5
Pull-thru
NPSBig Bend National Park · Texas
Chisos Basin Campground (Big Bend, TX)
Overview Chisos Basin Campground, perched high in the rugged Chisos Mountains, is the most sought-after campground in Big Bend National Park.
Sites6256 reservable
Elev.5,151ft
Comf.Jan-Dec12 months
Max rig24 ft5 pull-thru
Electricnonesites
From San Antonio7h54real road time
The honest read
Synthesized from
RIDB · Open-Meteo
OSM · OSRM
Updated 2026-05-27
RIDB · Open-Meteo
OSM · OSRM
Updated 2026-05-27
At 5,151 ft, Chisos Basin Campground (Big Bend, TX) has a 12-month comfortable window (Jan-Dec). Winter nights average around 39°F, so the shoulder seasons turn cold fast. 62 sites total: 56 reservable and 6 first-come, first-served. Of the sites, 5 pull-through, 3 walk-in, and the longest takes a 24-ft rig. This is bear country, and food-storage lockers are provided. Within about 4 miles: 12 peaks.
The campground at a glance
01 · CHARACTER
Reads strongest on quiet and reservability. Softest on roomy sites.
Six axes, each scored relative to every other federal campground in the region: quiet (miles to a major road), cool (elevation), roomy (average site spacing), shade, RV-fit (longest rig), and how reservable it is. All six come from data, nothing hand-tuned.
When to go
02 · CLIMATE
avg highavg lowfrost-freedriest · Apr
Jan-Dec
Comfortable window: nights stay above 35°F, days below 90°F.
89%
Of summer weekend-days are dry.
Mar 13
Last spring frost; first fall frost Nov 11.
69°F
Average July low. Bring a fleece.
Getting there
03 · ACCESS
01
San Antonio
447 mi
7h54
02
Austin
472 mi
8h40
03
Dallas
584 mi
10h42
04
Houston
639 mi
11h18
By drive time
Routed road time (OSRM). Nearest major highway 14.4 mi away.
Picking your site
04 · 62 SITES
Color byShow only
60 mapped sites · dot color = seclusion · click a dot for details. Basemap © OpenStreetMap.
3
Walk-in
0
50-amp
1
Accessible
0
Prime
62
Sites
★ The standout
Site 049
Loop 3 · walk-in.
To neighbor
108 ft
Max rig
19 ft
Type
Walk-in
What's within four miles
05 · TRAILS · PEAKS · WATER
Trails & Peaks
Trail segments
103
Peaks
12
Viewpoints
8
Water & Access
To nearest major road
14.4 mi
Method
We synthesize public data layers: RIDB and Recreation.gov facility and site records, Open-Meteo climate normals, OpenStreetMap roads, trails, and water, OSRM drive times, and USGS elevation. We take no bookings, no ads, and no paid placements. Independence is the entire point.