This past November we planned a trip to Big Bend National Park. We were going to stay in the Rio Grande Campground in Big Bend itself. There is no electric hookups in that RV park, but you can use a generator until 8 PM. We thought that because Big Bend is high desert the nights would be cool, but we were wrong. When we saw the weather forecast, we decided to stay at a commercial RV park instead. We chose the Study Butte RV Park because it was the closest to Big Bend. The next nearest RV park was the Big Bend Resort and Adventures. It, unfortunately, did not have internet and was slightly more expensive than Study Butte, so we decided not to stay there.
I suppose it should have been a heads-up for me, but there were a few unusual things about Study Butte. First, it does not have a web page, so there is no way to make an online reservation. It only has a Facebook page. Second, there is no email address for the park. Third, the Facebook page says “check or cash only.”
However, the Trip Advisor reviews were generally good. One even said, “There was a coffee pot set up in the welcome area each morning.” Ummm…welcome area? Not that I saw. Nor did I see any coffee.
Anyway, the RV Park is right off RT 118, one mile or so from Big Bend. RT 118 is never busy so getting in and out is not a big deal.
Anyway, when we arrived, we knocked on the “office” door and got no response. Eventually we had to impose on one of the other RVers to make a call to the owner since T-Mobile has no service in the area. It turned out that he was around but not in the office.
When we were assigned our spot, we discovered that it was a side-by-side site.
What that means is that, if we had been unlucky enough, someone could have pulled an RV alongside of us and we would have been “awing to awning.” Fortunately, that did not happen. I would have been REALLY upset if it had.
One nice thing is that there is a general store across the street from the RV park and it opens at 7 AM. The first morning of our stay we were able to walk across RT 118 and get some needed groceries. It was well-stocked, so that was a handy feature of the area.
Anyway, when we paid the owner on the first day, he told us he was heading back to San Antonio for some business. What he didn’t tell us was that no one would be around in the event something happened. Long story short-the one bathroom at the RV park was not cleaned the entire time we were there (5 days). It wasn’t even cleaned before the owner left.
So, can I recommend this place? No. The owner had better get his act together or this place will not last.
Unfortunately, it was only when we were about to leave that we discovered the Maverick Ranch RV Park at Lajitas Golf Resort. It is further away from Big Bend but, based on the web site information, probably worth the drive. It is also cheaper than Study Butte! Here is a link to that facility’s web site: Maverick Ranch RV Park
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