Rio Grande Village Group Campground (Big Bend, TX)
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- Right now
- OpenThe agency lists it open
- Sites
- 4All of them booked ahead
- Season
- Year-roundOpen year-round
The place
the agency’s own description · what’s there · 10 notices
In the agency’s own words
The Rio Grande Village Group Campground sits on the banks of the Rio Grande, the International Boundary between the United States and Mexico. The four group campsites are great options for groups of nine people or more and is one of the most popular campgrounds in Big Bend National Park. It is located close to Boquillas Canyon and Hot Springs, and acts as a launch point for visitors accessing the river or the endless miles of backcountry roads. Rio Grande Village has an outstanding view of the Sierra del Carmen Mountains, located in Mexico to the east, which light up with hues of red and orange during sunset. Keep reading
Recreation
The river offers ample opportunities to explore its shores and water. The river put-in allows easy access to canoeing and kayaking on the river. Birders flock to the river banks to spot such rare and unique species often found only in Big Bend. Trails for Day Hikes and many backcountry roads are located near the campground.
Facilities
The group campsites are tent-only (RVs and trailers are not allowed*). There are no hook-ups available in the group sites and generators are prohibited. Each site is provided with a picnic table, charcoal grill and bear-proof food storage locker. All four group sites are within easy walking distance to water spigots and restrooms. Showers and laundry facilities can also be found close by at the Rio Grande Village Store. *Group Site C allows for ONE smaller recreational vehicle (camper van, pickup camper, or small RV up to 20') to camp adjacent to the tent area as part of the larger group. All other sites are exclusively tent camping only.
Natural Features
The mountain views, proximity to Mexico, the Rio, and shade from the surrounding cottonwood trees make Rio Grande Village Campground irresistible to visitors. The campground is at an elevation of 1,850 ft. During the winter season (November through March) temperatures are warm and pleasant with daily highs in the mid-70s to low 80s. From April through September, this campground is extremely HOT with daily highs exceeding 100-107 degrees. Be prepared for the weather: Current Weather Readings Nearby Attractions Rio Grande Village is located near the Boquillas Canyon trail, the Boquillas Port of Entry, the Marufo Vega Loop trail, the Hot Springs and Hot Springs Historic area and Daniels Ranch. It is 20 miles from the Panther Junction Visitor Center.
What the agency tells you
A camper arriving the day AFTER the reservation begins is considered a No Show. A No Show may result in a cancellation of your reservation. Contact the park at 432-477-2251 if you are late or will not be arriving until the day after your reservation starts.
Group Sizes. A MINIMUM of nine people are required to book these sites. Reservations with fewer people will not be honored. Maximum capacity varies by campsite from 20 to 40. Group maximums are 50 people in the park at one time.
Group Special Use Permit Requirement. All organized groups in Big Bend require a Special Use Permit in addition to the campsite reservation. Visit the park's Special Use Permits page for additional information. Organized group maximums are 50 people in the park at one time.
Everything else this campground posts · 7
Equipment. The group campground is tent-only (no RVs or trailers allowed, including rooftop tents and camper vans). EXCEPTION: Group Site C allows for ONE smaller recreational vehicle (camper van, pickup camper, or small RV up to 20') to camp adjacent to the tent area as part of the larger group. All other sites are exclusively tent camping only.
Food Storage Lockers/Bears & Wildlife. Bears, javelinas and bobcats frequent the area. All food must be kept in approved containers or in a hard-sided vehicle. Trash must be disposed of in the animal-proof dumpsters provided. Coolers or food boxes may not be unattended at any time. Cattle will sometimes cross the river from Mexico to graze on the grass in the campground. Please treat the cattle as you would any other wildlife by keeping a safe distance.
No Generators or Hookups. Generators are not allowed in the group campground. There are no electricity, water or sewer hookups.
Pets. Pets are allowed in each campsite, although they must be leashed and restrained at all times. Pets are not allowed on trails or in buildings.
Hammocks. No hammocks or other devices may be attached/tied to trees or any other natural features or objects
Border Crossing. There is only one authorized border crossing within Big Bend National Park, located at Boquillas Crossing, a five minute drive from this campground. Crossing the border in an unauthorized location is illegal.
Big Bend National Park is an International Dark Sky Park. In the interest of protecting night skies, outdoor lighting will be limited between 10 PM and 6AM to handheld lighting designed for wayfinding and lighting needed for immediate camp chores or cooking.
Tents and rigs
- Sites
- 4 · 4 tent-only, 4 group
- Hookups
- None
- Longest rig
- 19 ft
- Paved pads
- All
- Accessible sites
- None listed
- Pets
- Allowed
- Campfires
- Not allowed
- Shade
- 2 of 4 sites
Facilities
- Toilets
- Flush Toilets - year round
- Drinking water
- Yes
- Dump station
- Yes
- recreation.gov lists “Dump Station”
- Bear boxes
- Yes
Around the campground
- On the water
- Hot springs, River
- Birding
- Boating
- Fishing
- Hiking
- Historic site
- Picnicking
- Wildlife viewing
- Night sky · darkest of 154 in TX
- Bortle 1
1 of 4 sites open on Sat, Oct 17read 15:14 UTC
Every site here is reservable, and the record lists none held back for anyone who drives up.
OpenBookedClosed
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We read recreation.gov once an hour, at 40 minutes past, and write the first time a site in your window is free for the nights you asked for.
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We make nothing when you book. The link goes straight to the government.
Every line of the receipt · 17
What you actually pay
Who keeps the booking fee
The agency’s own policy text says the reservation fee and the cancellation processing fee are “retained by the reservation service contractor”, and that a campground concessionaire will decline to refund them because “they did not receive these fees”. Recreation.gov is run under contract by Booz Allen Hamilton. What share of your booking fee the contractor keeps isn’t published in any federal dataset we can read, so we print no number for it. Our reporting on the contract →
How we know this receipt · 5
recreation.gov availability, read 15:14 UTC · rules read Oct 1, 2026 · rates Sep 10, 2026 · How we know all this
The sites
4 sites · which ones have room · the site map
The sites, ranked
from 4 mapped sitesAll 4 sites
The price is derived by CAMPANAC, not published per site: the per-night rate this campground publishes for each site’s own site type. 4 of the 4 sites listed carry one, and a site whose type has no published rate sits out of the price rather than being called free.
| Rio Grande Village Group Area | A | group tent only area nonelectric | 19 ft | 96 ft | 421 ft | $60–$100 |
| Rio Grande Village Group Area | B | group tent only area nonelectric | 19 ft | 96 ft | 433 ft | $60–$100 |
| Rio Grande Village Group Area | C | group tent only area nonelectric | 19 ft | 152 ft | 516 ft | $60–$100 |
| Rio Grande Village Group Area | D | group tent only area nonelectric | 19 ft | 152 ft | 538 ft | $60–$100 |
Getting there
the map and the coordinate · the agency’s directions · the phone number
Where it is
Rio Grande Village (Big Bend, TX)Big Bend National Park · 0.0 mi
Big Bend Backcountry CampingBig Bend National Park · 18 mi
Chisos Basin Campground (Big Bend, TX)Big Bend National Park · 22 mi
Chisos Basin Group Campground (Big Bend, TX)Big Bend National Park · 22 mi
Cottonwood (Big Bend, TX)Big Bend National Park · 34 miFrom Interstate 10, take State Highway 385 south to Fort Stockton and into Marathon. From Marathon, drive 40 miles (62 km) (south on State Highway 385 to the north entrance of Big Bend National Park. Drive straight for 26 miles (42 km) to Park Headquarters at Panther Junction. Turn left and proceed for 20 miles (32 km) to the Rio Grande Village area. At the stop sign, turn right, then veer right for the group campground.
The weather
the thirty-year normal
Next four days, and the thirty-year normal
Typical weather
Typical October night 54°F, day 89°F.
Coldest month of the year: typical January night 30°F, below freezing. Bring a bag rated colder than that, and expect ice in the water bottle.
Daily high and lowDays with 0.10 in or more
A normal is the 1991-2020 average for the month, not a forecast: about half of all Junes are colder than the June line. The seven-day forecast above answers the other question.
The land, and who answers for it
what threatens it · who answers for it
What threatens this place
You’re camping on ground somebody wants. We track the threats and the comment deadlines.
Who answers for this land
Rio Grande Village Group Campground (Big Bend, TX) is in Texas’s 23rd congressional district. Whoever holds it votes on the laws that decide what happens to this land. See how its representative votes on public lands →
Our roster still carries Tony Gonzales for this district and the current federal record doesn’t list them as sitting, so we’re not naming a representative here until the two agree.