Rather than stay at a campsite or hotel, my travel partner and I opted to rent a teepee from Basecamp Terlingua on our recent visit to Big Bend National Park. Offering a range of luxury vacation rentals, it is one of three sister properties in Terlingua, Texas.
Located just 8-miles outside of the northwestern entrance to Big Bend, the site of six teepees, a bath bathhouse, two adobe-style, and two bubble houses blended seamlessly with the desert landscape.
Having not viewed the photos posted on Airbnb, I was blown away upon entering the teepee. It was bright, spacious, and luxurious and had a southwestern/boho style that looked straight from Pinterest! The room featured a king-size bed, nightstands with lamps, a sofa bed, chairs, a kitchenette, an evaporative cooler and heater, and wifi.
The kitchenette, consisting of a sink, refrigerator, microwave, and Keurig and equip with mugs, coffee cups, silverware, coffees, and teas was truly great. However, I did wish it had a regular coffee machine rather than one that uses disposable K-cups. It is estimated that, in total, the amount of K-cups ever thrown away could wrap around the planet 10 times.
Outside there was a fire pit already equipped with firewood, along with a table and two lawn chairs. It would have been nice if it had kindling as well, but the setup was very nice regardless.
That evening, while my friend and I were headed into town by foot, one of the property managers, Sandy, rode past us in her Jeep and offered us a ride to the nearby Starlight Theater.
That night, we both enjoyed warm showers inside the space-heated bathhouse and slept extremely comfortably against the firm mattress beneath the heated blanket. Because of the cloud cover, we were unable to stargaze in what would have been one of the best places to do so in the lower 48 states. From far off in the distance, we could here the faint chuckling of hyenas.
Almost as if we were being compensated for the clouded, near starless sky the previous night, that morning we were treated to one of the best sunrises I have ever experienced. It was truly mesmerizing watching the vivid crimson, then lavender and pink sky dance over the campground.
While at the park, I realized that I had left my wallet sitting out on the nightstand. Through the chat feature on their website, I was able to get in contact with Morgan, one of the property managers, and she quickly retrieved my wallet and placed it out of sight.
The second night, we slept just as comfortably and soundly as we did the first. Despite the teepee having no locks or safes and the lack of a formal check-in/out process, I felt very safe and secure during my entire stay at Basecamp.
At $129 per night, the price is comparable to other accommodations in the area, such as the Chisos Mountain Lodge inside the park (starting at $109 per night) and Big Bend Holiday Hotel (starting at $130 per night).
Overall, I would rate Basecamp Terlingua 9.5/10 stars and would highly recommend this place to anyone looking to stay near Big Bend.
karaboutlife 