.marathonmotel.com/
• Related to: Romantic Travel and Honeymoons, Desert, Road Trip
• Written September 30, 2003

Marathon Motel, Texas

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• XenoHumph
• Reviews: 502

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Chisos Basin Lodge

Here it is complicated. There are several lodges, some ran by the park, and some by a concessionaire (The Mountain lodge showed on pict). Anyway, it is all the same price:
2003: $75 for 2 persons in one room

Great location at the beginning of most Chisos Mountain trails!

I have not been to any of these lodges.

• Opinion of Price: about average
• Related to: Road Trip, Desert, National/State Park
• Written September 30, 2003

Chisos Basin Lodge, Big Bend NP

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• XenoHumph
• Reviews: 502

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Camping

The official campgrounds have picnic tables (with a little roof on top for most of them) and a bear-proof storage box at each site, and common toilets and sinks. The only showers (75 cents for 5 mn) and laundry facilities in the park are at Rio Grande Village (SE of the park). There are 3 campgrounds: Chisos Basin (middle of the park, RV cannot go up the road to it), Cottonwood (SW), Rio Grande Village (SE). The only RV park is at Rio Grande Village. During the hot season, it is best to camp in the Chisos Basin as the higher altitude makes the nights cooler than down in the desert.
Camping in the Chisos Basin was a wonderful experience. Very quiet, with only night bugs chirping away and breath-taking starry nights. It was a long time I hadn't seen the Milky Way that clear!!

Primitive camping on back roads or by back-backing is also available, but you need to ask for a permit at the visitor centers.

All campgrounds are available on a first come-first served basis. No reservation possible. Times where campgrounds might be full: Thanksgiving, Christmas, Spring (March-April).

• Opinion of Price: least expensive
• Related to: Backpacking, Road Trip, Hiking and Walking
• Written September 29, 2003

Camping in Chisos Basin, Big Bend NP

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