Pine Springs Campground

Pipe Springs Campground is a great choice for the views straight from the campground and its location near great hiking. It is surrounded by steep, high-desert mountains in a narrow relatively flat valley. A network of long hiking trails begin from the campground and take you high into the backcountry to stunning locations like Guadalupe Peak, which is Texas’s highest peak, Devils Hall with its steep narrow rock walls, or Salt Basin Overlook with its sweeping views of the lower desert and the Salt Basin Dunes. This is a campground to hike from without having to drive to a trailhead. The visitor center is also adjacent to the campground and is a good spot to get information about the best hikes and current conditions. The park entrance fee for hiking is $5 per person and is valid for seven days.

Pipe Springs has two general camping sections: the 20 tent sites and the 19 RVs and vehicle sites plus two group campsites in the tent section. The tent area provides picnic tables and flat tent sites with a short 10- to 50-yard walk from the separate parking spots. Most provide some shade and privacy. A vault toilet is located at the low end of the camp area. The bathhouse in the nearby RV area is also available. The best tent sites are 1-12, since they are on the outside of the short loop. Sites 1 and 9 are probably the best and most isolated. 

The RV section is completely different. It is 19 sites on a large asphalt parking lot. There is no privacy, and only a few of the outer edge sites would provide some limited shade. There are flush toilets and a utility sink in the bathhouse. Both areas have water spigots and bear-proof trashcans. There are no RV hookups, and large trailers or RV sites are limited. It’s the location and hiking that make the campground. The two best sites are 21 and 25 since they are on the edge of the parking lot near some shade. 

Quiet hours are between 8 p.m. and 8 a.m. There is no dump station, nor can reservations be made. The basic fee is $8 per night. Pick your site and pay at the self-service registration area. No fires are allowed. Come fully prepared with water, food and gas. There are very limited services in the area, and despite what Google says, there are no gas stations between El Paso and Pipe Springs except in the small, sleepy town of Dell City. Dell City is 13 miles off of U.S. Highway 62. Gas stations may not be open in the evening there.