National Park · Texas · est. 1942

Big Bend National Park

There is a place in Far West Texas where night skies are dark as coal and rivers carve temple-like canyons in ancient limestone. Here, at the end of the road, hundreds of bird species take refuge in a solitary mountain range surrounded by weather-beaten desert. Tenacious cactus bloom in sublime southwestern sun, and species diversity is the best in the country. This magical place is Big Bend...

$30 per vehicle Open 24 hours a day Cashless park 4 campgrounds 5 visitor centersDark Sky Place

Photos: National Park Service

3alerts
active

Boquillas Crossing Port of Entry is open Friday-Monday 9:00 am to 4:00 pm

Big Bend is a NO DRONE Zone · Bringing a Pet to Big Bend?

All 3 alerts ↓

Alerts

Information
Boquillas Crossing Port of Entry is open Friday-Monday 9:00 am to 4:00 pm
Until further notice, the Boquillas Crossing Port of Entry will be open Friday through Monday, 9:00 am through 4:00 pm. It will not change to winter hours at this time.
Information
Big Bend is a NO DRONE Zone
The use of drones is prohibited in Big Bend National Park. Thank you for preserving the peace and tranquility of Big Bend.
Information
Bringing a Pet to Big Bend?
Bringing your pet to Big Bend National Park will limit some of your park explorations and opportunities. Pets are not allowed on park trails, in the backcountry, or on the river. Pets are allowed only where vehicles can go. Pets may not be left unattended
NPS ↗

Fees & passes

Type	Covers	Cost
Private VehicleAdmits one private, non-commercial vehicle (15 passenger capacity or less); valid for 7 days.	Admits one private, non-commercial vehicle (15 passenger capacity or less); valid for 7 days.	$30
Per PersonAdmits one individual. Typically used for bicyclists and pedestrians; valid for 7 days.	Admits one individual. Typically used for bicyclists and pedestrians; valid for 7 days.	$15
Non-commercial GroupsOrganized groups such as Scouts, clubs, etc. that do not qualify for an academic fee waiver are charged as follows: $30 per non-commercial vehicle with a capacity of 15 or less. $15 per person traveling in a non-commercial vehicle with a capacity of 16 or more. Fees will not exceed the commercial rate for the same sized vehicle. Youth 15 and younger are free.	Organized groups such as Scouts, clubs, etc. that do not qualify for an academic fee waiver are charged as follows: $30 per non-commercial vehicle with a capacity of 15 or less. $15 per person traveling in a non-commercial vehicle with a capacity of 16 or more. Fees will not exceed the commercial rate for the same sized vehicle. Youth 15 and younger are free.	$30
MotorcycleValid for 7 days. Admits up to 1 private, non-commercial motorcycle with up to 2 total passengers.	Valid for 7 days. Admits up to 1 private, non-commercial motorcycle with up to 2 total passengers.	$25
Commercial tours · by vehicle capacity
Motor CoachCompanies conducting business in the park are required to obtain a commercial use authorization. The only exception is companies travelling in a 26-person capacity or greater vehicle; such vehicles are charged a flat fee of $200 (commercial use authorization not required).	Companies conducting business in the park are required to obtain a commercial use authorization. The only exception is companies travelling in a 26-person capacity or greater vehicle; such vehicles are charged a flat fee of $200 (commercial use authorization not required).	$200
Mini-busThis fee is valid for seven consecutive days. A commercial use authorization is required. https://www.nps.gov/bibe/learn/management/cua.htm	This fee is valid for seven consecutive days. A commercial use authorization is required. https://www.nps.gov/bibe/learn/management/cua.htm	$100
SedanThese fees are charged only to commercial organizations, such as tour companies. This fee is determined by the seating capacity of the vehicle. For sedan with 1 to 6 seats, the fee is $30 + $15 per client. This fee is valid for seven consecutive days. A commercial use authorization is required.	These fees are charged only to commercial organizations, such as tour companies. This fee is determined by the seating capacity of the vehicle. For sedan with 1 to 6 seats, the fee is $30 + $15 per client. This fee is valid for seven consecutive days. A commercial use authorization is required.	$25
Passes
Annual Entrance - ParkBig Bend National Park Annual Pass Covers entrance fees to Big Bend National Park. Pass is available at Big Bend National Park entrance stations or any visitor center. Good for one year from purchase date. Pass is non-transferable.	Big Bend National Park Annual Pass Covers entrance fees to Big Bend National Park. Pass is available at Big Bend National Park entrance stations or any visitor center. Good for one year from purchase date. Pass is non-transferable.	$55

From the park

All vehicles entering Big Bend National Park are subject to an entrance fee. No cash is accepted; credit/debit card only. No refunds are given due to inclement weather. You can pay your entrance pass when you arrive at the park. There are no reservations required for entering Big Bend National Park.

Buy the $80 America the Beautiful pass, not this park's $55 annual pass, unless this is the only park you will see all year. It covers entrance at every federal site for 12 months. Compare the passes

Hours

Big Bend National Park

Daily · All Day

When to go

Month by month, 1979 to 2025 →

March draws the most visits here and August the fewest, averaged over 2021 to 2025.

Bars are the average recreation visits in each month over 2021 to 2025. The line is the average temperature at Panther Junction, 2 miles from the park's reference point at 3,740 feet, station USC00416792 in the NOAA 1991 to 2020 climate normals. The lower panel is monthly rain from the same station, which records under an inch of snow a year.

See every month and year since 1979.

Campgrounds

Chisos Basin Campground	Reservable · Flush toilets · Potable water · Dump station	62 sites
$16 a night · Open year round.
Rio Grande Village Campground	Reservable · Flush toilets · Showers · Potable water	100 sites
$16 a night · Open year round. Please Plan Ahead. Reservations Required. Prime season is November 1 through April 30. Campground is open full capacity at that time.
Cottonwood Campground	Reservable · Vault toilets · Potable water · Camp store	31 sites
$16 a night · Closed May 1 to Oct 31
Rio Grande Village RV ↗	Reservable · Flush toilets · Showers · Potable water	25 sites
$36 a night · Open year round. 25 campsites. Concession-operated RV park with full hook-ups (water, electrical, sewer). · Books through chisosmountainslodge.com

Every campground here has its own page on Campsite Atlas, with site counts, hookups, rig limits and booking windows. All of them on one page → How park camping works

Visitor centers

Persimmon Gap Visitor Center ↗Passport stamp
Persimmon Gap Visitor Center is located in a low pass between the Santiago Mountains at the northern entrance of the park. This pass has been a travel corridor for centuries for people entering and exiting the lower Big Bend country. The visitor center offers park orientation and information.
Panther Junction Visitor Center ↗Passport stamp
Panther Junction Visitor Center is the best place to begin your visit. Backcountry & river use permits are issued here. Entrance fees can be paid here. Exhibits provide an overview of geology & natural and cultural histories of the park.
Chisos Basin Visitor Center ↗Passport stamp
The Chisos Basin Visitor Center includes interactive exhibits on plants, animals, and birds found in the Chisos Mountains. Backcountry and river use permits are issued during normal business hours, and entrance fees can be paid at the visitor center.
Castolon Visitor Center ↗Passport stamp
Located in the Castolon Historic District, the Castolon Visitor Center is open daily during the winter months. River use permits are issued during normal business hours, and entrance fees can be paid at the Castolon Visitor Center.
Rio Grande Village Visitor Center ↗Passport stamp
The Rio Grande Village Visitor Center is located 0.25 miles north of the Rio Grande Village developed area. New exhibits focus on the Rio Grande (how it has changed over time, how the NPS works with our Mexican counterparts to protect and care for it, and the rich assemblage of species that it…

At a glance

Established: Jun 12, 1942
Area: 3,091.3 km² (1,194 sq mi)
States: Texas
Designation: National Park
Coordinates: 29.2982° N, 103.2298° W
Campgrounds: 4
Visitor centers: 5
Visitors (2025): 568,104
Phone: (432) 477-2251

Cell signal

Verizon: 4G LTE
AT&T: 4G LTE
T-Mobile: no reported coverage

Outdoor coverage as modeled by carriers in FCC filings as of 2025-12-31, at the park's reference point and its campgrounds. Terrain and trees change everything. This product uses FCC APIs and/or Data but is not endorsed or certified by the FCC.

Official links

All 12 links

Sister site

Campgrounds at Big Bend National Park

Every campground on federal land, whether it takes reservations or is first come.

Open Campsite Atlas →

Built from official data and refreshed daily. This site is independent and is not affiliated with the National Park Service. Confirm anything critical on the official park page before you travel. How the data is built

Explore

Things to do

Backpacking Big Bend
Big Bend National Park is a backpacker's paradise. For those who come prepared, there are hundreds of miles of trails, and vast expanses to explore.
Opens on the Park Service site
Get a Big Bend Passport Stamp
Are you a "Passport to Your National Parks" cancellation collector? Big Bend National Park has a cancellation stamp to commemorate your visit in your passport book.
Opens on the Park Service site
Big Bend Junior Rangers
Big Bend National Park invites young visitors to become official Junior Rangers.
Opens on the Park Service site
View the Night Sky
Far away from most city lights, Big Bend National Park preserves pristine darkness. Take this chance to stargaze, and experience the half of the park that many of us miss - nighttime.
Opens on the Park Service site
List of Hiking Trails in Big Bend
Hiking trails
Opens on the Park Service site
See the Rio Grande
The Rio Grande is accessible from a number of places in Big Bend National Park, and a variety of hiking trails provide even further opportunities to get up close and personal with our watery border with Mexico.
Opens on the Park Service site

Show all 12

Hike the Lost Mine Trail
The Lost Mine Trail climbs to the side of Lost Mine Peak, offering spectacular views of Juniper Canyon and the Northeast Rim of the Chisos.
Opens on the Park Service site
Hike Into Santa Elena Canyon
The trail begins at the end of the Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive to Santa Elena Canyon, and is one of the prettiest short trails in the park.
Opens on the Park Service site
Visit Boquillas, Mexico
Visiting the small village of Boquillas, Mexico through the park's Boquillas Crossing Port of Entry is an option for visitors possessing a valid passport.
Opens on the Park Service site
Join A Ranger
Join a Park ranger for a guided hike, talk, or evening program. Discover the amazing stories behind the scenery of Big Bend.
Opens on the Park Service site
Become a Big Bend Expert
The bookstore carries a large variety of educational books, videos, park information, and high quality souvenirs to help you learn more about the park and its resources or just help you remember your trip to Big Bend.
Opens on the Park Service site
Birdwatch at Rio Grande Village Nature Trail15-45 Minutes
Rio Grande Village is consistently one of the best places to find a large number of birds in Big Bend National Park. The principal area to search is the Nature Trail, located in the southeastern corner of the campground.
Opens on the Park Service site

Films

Play your Part as a Big Bend National Park Visitor · 3.2 min · on NPS.gov ↗

Protecting Archeological Sites in Big Bend · 2.9 min · on NPS.gov ↗

National Park Service productions, public domain.

Webcams

Live View From Panther Junction ↗

Camera images load live from the National Park Service and partner agencies

Events

Sunset with the Superintendent10/28
06:30 PM · free
Meet on the patio of the Chisos Mountains Lodge main building.

News

Big Bend National Park Announces Temporary Closures for Wildlife Management Project ↗2026-09-25
BIG BEND NATIONAL PARK, Tex. – In early October, Big Bend National Park and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department will initiate targeted wildlife management actions to protect native desert bighorn sheep.

Map

Interactive map by the National Park Service

Guidebooks for Big Bend National Park

We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.

Best Easy Day Hikes Big Bend National Park
Laurence Parent, 2024
Find at Bookshop.org
Enjoying Big Bend National Park
Gary Clark, 2023
Find at Bookshop.org
Big Bend Vistas
William MacLeod, 2017
Find at Bookshop.org

Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject.

Reference

Wildlife

409

Bird species

Mammal species

Species seen this month

Seen this monthGreater Roadrunner 10× · American Black Bear 7× · Gray Fox 5× · Coyote 2× · Western Screech-Owl 1× · Elf Owl 1×Research-grade observations within 25 km, last 30 days, via iNaturalist

Full checklist: 409 birds, 80 mammals

Birds

Raptors & owlsAmerican Kestrel · Aplomado Falcon · Bald Eagle · Barn Owl · Black Vulture · Broad-winged Hawk · Burrowing Owl · Common Black-Hawk · Cooper's Hawk · Crested Caracara · Eastern Screech-Owl · Elf Owl · Ferruginous Hawk · Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl · Flammulated Owl · Golden Eagle · Gray Hawk · Great Horned Owl · Harris's Hawk · Long-eared Owl · Merlin · Mississippi Kite · Northern Harrier · Northern Pygmy-Owl · Northern Saw-whet Owl · Osprey · Peregrine Falcon · Prairie Falcon · Red-shouldered Hawk · Red-tailed Hawk · Rough-legged Hawk · Sharp-shinned Hawk · Short-eared Owl · Short-tailed Hawk · Swainson's Hawk · Swallow-tailed Kite · Turkey Vulture · Western Screech-Owl · White-tailed Hawk · White-tailed Kite · Zone-tailed Hawk

Waterfowl & wadersAmerican Bittern · American Coot · American White Pelican · American Wigeon · Black-bellied Whistling-Duck · Black-crowned Night-Heron · Blue-winged Teal · Brown Pelican · Bufflehead · Canada Goose · Cattle Egret · Cinnamon Teal · Common Goldeneye · Common Loon · Common Merganser · Double-crested Cormorant · Eared Grebe · Great Blue Heron · Great Egret · Greater White-fronted Goose · Green Heron · Green-winged Teal · Hooded Merganser · King Rail · Least Bittern · Least Grebe · Lesser Scaup · Little Blue Heron · Neotropic Cormorant · Northern Pintail · Pied-billed Grebe · Red-breasted Merganser · Reddish Egret · Ring-necked Duck · Ross's Goose · Ruddy Duck · Sandhill Crane · Snow Goose · Snowy Egret · Tricolored Heron · Tundra Swan · Virginia Rail · White Ibis · White-faced Ibis · Wood Duck · Yellow Rail · Yellow-crowned Night-Heron

Shorebirds & seabirdsAmerican Avocet · American Woodcock · Baird's Sandpiper · Black Tern · Bonaparte's Gull · Dunlin · Forster's Tern · Franklin's Gull · Greater Yellowlegs · Killdeer · Laughing Gull · Least Sandpiper · Least Tern · Lesser Yellowlegs · Long-billed Curlew · Long-billed Dowitcher · Pectoral Sandpiper · Ring-billed Gull · Solitary Sandpiper · Spotted Sandpiper · Upland Sandpiper · Western Sandpiper · Willet · Wilson's Phalarope · Wilson's Snipe

Gamebirds & dovesBand-tailed Pigeon · Common Ground-Dove · Eurasian Collared-Dove · Gambel's Quail · Inca Dove · Montezuma Quail · Mourning Dove · Rock Pigeon · Ruddy Ground-Dove · Scaled Quail · White-tipped Dove · White-winged Dove · Wild Turkey

WoodpeckersAcorn Woodpecker · Golden-fronted Woodpecker · Ladder-backed Woodpecker · Lewis's Woodpecker · Northern Flicker · Red-headed Woodpecker · Red-naped Sapsucker · Williamson's Sapsucker · Yellow-bellied Sapsucker

Hummingbirds & swiftsAnna's Hummingbird · Berylline Hummingbird · Black-chinned Hummingbird · Blue-throated Hummingbird · Broad-billed Hummingbird · Broad-tailed Hummingbird · Calliope Hummingbird · Chimney Swift · Costa's Hummingbird · Lucifer Hummingbird · Magnificent Hummingbird · Ruby-throated Hummingbird · Rufous Hummingbird · Violet-crowned Hummingbird · White-eared Hummingbird · White-throated Swift

Also on the checklistAmerican Dipper · American Goldfinch · American Pipit · American Redstart · American Robin · Anhinga · Ash-throated Flycatcher · Aztec Thrush · Baird's Sparrow · Baltimore Oriole · Bank Swallow · Barn Swallow · Bay-breasted Warbler · Bell's Vireo · Belted Kingfisher · Bewick's Wren · Black Phoebe · Black-and-white Warbler · Black-billed Cuckoo · Black-capped Vireo · Black-chinned Sparrow · Black-crested Titmouse · Black-headed Grosbeak · Black-legged Kittiwake · Black-necked Stilt · Black-tailed Gnatcatcher · Black-throated Blue Warbler · Black-throated Gray Warbler · Black-throated Green Warbler · Black-throated Sparrow · Black-vented Oriole · Blackburnian Warbler · Blackpoll Warbler · Blue Grosbeak · Blue Jay · Blue-gray Gnatcatcher · Blue-headed Vireo · Blue-winged Warbler · Brewer's Blackbird · Brewer's Sparrow · Bronzed Cowbird · Brown Creeper · Brown Thrasher · Brown-crested Flycatcher · Brown-headed Cowbird · Bullock's Oriole · Bushtit · Cactus Wren · Canada Warbler · Canvasback · Canyon Wren · Cape May Warbler · Carolina Wren · Cassin's Finch · Cassin's Kingbird · Cassin's Sparrow · Cassin's Vireo · Cave Swallow · Cedar Waxwing · Cerulean Warbler · Chestnut-collared Longspur · Chestnut-sided Warbler · Chihuahuan Raven · Chipping Sparrow · Clark's Nutcracker · Clay-colored Robin · Clay-colored Sparrow · Cliff Swallow · Colima Warbler · Common Grackle · Common Moorhen · Common Nighthawk · Common Poorwill · Common Raven · Common Yellowthroat · Cordilleran Flycatcher · Couch's Kingbird · Crescent-chested Warbler · Crissal Thrasher · Curve-billed Thrasher · Dark-eyed Junco · Dickcissel · Dusky Flycatcher · Dusky-capped Flycatcher · Eastern Bluebird · Eastern Kingbird · Eastern Meadowlark · Eastern Phoebe · Eastern Wood-Pewee · Elegant Trogon · European Starling · Evening Grosbeak · Fan-tailed Warbler · Field Sparrow · Flame-colored Tanager · Fox Sparrow · Gadwall · Golden-cheeked Warbler · Golden-crowned Kinglet · Golden-crowned Sparrow · Golden-winged Warbler · Grace's Warbler · Grasshopper Sparrow · Gray Catbird · Gray Flycatcher · Gray Vireo · Gray-cheeked Thrush · Great Crested Flycatcher · Great Kiskadee · Great-tailed Grackle · Greater Pewee · Greater Roadrunner · Green Kingfisher · Green-tailed Towhee · Groove-billed Ani · Hammond's Flycatcher · Harris's Sparrow · Hepatic Tanager · Hermit Thrush · Hermit Warbler · Hooded Oriole · Hooded Warbler · Horned Lark · House Finch · House Sparrow · House Wren · Hutton's Vireo · Indigo Bunting · Kentucky Warbler · Lark Bunting · Lark Sparrow · Lazuli Bunting · Le Conte's Sparrow · Least Flycatcher · Lesser Goldfinch · Lesser Nighthawk · Lincoln's Sparrow · Loggerhead Shrike · Long-billed Thrasher · Louisiana Waterthrush · MacGillivray's Warbler · Magnolia Warbler · Mallard · Marsh Wren · Mexican Jay · Mountain Bluebird · Mountain Chickadee · Mourning Warbler · Nashville Warbler · Northern Cardinal · Northern Goshawk · Northern Mockingbird · Northern Parula · Northern Rough-winged Swallow · Northern Shoveler · Northern Waterthrush · Olive Warbler · Olive-sided Flycatcher · Orange-crowned Warbler · Orchard Oriole · Ovenbird · Painted Bunting · Painted Redstart · Palm Warbler · Phainopepla · Philadelphia Vireo · Pine Siskin · Pine Warbler · Pinyon Jay · Piratic Flycatcher · Plumbeous Vireo · Prairie Warbler · Prothonotary Warbler · Purple Finch · Purple Gallinule · Purple Martin · Pygmy Nuthatch · Pyrrhuloxia · Red Crossbill · Red-breasted Nuthatch · Red-eyed Vireo · Red-faced Warbler · Red-winged Blackbird · Redhead · Rock Wren · Rose-breasted Grosbeak · Rose-throated Becard · Roseate Spoonbill · Ruby-crowned Kinglet · Rufous-backed Robin · Rufous-capped Warbler · Rufous-crowned Sparrow · Rusty Blackbird · Sage Sparrow · Sage Thrasher · Savannah Sparrow · Say's Phoebe · Scarlet Tanager · Scissor-tailed Flycatcher · Scott's Oriole · Sedge Wren · Slate-throated Redstart · Smith's Longspur · Snow Bunting · Song Sparrow · Sora · Spotted Towhee · Sprague's Pipit · Steller's Jay · Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher · Summer Tanager · Swainson's Thrush · Swainson's Warbler · Swamp Sparrow · Tennessee Warbler · Thick-billed Kingbird · Townsend's Solitaire · Townsend's Warbler · Tree Swallow · Tropical Kingbird · Tropical Parula · Tufted Flycatcher · Varied Bunting · Varied Thrush · Veery · Verdin · Vermilion Flycatcher · Vesper Sparrow · Violet-green Swallow · Warbling Vireo · Western Bluebird · Western Kingbird · Western Meadowlark · Western Scrub-Jay · Western Tanager · Western Wood-Pewee · Whimbrel · Whip-poor-will · White-breasted Nuthatch · White-crowned Sparrow · White-eyed Vireo · White-throated Sparrow · Willow Flycatcher · Wilson's Warbler · Winter Wren · Wood Thrush · Worm-eating Warbler · Yellow Warbler · Yellow-bellied Flycatcher · Yellow-billed Cuckoo · Yellow-breasted Chat · Yellow-eyed Junco · Yellow-green Vireo · Yellow-headed Blackbird · Yellow-rumped Warbler · Yellow-throated Vireo · Yellow-throated Warbler

Mammals

Small mammalsAmerican Beaver · Black-tailed Jackrabbit · Botta's Pocket Gopher · Brush Mouse · Cactus Mouse · Chihuahuan Desert Pocket Mouse · Crawford's Desert Shrew · Davis Mountains Cottontail · Deer Mouse · Desert Cottontail · Eastern Cottontail · Fulvous Harvest Mouse · Hispid Cotton Rat · Mearns's Grasshopper Mouse · Merriam's Kangaroo Rat · Merriam's Pocket Mouse · Mexican Ground Squirrel · Mexican Woodrat · Nelson's Pocket Mouse · North American Porcupine · Northern Rock Mouse · Ord's Kangaroo Rat · Plains Harvest Mouse · Rock Squirrel · Silky Pocket Mouse · Southern Plains Woodrat · Spotted Ground Squirrel · Texas Antelope Squirrel · Western Harvest Mouse · Western White-throated Woodrat · White-ankled Mouse · White-footed Mouse · Yellow-faced Pocket Gopher · Yellow-nosed Cotton Rat

PredatorsAmerican Badger · American Black Bear · Bobcat · Common Gray Fox · Coyote · Gray Wolf · Hooded Skunk · Kit Fox · Long-tailed Weasel · Mountain Lion · Northern Raccoon · Ringtail · Striped Skunk · Western Spotted Skunk · White-backed Hog-nosed Skunk

Hoofed mammalsBarbary Sheep or Aoudad · Bighorn Sheep · Collared Peccary · Elk · Mule Deer · Pronghorn · White-tailed Deer

BatsBig Brown Bat · Big Free-tailed Bat · Brazilian Free-tailed Bat · California Myotis · Cave Myotis · Eastern Pipistrelle · Fringed Myotis · Ghost-faced Bat · Hoary Bat · Long-legged Myotis · Mexican Long-nosed Bat · Pallid Bat · Pocketed Free-tailed Bat · Silver-haired Bat · Spotted Bat · Townsend's Big-eared Bat · Western Bonneted Bat · Western Pipistrelle · Western Small-footed Myotis · Western Yellow Bat · Yuma Myotis

Also on the checklistFeral Pig · Nutria · White-nosed Coati

Weather & climate

Big Bend is in the Chihuahuan Desert. Sunshine is abundant year-round. Spring (March) is typically warm and pleasant and is the park's busiest season. Summer heat begins in May. It is extremely HOT. Temperatures vary greatly between the desert which is usually well above 100 degrees F by late morning, and the Chisos Mountains, which can be 10-15 degrees cooler. May - August are the hottest months. Fall and Winter (Nov-Feb) are mild and pleasant, but some freezing does occur. Snow is rare.

Questions people ask

How much does it cost to enter Big Bend?

Entrance is $30 per private vehicle, $25 per motorcycle, and $15 per person on foot or bike. Admits one private, non-commercial vehicle (15 passenger capacity or less); valid for 7 days.

Source: National Park Service

Which passes work at Big Bend?

The $80 America the Beautiful pass covers the entrance fee here, and a Big Bend-only annual pass is $55.

Source: Is the pass worth it

Can I pay the entrance fee in cash?

No. Big Bend takes cards only at the entrance.

Source: National Park Service

When is entrance to Big Bend free?

Next on October 27, Theodore Roosevelt's birthday. 2 fee-free days are left this year, for US residents only.

Source: Free entrance days

Do I need a reservation to enter Big Bend?

No. There is no timed-entry or entrance reservation at Big Bend. Camping and some tours have their own reservations.

Source: National Park Service

Is Big Bend open year-round?

Yes. The grounds are open 24 hours a day, year-round.

Source: National Park Service

Can I camp in Big Bend?

Yes. The Park Service lists 4 campgrounds in Big Bend: Chisos Basin, Rio Grande Village, Cottonwood, and Rio Grande Village RV. 4 take reservations through Recreation.gov.

Source: Every campground, on Campsite Atlas

Which Big Bend campgrounds have showers, hookups, or a dump station?

Showers: Rio Grande Village and Rio Grande Village RV. Dump station: Chisos Basin, Rio Grande Village, and Rio Grande Village RV. Electric hookups: Rio Grande Village RV.

Source: Campgrounds

Do camping fees at Big Bend include the entrance fee?

No. Camping is charged per night on top of the entrance fee or a pass; Chisos Basin is $16 a night.

Source: Campgrounds

Do Big Bend campgrounds book through Recreation.gov?

Not all of them. Rio Grande Village RV takes reservations through chisosmountainslodge.com.

Source: Campgrounds

When do Big Bend campgrounds close for the season?

Cottonwood is closed May 1 to Oct 31.

Source: Campgrounds

Is anything closed at Big Bend right now?

3 active alerts as of October 14, 2026: Boquillas Crossing Port of Entry is open Friday-Monday 9:00 am to 4:00 pm; Big Bend is a NO DRONE Zone; and more.

Source: Alerts

Follow this park

Alerts feed (RSS): Every active Park Service alert for this unit, one item each, rebuilt with the nightly data refresh.
Add dates to your calendar (.ics file): Fee-free entrance days that apply here and each published hours exception, as all-day events.