Tin Valley Retro Rentals — Hotel in Manuel Benavides

Tin Valley was a wonderful home base for exploring Big Bend and the surrounding area. It's about 45 minutes away from the entrance of the park (and the small town directly outside it, complete with gas station, a small but surprisingly well equipped grocery store, and a few restaurants). GPS will probably cut out on you about half an hour away from the site, but finding it is fairly straightforward. Every direction Google Maps gives you is accurate except the last step, which is to turn left instead of continuing straight at the end of Marathon. Tin Valley helpfully posted not just one, but two, signs to show you the right way at this junction. So, follow signs for Terlingua Ranch Lodge to get onto the paved side street from the main road, drive about 13 miles to the sign for Marathon (it's right before the pavement ends, and there's a generous loop at the end of the dirt path, so if you have a big rig and miss it, you'll just be redirected to the same road anyway, no biggie). This loop, which is about 3 miles from Marathon Road, is where the lodge is. I would recommend getting a key for the pool between office hours of 9-5 at the lodge so if you get back from hiking sweaty and in need of some cool water at 7 or 8 pm, you can get in. I would also recommend downloading a map of the area (or going the old-fashioned route) so you don't miss the turn off the main road like I did and then not have cell signal for a long stretch to get you back to the RV park. There is a bathroom and shower at Tin Valley (no extra charge), which is fairly spread out and quiet, in the shadow of a large hill, and which has wonderful desert views. I only had the barest trace of a signal near the bathroom/main house, so be prepared to disconnect a bit. The RV sites have 20/30/50 amp connections and are all pull-through. There is potable water at the site. I did some searching before I went to Big Bend, and this was the best site I could find that had access to a pool, showers, bathrooms, and electricity with amazing views and a great price. This is the place I plan to stay the next time I go to Big Bend....

Our stay at the Rondavous Land Yacht at Tin Valley Retro Rentals was absolutely unforgettable! Out of all the places we stayed during our Big Bend trip, this was hands-down the very best. Our daughter had so much fun pretending to be a pirate—it was pure joy watching her imagination come alive in such a unique setting.

The yacht itself was incredible, and my favorite spot was the upper deck. Sitting there under the vast night sky, gazing at the stars, was such a peaceful and magical experience. It truly felt like a little slice of paradise in the desert.

The host was fantastic and made our stay even better by bringing us fresh farm eggs for breakfast—a thoughtful and delicious touch. We’ve been telling all our friends that they have to stay here if they ever visit Big Bend, and we’re already planning a return trip. Without a doubt, we’ll be staying at the Rondavous Land...

We stayed for 2 nights in the Desert Diva and it was perfection! Before you even get to the property, you are sent an abundance of information that lets you know EVERYTHING you need to know about your stay, which is hugely helpful. ||||The property is remote and beautiful - it does take over an hour to get into Big Bend National Park, but that's to be expected with any stay outside of the park boundaries. ||||The Diva was cute, quirky and cozy - and had everything we needed. We enjoyed having a fire in the firepit, cooking on the charcoal grill, and cuddling the kittens as we enjoyed the incredible night sky. IThe Diva gives you the opportunity to enjoy this time outside without having to bring all your own camping equipment, which is especially nice if you've travelled to Texas by plane. ||||We would come back in an instant. So happy to have found this...