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Cottonwood (Big Bend, Tx): how hard is it to reserve?
Big Bend National Park · National Park Service · Big Bend National Park, TX
As of Oct 10, 2026, 67% of Friday and Saturday site-nights at Cottonwood (Big Bend, Tx) over the next 90 days are already reserved, compared with 38% of weeknights. Weekends are much harder than weekdays here — shifting a trip to Sunday–Thursday is the easiest way to get a site. In the next 30 days, 5 of 30 dates have at least one open site (5 open site-nights in total; 37 over 90 days).
Upcoming weekends
| Weekend (Fri–Sat) | Booked | Open sites Fri | Open sites Sat |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 16, 2026 | n/a | 0 | 0 |
| Oct 23, 2026 | n/a | 0 | 0 |
| Oct 30, 2026 | n/a | 0 | 0 |
| Nov 6, 2026 | 100% | 0 | 0 |
| Nov 13, 2026 | 100% | 0 | 0 |
| Nov 20, 2026 | 100% | 0 | 0 |
Snapshot history
| Snapshot date | Score | Weekends booked | Weeknights booked | Open dates 30d |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 10, 2026 | 72 | 67% | 38% | 5 |
About Cottonwood (Big Bend, Tx)
- 29 campsites (29 listed in availability data)
- $16–$60 per night
- Recreation.gov rating 4.5/5 from 570 reviews
- Equipment: Tent, RV, Trailer
- Activities: Picnic Tables, Hiking, Fishing, Camping, Historic Sites, Canoeing, Birding, Wildlife Viewing
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, 30-site campground is one of the least-known and quiet campgrounds in the park. There is one group campsite and 30 individual sites. This is a remote campground in a remote park. It is dry camping, no hook-ups, and no generators are permitted. There is not a fill or dump station, please come prepared. Cottonwood gets its name from the cottonwoo…
Description excerpt from Recreation.gov.
Check live availability and book on Recreation.gov →
Other campgrounds in Big Bend National Park
| Campground | Difficulty | Weekends booked | Open dates (30d) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rio Grande Village (Big Bend, Tx) Big Bend National Park | Hard | 83% | 18 |
| Chisos Basin Campground (Big Bend, Tx) Big Bend National Park | Very hard | 99% | 13 |
| Big Bend Backcountry Camping Big Bend National Park | Not measured yet | n/a | n/a |
Nearby campgrounds
| Campground | State | Difficulty | Weekends booked | Open dates (30d) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pine Springs Campground Guadalupe Mountains National Park | TX | Moderate | 75% | 21 |
| Dog Canyon Campground Guadalupe Mountains National Park | NM | Not measured yet | n/a | n/a |
| Lakeside (Tx) Hords Creek Lake | TX | Easy | 28% | 30 |
| Cranes Mill Park Canyon Lake | TX | Not measured yet | n/a | 0 |
| Potters Creek Park Canyon Lake | TX | Easy | 23% | 30 |
| Valley of Fires Recreation Area Valley of Fires | NM | Easy | 31% | 29 |